Help out a newby?

[macr0w]

I'm not a newby to recording. Just new to remote stuff. All of my recording expirience has come from my little basement studio. I definitely know how to get a decent sound. But now I want to branch out and go mobile.

I'm in the market for a 2 track field recorder be it compact flash or hard disk or whatever I don't know that it matters alot to me. But I'd like you guys to recommend me a 2 channel field recorder that has s/pdif or aes inputs on it. That is under $2000.00 us.

I want to use my own pres and converters unless someone can convince me these boxes can do better than API and Apogee.

Are the boxes from Tascam any good? I have read good reviews on the Sound Devices 702. And I know Marantz is good quality stuff. If I use my own pres and converters I don't need to pay for good pres as long as I have s/pdif or aes inputs.

Once it's digital there should be no problem.

So if you have any suggestions please let me know.

Thanks, Mark

[macr0w]

I guess I was asking a bit much from this crowd.

[hle144]

Originally Posted by macr0w

I'm not a newby to recording. Just new to remote stuff. All of my recording expirience has come from my little basement studio. I definitely know how to get a decent sound. But now I want to branch out and go mobile.

Your a newbie. Is this for remote multi-tracking? Is it on location sound? is it ambience? Dialogue? Are you syncing to picture? Do you intend to do additional production after the fact?
Please specify what your overall intentions are.

[Baithak]

Originally Posted by macr0w

I'm in the market for a 2 track field recorder be it compact flash or hard disk or whatever I don't know that it matters alot to me. But I'd like you guys to recommend me a 2 channel field recorder that has s/pdif or aes inputs on it. That is under $2000.00 us.

I want to use my own pres and converters unless someone can convince me these boxes can do better than API and Apogee.

Are the boxes from Tascam any good? I have read good reviews on the Sound Devices 702. And I know Marantz is good quality stuff. If I use my own pres and converters I don't need to pay for good pres as long as I have s/pdif or aes inputs.

Once it's digital there should be no problem.

So if you have any suggestions please let me know.

Thanks, Mark

Hey Mark,

There are in my mind three ways to go with this:

1. Buy the best pres you can afford and then buy the Korg MR-1000 - you can also buy the MR-1 but it cannot do the double DSD thing. From the Korg master you can down convert to any standard PCM file type. If it were my money and I were starting out, I would go this route.

2. If you want to stay with a single box or want to stay PCM digital only, then I would not hesitate the recommend the two channel SD boxes but I would get the one with the harddisc than the one with just compact flash. It will be slightly over your budget but the SD gear is rock solid and the pres and converters are more than acceptable.

3. If you have already purchased your pre/converter then buy the cheapest bit bucket with a spdif input that you can find. You don't need to pay for the conversion/pres in a portable all in one like the Tascam/Fostex/SD machines.

If it were my money and quality of the sound were more important, I would go option 1 without any hesitation. The Korg has a magic that no other portable device that I have heard (or own) can match.

Good luck,
Baithak

[Fretbored]

Originally Posted by Baithak

1. Buy the best pres you can afford and then buy the Korg MR-1000

[ghellquist]

I run a Sound Devices 722 since a few years. Quite impressed by everything, build quality, robustness, features, sound. No problem recommending one.

Slightly lower in price you may want to look at the MR1000. My impression so far is that I would not like to live with the preamps as only choice. Some people swear by the AD conversion, but to my ears the difference is tiny once the material has been moved to normal CD quality. I need to work more with the box to see if the DSD quality is as good as people say. Regardless, the conversion is good. A small issue, but important to me, is that the MR1000 does not matrix MS recordings so the recordings done with that can not be checked in stereo.

There are other boxes, on the market, but none I can recommend that I have tested myself.

Gunnar

[Jim vanBergen]

Personally, I find the Marantz line has worsened their quality control and reliability since merging with Denon. The gear we have bought from them in the last two years is less stable, less roadworthy. I still like the stuff, but would be very careful in transporting.

I also like the Apogee and Grace Lunatec for conversion, going to a laptop. I only use small battery-powered flash recorders for secondary backups, and would need to know what type of recording you are doing- classical orchestra, location ambiance, VO, etc.

Sorry if we did not respond to your post immediately. Most of us are on crazy schedules, and check this board once or twice a week, depending on the projects. Regardless, I hope these thoughts help.

[loujudson]

Another vote for Sound Devices - I have a 744T and it is just about the best recorder you can get for under $5k. The 722 is just as good with two channels...
Lou

[macr0w]

Hey Mark,

There are in my mind three ways to go with this:

1. Buy the best pres you can afford and then buy the Korg MR-1000 - you can also buy the MR-1 but it cannot do the double DSD thing. From the Korg master you can down convert to any standard PCM file type. If it were my money and I were starting out, I would go this route.

2. If you want to stay with a single box or want to stay PCM digital only, then I would not hesitate the recommend the two channel SD boxes but I would get the one with the harddisc than the one with just compact flash. It will be slightly over your budget but the SD gear is rock solid and the pres and converters are more than acceptable.

3. If you have already purchased your pre/converter then buy the cheapest bit bucket with a spdif input that you can find. You don't need to pay for the conversion/pres in a portable all in one like the Tascam/Fostex/SD machines.

If it were my money and quality of the sound were more important, I would go option 1 without any hesitation. The Korg has a magic that no other portable device that I have heard (or own) can match.

Good luck,
Baithak

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm not getting a box for a specific job. I want one that will serve me well for anything I run across.

I'm sort of leaning towards the Korg at this point. But that leaves out my converters.

I only want 2 channels. And I'd sort of like to stay away from compact flash. I'd rather go hd.

Your a newbie. Is this for remote multi-tracking? Is it on location sound? is it ambience? Dialogue? Are you syncing to picture? Do you intend to do additional production after the fact?
Please specify what your overall intentions are.

again

[tnjazz]

Another vote for the Korg. I think it's the best sounding unit out there right now, and I also have a 744T in the bag on the shelf right above it. For straight 2 channel work the 744T stays dark and the Korg is chosen. Every time.

Be advised that there are still some occasional disk issues with it in loud environments. I had a couple of problems that were most likely due to vibration this last time out. I'm going to try a few things with support and placement and see if the problem is resolved this coming week (it's a regular weekly gig).

This wouldn't be an issue if you were recording to CF, I don't believe. So that may be an advantage the CF recorders hold over the Korg. It's not enough to keep me from going with it as a first choice though.

[macr0w]

Be advised that there are still some occasional disk issues with it in loud environments. I had a couple of problems that were most likely due to vibration this last time out. I'm going to try a few things with support and placement and see if the problem is resolved this coming week (it's a regular weekly gig).

What kind of issues? Does the thing crash? Or does it effect the recordings or what?

[tnjazz]

Originally Posted by macr0w

What kind of issues? Does the thing crash? Or does it effect the recordings or what?

Placing it near a source of significant vibration seems to cause a "Disk Too Busy" error, which drops the unit out of record mode. Same basic issue that the Alesis HD24 has sometimes.

I wouldn't let it detract you from getting the Korg though. Like I said, the Alesis has the same problem and you see how many of them are running like clockwork in the field and how many happy HD24 users there are out there (I am one).

The general rule is - don't put it somewhere that it could get significant vibration. This is more of a hard drive issue than a recorder issue anyway. I suspect you'd have this potential in any unit that writes to a HDD.

[loujudson]

That makes me think about something - my Sound Devices has never had this problem, and I wonder if it might be partly becuse the unit stands up with the drive vertical when operating? Try standing the recorder on edge and see if that takes the vibration out of the plane of the mechanism's vibration sensitivity. It would be interesting to know!

Lou

[tnjazz]

Originally Posted by loujudson

That makes me think about something - my Sound Devices has never had this problem, and I wonder if it might be partly becuse the unit stands up with the drive vertical when operating? Try standing the recorder on edge and see if that takes the vibration out of the plane of the mechanism's vibration sensitivity. It would be interesting to know!

Lou

Actually in this case it was vertical (mostly). It was on edge in a bag under the table, tilted slightly forward so I could reach down and mess with it if I needed to.

The thing about the Korg is the I/O is all on the back panel, so the XLRs (right angle plugs) were basically sitting on the floor (in the bag) with no damping. I'm getting more and more convinced this is part of the problem. I may see if I can isolate the unit in the bag somehow (some sort of suspension or something, maybe?) I'm also curious to see if maybe using straight XLRs would lessen the possibility of vibration (it would cause the deck to be elevated in the bag off the floor...)

In hindsight I should have just put the bag on the table, but the band were using the table for their drinks so I thought it might be wise not to.

[macr0w]

That's cool. Thanks for the explanation. I think I'm going to pull the trigger on an MR-1000 pretty soon. I think it seems to be the best choice right now for what I'm looking for. And it doesn't hurt that it's cheaper than some of the other options.

[loujudson]

Originally Posted by tnjazz

I'm also curious to see if maybe using straight XLRs would lessen the possibility of vibration (it would cause the deck to be elevated in the bag off the floor...)

In hindsight I should have just put the bag on the table, but the band were using the table for their drinks so I thought it might be wise not to.

I once lived on a bouncy houseboat, and my records skipped with any movement. I hung the turntable from the ceiling at an angle so the tone arm floated donward onto the records - and we had dance parties with no skipping ever again! So maybe hang it from a hook, or something. Might not work, but it is a thought. Bungee cords or rubber bands???

Just a thought. GREAT to not put it by the drinks, tho'

Lou