Paul Hollins
September 11, 2006

Rating: 9/10

Mini Disc has had a rough ride over the years. It never truly caught on with the general public despite the best efforts of the manufacturers, most notably Sony whom of course invented it. Recording studios never truly bought-in to the concept either probably because it uses the ATRAC compression algorithm which is known to be lossy and therefore you'd ultimately end up compromising the integrity of your recording .

However, there is one die-hard fan base for Mini Disc... the broadcast industry, and in particular radio. Most radio stations in the UK have, or still do, use Mini Disc regularly whether it\'s in the studio or out in the field when news gathering or interviewing the local MP. For radio, you see, it\'s a convenient medium. Small, portable, durable, re-recordable, editable... all the things that neither DAT or CD could never really offer. At least, not in one package. OK, so there\'s some audio compression (or \'loss\') going on inside that little box, but to most people it\'s not noticeable in the slightest.

Over the years, professional Mini Disc machines have come and gone and even Sony seem to be gradually phasing them out. Recently Denon stopped producing Mini Disc machines altogether despite the fact that their DN-990R was a studio workhorse adopted by the likes of London\'s Heart FM and Birmingham\'s BRMB Radio.

Thankfully for the radio industry, Tascam have spotted a nice little niche that\'s opened up in the market and are set to fully exploit it with a machine that can only be described as a god-send for those of us who rely on Mini Disc to do our job.

The MD-350 is a 2u semi-pro unit that replaces the now rather dated models that Tascam have been punting for the last 6 or 7 years. Unlike most \'semi-pro\' units, real thought has been taken in designing a machine that not only performs well but that also looks good. With it\'s sleek, uncluttered, yet elegant finish, the MD-350 feels just at home in an on-air studio as it does in any production facility.

The usual Mini Disc functions (divide, erase, combine, etc) are all present & correct and are easily accessible from the menu options which are accessed from the either the unit itself or the remote control.

Recording is a breeze too and there are various options for longer recording durations (up to four times), which is particularly handy for newsrooms who\'s reporters record interviews on non-standard Mini Disc Reporter units.

The MD-350 also incorporates the very latest ATRAC 4.5 algorithm which gives you the clearest possible sound and, to my ears, that does make a big difference when compared to other Mini Disc machines. The 20-bit A/D and D/A converters could also play a part in that though.

All in all, the MD-350 is a solid all-rounder that will find a home at radio stations and production facilities around the UK. As older Mini Disc machines start to fail (and let\'s face it, they cost a fortune to service/repair), Tascam are well placed to pick up these \'new\' clients.

To my mind, the Mini Disc format still has many years left in it and it looks like Tascam agree.