Location Recording Device - What?

[mrsteaks]

I've not seen any posts on what folks use to capture location performances to difgital media (or analog media). Sure, we've discussed mics, preamps, mixers - but what about the recorder? I use an Alesis Masterlink (I'm not jumping up and down about it, no), an HHB Burn-It!, and/or an Alesis HD-24 (first gen - not raving about it, either). What do you use, and why? What sounds best, in your opinion?

Hope this starts a good thread!

~~~~Mark S.
PGR Media/Pretty Good Recordings

[Gilliland]

Originally Posted by mrsteaks

I've not seen any posts on what folks use to capture location performances to difgital media (or analog media). Sure, we've discussed mics, preamps, mixers - but what about the recorder? I use an Alesis Masterlink (I'm not jumping up and down about it, no), an HHB Burn-It!, and/or an Alesis HD-24 (first gen - not raving about it, either). What do you use, and why? What sounds best, in your opinion?

There are a great many of us "raving" about our HD24s. But most of us are using the XR version, not the base unit. You can upgrade yours by installing the EC-2 upgrade. It replaces all of the A/D and D/A converters, and makes your HD24 into a much better sounding unit. The original HD24 isn't bad at all, but the XR is much better.

[MichaelPatrick]

I use a Sound Devices 744T with both inboard and outboard converters and preamps, and an Alesis HD24XR. The SD is the best small format package I've found, and sonically it's great. The Alesis is pretty new and I'm very impressed -- the converters are much better than I expected for the money I paid.

[Plush]

We record to a variety of formats and machines.

For multi-track we use the HD 24XR with external converters.
For the stereo mix in the studio we come out of the Hd24 analog to a Neve console then to a SADiE editing computer.

Stereo mix on location is to a Nagra V and Stellavox SM-8 analog machine.

4 channel Soundfield ambisonic is recorded to a Nagra D.

Other analog machines here---1/2" Studer A807 4 channel
Nagra T-Audio.

We have been a house of Nagra for many decades.

Best sounding machine out of all of them??---Stellavox SM-8!
with SADiE not far behind.

[Yannick]

I've been recording to a Soundscape DAW since 1995 (mobile). We never had problems and abandoned recording simultaneously to DAT in 97. Still didn't have a missed take.

Last week I was recording the orchestra of the opera of Nice (France) and we lost 90 seconds session time because an undo created a crash (never had this before) and had to restart the software. The takes that I undid were even recovered on reopening, and recording just went on after the - very slight - delay.

That is the main reason: this is one of the major glitches I had in 12 years thumbsup

[Indrestudios]

Our truck records both to RADAR24 as well as ProTools HD -. As much as I love the Radars, at the end of the day the client almost always wants me to deliver their material as a ProTools session, on a firewire drive.

For 2 track remotes, I've been quite happy with the Tascam HD2 compact flash recorder.

-Mike
www.indrestudios.com

[Remoteness]

Mark S,

If you click on the "Recorder" tag at the bottom of this forum's main page it will take you to a list of threads about recorders. I also included a link within this post. Click away, but...

The tags are acting funny so, click on the last post icon to get into the thread.
Clicking on the title (at the moment) doesn't work.

I'm sure this will be fixed soon come.

[mrsteaks]

I know about the EC2 upgrade to the HD24. I live by prioritizing my budget, and I'm not quite to the point of dropping $800 for the upgrade. I'm pleased to hear it gets high marks, though! I've found the base HD24 to sound okay, but to my ear the Masterlink at high res (88.2/24) sounds better - "airier highs, better depth" in audiophile speak. As far as reliability, the HD24 has been rock solid. Nary a glitch! The Masterlink, however, has hiccuped once or twice. I lost a whole session on it once, and still don't know why.

So, what outboard DAC's do you folks use?

~~~~Mark S.
PGR Media/Pretty Good Recordings

[Gilliland]

Originally Posted by mrsteaks

I know about the EC2 upgrade to the HD24. I live by prioritizing my budget, and I'm not quite to the point of dropping $800 for the upgrade. I'm pleased to hear it gets high marks, though! I've found the base HD24 to sound okay, but to my ear the Masterlink at high res (88.2/24) sounds better - "airier highs, better depth" in audiophile speak. As far as reliability, the HD24 has been rock solid. Nary a glitch!

The EC-2 (and the HD24XR) use the same AKM converters as the Masterlink. For that matter, they are the same converters as the Radar.

[jakromm]

I think I am the first one to use a laptop... I use a laptop with my mackie 400f. I can fit both of them + my 4 mics and all the cables into my backback. Portable enough for me, just a bit to set up though :-/