Location Digital Recorder w/ Timecode Suggestions

[pbell]

Please pardon my ignorance, I'm trying to find some options for Location Recorders that do Timecode. I've looked at the Sound Devices, just wondering if there is anything on the "Low End Theory" spectrum of things.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[John Willett]

The Sound Devices is the best one at a reasonable price at the moment.

At a lower cost the Fostex FR-2 (with timecode board) or the Tascam HD-P2 are the next to look at (I prefer the Fostex).

At a higher cost, the new Nagra VI should, hopefully, start shipping from next month.

I'm drooling over this.

[pbell]

Thanks, thats a great help.

[drpro]

You might also check out the Deva and Cantar recorders. They offer 8-16 tracks with TC.

David

[boojum]

Originally Posted by drpro

You might also check out the Deva and Cantar recorders. They offer 8-16 tracks with TC.

David

Put a nitro tab under your tongue before you price the Cantar.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by boojum

Put a nitro tab under your tongue before you price the Cantar.

And check with your Doctor that you have a sound heart.

I think the Cantar is about £8,000 in the UK - that equates to about $15-16,000!

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by drpro

You might also check out the Deva and Cantar recorders. They offer 8-16 tracks with TC.

The Cantar is the best - but expensive!

The Deva is good in some areas but less so in others. I have a friend who stopped using his Deva and went over to the Edirol R-4 Pro.

Personally - I love the Cantar, don't like the Deva and find the Nagra VI probably the best value for money (still keeping the quality absolutely top notch).

[Factory101]

I've got a Sound Devices 702 (without timecode) and it's a first-rate bit of kit...you won't be disappointed.

Perhaps hire one for a day to check it out or visit a dealer for a demo.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Factory101

I've got a Sound Devices 702 (without timecode) and it's a first-rate bit of kit...you won't be disappointed.

Sound Devices are in a class of their own with virtually no competition.

Are superb quality and are small.

Going down from the 702 - the next step is the Fostex FR-2.

There is nothing in the same price rage.

The next step up from the top of the range 744T will be the Nagra VI - this is larger and a few hundred more, but adds two extra tracks and two extra mic. pres.

You pays your money and makes your choice.

Me - I have the FR-2 now and will likely jump to the Nagra VI, mainly for the extra mic. pres.

[bardo]

Hi John

Do you know the price of the Nagra VI?

Do you know if it will allow me to record multitrack and firewire separated tracks back onto my laptop for editing?

Sounds interesting

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by bardo

Do you know the price of the Nagra VI?

Do you know if it will allow me to record multitrack and firewire separated tracks back onto my laptop for editing?

The price will be based on Swiss Franks and it depends on the exchange rate.

But the estimated price is about £3,200 I think.

Availability was talked about to start next month and I was promised one of the first units to review for Line Up magazine.

You should be able to record up to 6 tracks and then transfer to computer for editing - that's what I plan to do.

The Nagra VI sits nicely just above the Sound Devices units, but with two extra tracks and two extra mic. pres. - but very much cheaper than the Aaton Cantar and Deva.

[JEGG]

Originally Posted by John Willett

Going down from the 702 - the next step is the Fostex FR-2.

There is nothing in the same price rage.

.......Only because the FR2 is an incredibly overpriced, and there are recorders for a lot less money that offer a great deal more functionality and quality.

The FR2 still is USB 1.1!

It was never designed with any real operation from batteries in mind-a couple of hours or little more at best.

And though you couldn't really use it with batteries, the AC power supply was a very expensive add on.

Time code a very expensive add on as well.

It's huge, heavy, and very clumsy to use.

Read the owners manual to the FR2. Then read the owners manual for the Tascam HD-P2.

You will quickly ascertain the Tascam has many more features and offers superior performance. It, by the way, has a FireWire interface (not the antique 1.1 USB of the Fostex) and runs easily between 5 and 6 hours recording time with phantom power on, headphones used, and display light on.

The Tascam has always come with time code.

I fail to understand the attraction of this ridiculously over priced dinosaur. Big, clunky, clumsy to use, no real battery life, USB 1.1, time code a very expensive add on, no time code.

The price on the Fostex is more than twice that of the Tascam, once the FR2 is equipped with it's options. And then-the FR2 is still smoked by the Tascam.

A no brainer.

We do agree, on the others: I'd love the Nagra and Sound Devices gear!

[drpro]

You might also check out the Sonosax MINIR82, very small Swiss recorder with TC. In the near future they will be coming out with the SX-R4 and the SX-62R. Both units will include mixers as well as recorders. Price points are more than the SD 744T, but less than the Deva/Cantar recorders. Probably around the Nagra recorder.

For a really nice location board check out their SX-ST panel. Very nice and oh so expensive.

David

[tsvisser]

One thing I didn't like about the Cantar, (correct me if I'm wrong) is that it automatically sample rate converts everything to 48k. This is no prob if you are only doing video work, but I also wanted something that could stand second duty for musical recordings, and would have needed the option to do 44.1 and possible 88.2 or 96kHz.

I've got my eye very closely on the upcoming Nagra VI and Sonosax SX-R4. I guess it is a race to see who delivers first and the actual performance of the mic pres.

I'm sort of hoping that Korg would develop the MR series a bit more as my last bastion of hope in working with DSD. 4ch MR-like unit would be great. a 6 or 8 ch unit would be the titts.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by JEGG

.......Only because the FR2 is an incredibly overpriced, and there are recorders for a lot less money that offer a great deal more functionality and quality.

I was actually referring to the Sound Devices when I said there was nothing else at the price.

Remebber that the FR-2 was the first portable, affordable 24/96 machine on the market and was extremely cheap compared to all the others at the time.

Quality wise, I would say the Tascam is equal, I don't know of any better at the price.

The Tascam came along later and the FR-2 has now dropped in price to about the same as the Tascam. Remember the FR-2 also has the PCMCIA slot that the Tascam does not and this costs money.


I still prefer the FR-2 over the Tascam HD-P2 - the FR-2 has AES3 digits in and the Tascam has consumer format and I prefer the build quality of the Fostex.

If you need timecode the Tascam comes in much cheaper - if you don't need timecode (I don't) I prefer the Fostex.

But you choose the machine that does the job you want it to do - horses for courses.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by tsvisser

One thing I didn't like about the Cantar, (correct me if I'm wrong) is that it automatically sample rate converts everything to 48k. This is no prob if you are only doing video work, but I also wanted something that could stand second duty for musical recordings, and would have needed the option to do 44.1 and possible 88.2 or 96kHz.

Agreed - if the Cantar does this it's gets thrown out of the equation.

Originally Posted by tsvisser

I've got my eye very closely on the upcoming Nagra VI and Sonosax SX-R4. I guess it is a race to see who delivers first and the actual performance of the mic pres.

Nagra mic. pres. have always been superb, but so have Sonosax. I would say that they are probably pretty equal in quality, but very different machines in layout - so you would choose the one that does the job you want.

Originally Posted by tsvisser

I'm sort of hoping that Korg would develop the MR series a bit more as my last bastion of hope in working with DSD. 4ch MR-like unit would be great. a 6 or 8 ch unit would be the titts.

I tend to hear bad things about single bit devices - not technically a good way of doing things - so, personally, I would avoid these.

[trampintransit]

for the record, I run a Tascam HDp2 succesfully using the AES3 output of my Kamesan portable mixer using a homemade converter lead (see..Interfacing AES3 & S/PDIF ) into the Tascam SPDIF input.
Another point , although the FR2 looks clunky it does have line out on balanced xlr which could be handy to record and drive say a DSLR audio input at the same time.
I think the thing to look at now is the Nomad
Zaxcom Nomad :: Recorders :: Coffey Sound