IC Recorder by Sony ICD-MX50

After ordering the ICD-MX50, it arrived in about 4 days. Although my Japanese reading skills are pretty rusty, I was able to install the software onto my computer quite easily. I started using the recorder right away without reading the owners manual. The user interface uses some simple icons that make it easy to understand what functions are available even if you can't read the kanji. For example, the icon of a folder means "folder" the icon of a trash can means "trash."

I have been using the ICD-MX50 for about a month now in all my classes. I record the main dialog practice of each class and later listen to our dialog and transcribe an edited/corrected version of that dialog into the student's homework/notes, and then send that dialog to them to review before the next class.

The ICD-MX50 comes with an AC adapter, so in the classroom, I plug the adapter into the ICD-MX50 and record the class dialog. Then, I hook up the USB to the ICD-MX50 and computer, and transfer the voice file from the recorder into a folder on my computer. Since I am on a LAN, I simply open a copy of the voice file from the office computer (not the classroom computer), which has good speakers.

From that computer, I listen to the dialog and transcribe/edit the dialog into Microsoft Word. Although the recorder comes with a battery, I have yet to use the battery since my setup allows me to use the AC adapter most of the time.

The ICD-MX50 has a "hold" switch on the back which disables all of the buttons and switches on the sides and front so that you don't accidently record something when it is in your bag. It also comes with a soft case, which I strongly recommend using. The display panel scratches fairly easy and I already have a small scratch on it (I cried!).

Sony's interface program for the voice file on your computer is also very good. You can control the speed and volume of your playback. This is good for when I want to match the playback speed to my typing speed so that I don't have to keep "rewinding." The computer interface can be operated both by mouse or your keyboard. I tend to use the the keyboard more than the mouse so that I don't have to keep moving my hand back and forth.

The ICD-MX50 comes with many more functions that I don't fully understand, but doubt I might use them. For my purposes, this slightly expensive gadget has been well worth the investment. I have noticed some things I do in classes that I now want to change. I hope my students benefit from having such feedback in addition to the classtime that they pay for.



Here is the info on ICD-MX50 in Japanese from the Sony website:


トリプルマイク構造＆“メモリースティック PRO デュオ”対応。高音質かつ長時間録音を実現したフラッグシップモデル

ステレオICレコーダー： ICD-MX50

ヨドバシ・ドット・コム：特価：￥33,800 (税込)
Amazon.co.jp：￥28,500 (税込)

付属：単4形アルカリ乾電池×2、ステレオイヤーレシーバー、パソコン用アプリケーションソフトウェア “Digital Voice Editor Ver.2.3”（CD-ROM）、USB接続ケーブル、ACアダプター、キャリングケース

●ステレオ/指向性録音に合わせマイクが変わるトリプルマイク（＊1）内蔵
●記録メディア“メモリースティック PRO デュオ”（＊2）対応
●パソコン上の画像やテキストデータなども記録可煤怺ｿ字表示対応液晶ディスプレイ＆ジョグレバーで快適検索
●ステレオ長時間（ステレオLP）モード搭載
●高音質で聞き取りやすい大出力スピーカー内蔵（実用最大出力350mW）
●大きな音の再生レベルはキープしたまま、小さな音だけを大きく再生するデジタルボイスアップ機煤恪ﾄ生スピードを変えても自然に近い音程で速聞き・遅聞きができるデジタルピッチコントロール機煤怎pソコン接続キット付属
●AC電源対応
＜最大録音時間＞
ステレオ：約11時間30分　
ステレオLP（ステレオ長時間）：約22時間10分（＊3）　
SP（モノラル）：約35時間05分（＊3）　
LP（モノラル）：約93時間30分（＊3）
＊1 SP/LP（モノラル）モード時は、左右のマイクを使ったモノラル録音になります
＊2 “メモリースティック デュオ”でも使用できます
＊3 乾電池ご使用での連続録音/再生の場合、途中、電池の交換が必要です
大きさ：幅36.6×高さ107.5×奥行16.9mm
質量：約96g（乾電池含む）

Sony Catalog



アンミ英会話教室
〒234-0053神奈川県横浜市港南区日野中央2-6-3
パークサイド日野102号室

tel 045-841-4218
fax 045-841-4288
cell 070-5084-9592
http://www.anmi-eikaiwa.com/

A Happy New Year?

In Japan, we can see cards and signs that say "A Happy New Year" written in English. I don't know why so many people use the word "A" before the words "Happy New Year," but I think this might be a good subject to bring up with my students at this time of year.

In English, I would write something like "Happy New Year!" Most of my English students and Japanese friends, however, tend to write "A Happy New Year!"

Interestingly, most of you would never say, "A Happy Birthday!" or "A Merry Christmas!" as the greeting in your email or card. Well, just apply the same logic to a New Year's greeting, too!

A: "It was nice to see you again. Well, I have to go. Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year!"
B: "Thank you! You, too!"

If you are sending similar greetings in a letter, email, or on a Japanese New Year's card, then you might want to use this format as the initial greeting or closing line (note the capitalization):

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Have a Happy New Year!
Seasons Greetings!
Happy New Year!
Have a safe and prosperous New Year!
Happy Holidays!
Have a happy and joyous New Year!

One more small bit of advice: in the U.S., only January 1st is a national holiday. The name of that holiday is "New Year's Day." So, if you have to refer to that day in particular, don't forget the apostrophe after the word "year."

With that, I would like to say to all my friends, students, and colleagues "Happy New Year!"

アンミ英会話教室
〒234-0053神奈川県横浜市港南区日野中央2-6-3
パークサイド日野102号室

Product Review: Eijiro 2nd Edition

I ordered this CD-ROM (the special value pack) on the 10th and it arrived today. Deliver was very fast! The CD-ROM came with a hardbound cover user manual with a nice clear plastic book cover/CD-ROM protector.

This manual (and software) is marketed for the Japanese user, so don't look for any English language support whatsoever.

Installation was very easy and quick. Although the readme.txt file says you cannot install the program from a copied version of the CD-ROM, there is a very simple way to get around this that does not require any special skills. This is useful if you damaged your original disk or the CD-Drive does not work on one of your computers on your home network. Networks with multiple users will have to buy a CD-ROM for each user.

After looking up a word or phrase, you can double click the term and a popup appears where you can add/change/correct/delete the meaning of the term you were looking up. You can also add the pronunciation of the term you were looking up.

You can create your own personal dictionaries as well. This will be great for me as a translator/rewriter. Many terms I work with daily are not in any dictionary at all. Currently I have over 8,000 line entries in Excel, which can be daunting and difficult to edit at times. I hope to eventually get my Excel word list over into Eijiro over the next year or so.

After you install it, the shareware provider asks for a 1,000 yen donation, though it is not mandatory to pay in order to use the software. The user manual also states that you can ignore the request. Maybe part of the 2,600 yen I paid goes to the shareware author?

If you use the free online version of this software at www.alc.co.jp and type an English word, the Japanese results include hiragana after the key kanji term. This is great for me since I can't read the kanji correctly in a compound. Eijiro 2nd Edition does NOT have this function. It seems that you have to add the pronunciation yourself. I was really disappointed about this. I wish SPACE ALC would have offered this function for the paid user.

In the CD-ROM version, a big, fat, obnoxious, and visually distracting full em-size black dot is used to separate the results of the search term. A simple and clean slash or vertical line would have been sufficient. The format of the definitions given for the online version are much better.

Overall Impression?

Well, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, I give Eijiro 2nd Edition a score of 4. They could have included the hiragana for the kanji readings as they do online. The use of that obnoxious dot between definitions is distracting (the online version uses a less distracting diamond). The basic function of looking up an English phrase or a Japanese phrase without using a printed dictionary is quick, simple, and mostly accurate. Although I am not 100% satisfied with this product, I recommend you add it to your library of language tools. In fact, I order two copies. One for me and the other will be a Christmas gift.



アンミ英会話教室
〒234-0053神奈川県横浜市港南区日野中央2-6-3
パークサイド日野102号室

tel 045-841-4218
fax 045-841-4288
cell 070-5084-9592
http://www.anmi-eikaiwa.com/