It's the future

If I've ever preached to you the value of the older minidisc recorders (the Sharp IM-DR420 in particular)--about how they make it easier to get around those pesky copyright protections and how it's better to record with on-the-fly sound level adjustments and so on and so on, I take it all back. High-MD is the way of the future. Quoting from the best minidisc retailer, minidisco.com :

With a Hi-MD recorder, you can...

1. Make your own high quality recordings with a microphone or via the analog line input.

2. Upload these recordings digitally and at high-speed into Sony's Sonic Stage software (included with every Hi-MD unit).

3. Use Sony's WAV Conversion Tool to digitally convert the files at high-speed to WAV format.

4. Now that your your recordings are in WAV format, you can edit your recordings, burn an audio CD, make MP3s or do anything else you want. You're limited only by your imagination!

* * * There are no restrictions on your uploaded recordings! We've tested this in our office and it works like a charm. * * *

What this means, is that you can record your fabulous taiko solos and very easily burn them to cd and make a thousand copies and give them to all your friends. Or you can edit out your mistakes that much easier.

To understand my excitement better, you have to realize that the only way to get your live recordings off you minidisc recorder is to use an intermediary software program that will record your md's in real time. That means if you recorded an hour-long solo, it would take an hour to transfer it to your computer. Then, if you're not computerly-inclined like me, you have to figure out how to convert that file into something you can put on a cd, or whatever. It's hard. It's a pain. With hi-md, you plug the thing in, click, and you're set to go.

I want one.
I have to have one.
I need one.

I sure hope I have the strength not to buy one right now. After all, my md is great. I finally figured out how to really use it. And it does have that on-the-fly recording level adjustment, which is crucial for taiko. But how am I going to resist the urge? How am I going to fight the way of the future????