The MiniDisc

A MiniDisc (MD) is a magneto-optical disc-based data storage device initially intended for storage of up to 80 minutes of digitized audio. It's basically similar to a CD but smaller and enclosed in a shell. Shown below is the MZ1, the first minidisc player manufactured by Sony. See IEEE Specs here.




A recordable MiniDisc is capable of storing 140 megabytes of information (it records in ATRAC format). Music can be scattered all over the disk and the player can "put it together" correctly when playing the disk, just like those data in your hard drive. This means that you can erase and re-record songs on a MiniDisc without having to worry about how they fit together. This is tremendously convenient compared to a cassette tape, where you have to basically re-record the entire tape if you want to change any of the songs on it. There are also 4-track MiniDisc recorders for musicians, which are great for recording songs as they are performed and then mixing the tracks.

Even though both the MiniDisc format and the ATRAC codec were Sony inventions, the company was more than happy to license the technology to other manufacturers. This resulted in a plethora of MiniDisc hardware from all the big names in consumer electronics, although the level of choice in Europe was still tiny compared to the model line-up available in the Far East.

Unfortunately for Sony, the market had moved on by this time and MP3 players had already pretty much put MiniDisc in its grave. Sad, I really loved this format until today.


My Minidisc Player/Recorder (SONY MZ-R37)

One of my favorite audio gadget is my Minidisc player/recorder. One good thing is that you can still buy blank disc, there's a specialty store in Harrison Plaza that sells professional audio equipments and peripherals. Shown below is a blank disc and on the foreground is sample disc which I have removed from the shell.



The front side contains all the controls such as play, fast forward, rewind, AMS, record, volume controls and the eject switch (rightmost).



The upper lid accepts the disc, you can buy blank MDs and record all your favorite selections or the pre recorded ones but I doubt if it's available locally.



The left side of the player contains the optical digital input jack (white), this jack automatically detects whether the input signal is digital or analog. Next to it is the analog line-out (black) which you can directly hookup into a pre-amp or an audio amplifier. The elongated terminal is for the remote controller RM-MZ37. The small button on the right is the hold switch, it disables all operations when switched to "hold".



The player with the remote controller RM-MZ37.



The underside (shown here, still without scratches) contains the MEGABASS button, the edit/display button, mode (record/play) and the T-mark if in case you want to place labels on the recorded materials. It also has a synchro record switch that automatically buffers the input signal once it is detected and start recording.