When recording mono from analog, it appears that it would be best to mix to
mono before the signal reaches the MD, then connect only one input channel
of the MD, leaving the other unconnected. To get the level correct, the
digital record level would have to be set at +6 dB (higher is OK; lower
digital record level coupled with higher analog signal level might cause ADC
overload, which is *not* indicated by the "over" indicators).
Recording mono from digital would require a similar proceedure, done with an
audio editor on the PC: mix to mono and place the resulting mono mix on one
channel of a stereo WAV file and silence on the other channel, then boost
the digital record level 6 dB at the MD.
I see so easy way of making a digital mono recording directly from a CD
player an optical connection. Maybe one way of fixing it would be to feed
the signal though an S/PDIF receiver, invert the LRCLK signal, then connect
to an S/PDIF transmitter. This would reverse the left and right channels,
but it might also introduce a 1-sample shift. Trouble is, it might be in
the same direction as the MD, resulting in a total shift of 2 samples.
That said, I think the effect of the 1-sample-error is fairly minimal in
many cases due to the steep slope of the high freqency rolloff, when viewed
in terms of the "octave" properties of hearing perception. Also, most
listeners are much more tolerant of a very stable phase error such as this,
than an unstable error such as that caused by tape edge damage on analog
master tapes (for example, Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl").
Meantime, I'll be eagerly awaiting word on which Sony decks have this
problem, and if (or when) Sony has it fixed for good!
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