Hope to write an article describing my experience w/both of my MD recorders and the Trials and tribulations of the Uploading audio battles. I was blown away by the sound quality when I first got an MD recorder last year. I bought the Sony MZ-N10. It was the only one that I could find that had a mic input. Well, the new one I got is the Sony MZ-NH1. I boasts a 1 GB storage capacity and you can finally upload recorded audio via the USB cable. My only compaint: The cradle only charges the unit and doesn't serve as a cradle for the USB cable. Here is a link to the spec sheet from sony. Here is a list of features from minidisc.org Features: Top of the line model from Sony's first line of Hi-MD recorders.

Backlit, 3-line, Kanji-displaying (Japan only?), jog-dial equipped remote (RM-MC40ELK - ¥8000).
Charging stand. (USB connection done separately, through body).
Auto Personal Disk Memory capacity: 18 discs of 500 tracks/9 discs of 2047 tracks.
Bookmark function (up to 2047 tracks).
Program (64 songs) / Group Program (20 groups)
"VPT" Acoustic Engine (Virtual Phone Technology = Virtual Surround)
6 Band Equalizer
Mic sensitivity (high/low) selector.
Digital pitch control (allows playback speed change without pitch change).
Date-time stamp.
Quick Mode
Removeable LiIon battery (LIP-4WM).
"High Definition" digital amp.
Body construction: Magnesium
Colors: Silver and Gold
Common to Hi-MD recorders:
Records to Hi-MD (1GB) blanks and normal MD blanks reformatted to 300MB.
Plays Hi-MD and original-MD disks.
Provides PC uploading of audio recorded from microphone or line input.
Functions as USB data drive (FAT format filesystem).
Linear PCM and ATRAC3plus recording at 256 ("Hi-SP") and 64 ("Hi-LP") kbps.
Included software: SonicStage 2.0 and SimpleBurner
Operating power provided over USB bus when connected to a PC.

Microsoft's Lockoutstatus.exe

Quite often at work I must either reset a users password or unlock their account. It's no big deal, not a problem for me to do it at all. I don't mind doing it, that is part of my job. Like most IT guys, I'm always on the lookout for things to make my job easier or somewhat automated.

I should explain something first: When I get a call from a user who needs their password reset, under normal circumstances I would tell them to wait 90 minutes and their account will unlock itself. But some people cant wait that long or they have simply forgot the password. FIne. I reset the password on each domain controller to make it replicate faster. To most of my customers they can't even wait for replication.

With that explained, I can continue. Lockoutstatus.exe is a part of a resource kit from Microsoft. You can download the tools here It installs very easily. It was a very exciting prospect for me before I used it. I tried it out to unlock someone's account and it worked like a charm. No more would I have to do so much clicking to connect to each DC (domain controller), there are sometimes 15 DC's in some of our domains; and then find their account and unlock it or reset the password, that took.................Minutes. Now, with this tool it might only take ................A minute. Less clicking and less typing = less work for me.

Then I tried the reset password feature. It told me that I hadn't met the password complexity requirements. I had. Believe me I met the requirements. I did some searching on google and found a cached page that said the new version of lockoutsatus.exe supposedly fixed an error where the program makes the password blank unintentionally. Hmmm.....those joksters at Microsoft. Another "feature" of a MS product. I posted the error "error in ds:cpp:1602
" on a couple of MS sponsored boards, but got the usual responses. People asking if I had, infact met the password requirements. No one knows the answer to this problem. The tool isn't completely useless, but I'm disappointed.

First things first, I'll try to keep posts informative and formal; more like an editorial. to keep it professional. The main topics will consist of Music: posts mainly conaining links to other sites that I've found to contain intersting pages, Networking: pages that explain concepts, theories and new stuff that I find informative, and Other stuff: little things of interest like mabye an article on my experience w/Sony MD or something.

Vinnie Colaiuta

This site seems to be the definitive site on this extraordinary man. It contains music files, some video and a great message board covering a wide range of topics. I HIGHLY recommend you visit the site regularly. I've been a rabid fan of the site since about 1999 and I own a copy of Steve Holme's video. It's a great video for drummers to learn from. "The genius with a cult following" is the way Steve Holmes describes him. I'd agree. 95% of what I have in my collection of "vinnie stuff" is due to HOD

in action 

This is a new thing for me. I 'm in search of a free webhost, but this will have to do for now. Not sure how people will find this if I post something good, but it will do for now. I'm trying to upload my pic, but as of late my conncection sucks ass.

Gonna try to do some sheddin soon. Need to do it badly. My chops are not what they once were and that's not saying much. Will try to keep things updated here. Not sure of the limitation of this blog thing, but if I can add pics, mp3s, and maybe video; that would kick ass.