My mini-disc died and I'm seeing alot of digital recorders on the market. Don't really understand the various formats. Which is best? I kinda like the Olympus LS-10 but wonder if I could get by with something cheaper or if it's the way to go at all. Help!

Look at the Edirol R-09. I've been using one for several months, and it is SO much easier to use...no special program is needed to get the recordings into the computer (standard USB mini cable or from the SD card...the files go anyplace you choose, and no special softwear required!) and records for hours in MP3, or for shorter time in WAV. It uses little SanDisk cards to record on, just like a digital camera, and AA batteries. It's got dual stereo mics on board, plus there's a mic port. It's easy to operate and doesn't screw up like the minidisc recorders like to do. It's also very discreet...about the size of a deck of cards. A little gaffer's tape on the screen and your hand over the glowing red record button will keep things from glowing in the dark. You can also just turn it face down, and not even the person sitting next to you will notice it.
I use my minidisc program for editing and splitting tracks. You can use any music editing program to do that.
The Edirol one and several other digital recorders(my fiddle teacher has the Zoom, and likes it) are available at Minidisco.com.

I really appreciate the info guys. But is there anybody out there who could translate that into English for me???

This is about using mini disc recorders to record live music. Mini Disc recorders give you a good quality recording, but have moving parts and are prone to messing up just for the hell of it. They record on special small CD's encased in a plastic shell, and the recorders use propriatary software to transfer the recorded files into the computer. Sony was a big manufacturer of mini disc recorders. The programs kind of suck, and don't always work well. They aren't user-friendly. Sometimes, you really have to try hard to just get the files into the computer; Sony did not make it easy...you kind of had to jump through hoops to transfer files. With some, you have to use the earphone jack to transfer it in, and with some of the later more expensive models, they provided a USB cable and the recorder had a USB port. It is easy to press the right buttons to record on the overly difficult and ambiguous controls, think your recording is going in just fine, and find out at the end of the evening that you have a blank disk.
The new generation are digital recorders. They have no moving parts, record at the touch of a couple of buttons, and use flash drive cards for memory. Most use standard AA batteries, which are preferable to the internal rechargeable batteries some of the mini disc recorders used...it is easy to monitor battery life and make sure you don't run out of power in the middle of a recording. They record in MP3 (I'm assuming you know what an MP3 is!) or in WAV format, which gives you CD quality. They are totally plug and play...you plug them into the computer with a USB cable, ands they show up in a window as a separate drive...you can see the files on the recorder and use drop and drag or cut and paste to put them where you want them.
"Edirol" is a brand...I like them. "Olympus" is a brand. "Zoom" is another brand; they're less expensive, work well and a lot of people really like them.
As always, with any live music recording, they are for your own listening enjoyment or for sharing with your friends. You must NEVER copy and sell any of your recordings unless it is totally your own unique and creative property. Doing so violates lots of laws, and the artists will send hoards of lawyers to your doorstep, and you'll deserve whatever they dish out for stealing their property.

I can some it. the thing that they have doesn't require putting extra programs on your computer. You can use either a memory card or a cable that hooks on to your computer.

Those sound neat. I was using a regular cassette cassette deck to tape shows. I haven't taped any in awhile cuz I have somehow misplaced my cassette deck. If I can ever afford it, the digital recorders seem to be the way to go...

Thanks for the translation Sue and Alicia. I think I understand the theory.....Everyone here has been very patient with me, you know, being rather techno-logically challenged. My ignorance is deep-rooted, as are most. I was wary of the electric toaster oven when it first came on the scene! On the up-side, I do have an excellent support group.....my 10 year old granddaughter can usually figure this stuff out for me.....it's sad really.....!!!

It's okay. I can hardly figure most of this stuff out. My friends and my little brother help me.

For those who are interested, I generally don't care for advertising - but I thought I'd make an exception for this topic.

The Sound Professionals - These guys are AWESOME to deal with - even for people who don't know what they are doing... They'll help you pick the right gear for you and they are very knowledgable. I own a good bit of equipment from them, in fact the live shows I have available for download on here were made with a Sony MZR900 MD recorder I bought from them years ago and a set of their premium slimline (stealth) mics (for which I also own the omni, cardioid, and hyper-cardioid elements for). I also use their battery box or their pre-amp depending on what I'm recording. Highly recommend them!

One other company I've never dealt with but know about just because I've hung out with other tapers who are highly regarded... The Oade Brothers.

Thanks Dave!

All I can offer with my experience with the mini disc recorders (several, including the MZR900 Dave was talking about) and the new digital recorders is that the digital recorders are easier in every way, and you can record in CD-quality WAV files or in MP3. So far I've never had the digital recorder mess up and not record; the mini disc did that plenty of times. The cost is about the same, and maybe a little cheaper with the Zoom digital recorder.
I've done a lot of business with minidisco.com . They're good folks, offer a good selection of mini disc and digital recorders and recording equipment, and have good sales from time to time.

Oh, I totally agree that the digital recorders are the way to go these days as you can record totally lossless and the transfer is a snap. If and when my MD decides it's done or I have the cash laying around, I'll probably end up getting something like the Tascam or Edirol. The companies I recommended were the ones I chose to go with and knew about by doing a lot of research and talking with other serious tapers. Of course, the mics are probably the most important part of a rig - so if you're looking to get into taping, that's where you really want to lay out the serious cash.

Also, there is a TON of information to be learned and a good starting point for anyone looking to get in to taping or get the most out of their recordings:

http://www.taperssection.com/

Oh, and the one thing I've been looking for but have yet to find (perhaps for good reason)... If anyone knows where to find info on the security at various venues (I'm mainly interested in the MD/DC/VA area) send me a PM. I do quite a bit of stealth taping and although there are tricks, it never hurts to be as informed as possible. Like I know that it's not easy to get in to Nissan Pavillion due to the Nissan Nazi's, lol! Especially interested in what security is like at Verizon Center. But please PM rather than posting.

The Birchmere is another bad one security wise. They have no business searching my purse for a camera. I never let anyone go in my purse. So them doing that is a violation of my person & American rights. Yuck...

The Birchmere will go through a bag...but not your coat or jeans pockets.
Unless a venue makes people walk through a metal detector (some satellite radio stations will do this for concerts in their studios) it's fairly easy to get an Edirol in anywhere. No problem, even at Carnegie.