OT: Recomend ... a portable audio recorder.

DataMeister wrote on 10/2/2006, 10:15 PM
The dicussion of Mini Discs over in this thread put this question in my mind.

I was wondering what everyone would recommend for a flash card audio recorder.

I currently own a Minidisc recorder that is about 6 years old and am looking to replace it. I have used a Denon PMD 670 which was not at all intuitive. The method for erasing tracks and what-not seemed very hard to remember.

So what does everyone like?

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 10/2/2006, 10:26 PM
There are loads of good choices today, but I'm still using my older R4 for multitrack, and my microtrack for smaller work. But...If I had to do it all over again...I'd probably step to one of the newer units.
The Sound Devices 722/744 is a great series, can't go wrong there, but they're spendy. Tascam, Fostex, Zoom, and just about everyone else that makes recording/audio anything, makes a recording device these days, and they're all pretty nice, IMO.
farss wrote on 10/3/2006, 12:30 AM
And don't forget the unit(s) from Nagra!

Couldn't believe it when I saw their stand at NAB last, thought them long dead, yeah gods, they've got a HDD recorder that looks like an original Nagra minus the tape reels. They also have a more conventional HDD recorder, similar to the Sound Devices units but a little cheaper.
The unit though that blew me away was the Cantar-X. VERY, VERY expensive but what a piece of engineering.
Marco. wrote on 10/3/2006, 3:16 AM
There is a nice piece out soon, called --> Zoom H4 .

Marco

JohnnyRoy wrote on 10/3/2006, 8:43 AM
> So what does everyone like?

I like my Marantz PMD-660. It uses Compact Flash cards, standard AA batteries, has 48v phantom power, XLR inputs, large volume control and easy to see LED readout. I’m using it with my AT897 or AT4053a on a boom and it works great.

The TASCAM HD-P2 looks nice but I’ve never used it.

~jr
Coursedesign wrote on 10/3/2006, 9:16 AM
Still using my old Sony TCD-D8 DAT recorder, going strong since 8 or 9 years.

It eats AAs to make you think it's sponsored by Eveready, and the mic input is rather noisy, but it does have a pleasant warm sound which is not harmful :O).

I also use laptops recording to SoundForge, if I don't need to be quite so portable.

The Cantar-X is to die for (which is likely to happen before you make the last payment..., it's about $15,000).
Bill Ravens wrote on 10/3/2006, 10:16 AM
I'm using a Fostex MR8, Mackie 1605 front end with analog compressors on the vocal input channels. Works great for 16 bit, 44.1audio. Limited to 1 gig CF cards, but thats about 1.5 hours of recording, with some margin. I usually change the CF card out when the band takes a break. I have a Tascam 2488 hard disk recorder for the studio..it's way too cumbersome to set up at a gig.
ScottyLacy wrote on 10/3/2006, 1:31 PM
Stupid question ... are there any issues with synching audio captured with a Marantz with a basic DV video stream?
farss wrote on 10/3/2006, 1:52 PM
There's the potential for issues with any audio recorder that's not locked to the camera's clock. With a little planning during the shoot though it's very easy to correct in post. Recording at 48K does seem to help minimise the amount of offset in the clocks.
Even between DV cameras it's easy to get sync issues.

Bob.
briggs wrote on 10/3/2006, 1:55 PM
ScottyLacy -- I also have the Marantz PMD 660 and have not noticed any sync problems when matching to the DV footage from the camera.

Les
arenel wrote on 10/3/2006, 9:15 PM
After about a year, I just ordered and received an Alesis 8 Firewire mixer. It gives me 4 XLR mic inputs plus 2 stereo line inputs. %They go direct to Vegas as individual trackson my laptop and come back as a 2 track mix. $280.00 from BSW for a multitrack recorder

The mixer is quiet, and so far I am delighted. No soundcard needed either.

Ralph.
riredale wrote on 10/3/2006, 11:59 PM
Syncing should never be an issue, as long as the recording devices are consistent. I am still using Sharp Minidisc units, and have found that they are slow by about 1 frame in 4.5 minutes. Very easy in Vegas to stretch or shrink audio transparently to match the video track.