Become a Site Supporter and Never see Ads again!

Author Topic: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder  (Read 28737 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline tim_k

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Taperssection Regular
  • **
  • Posts: 102
  • Gender: Male
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #45 on: October 22, 2018, 08:52:49 PM »
I have taped another show last night, but it's in a shitty venue, so probably not really exciting to listen to. So far only the DPAs, that is mainly why I got it. I did just get a Denecke PS-2 phantom power supply so once I have the cables built I can use it with my other microphones. I haven't tried it as a bit bucket, nor really ever had much intention with that, but I can't imagine it wouldn't work perfectly well. If someone feels like lending me a pre to try it I'd be happy to do so.

Offline daspyknows

  • Complaint Dept.
  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9636
  • Gender: Male
  • Don't ask, don't tell, don't get get caught
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #46 on: October 25, 2018, 02:11:05 PM »
great match for schoeps CMR.

what you spend on recorder you save on AD and mic bodies

CMR wiring for Lectrosonics:

https://www.lectrosonics.com/Support/component/com_fsf/Itemid,714/tag,Wireless,%20Schoeps,%20CMR,%20mic,%20adapter,%20servo,%20input,%20amplifiers/view,faq

which doesnt happen to match anything in the manual

bummer it has a "rugged aluminum housing" with all the metal detectors these days

was intrigued up to this point  "rugged aluminum housing".  I have half a dozen DR-2Ds so no urgency.

Offline jerryfreak

  • No PZ
  • Trade Count: (31)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 6205
  • The plural of anecdote is not data
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #47 on: December 03, 2018, 03:40:01 AM »
heres a good hands on that show the size and menus a bit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGauZbSpLOU
Unable to post or PM due to arbitrary censorship of people the mod doesn't like. Please email me using the link in my profile if you need to connect

Offline jerryfreak

  • No PZ
  • Trade Count: (31)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 6205
  • The plural of anecdote is not data
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #48 on: February 02, 2019, 03:54:00 AM »
i made a post about using the Schoeps CMRs with the SPDR in the CMR thread

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=100090.msg2289988#msg2289988

i pulled the trigger, i join team SPDR on thursday!
« Last Edit: February 05, 2019, 03:08:46 AM by jerryfreak »
Unable to post or PM due to arbitrary censorship of people the mod doesn't like. Please email me using the link in my profile if you need to connect

Offline DSatz

  • Site Supporter
  • Trade Count: (35)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 3347
  • Gender: Male
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #49 on: February 05, 2019, 01:37:03 PM »
Mr. F., please see the message that I left for you in that other thread.

--best regards
music > microphones > a recorder of some sort

Offline jerryfreak

  • No PZ
  • Trade Count: (31)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 6205
  • The plural of anecdote is not data
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #50 on: February 07, 2019, 07:51:39 PM »
got mine today.

the rubber microsd cover came off immediately and i couldnt get the barbed rubber thing back in by hand. tried to press down on it with a ball point pen to seat it, it literally bent and cracked the metal case. i thought these were supposed to be "rugged pro gear", so much for that...



i guess you need to take the unit apart to pull the barb thru. small detail, but for $1200 i expect a little more

**EDIT: they RMA'd it. good looks**
« Last Edit: February 08, 2019, 05:28:07 PM by jerryfreak »
Unable to post or PM due to arbitrary censorship of people the mod doesn't like. Please email me using the link in my profile if you need to connect

Offline jerryfreak

  • No PZ
  • Trade Count: (31)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 6205
  • The plural of anecdote is not data
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #51 on: February 08, 2019, 03:33:43 AM »
i still need to make an input cable so i dont have anything to test yet. I've been playing with the menus and its a little different than anything ive used before, guess its more broadcast based

it doesnt seem to display recorded time, just timecode time starting from zero from when you power up.

adjusting input levels are buried in the menu, so you need to start your recording and go to menu>inputs>input level

recording starts with one button (none of that "rec-pause" stuff-who hasnt mistakenly left their recorder in rec-pause mode and recorded nothing!)

recording is hard to turn off accidentally, requires simultaneously pressing 2wo buttons (good)

power is hard to turn off accidentally, requires 3 second long press. impossible to even turn off while recording, you need to stop first

i like how the menu is simple and if youre staying in same input and sample rate, you really just need to power up, hit record, and then stop when youre done.

it takes about 3 seconds to start recording from a powered off state :)

like my R-07, the dual volume/safety track only works in 48K, not 96
« Last Edit: February 08, 2019, 03:53:03 AM by jerryfreak »
Unable to post or PM due to arbitrary censorship of people the mod doesn't like. Please email me using the link in my profile if you need to connect

Offline jerryfreak

  • No PZ
  • Trade Count: (31)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 6205
  • The plural of anecdote is not data
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #52 on: February 09, 2019, 06:26:11 AM »
OK i wired up the CMRs today

test rig: MK4V>CMR on stand about 1m from a pair of 8" KRK Rokit powered monitors.

channel 1: CMR#1 wired directly to line in with no resistance
channel 2: CMR#2 wired to mic in, with 1.5Kohm resistor inline with signal lead

both mics powered by the "5V" power. it tests at 5.0V (+/- 0.05) without a load, but as soon as i plug the mics in it drops to 4V (which is right at the lower limit of spec for CMR)

had rolloff set to 50KHz just for the heck of it. not really useful in this test but prob how i would use it in the field

line in was surprisingly sensitive. input level goes from -7 to 44 (strange scale but whatever...), and when line in is set to max of 44, similar level was achieved on mic in at a setting of 29. this 15 unit bias seems to be consistent at various levels.

I recorded a bunch of content at different levels, both soft and loud (as loud as this setup would go, i was limited as monitors were clipping, see below for test with better sound source at higher SPL).

the background noise with the db app on my phone was measured at 37 dB. app is somewhat useful but i dont think it reads accurately above 90 dB

heres some samples:

Mark Knopfler "wag the dog" played softly, db meter said 65-70. I cant imagine recording any material quieter than this

audio recorded(raw,low level, some talking by me before it gets going): https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WpVuOZtGt9F5HQhibXhgy3h8YVIGsCup
short vid of test method (audio from phone): https://photos.app.goo.gl/QBjaUWu1N8Adv3NfA
you can see the 20 dB level indicators blinking on occasion in the vid, also see how the menu and controls work a bit

for most of it:
left channel, line in, level set to 44, peak dB was 19, RMS was -38
right channel, mic in, level set to 29, peak dB was 19.7, RMS was -38.7
(pretty good level matching for eyeballing! the meters on this are tiny but obviously good enough for our purposes)

near the end of "wag the dog" and for the portion of "working on it", i cranked the level on the right channel (mic in) up to its max of 44. the wag the dog portion had a peak around -6db and an rms around -24. Keep in mind this is very quiet source material, and if additional gain was needed you could swap that resistor out for a 500 ohm.

"working on it" is a quiet acoustic number, and with both channels cranked to the max of 44, left channel line in was -28db peak and -43db rms. right channel mic in was -13dB peak, -28 dB rms

------

ok now for some loud material. Here is Eyes of the World from the RFK 89 boxset. my dB meter said ~90 but i think thats where the mic on my phone tops out so lets just say its 90+ dB...

audio recorded: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GPFzutHve8NKEUBJfmEhlgbdDusx3uKT
short vid of test method (audio from phone): https://photos.app.goo.gl/eW5quXemhgd4yG447
here we see level indicators constantly lit, occasionally blinking off as it dips below -20dB. if you were peaking at 0 dB they flash red. i have yet to test how the limiter works

here we have something approaching the volume of tapers section at a rock-concert. so we can turn it down and have some headroom

left channel, line in, level set to 32, peak dB was -8dB, RMS was -23dB
right channel, mic in, level set to 18, peak dB was ~ -8dB, RMS was ~ -23dB (this time i matched within a 1/2 dB, again, impressive level indicators)

-------

ok last test. this is the mics wrapped up in wool socks, and a tshirt, under a parka, inside my car, in a snowstorm. i wanted to test the self-noise of the mics and see if line in and mic in were any different. both were set to the same 32&18 as in the last two tests to simulate normal recording levels of loud material. results were impressive! again this isnt strictly input noise of the recorder, this is with mics attached so that seems reasonable to me, what do you think? note that the mic in actually *looks* a little quieter graphically, but not by much. the stats window i used was goofy. when i highlighted either channel and scanned like i was gonna normalize, it said
left channel (line in):  peak:-65.6 dB, RMS -77.8 dB
right channel (mic in) peak:-63.6 dB, RMS -78dB (peak is due to weird tick at 49 seconds)

that should be well below room noise in any case.

Overall i am very impressed with the unit. its my dream gear. great sound, low noise. simple, elegant, bombproof. almost impossible to mess your recording up





 

« Last Edit: February 11, 2019, 02:30:32 AM by jerryfreak »
Unable to post or PM due to arbitrary censorship of people the mod doesn't like. Please email me using the link in my profile if you need to connect

Offline jerryfreak

  • No PZ
  • Trade Count: (31)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 6205
  • The plural of anecdote is not data
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #53 on: February 11, 2019, 12:04:11 AM »
another test with higher SPL on better system. dont think theres any issues with the recorder setup. I intentionally pushed the levels to occasional red on the SPDR. its hard to see the meters in this vid but just to the right of the zero level mark is a block labeled 'C' which it hits on occasion

Prince - Musicology
mics: wired same as above (line in on left, input level 38, mic in on right, input level 23
recorded flac: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DhdjQp9kTFw92ml-Av8ButugZmxzmoIJ

vid of test (phone audio), showing what the levels were doing. also a quick pan to show my uber test setup in immaculately organized listening room. used MK4s for this test:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/RAdcUUFRos5QdAVm6

limiter did a good job, occasional reds were inaudible. heres one of the limited peaks

« Last Edit: February 11, 2019, 02:27:56 AM by jerryfreak »
Unable to post or PM due to arbitrary censorship of people the mod doesn't like. Please email me using the link in my profile if you need to connect

Offline jerryfreak

  • No PZ
  • Trade Count: (31)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 6205
  • The plural of anecdote is not data
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #54 on: February 11, 2019, 01:17:34 AM »
another test pounding the levels a little harder with appropriately "Too High" by Stevie Wonder

limiter fails to prevent clipping in this case. pounding the red consistently and you can hear clipping. you can see the 'C' on the level meter better in this vid (its pixelated block lettering)

audio: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1P6xM3j-vfgIq4xD8lfRkfcWh57MMpM16

video(phone audio): https://photos.app.goo.gl/RZMKubvqHk751PZi9

pic of clipped waveform right when stevie starts the vocals (first "high"):


-------------------------
OK final test, again musicology. this time i recorded in "split gain" mode (regular track plus safety track 18 dB down)

absolutely pushed the levels hard on purpose. safety track is unaffected even though its peaking to -10 dB (which means the main track is pushing +8dB over FSD)

im fiddling with the levels from 0:35 to 1:20 in the vid, started at 38/23, then went to 27/12 just after 1:20 (and turned up sound source accordingly). I was still able to hit FSD with line in levels set to 27 (of 44) with this very loud source so i think im gonna wire the CMRs line in for the first few shows. Also note that the lectrosonics-suggested 1k5 resistor was on the shy side for very loud sources,and bernhard's rec of 3k3 might be better for VERY loud sources. i dont have an accurate SPL meter but ill bet that dynaudio BM15P monitor at 160W is well over 120 dB at a foot away (max spl is 128dB at 1m).  Most importantly, it doesnt seem that the mics' headroom is compromised (audibly) when powered at 4V, which is good. from what i understand, input voltage primarily affects output level (and the 4V the mics are getting seems to put out an acceptable level). I have a question into bernhard as to whether mic headroom would be affected. in any case i think it sounds great based on my testing. it would be a shame if we had to add a battery box to bump up voltage, as that is the unit's main appeal IMO, a single-box solution

As you can see from the vid, adjusting levels is menu based and isn't super easy (i was in the main recording window, i had to go menu>select 'input'>select 'input level') - this is by design, in the manual it suggests calibrating input level to highest input level prior to, and forgetting it. obviously not our application unless youre lucky enough to be in for soundcheck

you could technically stay in the level adjustment menu, but you cant start and stop recording from there, only in main recording window

safety track audio: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KCZRSAB0bxpCr8Ey79lTyGakmQPxc1UJ

main track with blown out levels: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FzCvrhtR0aOLpd_YujqO8pspi5Q6TqCf

pic of main track with blown out levels:
note the asymmetry on the "overs", perhaps there is a 1 dB DC offset? I have a question into Lectrosonics about this. perhaps it is the mics



vid of test: https://photos.app.goo.gl/c4gHSgQ1qDfD7UN27


when in split-gain mode, the unit writes a multichannel (4-track) wav (notably you cant replay your file on the device when recording in split gain mode., it apparently tries to read the 4ch file as 2ch pcm data, and is slow and riddled with noise). pic of 4-channel wav open in soundforge (new to me, at least):


link to raw 4-ch wav from recorder (not sure i can make this a flac). note this raw track pre-rolls the video above by 18 seconds or so: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1O4ebdo91rCBERbCjczBlplZHuVcolyUc
« Last Edit: February 11, 2019, 02:34:20 AM by jerryfreak »
Unable to post or PM due to arbitrary censorship of people the mod doesn't like. Please email me using the link in my profile if you need to connect

Offline jerryfreak

  • No PZ
  • Trade Count: (31)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 6205
  • The plural of anecdote is not data
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #55 on: February 21, 2019, 09:04:45 AM »
thats a wrap. I had to wait to get the side-entry low-pro Cable Techniques mini-xlrs. Cut the cables down to just under 5' and will use extension cables for open taping
 
Happy with the result :cheers:

Unable to post or PM due to arbitrary censorship of people the mod doesn't like. Please email me using the link in my profile if you need to connect

Online Gutbucket

  • record > listen > revise technique
  • Trade Count: (15)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 15700
  • Gender: Male
  • "Better to love music than respect it" ~Stravinsky
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #56 on: February 21, 2019, 10:22:13 AM »
Beautiful
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline Sebastian

  • Trade Count: (4)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1588
  • Gender: Male
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #57 on: February 21, 2019, 12:00:06 PM »
That's an awesome little Schoeps setup! 👍

Offline nak700s

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 634
  • Gender: Male
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #58 on: February 21, 2019, 12:50:53 PM »
bummer it has a "rugged aluminum housing" with all the metal detectors these days

My first thought as well...which is why I like my Edirol R-09HR.  It has never set off a metal detector.
Normal: Nakamichi CM-700's >> SD 744T (or) Sony PCM-M10
Normal: Crown CM-700's >> SD 302 >> SD 744T
Fun times: 3 Crown CM-700's >> SD 302 >> SD744T + 2 Nakamichi CM-700's >> SD744T
Stealth: CA-14c >> CA 9200 >> Edirol R-09HR
Ultra stealth: AudioReality >> AudioReality battery box >> Edirol R-09HR
Simple & Sweet!

Offline jerryfreak

  • No PZ
  • Trade Count: (31)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 6205
  • The plural of anecdote is not data
Re: Lectrosonics SPDR Stereo Dig Recorder
« Reply #59 on: February 21, 2019, 05:54:12 PM »
bummer it has a "rugged aluminum housing" with all the metal detectors these days

My first thought as well...which is why I like my Edirol R-09HR.  It has never set off a metal detector.

schoeps would prob set off a metal detector anyway. i have my dpa>iphone setup for the impossible gigs
Unable to post or PM due to arbitrary censorship of people the mod doesn't like. Please email me using the link in my profile if you need to connect

 

RSS | Mobile
Page created in 0.125 seconds with 44 queries.
© 2002-2024 Taperssection.com
Powered by SMF