now, before i get flamed, i'll premise this post: i'm not anti-MD. sure, i prefer DAT (or a good preamp>JB3 feed) whenever possible. but i know a lot of people get what they can afford, and make do. and there's nothing wrong with that. having said that, MDs are a lot worse quality than you'd get from even a portable DAT line in. i know this because i've taped concerts side-by-side with MD tapers using the exact same mics. their recordings always sound A LOT more distant, less crisp, more muffled, etc. but like i said, make do with what you can afford currently, and upgrade to better recording equipment when you can.

if it were me, i probably wouldn't plunk down $40 for the iMic. i wouldn't say the iMic is a "waste of money," either. but if you're planning on upgrading later on, then i'd just save that $40 (literally put it in a piggy bank of some sort). there are people who have the "home MiniDisc" players with optical out, who you can get to transfer your recordings in the meantime.

i've read good things about the Neuros, and would LOVE to get one myself. but i'm a bit "chicken"... since it only has a Mic In, i'm not certain it can handle *really* loud inputs (as one would experience 5 feet from a stage stack, for instance). and, i do have two virtually brand new Sony PCM-M1s sitting here, so they have plenty of usage before they drop dead.

happy taping and transferring to everyone!