Whats a good Portable Recorder?

[-silent-sam-]

I am looking for a "Portable" Recorder for doing Location sound. What I am looking for is something I can do gorilla style recording.... lots of shoot and run.... lots of shoot first ask later haha.

I would like something with at least 2 channels... but 4 would be better. XLR inputs is a must.

I would like something with adjustable pre-amps included in the unit (however I am not sure if this is a feature pro gear would offer??)

And I would like something that sounds good obviously.

The thing is I have no idea what I am looking for as far as what its called...or what brands to look for..

All I can find is this one by Roland and it seems a bit bush league to me...http://www.synthtopia.com/content/wp...e-recorder.jpg
I don't know maybe its not?

The problem is I know what i want...but I have no idea were to start looking for it.... I have no idea what to look for.

[tsvisser]

I think this list is comprehensive for 4+ channel units...



HIGH SOUND QUALITY ($4k to $16k)

Sound Devices 744t (788t is 8 channels, supposedly better mic pres?)
The 744T: Portable, Four-Track Audio Recorder with Time Code | Sound Devices, LLC

Nagra VI (4 mic pres, 6 channels total, just started shipping a couple of days ago)
Nagra VI

Aaton Cantar-X2 (expensive, but for the sake of completeness, including)
Cantar X2

Zaxcom Fusion (larger units available via Deva or expanded Fusion)
Zaxcom

Sonsax MINIR82 (2 Mic pres 8ch, no built in monitoring facilities, limited features)
SONOSAX

Sonosax SX-R4 (shipping yet? 4 mic pres 8ch)
SONOSAX



MEDIUM SOUND QUALITY ($2k to $8k)

Fostex PD606 (not a good value compared to other cheaper / better offerings)
PD-606 DVD and HD Location Recorder

Edirol R-4 Pro
EDIROL by Roland - R-4 Pro 4-Channel Recorder with SMPTE Time Code and WAVE Editor



LOW SOUND QUALITY ($1k or less)

Zoom H4 (only 2 XLR inputs, very limited features)
Samson - Zoom - H4

Edirol R4
EDIROL by Roland - R-4 Four Channel Portable Recorder and WAVE Editor

Edirol R44
EDIROL by Roland - R-44 Compact, Solid State, 4-Channel Field Recorder



For 2 channels, of course your options increase greatly and prices drop drastically... but most of the competent 2 channel units are also made by one of the above manufacturers, excluding the two noteworthy exceptions...

Tascam HD-P2
TASCAM

Korg MR-1000 (no high pass filters)
korg.com



Are you doing this in conjunction with video acquisition? If so, your best bet might be just using a Sound Devices 302 or 442 and going direct into the camera, if the camera is a decent pro/prosumer model.

[John Willett]

Add one to the above list - the new Nagra LB - 2-channel machine should start shipping next month (at least that's what they said at AES Amsterdam).

Price - about half of the Nagra VI price and similar (if not lower) than the 2-channel Sound Dvices units.

[Shadow_7]

With an external battery powered microphone preamp like the Sonosax SX-M2 or Grace Lunatec V3, you get your XLR inputs and can then pipe that to any recorder with an input.

SONOSAX SX-M2 MIC AMPLIFIER

lunatec V3 portable mic preamplifier

I'm partial to my Korg MR-1000. But there's others out there. Sound Devices, Fostex, Sony, Marantz, Roland, Zoom, ....... Some of them have built in preamps, some of them don't.

722 Portable, High-Resolution Audio Recorder | Sound Devices, LLC

korg.com

FR-2 Field Memory Recorder

Samson - Zoom - H4

[-silent-sam-]

Thanks for the help.... I am looking into most of the recorder you guys have shown me.

What about older recorders? Like something that runs on dats ....or A-DATs if that even exists........ small enough to run and gun.....

[hughesmr]

Originally Posted by silent-sam

What about older recorders? Like something that runs on dats ....or A-DATs if that even exists........ small enough to run and gun.....

I have a Tascam DA-P1 portable DAT recorder that I haven't used for a few years. I'll sell it to you if interested. PM me if so.

TASCAM

[Angus]

"Sonosax MINIR82 (2 Mic pres 8ch, no built in monitoring facilities, limited features)"

What built in monitoring features are you looking for? True, it has no built in mixer, but it does have lots of monitoring options.

[tnjazz]

Originally Posted by silent-sam

I am looking for a "Portable" Recorder for doing Location sound. What I am looking for is something I can do gorilla style recording.... lots of shoot and run.... lots of shoot first ask later haha.

I would like something with at least 2 channels... but 4 would be better. XLR inputs is a must.

I would like something with adjustable pre-amps included in the unit (however I am not sure if this is a feature pro gear would offer??)

And I would like something that sounds good obviously.

The thing is I have no idea what I am looking for as far as what its called...or what brands to look for..

All I can find is this one by Roland and it seems a bit bush league to me...http://www.synthtopia.com/content/wp...e-recorder.jpg
I don't know maybe its not?

The problem is I know what i want...but I have no idea were to start looking for it.... I have no idea what to look for.

The pic you've linked to is the Edirol R-44, which is actually very compact and quite decent sounding. I don't know that there's a better bargain for a 4 preamp unit out there at the moment.

FWIW, tsvisser's listing is a fairly good assessment, although in terms of sound quality the R44 preamps are the same as those in the R4 Pro, which puts it a notch above the standard R4 unit.

I don't own one but have seen and heard it in action, and for less than $2000 (hell, less than $1000!) it's tough to beat.

[leddy]

Originally Posted by tnjazz

although in terms of sound quality the R44 preamps are the same as those in the R4 Pro, which puts it a notch above the standard R4 unit.

I have read the preamps in the R44 are not the exact same as the R4 pro.

Having said that, I have an R44 and the preamps are decent. I spent last night plugging in different mics to see what would start to get noisy. Condensers were fine, my RE20 began to reveal some hiss in the preamps. For kicks, I plugged in my Beyer ribbons and found they could be usable on louder sources, but not on anything too quiet.

It's a good little box.

[springer]

Originally Posted by silent-sam

Thanks for the help.... I am looking into most of the recorder you guys have shown me.

What about older recorders? Like something that runs on dats ....or A-DATs if that even exists........ small enough to run and gun.....

Hey Silent,
Stay away from the DATs - nothing but trouble...
Todays technologies are starting to make up ground fast on older larger equipment making truly portable solutions light and small. You need to figure out what price range you are willing to dive into. Under $1000, there are only a couple solutions if you want good sounding pres combined with features you want. Battery type, media, connection types, etc... were all a factor when I started out with my Oade mod'd PMD660. I wanted XLR with AA batteries, compact flash, and decent pres - and that is what I got. I have since gone to MR1000 with external pres - a significant climb in price. Do a google search on "Oade" and check out their systems as they really sound good. This is a great forum to read about people's experiences so do your homework and do it right the first time.
Good luck,
Patrick

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by leddy

I have read the preamps in the R44 are not the exact same as the R4 pro.

The guy from Edirol told me at a recent show thet the R-44 had the same mic. pres. as the R-04 Pro.

[leddy]

Originally Posted by John Willett

The guy from Edirol told me at a recent show thet the R-44 had the same mic. pres. as the R-04 Pro.

I read on taperssection from a guy that mods them IIRC. Perhaps they are they same but laid out different, who knows.

They do sound pretty good though. Thanks for the info.

[mini jack]

Hi,

I have some pretty beginner questions to bore you with.

I have been recording for about 2 years now, worked in a bunch of commercials and sitcom series, I do the post as well, but unfortunately all this time I worked with my Macbook Pro running PTLE with a 003 that is attached to an Audient x8 Mic pre through ADAT with some Sonnox Limiters attached to the channels.

So never used a portable recorder. And now the time has come to actually purchase one but I do not know much about them and have no means to test one out.

My first question is, when they are marketed as 2 track recorders, but has 4 mic inputs, as opposed to an 8 track recorder with 8 inputs, what exactly is the difference?

My initial guess would be that the 2 track with 4 mics, mixes the 4 mics down to 2 tracks, and the 8 track 8 mic one records each mic to its own track?

But if that is the case and lets say I have purchased the 2 track 4 mic box, isn't that somehow impractical as I would not have a separate track for each mic/talent as I have been doing with my laptop? But if they are out there then I presume people use them so how does one deal with such a situation? Does it not get confusing in post, to have mixed down tracks?

The 8 track/8 mic ones are extremely expensive so they are out of the question.

I have a pretty big job (well for me) coming up in over a week and I would really like to do it in a more professional way, so it is pretty important that I deal with this very soon and appreciate any hep I can get.

Thanks in advance, specially if you read this far

PS, This is one of the recorders in question;

[Baithak]

Hey M Jack :

It is not clear how many input channels you need simultaneously. I am assuming that since your earlier setup was 8 channel one, those would be enough. If that is the case:

consider the DR-680 from Tascam. Has six mic inputs, four on XLR and 2 on 1/4 inch; plus it can take a spdif input from an external source (maybe your Audient has spdif??) so you can connect six directly plus either do a mix or connect 2 more from the outside for a total of eight.

It costs about a $1K and is one of the best deals for an all in one box around.

There are Edirol boxes as well that have four channel inputs but I have never used them.

The SD 744 is excellent but it has only two mic ins but again you can feed two more in either digital or line level. Again it is pretty expensive compared to the above two.

Good luck. And buy from a dealer who will give you the option of returning it in case it does not meet your needs.

Baithak

[mini jack]

Originally Posted by Baithak

Hey M Jack :

It is not clear how many input channels you need simultaneously. I am assuming that since your earlier setup was 8 channel one, those would be enough. If that is the case:

consider the DR-680 from Tascam. Has six mic inputs, four on XLR and 2 on 1/4 inch; plus it can take a spdif input from an external source (maybe your Audient has spdif??) so you can connect six directly plus either do a mix or connect 2 more from the outside for a total of eight.

It costs about a $1K and is one of the best deals for an all in one box around.

There are Edirol boxes as well that have four channel inputs but I have never used them.

The SD 744 is excellent but it has only two mic ins but again you can feed two more in either digital or line level. Again it is pretty expensive compared to the above two.

Good luck. And buy from a dealer who will give you the option of returning it in case it does not meet your needs.

Baithak

Hey Baithak, thanks for replying.

I would want many many channels but my budget does not allow me :D

8 channel I found so far are way over my budget too so 4 would be good. I am able to afford the Fostex in the picture but not sure about the 2 track 4 mic issue. I would like to record 4 separate tracks at least.

Is that the case when you "pan" each mic over 2 channels, in order to make up 4 tracks? Or am I just making it up? How does it work?

Thanks again

[Baithak]

You can afford the Fostex PD6 is it? Can't really tell looking at the pic. That is good. Unfortunately I have no idea about Fostex machines. So someone else should be helping you on that.

Since you say 4 tracks are enough for you, the Tascam DR-680 may indeed be perfect for you. Have you checked it out yet? Why won't that work for you? Don't let the fact that it is "only" USD1000 make you think that it is a toy. It is not. Do a search on this forum and you will some excellent reviews.

Higher up the chain there is the excellent Sonosax 8 track machine with four inputs for mics or the aforementioned SD 744 which is a bullet proof machine. Since many SD owners are upgrading to the 788, you can get a used 744 at very reasonable prices.

Good luck with your decision,
Baithak

[mini jack]

Originally Posted by Baithak

You can afford the Fostex PD6 is it? Can't really tell looking at the pic. That is good. Unfortunately I have no idea about Fostex machines. So someone else should be helping you on that.

Since you say 4 tracks are enough for you, the Tascam DR-680 may indeed be perfect for you. Have you checked it out yet? Why won't that work for you? Don't let the fact that it is "only" USD1000 make you think that it is a toy. It is not. Do a search on this forum and you will some excellent reviews.

Higher up the chain there is the excellent Sonosax 8 track machine with four inputs for mics or the aforementioned SD 744 which is a bullet proof machine. Since many SD owners are upgrading to the 788, you can get a used 744 at very reasonable prices.

Good luck with your decision,
Baithak

I have looked at Tascam before but unfortunately I have no experience with it so I can't comment, however price/features wise it looks pretty promising.

The SD are perfect but I think they don't do above 48K and are pretty expensive for the amount of features they come with. However I am sure they are still worth the money considering the hype around them.

I will keep searching, thank you for your help

[MichaelPatrick]

Originally Posted by mini jack

I have looked at Tascam before but unfortunately I have no experience with it so I can't comment, however price/features wise it looks pretty promising.

The SD are perfect but I think they don't do above 48K and are pretty expensive for the amount of features they come with. However I am sure they are still worth the money considering the hype around them.

I will keep searching, thank you for your help

As an owner of two SD recorders and a Tascam DR-680 I can assure you that they are all excellent for their price. The DR-680 is a great buy! It does 6ch, or 8ch if you also have a digital source of input.

All SD recorders do up to 96 and most of them do 192. The 788T has supported 96 since firmware 1.65 release in Feb 2009.

[Brackish]

Originally Posted by MichaelPatrick

The DR-680 is a great buy! It does 6ch, or 8ch if you also have a digital source of input.

You know what I read somewhere has surprisingly good sound
quality considering the price? The Zoom R16/R24. The 24 has 8
XLR inputs with 6 having phantom. (Don't know how many
volt the phantom is.) $500. Records to (up to) 32GB SD cards.

What I read is that it's good going line-in. I think the user
might have been using it as a backup to the main recorder
and hadn't tested it going mic-in.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by MichaelPatrick

As an owner of two SD recorders and a Tascam DR-680 I can assure you that they are all excellent for their price. The DR-680 is a great buy! It does 6ch, or 8ch if you also have a digital source of input.

Good news - I'm considering the Tascam as an emergency back-up recorder. It must not be too expensive as I will use it as a "when all else fails" device; but it still needs to be good quality.

[MichaelPatrick]

Originally Posted by John Willett

Good news - I'm considering the Tascam as an emergency back-up recorder. It must not be too expensive as I will use it as a "when all else fails" device; but it still needs to be good quality.

That's just why I got one, as a backup for the 788T. With a Lunatec V3 preamp ADC all 8 channels can be recorded simultaneously.

[Brackish]

Originally Posted by John Willett

I'm considering the Tascam as an emergency back-up recorder.

If you decide to go with the DR-680, I'll be looking forward to your first
impressions.

[PoxyMusic]

Originally Posted by Brackish

If you decide to go with the DR-680, I'll be looking forward to your first
impressions.

I just got one last week, and I second what everyone is saying...that for a thousand bucks it's a great deal.

The sound quality is quite good, and is relatively easy to use.

There are a few irritating design features, like the headphone jack on the front panel. It gets in the way of my portabrace flap. (my Portabrace was designed for a different machine, I'm sure the official PB case for the DR accommodates it) Also annoying is the inability to link stereo tracks for input trim, and mix gain. The power switch is located in a funky place that you'll just have to learn by feel.

The build is what it is. Make not mistake, you won't be taking it to the Antarctic.

It's no Sound Devices, but will I overlook these shortcomings to save $5,000? You bet I will.

I think the DR fills a great void in the field recorder market. I've rented it out for a week, and may have some updates...no calls yet so I assume all is well.

[Brackish]

Originally Posted by PoxyMusic

I just got one last week

I assume you looked around at the other options. Is there anything
else in 4 channels or more that is priced between the DR-680 and
something Sound Devices? Or is Sound Devices the next step up?

And had you considered the Edirol R-44 at all?

[PoxyMusic]

Originally Posted by Brackish

I assume you looked around at the other options. Is there anything
else in 4 channels or more that is priced between the DR-680 and
something Sound Devices? Or is Sound Devices the next step up?

And had you considered the Edirol R-44 at all?

The DR sits pretty much at the top end of the more budget recorders....then there's a long way to go before hitting the SD neighborhood. I'm still pretty surprised at it's price; it's pretty much in the same place as two channel recorders of similar quality.

I suffer from the (common around here) idea that inexpensive gear must be compromised. In a sense the DR is, but not in ways that matter to me. No timecode, very little pre-record, less rugged construction, no internal drive. I don't work on sets, (or record in harsh conditions) so these trade offs are worth it to me, considering the price tag.

I didn't really consider the Edirol. Same price, fewer channels. If the DR hadn't been such a good value I was going to get a SD 702. Now I have enough money left over to get the new SD USB Pre 2 preamps.

[iluvatar]

Originally Posted by mini jack

I have looked at Tascam before but unfortunately I have no experience with it so I can't comment, however price/features wise it looks pretty promising.

The SD are perfect but I think they don't do above 48K and are pretty expensive for the amount of features they come with. However I am sure they are still worth the money considering the hype around them.

I will keep searching, thank you for your help

I'm selling my Edirol R-4 Pro w/ a Portrace bag & external Tekkeon battery. PM me if you're interested and want me to send you details & pictures.

-Dan.

[Brackish]

Originally Posted by PoxyMusic

No timecode, very little pre-record, less rugged construction, no internal drive. I don't work on sets, (or record in harsh conditions)

Same here. I don't need timecode nor do I need pre-record. I don't
record in harsh conditions. Having no internal drive is fine with me.
So why be paying for these "extras" if we don't even need them.

How's the headphone monitoring? Enough power? Hissy?
I've got the Marantz 661 2-channel and headphone hiss is not a
problem but it can barely drive the headphone volume to
adequate levels.

[Brackish]

Could anyone recommend a good portable ADC to be used with
the DR-680? Don't need the ADC to also have a preamp as
already have a pre. Just need a converter.

I'm looking to go preamp > ADC > DR-680.

[Baithak]

Hey Brackish : I would really look at the Sound Devices USB Pre 2 when the release it later this year. For the price you will get really good pres, ad, da and headphone amp. Plus you get the ability to send a mix to the computer if you need to in a pinch.

I think the combination of the USB2 Pre and the DR-680 is going to be a very nice thin and light portable 8 track solution (and no I am not ready to part with the 788 yet :-))

Good luck,
Baithak

[PoxyMusic]

Originally Posted by Baithak

Hey Brackish : I would really look at the Sound Devices USB Pre 2 when the release it later this year.

I second that idea!

…and I haven't noticed the headphone amp being noisy, although my recordings have so far only been noisy exterior backgrounds. I really hope the Giants don't sweep the Phillies, so that I can record crowd sounds next week! (I've rented it out for the week)