Sound quality of MD, Dat, mp3

[SoundFNR@aol.com]

The quality of MiniDisc recordings was much discussed 
on this list at one time.
The conclusion seemed to be that it depended on the 
type of sound to be recorded.
Simpler sounds come out well, but complex
ones get mushed up, especially if there's a
strong 'noise' element.
I recorded turkish saz players and it came out great.
...but a recording of a waterfall was unimpressive.

I noticed quite a large difference in the quality of the 
mic pre-amps in the portable MDs that I've tried.
(enough to make a lot of difference)

Best to get a player which allows you to manually set
the record volume, the default is always auto-volume control
which is handy (or essential) sometimes, but doesn't sound as good.
(more noticeable on percussion instruments)

mp3 can be made on various quality settings, but the 
commonly used settings degrade the sound a lot. 

For a DAT recorder, the mic pre-amps are probably
going to be the thing that most effects quality. 

andy butler