DAT-heads Digest #858
Contents:
Re: HHB FlashMic ("MIKE AHERN")
taping at summerfest in milwaukee ("Tim Call")
ISO: Vote for Change Finale DVD 11/04 (dolphin smile)
Edirol R-09 review with comparisons to Microtrack and Marantz (Stephen Bezruchka)
**Free** Lazy Susan DAT tape holder ("michael")
From: "MIKE AHERN" <mjarts@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: HHB FlashMic
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2006 10:42:06 -0400
that looks pretty neat.
3+ hours record time at 44k, w/only a pair of AA batteries. talk about
a compact stealth rig.....
if anyone has any experience with it and wants to comment, or knows of
any review sites that cover this, please respond to the list. i also
didnt see a price.
thanks
mike
> From: rappard@dds.nl
> Subject: HHB FlashMic
> Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2006 15:14:28 +0200 (CEST)
>
> Has anyone ever used one of these? Thoughts?
>
> http://www.hhb.co.uk/hhb/int/hhbproducts/flashmic/index.asp
From: "Tim Call" <sensi_1013@hotmail.com>
Subject: taping at summerfest in milwaukee
Date: Fri, 09 Jun 2006 10:43:55 -0500
Hey All
.....was wondering if anyone one the list had any experiences taping
bands at Summerfest? I taped some bands there in 2000 w/out any problems
getting gear in the door and was wondering if it was still cool? thanks for
any info! tc
From: dolphin smile <thedolphinsmile@yahoo.com>
Subject: ISO: Vote for Change Finale DVD 11/04
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2006 08:53:08 -0700 (PDT)
im looking for a copy of the dvd( 3 dvds?) of the
televised finale for the vote for change tour, from
Wash Dc, with Fogerty, REM, Springsteen and othes.
Have much to trade.
__________________________________________________
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From: Stephen Bezruchka <sabez@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Edirol R-09 review with comparisons to Microtrack and Marantz
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2006 09:00:46 -0700 (PDT)
Yesterday my Edirol R-09, the long awaited closest successor to the Sony
M1 type of DAT recorder, arrived. The entry of small portable DAT
recorders were a boon to people wanting a small, quiet, high fidelity,
audio recorder that was easy to use, and had long run times. To some the
M1 was limited by not having balanced mic inputs. There have now been a
succession of non-mechanical recorders using flash media and I own and use
three of them. The R-09 is a joy, like the M1
The unit is smaller than the M1, a little fatter than a deck of playing
cards. It shipped from Full Compass in a typical small product box and
when I opened it, and moved through various items, I thought they have
forgot to include the recorder. But it was sitting there wrapped
inconspicuously at the bottom. The cables, and power supply take up much
more space. The owner's manual had a cover sheet warning about how to
install the batteries, something that was also talked about in the
detailed user guide. Opening the recorder to install batteries is its one
Achille's heel and requires caution to not force it open. The mechanics
are unusual, you slide the cover half way to get at the USB and SD card,
and then have to slide a lock in the right direction to have the door
pivot to open up the battery bay. Be careful here. It takes 2 AA's just
like the M1 and 2500 NiMH's will power it for a very long time.
The recorder has more familiar buttons and controls than it's closest
competitor, the m-audio Microtrack 24/96 which is only slightly longer.
The R-09 screen is small, almost junky, but it is bright and easy to read,
with strong black and white letters. Without looking at the manual, you
can program the date, and details with one hand. There are two built-in
microphones which work very well. The Microtrack lacks internal
microphones, and a T-microphone is supplied which is quite good but it is
more of a hassle to use the recorder that way because it sticks out and if
you wanted to just put the recorder in a pocket and record yourself, there
will be much more rubbing noise.
Unlike the rotating wheel for recording levels on the M1, there are two
buttons to set the level and these appear to function like true gain
controls, which are different from the 24/96 where level setting goes by
three steps (only two for plug in power) with some adjustment within them.
The m-audio sets right and left channels independently or they can be
ganged, a feature lacking on the R-09. The Marantz PMD-660 has true
concentric wheels to set recording levels, sort of like the Sony TC-D5M
cassette recorder that I loved using. There is no limiter feature, but
tbe automatic gain control on the Edirol works well for mic input, and
does not function for line level input. There is a high-low mic
sensitivity slide switch. The recording level meters appear to actually
depict recording levels, unlike the m-audio. There is a peak indicator
for clipping and in my limited experimenting with peak levels, the signal
doesn't degrade as much as I expected. So recording is fun.
The unit has plug-in power with adequate voltage to power my Sonic Studios
DSM-6S, something the m-audio can't do, and requires an external power
supply for that mic. There are no balanced mic inputs with phantom power
as the Microtrack and Marantz have. The Microtrack only provides about 30
volts but that is adequate to run my mics. The Marantz has XLR
connectors, the Microtrack 1/4 inch TRS jacks require adaptor cables. The
PMD 660 has no plug-in power, about the only limitation it has for my
usage.
So recording is a joy with the R-09. The display shows recording time
left, and time as well as whether plug-in power is on. All units have a
hold switch, slides on the m-audio and Edirol, and requiring to push two
buttons simultaneously on the PMD-660. While recording, there is a red
oval light surrounding the record button indicating the status, whereas on
the Marantz, indication is similarly clear from a red diode that either
flashes for standby or is continuous when recording. The Marantz has true
mono recording, that is recording time available is twice that in stereo.
the m-audio has a mono-mode but it records two channels simultaneously and
you can't have longer recording times as would be useful for meetings that
last weeks.
The Edirol records 16 and 24 bit, at 44.1 and 48 kHz sampling, as well as
mp3 from 320 kbps down to 64 kbps. The Marantz for mp3 has only 128 kbps
or 64 for mono. The Microtrack goes down to 96. The lower transfer rates
are useful for recording non-critical voice, hence my reason for going
into detail here. I find one can send lengthy (1-2 hour) voice files over
the internet when compressed by software to 24 kbps. It is a great way
for sharing lectures and discussions.
There is digital output by Toslink through the headphone jack on the R-09,
and no digital input, something others might find a problem. The 24/96
has SPDIF digital in and out through a phono jack. The Edirol has USB 2.0
connectability to a computer, as does the 24/96 while the Marantz has only
1.1 and you require the unit to have the AC power connected to transfer or
download directly to the computer. I get around this with a CF card
reader. There is no other digital in or out for the Marantz.
I really like the Edirol so far. My only concern is the battery door. It
is great having replaceable AA batteries to power it. This a feature
lacking in the microtrack which has a built-in lithium ion battery and
when power levels drop, you can connect an external USB device with 4 AA's
to power it, but this is complicated and cumbersome. The display is
smaller on the Edirol but is much more readable than the bigger one on the
24/96. It is more fussy to run the buttons on the 24/96 and the slider
switches are more easy to move by mistake with unrecoverable consequences,
while the Edirol has smaller slide switches whose position is more
difficult to change by accident.
Names of audio files can be edited in the Edirol, and not in the other two
recorders. Both the R-09 and Marantz provide considerable information
about the files on their screens, while this is limited in the 24/96.
If compactness doesn't matter, the Marantz PMD 660 is my favorite because
it has features not available in the smaller units. These include the
ability to edit files that have been recorded, that is to make smaller
ones and merge several. Battery life from 4 AA's is remarkable, and the
unit feels rugged. It has built in speakers which the other two lack, and
you can monitor recording through them as well as with headphones.
During a recording a point can be marked making it easy to return there
during review, a useful feature for interviews. There is a remote
recording control to start and stop recording as well as place marks, a
very valuable feature in many situations.
The Microtrack 24/96 has much higher sampling rates than the other two, a
feature that doesn't matter to me and it has balanced mic inputs as well
as digital I/O. But I had to get 4 units replaced because of production
problems and the one I have now still isn't right. Other reviews haven't
mentioned such problems. It took a number of firmware upgrades to get the
functions to work as depicted in the manual. I feel least confident with
the battery that will require eventual replacement, a costly process.
The Roland R-09 is compact, featured, easy to use and may become the one I
use the most. It is becoming accessorized to get with the iPod mania, so
there is a carrying case with a tripod on the way as well as a microphone
stand adaptor to put the unit in its case on a stand to use it as a
complete microphone-recorder combo. We are blessed with good recorders to
choose from.
Stephen Bezruchka
From: "michael" <pop-skull@comcast.net>
Subject: **Free** Lazy Susan DAT tape holder
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2006 23:08:46 -0400
Made by EDP, it holds 40 DAT tapes
Nice metal construction, with plastic tape holders that pop out for easy
sorting
Just paypal shipping from Annapolis MD and its yours!
cheers- mike
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