Topic: 24bit RELIABLE bit bucket to run behind V3

[aberg]

So right now I'm running iRiver at 16bit, and can periodically run my macbook for 24bit optical in from the V3, but I'm looking for a reliable, easily-portable, field ready, and relatively inexpensive bit bucket that will do 24/48 at least and optimally accepts a digi-coax in rather than optical.

What is everyone's favourite 24bit bit bucket these days? Anything I should watch out for in the new year?

I'm looking for something not much more than $500 realistically.

FWIW, I initially thought I'd jump on an MT, but have since decided I don't want to deal with its stability issues.

[Brian Skalinder]

AFAIK, the MicroTrack's the only option in that price range.  FWIW, I and plenty of other folks have run the MT as a bit-bucket with minimal trouble initially, followed by slim to no issues after identifying and working with its quirks.

Dnsacks may have some input on a PDA-based bit-bucket, but that may (or may not) take you above your budget.

[svenkid]

Ive been using the V3 > MT combo for ab00t a year now. with the latest firmware, things seem to work very well now

[dnsacks]

I'm quite happy with my dell axim x51v handheld, coresound's pdaudio cf card and the excellent live24/96 software.

The live 24/96 software automatically splits wav files at the proper point (which the mt won't do) and makes for a really handy pda.

VERY durable and, so far, battery life has NOT been an issue.

fwiw

[aberg]

I'm quite happy with my dell axim x51v handheld, coresound's pdaudio cf card and the excellent live24/96 software.

The live 24/96 software automatically splits wav files at the proper point (which the mt won't do) and makes for a really handy pda.

VERY durable and, so far, battery life has NOT been an issue.

fwiw

What would a setup like that cost? I've heard some bad things about PDA rigs in terms of reliability as well.

[aberg]

Also, does anyone know the going rate for a used stock pmd671?

[KLowe]

FWIW.  I actually love my MT as a bit bucket at 24/48.  The only issue I had was batery life with a microdrive.  Made a Li ion battery pack now the thing is rock solid and battery life lasts forever.

get a used MT for cheap.

[aberg]

FWIW.  I actually love my MT as a bit bucket at 24/48.  The only issue I had was batery life with a microdrive.  Made a Li ion battery pack now the thing is rock solid and battery life lasts forever.

get a used MT for cheap.

It seems that for every person that suggests the MT is stable, I find another person who has problems... not really sure if I want to take that gamble at this point... maybe I'm imagining things, but wasn't there a used pmd671 that sold on here a while back for $475 or so... to me, that would seem like a great deal.

[JasonSobel]

after using a MT for 6 or 7 months, I decided that I no longer wanted to deal with the quirks, but mostly, the lack of an auto-split at 2 gigs.  Granted, the latest firmware (which I never got to use), seems to be better in terms of overall stability, but there is still no 2 gig autosplit.  that was a big deal for me and made it a hassle to run.  so, I made the switch to a Tascam HD-P2.  it's been rock solid and I haven't looked back.  I think either an HD-P2 or the Marantz PMD-671 would be worthwhile, especially if you can find one used.

[aberg]

after using a MT for 6 or 7 months, I decided that I no longer wanted to deal with the quirks, but mostly, the lack of an auto-split at 2 gigs.  Granted, the latest firmware (which I never got to use), seems to be better in terms of overall stability, but there is still no 2 gig autosplit.  that was a big deal for me and made it a hassle to run.  so, I made the switch to a Tascam HD-P2.  it's been rock solid and I haven't looked back.  I think either an HD-P2 or the Marantz PMD-671 would be worthwhile, especially if you can find one used.

Yeah, between those 2 units, I've heard nothing but good things, but would probably opt for the 671 since it's slightly smaller. Either way, with a v3 and one of those units, I'd probably be investing in a Nova 5.

[jmerin]

i agree the tascam rocks, when i had mine, i had no issues at all, and tascam is a reliable company.  

[aberg]

Well, the tascam and marantz units are proven, so those are definitely good options.

Are there any good units coming out in the new year that people are hyping? i haven't been following the threads.

[JasonSobel]

Yeah, between those 2 units, I've heard nothing but good things, but would probably opt for the 671 since it's slightly smaller. Either way, with a v3 and one of those units, I'd probably be investing in a Nova 5.

actually, I went with the HD-P2 partially because it's smaller.
from this thread that I started a while back:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=62271.0

Marantz PMD-671
size: 10.4" x 7.3" x 2"

Tascam HD-P2
size: 9.6" x 7.4" x 2.36"

the HD-P2 is just a little taller (0.1 inches), and a little thicker (0.36 inches), but the PMD-671 is 0.8 inches wider.
I guess it all depends which dimension is more important to you

[aberg]

Yeah, between those 2 units, I've heard nothing but good things, but would probably opt for the 671 since it's slightly smaller. Either way, with a v3 and one of those units, I'd probably be investing in a Nova 5.

actually, I went with the HD-P2 partially because it's smaller.
from this thread that I started a while back:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=62271.0

Marantz PMD-671
size: 10.4" x 7.3" x 2"

Tascam HD-P2
size: 9.6" x 7.4" x 2.36"

the HD-P2 is just a little taller (0.1 inches), and a little thicker (0.36 inches), but the PMD-671 is 0.8 inches wider.
I guess it all depends which dimension is more important to you

Ah, thanks for the clarification Jason... I guess they're basically the same size give or take.

[aberg]

I'm quite happy with my dell axim x51v handheld, coresound's pdaudio cf card and the excellent live24/96 software.

The live 24/96 software automatically splits wav files at the proper point (which the mt won't do) and makes for a really handy pda.

VERY durable and, so far, battery life has NOT been an issue.

fwiw

Have you got any pics of your setup? This looks like pretty cool stuff.

[OOK]

i agree the tascam rocks, when i had mine, i had no issues at all, and tascam is a reliable company.  

"Testify"

I still have mine................

[rePat]

Have you got any pics of your setup? This looks like pretty cool stuff.
[/quote]

I have the same setup.  It's not without quirks, but fairly reliable.

You can see generic pics at:

http://www.core-sound.com/pdaudio_system/1.php

Good Luck in your search.

[aberg]

Have you got any pics of your setup? This looks like pretty cool stuff.

I have the same setup.  It's not without quirks, but fairly reliable.

You can see generic pics at:

http://www.core-sound.com/pdaudio_system/1.php

Good Luck in your search.
[/quote]

What sort of quirks have you encountered?

[F.O.Bean]

berg, maybe try to sell the v3 and pick up a v2 and run v2>lineout>671/hdp2

[Sanjay]

or just buy a acm 671, i can't really tell the difference between it and a v3....

[aberg]

Going to keep the V3 for a long time I think... I'll probably just end up with a stock p2 or 671 eventually... or see what goodies the new year brings.

[Brian Skalinder]

Last time I checked, the 671 and HD-P2 were both significantly higher than the budget of $500, like in the neighborhood of $800-$1k.  Media will add another ~$100, though media prices continue to fall.

Sounds like the PDA route may get you close to your budget.  PDAudio-CF runs $200 + the s/w at $50.  If you can find a decent deal on the right PDA, you're right around your budget.  That may just be the way to go.

Perhaps the lesson here is that you get what you pay for:  inexpensive & slightly less reliable (for some), or more expensive but generally very reliable for all.

[aberg]

Last time I checked, the 671 and HD-P2 were both significantly higher than the budget of $500, like in the neighborhood of $800-$1k.  Media will add another ~$100, though media prices continue to fall.

Sounds like the PDA route may get you close to your budget.  PDAudio-CF runs $200 + the s/w at $50.  If you can find a decent deal on the right PDA, you're right around your budget.  That may just be the way to go.

Perhaps the lesson here is that you get what you pay for:  inexpensive & slightly less reliable (for some), or more expensive but generally very reliable for all.

Very good points, which might lead me to wait several months, stick with 16bit iriver and 24bit macbook, until the financial situation allows for a more reliable purchase.

[poorlyconditioned]

Last time I checked, the 671 and HD-P2 were both significantly higher than the budget of $500, like in the neighborhood of $800-$1k.  Media will add another ~$100, though media prices continue to fall.

Sounds like the PDA route may get you close to your budget.  PDAudio-CF runs $200 + the s/w at $50.  If you can find a decent deal on the right PDA, you're right around your budget.  That may just be the way to go.

Perhaps the lesson here is that you get what you pay for:  inexpensive & slightly less reliable (for some), or more expensive but generally very reliable for all.

I would be careful with the PDA stuff.  Like a laptop, it just seems like one more thing to go wrong.

As far as 24bit, what is the hurry?  I use it on my R4, but more often than not, I use this so I can leave the levels low and run unattended.  If I'm going to run just two channels, 16 bit seems fine.  Even if you add 6-10dB in post, it is still nowhere near the noise floor of the rooms most of us record in .

  Richard

[aberg]

Last time I checked, the 671 and HD-P2 were both significantly higher than the budget of $500, like in the neighborhood of $800-$1k.  Media will add another ~$100, though media prices continue to fall.

Sounds like the PDA route may get you close to your budget.  PDAudio-CF runs $200 + the s/w at $50.  If you can find a decent deal on the right PDA, you're right around your budget.  That may just be the way to go.

Perhaps the lesson here is that you get what you pay for:  inexpensive & slightly less reliable (for some), or more expensive but generally very reliable for all.

I would be careful with the PDA stuff.  Like a laptop, it just seems like one more thing to go wrong.

As far as 24bit, what is the hurry?  I use it on my R4, but more often than not, I use this so I can leave the levels low and run unattended.  If I'm going to run just two channels, 16 bit seems fine.  Even if you add 6-10dB in post, it is still nowhere near the noise floor of the rooms most of us record in .

  Richard

Also a good point... since you've chimed in, any shows coming up richard in town that are worth checking out?

[dnsacks]

fwiw, so far, my pda-based system has been rock-solid.  I believe that the problems/quirkyness that plagued earlier versions of this concept were rooted in the need to use innovative solutions such as card splitter interfaces and external hard drives to obtain sufficient storage.  With the advent of 4gb sd cards, this is a thing of the past. 

Further, the current os for these pdas has proven itself to be quite robust.  A great feature/requirement is the need to perform a hard reboot before initiating the pdaudio software.  This causes the pda to load ONLY the core factory-installed programs and not whatever else one's installed on the system since purchase and, knock on wood, has allowed mine to perform quite reliably so far.  Another development that's def. helped is the relatively recent availability of faster processors for these pdas, which now allows for far more worry-free 24/96 recording.

Finally, a note on durability -- I carry mine around with me daily in a soft case and it's behaved quite will.  I've read reviews in which the reviewer was instructed to drop the axim onto a concrete floor from 10', did so repeatedly and found it suffered no ill effects.  I'm not so brave, but . . . .

[aberg]

fwiw, so far, my pda-based system has been rock-solid.  I believe that the problems/quirkyness that plagued earlier versions of this concept were rooted in the need to use innovative solutions such as card splitter interfaces and external hard drives to obtain sufficient storage.  With the advent of 4gb sd cards, this is a thing of the past. 

Further, the current os for these pdas has proven itself to be quite robust.  A great feature/requirement is the need to perform a hard reboot before initiating the pdaudio software.  This causes the pda to load ONLY the core factory-installed programs and not whatever else one's installed on the system since purchase and, knock on wood, has allowed mine to perform quite reliably so far.  Another development that's def. helped is the relatively recent availability of faster processors for these pdas, which now allows for far more worry-free 24/96 recording.

Finally, a note on durability -- I carry mine around with me daily in a soft case and it's behaved quite will.  I've read reviews in which the reviewer was instructed to drop the axim onto a concrete floor from 10', did so repeatedly and found it suffered no ill effects.  I'm not so brave, but . . . .

Sounds good, got any pics of your setup?

[BC]

Ive been using the V3 > MT combo for ab00t a year now. with the latest firmware, things seem to work very well now

agree, I have had no problems with the current firmware. Only complaints now are the 2GB limit and no monitoring out of the headphone out when taking SPDIF in.

[dnsacks]

Not right now, I'll try to shoot some, basically, its a stock dell axim x51v with the cf card digital input sticking 1/2" out of the top --

One caveat, IMHO, the axim solution only would make sense if you have an independent use for a PDA -- if it's to be used solely for recording, you're likely better off holding out for a pdm671 or hd-p2.

[aberg]

Not right now, I'll try to shoot some, basically, its a stock dell axim x51v with the cf card digital input sticking 1/2" out of the top --

One caveat, IMHO, the axim solution only would make sense if you have an independent use for a PDA -- if it's to be used solely for recording, you're likely better off holding out for a pdm671 or hd-p2.

Yah, good point. I would only be buying it for recording purposes...

[coloartist]

My only problems these days with my MT, is the 2 gig limit. If I was recording 16 bit it would be no problem.

At 24 bit I have had to restart a new file a couple of times during an encore break.

On the Jamcruise sets can easily go over two hours. Starting a new file sort of sucks. I would prefer to "set it and forget it", but I do have to keep my eye on the unit when nearing 1:55min. I can start a new file in a few seconds, and I can patch in my backup aftrewards. Or I can run at 16 bit.

I'll have a 744 someday, but for now, the MT works fine.