Can we even still find minidisc and players new?
I buy empty minidisc clear cases from Japan (similar to CD jewel cases) on eBay. I have a photoshop template for printing card stock on my Epson that allows me to create art and graphics that fits perfectly in the case. Once the completed minidisc is placed inside it fits like a glove. I find it all very satisfying.
I also bought a Sony MXD-D3 ( hard to find and expensive on eBay) so I can quickly rip an entire CD. Or I can use the “Rec-it” button and just capture a single track.
One of my other decks is a Tascam MD-301 MK II which has a keyboard port so I can easily tag albums and tracks with text that dances across the player screen on most playback devices.
Sadly the minidisc half doesn’t record anymore :(
I have to put in the metadata on my other Sony deck using the rotary encoder :)
Players, no. But MiniDisc was ubiquitous in almost every country except the USA, so they're still relatively easy to find.
Definitely not in the former USSR. We skipped MiniDisc entirely, going from cassettes to CDs to MP3 players.
They stuck around for a long time, only finally being killed by the iPod.
I even had a MiniDisc car stereo. So much better than CDs, you could just let them rattle around in the glove box and they didn't get scratched.
They were easily the best format for portable music until mp3 players got their capacity problems sorted out.
They were amazing for copying music and making mixes. No one ever bought a new release on MD to my knowledge. You bought the CD and copied it onto MD. We also used them to record our band practise sessions.