HHB MDP500 PortaDisc (2000–2001)
A broadcast-grade MiniDisc location recorder that weighed two kilos with batteries and still found a following among drama recordists.
Overview
HHB was already known for the portable DAT recorder when the PortaDisc arrived. The MDP500 was the company's bet that MiniDisc could carry professional location work. HHB's own service documentation dates the design to 2001. The machine was pitched at the broadcast and film world: a rugged, battery-powered recorder with balanced XLR inputs and digital I/O, not a consumer deck in a fancy box. Studio Sound (May 2000, p.26) framed the launch as a test of whether MD could hold up in portable recording, noting that the format's cause "looks stronger" with HHB's entry into the field.
The physical package tells you what kind of tool this is. HHB's technical data lists dimensions of 225 x 57 x 180mm and a weight of 2.0kg with batteries installed (1.8kg without). That is not a pocket recorder - it is a shoulder-slung field machine, and the supplied soft case and carrying strap in the standard accessory kit confirm it. A battery caddy holding eight NiMH rechargeable cells ships with a spare caddy, so a recordist could swap power mid-shoot rather than hunt for an outlet.
Under the lid, the MDP500 records to MiniDisc using magnetic field variation overwrite and reads back through a non-contact optical pickup with a 780nm semiconductor laser. The format's headline advantage is capacity: 80 minutes maximum in stereo, 160 minutes in mono. Sampling runs at 44.1kHz with an internal sample rate converter to accommodate 32kHz and 48kHz source signals, and coding is ATRAC Ver 4.5. The disc spins at approximately 400-900rpm under constant linear velocity. Studio Sound (February 2001, p.20) put the machine through a location-recording trial and noted the format's practical appeal for safety backups on a drama recordist's trolley. The reviewer also lamented, directly, that it did not carry time code.
The analog front end is where the professional intent shows. Balanced mic/line inputs arrive on XLR connectors wired pin 2 hot, pin 3 cold, pin 1 ground, with phantom power at +48V drawing 7mA. That is enough to run a condenser microphone without an external supply. The mic input reaches 0dBFS with the level control at maximum at -52dBu, and line input at -2dBu. Dynamic range on the line input is quoted at greater than 96dB, microphone equivalent input noise at greater than 122dB A-weighted, and total harmonic distortion plus noise at 1kHz referenced to 0dBFS at less than 0.02% across a 22Hz to 22kHz bandwidth. Playback signal-to-noise is specified at greater than 89dB over the same bandwidth, and frequency response runs 10Hz to 20kHz within -0.5dB. Wow and flutter is listed as below measurable limits, which is what a digital format gets you for free.
Digital connectivity is comprehensive for the era: coaxial SPDIF input and output on RCA phono at 75 ohms impedance, plus optical SPDIF on TOSlink. There is also a USB Ver 1 Type B port with stated interface support for Windows 98/2000 and Mac OS. Outputs include unbalanced line on RCA phono at +8dBu at 0dBFS into loads above 10k, a 1/4-inch stereo headphone jack at 32 ohms impedance delivering 15mW, and a 250mW internal speaker. Remote control is handled through an 8-pin mini DIN parallel connector. Power comes from 12-14V DC, with consumption of approximately 4.5W while recording and 3.5W on playback.
The controls are built for menu-driven field work. A bar meter shows audio level in both playback and record, split left and right. The display mode indicator cycles track number, record/play time, remaining time, total recorded time, level margin, date and time. Record and playback mode icons cover pause, play and record, and a battery indicator shows remaining capacity or whether the unit is running from the DC input. Studio Sound (February 2001, p.22) described a column of three LEDs - red, green and yellow - indicating recording, battery charging and pause, with a mechanical slider setting record level below them. It also noted that menu access buttons and three soft buttons beneath the screen map to the various functions. The same review flagged a small irritation: the eject mechanism could take an extra few seconds to complete its cycle, and the reviewer suggested a residual power feed to the eject mechanism might eliminate the wait.
Menu parameters include track increment (manual or auto), threshold level adjustable between -30dB and -60dB in 10dB steps for auto track incrementation, and auto start/cut from the preset threshold. That means automatic track marking on a long interview, and threshold-based start and stop for unattended capture.
Serviceability is a mixed bag. HHB published a full service manual for qualified technicians, and it documents four reset procedures for clearing abnormal behavior: an F1+F2 reset for factory defaults, an F1+F3 reset that also clears user setups and the clock, a full power reset by removing external DC and batteries, and a system reset via SW1 on the main PCB after removing the bottom panel. The manual is explicit that these are for qualified technicians. The machine is classified as a Class 1 laser product, with the marking inside the battery compartment, and the optical pickup is not a user-serviceable part. The disassembly sequence for the MD mechanism and the analog main and sub boards is documented in detail, which is more than many portables of the period can claim.
HHB announced it would cease manufacture of its PortaDAT portable DAT recorder after eight years, per Studio Sound (February 2001, p.20), and the MDP500 was the successor bet. The spec sheet reads like a DAT recorder's feature set translated into MiniDisc: balanced XLR, phantom power, SPDIF in and out, a proper headphone amp, and a battery system designed for swapping. Collectors and location sound people who still run MiniDisc tend to prize the MDP500 for that completeness, and the service documentation makes long-term ownership more viable than for consumer MD decks with no published schematics.
It is not a time-code machine. The absence of time code is the single most-cited limitation in period coverage, and anyone buying one today for sync-to-picture work should know that going in. It is also not light - two kilograms with batteries is a deliberate trade for the metalwork and the battery caddy. The 80-minute stereo capacity is the format's ceiling, not the machine's, and mono mode doubles it to 160 minutes.
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