@DMT3  I hear ya. It seems impossible to find the ideal device though..

• 48K resolution, 24-bit or 32-bit float
• portable
• 6-8 channels
• Ability to monitor individual inputs while recording, to isolate unwanted problems if/when they occur (voices, noisy signal, etc)
• Ability to see all the inputs visually and make quick level adjustments to the input gains
• A functional limiter to prevent clipping if input levels spike, without making unusable audio in the process

Yeah.. this seems like basic functionality for a field recorder. And yet... I'm having trouble finding it...

The R20 comes close, albeit not as portable, and only doing 44.1.

It's far from a minimal-functioning unit on paper -- but yet.. doesn't support 48K which makes *no sense* to me. But not being able to monitor channel inputs on other recorders doesn't make sense to me either. 44.1 might have to be a compromise I can accept.

I looked them up and see what you mean. The Zoom R4 does 48k but it is only a 4 track. You may be fine with 44.1k.

I love my Tascam 701d but alas, discontinued and only 4-channel. It has a "monitor" button.. I mean.. DUH!

How about this one:

 

I'm not overly familiar with the Scarlet line. I like the useability controls on front. Unclear if we can create a custom onitor-mix, but I could dig into their manual -- having two headphone "buses" suggests we can customize what we're hearing.

I prefer the form-factor of their smaller 18i8, but looks l iek there are no meters up front.. maybe they're counting on end-users using a tablet or other interface for it? (which would be fine honestly.. I can clamp a tablet to my tripod easy enough.

https://a.co/d/4VCt8a7

Thanks for the tip.. I'll look deeper at this one!

I really couldn't tell a difference when I still had my hearing.

Have a look at the Zoom F8n. 8 channels, great pre-amps. Records in multiple formats. Menus take some time to get proficient with.

R20 works great but its a long way from portable. J

Have a look at the Zoom F8n. 8 channels, great pre-amps. Records in multiple formats. Menus take some time to get proficient with.

R20 works great but its a long way from portable. J

The F8n Pro is definitely on my list, but the $1100 price tag has me thinking there must a lower-cost option?!

What's the quick process to monitor individual channels while recording, or tweak the headphone or line-out mix?

I thought the Zoom R series was for music production so never paid it much attention.
What about the regular F8 or a used version? There's also the F6. Or the Sound Devices MixPre-6.

Gain is controlled by dials and it's possible to use these devices for livestreaming/events. A monitor shows per channel volume.

You might try a rental and see if it works for you.

I use Sound Devices 8- and 4- track recorders myself. If they ever broke, I'd be looking at an F8n which is a relative bargain.

I thought the Zoom R series was for music production so never paid it much attention.
What about the regular F8 or a used version? There's also the F6. Or the Sound Devices MixPre-6.

Gain is controlled by dials and it's possible to use these devices for livestreaming/events. A monitor shows per channel volume.

You might try a rental and see if it works for you.

 

I stick my R16 in a tripod caddy and it's worked great for years. Although it doesn't have a way to map inputs to monitor, while recording I can quickly flip all my faders to 0 and bring individuals up to hear where there are issues if any occur. Sure it messes with my safety mix but I know my ISOs will keep recording fine.

Regarding per-channel monitoring -- I'm not talking about *visual* monitoring lol. I learned years ago you can't rely on your eyes to truly assess the quality of an audio signal (white noise still shows on the meters!). Yes, the visual levels are super important if they show the recording levels, or mix levels (if the device allows you to see both easily), but if there's any problem on an input (e.g. this past weekend when I heard ppl backstage talking about bacon and drinking... in what should have been clean stage audio!) I need to quickly identify which channel the problem is on so it can get fixed.

I use Sound Devices 8- and 4- track recorders myself. If they ever broke, I'd be looking at an F8n which is a relative bargain.

A pro audio mixer friend of mine who works in film and commercial work loves his Sound Devices gear, and raves not just about the gear but also the company.

Hi Rob, I would pick whatever multitrack recorder suits your needs for portability, field handling, durability, and price point, and let the 44 or 48 question rest.

You said correctly that either one will work fine in Vegas, and unless you go all the way for 24/96 6 channel audio in a format that supports it, you'll never notice the difference or ever revisit the question.

Personally, I've found traditional 44.1 Khz recorders with slaved SMPTE time code and Genlock far easier to work with in post than unsynced 48 Khz from some pretty nice portable hardware. Very little need for Pluraleyes or AudioSyncR except for the Zoom portables.

I did multiple live event recordings with a combination of equipment at 48 and 44 Khz, and never noticed a difference in the 5.1 Dolby Surround mix, even though we started with 36 mics and 6 board sub channels. Follow your heart on the purchase.

Update on the Zoom R20 -- it apparently has no battery backup?! For any digital field recorder, experience tells me if you're running without battery and the power goes out, you risk losing it all -- depends on the recorder, how often it saves (and updates headers) and how it rights the multi-channel data. OY. I think that's a showstopper. :/

@mark-y  I appreciate what you write -- thank you. My Zoom R16 tends to drift on long segments far more than my Tascam 701D.. a little timeline stretching fixes the frame differences but it's a bit of a PIA... I wonder if their more expensive gear has better clocks that prevent the drifting?

So... still searching. I'm starting to suspect the Zoom F8n might literally be the only 6+ channel field recorder that is portable, with battery backup, with the core needed field usability features. Still need to look at the Scarlet 18i8 to see how one actually monitors the meters and such.

 

if their more expensive gear has better clocks that prevent the drifting?

All recorders with internal clocks drift apart some -- unless they are slaved and synced to a master freerun timecode clock with Genlock by a cable to your camera(s), usually some form of 4-pin XLR, or by Wifi with some more current hardware.

Last time I used this stuff was my last public show in 2010, so I plead ignorance if anything newer is out there for multi-device audio slaving.

Zoom portables starting with the "n" series have been pretty good with keeping the drift to a minimum, but it's still there to a small extent. Even timecode synced by cable can drift by a few milliseconds while it catches up.

a little timeline stretching fixes the frame differences but it's a bit of a PIA

A little better way is to put microgaps in your slower audio track by splitting an event every 9-10 minutes in a quiet spot, precisely at zero waveform crossing, and fade the edges just a bit, keeps the audio fidelity without introducing clicks or audio distortion.