Sony MZ-R30 Personal MiniDisc Player

I just got the Blue Japanese version of the SONY MZ-R30 from somebody in Texas on Ebay for $211 (including shipping)and also got 5 blank mini-disks and an extra rechargeable battery. At first I wasn't sure what to do with it (especially since all the buttons are labeled in Japanese and didn't get a manual) but NOW it's just an amazing tool, especially since you can re-record over and over. I was debating to replace my expensive Toshiba Stereo Walkman Cassette Recorder/Player when it died and then my daughter came back from a trip to Japan last summer and was all excited about wanting a Mini-Disk Player. I had heard about them but wasn't too familiar with the concept. Now that I have this gadget it's just great. I have a CD Burner on my computer but it's just not as simple as this machine, especially making custom mixes.

The first thing that impressed me was the small size and REAL portability. I'm getting a digital mike next so that I can record live music and eventually an optical input cable so that I can record REAL digital music. Right now I'm making custom mixes from CD's and plan on MP3 mixes next. I like to take music with me when I fly anywhere and with cassette players the batteries don't last very long. The rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack for the MZ-R30 has gone for many hours without charging. I also like the headphones with the remote track selector, so I don't have to fumble in my pocket or carry bag for the MZ-R30 control buttons.

I highly recommend this music recorder for anybody who likes to record their own mix and also record live music of high quality AND have the ability to re-record over it.

**UPDATE** look here for instruction book on the web for MZ-R30 - http://www.minidisc.org/r30_manual/MZ-R30e.htm