the main purpose of mp3 is to compress existing audio files for easier
storage, the fact that you can listen to them without uncompressing them is
very handy and it is the combination of these 2 that has made this a popular
format for music and other audio formats however it isn't really a practical
format for recording.
by it's very nature such a device would have to collect data and store it
before compressing that data down in to the .mp3 format - not at all what
it's designed for, and given the length of lectures and the storage capacity
of other media such as tape and mini disk not even terribly necessary.
if the main concern is storage then recording to mini disk and transferring
material to pc and / or CD is the best bet. note CDs would need to be the
REwritable sort so that data could be added rather than the standard,
cheaper, once only disks.
but I agree with Mick about the difficulties of using minidisk units though
some are better than others.
infact  there are professional minidisk machines which are about the size of
an old style flat deck cassette recorder and have much more manageable
controls so you get the ease of use (probably more like using a CD diskman)
with the format benefits of mini disk.


Adrian Higginbotham,
SURFACE
Salford University, Research Focus on AcCessible Environments.
E-mail [log in to unmask]
tel: 0161-2954939
fax: 0161-2955011
sms 278314405199094 this is a text # only it does not accept voice calls.
web: http://www.scpm.salford.ac.uk/surface/

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Trott" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2001 4:50 PM
Subject: Re: MP3


There are no/very few MP3 recorders. I think SoundBlaster did one but it was
£250 and I think it only stored them. The quality is poorer than minidisk
but
that's probably not necessary for lectures. There are digital recorders
available but they do not necessarily use MP3 as a format.
Personally, it takes a lot to persuade me to recommend a minidisc with an
external microphone and fiddly buttons over a decent tape recorder with an
in-built directional microphone. As a general rule I only recommend them if
the student has used one before. I have one and it's a real pain.
Mick Trott

In a message dated 08/10/01 16:18:28 GMT Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask]
writes:

<< Is there anyone who could give me more information on the use of MP3
 as a method of recording lectures?  I would be interested to share
 the pros and cons.  Does anyone see MP3 as taking over where the
 minidisk has failed to reach?

 Thanks in anticipation

 Debbie Till
 Technical Assessor
 South West Regional Access Centre
 University of Plymouth
  >>