KVR Audio

Klemperer · Post by **Klemperer** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:56 am

Thanks Mr.Vulich for all those resources. I would have got an Edirol or a M-audio, but as I have tons of minidisks (and the 3rd one after I managed to damage the first and ebayed a not working one for 80 Euro...) I use one still, for field-recordings and for listening to those 894 disks. Just yesterday, before finding this thread, I replaced my humble but really inexpensive Vivanco EM35 mic for a Sony ECM-719. The wind-problem persists, but for the lo-end market I am MUCH more satisfied now, recorded in a trainstation yesterday, and the results with the new generation of MD-recorders and the not toooo shabby mic are way way better. Had a self-made windshield for the vivanco, will build myself one for the Sony-Mic. That helps more than a bit.

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:09 am

John Vulich wrote:
DevonB wrote:Which you bring up a good point as a key distinction. Buying a standard MD recorder *IS* still going to record in a compressed format. The *NEW* Hi-MD allows compressed and uncompressed. I did not realize there was the new format from Sony out. This still does not change the fact about the old MD ATRAC format because the new HiMD format is out. If you bought an old MD recorder off of Ebay, it wouldn't do the new format.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc

Devon
Sony's had the Hi-MDs out since 2004. There are several of them available on eBay... right now.

And Sony has had MD out since 1992. I'm sure not all the old pre-2004 units haven't magically 'disappeared' off the used market. But I see you just HAVE to prove your point, John.

Devon

John Vulich · Post by **John Vulich** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:17 am

Fostex FR-2 LE looks pretty promising also...

http://podcastrigs.com/?p=108

I guess maybe that I should just wait a few more months before I buy anything.

HelgeG · Post by **HelgeG** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:47 am

Sound On Sound reported on a new unit by Zoom that looks interesting: http://www.soundonsound.com/news?NewsID=8507

Genetic_Junk · Post by **Genetic_Junk** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:26 pm

If anyone is looking into this portable recording/sampling gear and doesn't need the stuff immediately, it may be worth waiting for the new Fostex FR-2

http://www.oade.com/digital_recorders/h ... R-2LE.html

and the new Zoom H4

http://www.soundonsound.com/news?NewsID=8507

both previously mentioned in this thread

Klemperer · Post by **Klemperer** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:21 pm

...and just to add my experience, the Sony ECM 719 thought it best not to work any longer after just about 12-15 outdoor - recordings. The poor and old Vivanco EM35 had worked, under just about the same scientific circumstances

for 4 years without a real problem (besides being not the best mic around............)

Will wait now for a bit of money and look after the Fostex- and Zoom-recommendations from last summer, maybe it's already there...

edit: they ARE available, but faaaar beyond my possibilities.

Hovmod · Post by **Hovmod** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:54 pm

I just got the Zoom H4 - ask me in a couple of weeks when I'm over the first infatuation and know more about the quality of the recordings.

First impression is pretty good though.

james0tucson · Post by **james0tucson** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:56 pm

Jeremy_NSL wrote:Yup I saw the D1 but thats out of my price range for now I'm afraid...

I'm leaning towards the R-09 right now. Any more comments?

I got an Edirol R-09 and I love it. It looks like an electric razor.

You may be disappointed with how noisy it is, using the built-in mic. From a line input source it's
really great though (and not bad with the buit-in mics, if you keep the gain low, few small electrets are much better.)

foosnark · Post by **foosnark** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:10 pm

I'm liking my H4 too. It's my first serious recorder and I'm still learning to deal with the "your ears are at the end of your hand" phenomenon, and so far I've only used it for grabbing ambient sound and a few percussion samples. It worked very well for the latter, though I've had mixed results with the former depending on the nature of those sounds. (I.e. wind and cars in a city = good, stronger wind in the woods on a mountain didn't come out so well, but I'm not sure the recorder could be blamed for it.)

feyshay · Post by **feyshay** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:07 pm

How 'bout this? This will get you better preamps, options for compression/limiting (to better pick up ambient sounds), and better conversion than these recorders. Furthermore, you can use it in your home studio.
Get a Apogee Mini-Me with USB connection (recent price drop). Get a $150 battery pack from cascade media to power it. Take your laptop with you and a good LDC or SDC. It is more to pack (since you need the laptop), but it will get you a better recording.

obstgegenrechz · Post by **obstgegenrechz** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:44 pm

I was workin with a Movie-Team and capturing athmospheres with an Edirol R4... the Converters are not good! Bad S/N Ratio.... Very noisy when you wanna record "silent" things...

Hovmod · Post by **Hovmod** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:15 pm

feyshay wrote: It is more to pack (since you need the laptop), but it will get you a better recording.

But fewer, since you're not going to have it with you all the time.
I have so often thought "man, I wish I had something to record this with", and now I do...

frog_jr · Post by **frog_jr** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:48 pm

Dare I mention the Gemini iKey Plus? Maybe use an external preamp? I use one for work all the time now. Only 16 bit. Extremely compact and records to any usb compact flash media. This is an affordable piece as well, compared to most of what you are talking about. I would SURE choose it over any damned minidisc recorder. Or anything else from the rootkit CD people.

Marantz is still the best for speech tape recorders but I'm not so sure about their expertise with digital. I had a PMD 660.

Regarding the R1:

The unit records and plays back at crystal-clear, 24-bit audio resolution without compression. Electrolytic capacitors provide stable, reliable power to the analog circuits, eliminating DC interference and offering a truly low-distortion sound.

Am I the only one that sees something a bit odd about boasting about having electrolytic capacitors? I would still choose it over the Marantz.

deaf dunderkwac · Post by **deaf dunderkwac** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:06 pm

the biggest difference to field recording always starts with the mics/choice of blah, blah, blah.
I'm currently playing around with a consumer POS sandisk and with my(somewhat) trusty 3k portable preamp and a good microphone it works just swell.
bottom line
89$ for the "recorder"
1.5k$ for the mics and 3K$ for the preamps = excellent recordings ymmv

I'm very interested in others perceptions with the H4, but I have used the Sony thingy and the Beyer mic with built-in flash recorder (big ticket items) and they work swell for their intended (I assume) uses.
The Sony being more 'flexible' about uses over the Beyer, of course.

GW · Post by GW » Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:55 am

I got the Microtrack and I think it's a bit noisy. I'm using the Rode stereo mic and so I think the issue must be with the preamps. To get to the higher level is a bigger cost jump than I'm into right now.

There are new Korg recorders coming out that look interesting as well.
http://aes.harmony-central.com/121AES/C ... -1000.html
Anyone know anything about them?

Which Digital Recorder for field recordings?