Pit Stop: Hit the Restrooms
Once you've made it indoors, head for the restroom. It's brightly lit and allows for privacy so you can fully set up your gear. Remove the MD from the carrying case and double check that you've a blank MD and fresh batteries in place. Pull the mic out from the purse lining and put the mic in position. Then connect the plug end of the mic to the mic plug-in power port (denoted with red) on the MD. Be sure that you're know the exact location of the mic is and that you can access it in near dark situations. The reason I bring this up is that should the mic become dislodged during a taping, you can fix it with a minimal amount of fuss. Remember: the mic is sensitive and picks up whatever sound you make! Finally: before walking out the restroom door, run a quick check to make sure that everything is in the proper location! There's probably nothing worse--other than getting caught--than going through all this fuss only to get home and realize
that you didn't record a peep!
Location, Location, Location
This real estate mantra works well with recordings. Depending on the circumstance (and a bit on if you did some researching ahead of time or not), you may or may not be able to decide on where you sit. If you plan on recording and are not sure about seating issues, I'd suggest getting to the venue early so as to secure a good spot to tape from. If there's reserved or assigned seating and you end up in a spot you feel would not make for quality recording, you can always ask (politely!) if you can switch seats. If the person seating you says no, make nice with your neighbors and ask them. I leave it up to you as to whether or not to disclose that you're recording. My basic rule of thumb is to take a look at the placement of the speakers on stage and to try and center myself between them. This way you can somewhat get a balanced sound, even with low end mics. As far as the location of the mic goes, make sure that it is facing the source of the sound.
Time's Up!
The maximum amount of recordable time with a minidisc on SP mode is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. If you're fortunate enough to get a break or intermission between sets, make a dash back into the restroom and switch to a new, blank minidisc. Should that not be a viable option and you need to make a swtich while the artist is still performing, try and find a good place to stop. Yeah, it sucks to have to miss part of one song, but that's better than missing out on the rest of the performance!
Before making a switch gather your MD and the extra blank minidisc together and get the minidisc situated so that it's ready to load. You want to be quick about the switch, but you also want to be accurate. Minidiscs come with a pre-printed note indicating the load direction, but I've found it difficult to make out the text in dimly lit situations.You can affix a label on the minidisc and draw an arrow indicating the load direction or you can find the load direction by feel. When in the proper loading position, the minidisc has a small notch on the top right corner. When enabled, this notch protects the disc from being recorded. Use the notch to help you determine the load direction of the minidisc, but be sure not to move it or else the disc will not be writable (i.e. you will not record anything)! Once everything is ready, make the switch: hit the eject button on the MD, remove the used minidisc, replace with the new minidisc and hit record.
The entire disc switching should take about 30 seconds. Depending on your MD, it may take some extra time for your MD to "edit" the recorded minidisc after you hit the stop button and some time to "read" the new blank minidisc to make sure that nothing is on it after you insert it into the MD. Yes, this can be rather agnozing while you're waiting, but better safe than sorry! When you're done with the switch, you can use the extras in your bag as props to help conceal what it was you were doing. Grab a stick of gum, check your cell phone for messages, use your chapstick or lotion... whatever. You were doing something with your bag, so follow through with your actions. Chances are, no one is paying much attention to you, but it never hurts to cover your tracks. Just remember to moderate your actions when you're recording because the mic is sensitive and picks up whatever sounds you make.