Review this rig?

Highphi · 2nd March 2010

Wow, first post in years. It's good to be back here on Gearslutz and recording again. What do you fella's think of this portable rig I have put together...

MacBook Pro

Apogee Duet

FMR RNC

FMR RNP

Presonus Central Station

Lacie d2 qudra

Mics and gig bag yet to be determined.

jnorman · 2nd March 2010

hi phi - why not just mics>apogee>macbook? what kind of material are you going to be recording?

Highphi · 2nd March 2010

Well, that works too. It just so happens I have all this stuff lying around. Some journalistic interviews, singer song writers, etc?

DCtoDaylight · 2nd March 2010

That's a ton of stuff to carry for a journalistic interview situation - even if it's for broadcast, a good handheld recorder is probably a better bet, as the interview subject is often not where you expect them to be at all times.

For music, well, I don't have hands-on experience with the Duet or the RNP, but my sense is that the RNP wouldn't represent a significant step up over the pres in the Duet....I could be wrong, though; might be a good thing to do some experimenting with.

I started doing field recording a few years ago, and I've found that there's a lot to be said for a minimalist rig that doesn't require a lot of interconnection. Time is always tight, and it's nice to spend your minutes on mic placement rather than box-hauling and plugging. Also, if you power the Duet off the laptop and don't use other boxes, you have at least some protection against power glitches.

As always, though, there are schools of thought - you might try doing a couple of freebie recordings as a beta test and see what works for you. Best of luck with it, in any case!

jnorman · 2nd March 2010

personally, i would be surprised if the preamps in the RNP are better than those in the duet. the previous poster has a point in that for interviews and similar types of applications, it is much easier and convenient to use something like a tascam DR-100 and external mic(s) to haul around. i certainly would not carry an RNC anywhere for live recording - compression, etc is much better handled in post.

Petrus · 2nd March 2010

Years back I used a MiniDisk recorder and a Shure VP88 for free lance radio documentaries and the editing guys at the national broadcasting company said the quality was better than what the staff reporters brought in, recorded mostly with DAT and open reel Nagras.

Simplicity rules, and mic choice & placement... The lighter/smaller the better. And running on batteries.

Highphi · 15th March 2010

Thanks for the insight gents. You are all right, this is a lot o'stuff to carry around for the journalistic pieces. However it looks like I will be recording more musician type scenarios in the near future. Also A/B'd the Duet pre's with the RNP, there is a difference (I like the RNP better), but for a lab condition squeaky clean sound the duets pre's are very clear.

2nd March 2010	#1
Highphi Gear Head Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 55 Thread Starter	Review this rig? Wow, first post in years. It's good to be back here on Gearslutz and recording again. What do you fella's think of this portable rig I have put together... MacBook Pro Apogee Duet FMR RNC FMR RNP Presonus Central Station Lacie d2 qudra Mics and gig bag yet to be determined.

2nd March 2010	#2
jnorman Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,807 2 Reviews written	hi phi - why not just mics>apogee>macbook? what kind of material are you going to be recording? __________________ jnorman sunridge studios salem, oregon

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2nd March 2010	#4
DCtoDaylight Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 603	That's a ton of stuff to carry for a journalistic interview situation - even if it's for broadcast, a good handheld recorder is probably a better bet, as the interview subject is often not where you expect them to be at all times. For music, well, I don't have hands-on experience with the Duet or the RNP, but my sense is that the RNP wouldn't represent a significant step up over the pres in the Duet....I could be wrong, though; might be a good thing to do some experimenting with. I started doing field recording a few years ago, and I've found that there's a lot to be said for a minimalist rig that doesn't require a lot of interconnection. Time is always tight, and it's nice to spend your minutes on mic placement rather than box-hauling and plugging. Also, if you power the Duet off the laptop and don't use other boxes, you have at least some protection against power glitches. As always, though, there are schools of thought - you might try doing a couple of freebie recordings as a beta test and see what works for you. Best of luck with it, in any case!

2nd March 2010	#6
Petrus Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2008 Location: Espoo Finland Posts: 868	Years back I used a MiniDisk recorder and a Shure VP88 for free lance radio documentaries and the editing guys at the national broadcasting company said the quality was better than what the staff reporters brought in, recorded mostly with DAT and open reel Nagras. Simplicity rules, and mic choice & placement... The lighter/smaller the better. And running on batteries.

15th March 2010	#7
Highphi Gear Head Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 55 Thread Starter	Thanks for the insight gents. You are all right, this is a lot o'stuff to carry around for the journalistic pieces. However it looks like I will be recording more musician type scenarios in the near future. Also A/B'd the Duet pre's with the RNP, there is a difference (I like the RNP better), but for a lab condition squeaky clean sound the duets pre's are very clear.