Sharp MDMT15 VQ MiniDisc Player/Recorder with Voquette Web Audio Manager

• Portable minidisc player/recorder with Voquette Web Audio Manager
• Synchro recording automatically records from CD or minidisc
• Text input for naming discs and tracks
• Records live audio via microphone (not included)
• Accepts optional rechargeable battery and comes with AC adapter

The Sharp MD-MT15VQ itself lets you record your favorite songs from various sources, including CD players and satellite broadcasting tuners (thanks to the sample rate converter), and then play your selections back in 24-bit ATRAC sound. True digital recording is possible from a digital source via the optional optical cable, while analog dubbing can be performed from the RCA left/right-out on your stereo to the optical/line-in jack on the player, using the included wiring.

The MD-MT15VQ also features comprehensive editing functions and text input to identify your minidiscs and individual tracks, along with a three-mode extra bass system and 10 seconds of buffer memory to reduce skips. The player, which sports a compact design with a clamshell opening mechanism, comes with headphones, an AC adapter, and a drawstring carrying pouch.

Of course, the real star of this system is the Voquette Media Manager software, the key to downloading, recording, and controlling Web audio content. Creating custom play lists of songs, live Webcasts, news, and other spoken information is remarkably simple, thanks to its friendly and intuitive user interface.

Voquette is all about taking Web audio, with its wealth of content and personalized play lists, beyond the PC. Voquette converts MP3, Microsoft Media, and Real Audio files and transfers them in real time. Unfortunately, once you've gotten used to the minutes-in-seconds downloads of MP3, real time suddenly seems slow. For this reason, Voquette allows you to schedule copying sessions at convenient times, like when you're sleeping.

We're also spoiled by MP3's ability to compress 10 CDs' worth of music into the space of one. Since Voquette duplicates files in their uncompressed form, a 74-minute disk is still only good for 74 minutes worth of music.

Voquette's NetLink hardware consists of a four-headed cable adapter with special pass-through plugs that patch in between your keyboard and your PC's keyboard port, as well as between your multimedia speakers and your sound card. The cable also connects to the player at the line-in and DC-in jacks, acting as a bonus power supply. One downside to this configuration is that it's a bit of a tangled mess.

After the usual learning curve, the Voquette software easily manages music, talk, and even converted text from a variety of sources.

In addition to the Voquette software recognizing Real Audio, Microsoft Media Player, MP3, WAV, and CD tracks, an optional upgrade can convert HTML and Microsoft Word documents into speech (albeit in a less-than-mellifluous computerized voice) and automatically record it to minidisc. Having done so, you can listen to e-mail, text, and even Web pages on the go. You can also schedule automatic program downloads on an ongoing basis once you've specified your personal preferences, or just drag and drop the desired files from a Web site onto the Media Manager for instant or future playback. The proprietary technology "translates" from the various sources, so there are virtually no worries about incompatible audio formats. It's rather difficult to imagine Web audio getting much easier.

With so much focus on MP3 these days, we should not forget that the most impressive aspect of using the minidisc format to download computer music files lies in its editing capabilities, which are second to none. MD accesses, rearranges, and deletes files easily at any time. It also offers the freedom to erase and re-record frequently on an affordable medium.

Surprisingly, the MD-MT15VQ is one of the most affordable minidisc player/recorders on the market. The Voquete NetLink makes for a happy, rewarding marriage of two popular entertainment (and information) technologies. This is a uniquely liberating bundle for anyone wanting to take their PC content beyond the desktop.

Pros:

• Excellent sound quality
• All-in-one-solution records, plays, and links to your PC for next-generation features
• Extremely stable playback, even under active conditions
• Unparalleled content editing and access

Cons:

• More cables for your desktop to contend with
• Traditional audio recording (without MP3 compression) means a 74-minute disc is good for 74 minutes of music, period
• No blank minidiscs included with player