Topic: Best Flash Recorders with S/PDIF in to feed with Apogee Mini-Me

[modmike]

I'm looking to buy a flash recorder in the $200 - $700 price range that has coax S/PDIF in, so I can feed it with an Apogee Mini-Me.   

The ability to power and run Neumann KM-140's with active cables direct in for low profile recordings would be a bonus.

What are the best recommended options in today's market?

[JasonSobel]

I think the Marantz PMD-661 is your best bet.
It's relatively small, and very reliable.  It has a coax S/PDIF in, as well as analog XLR inputs with phantom power.  So you could run your Neumann's straight from the deck when the situation arose.  And it's within your price range.

The other decks with XLR inputs and phantom power are larger and/or more expensive.
The other decks of similar size (or smaller) that have a digital S/PDIF input are either optical inputs (not coax), or less unreliable.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

There area couple of HD-P2s in YS that are VERY nice:  http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=138880.0

Either one is a good match for your MMe, and depending on your ear, the XLR preamp mod will be a nice addition.  A little above your price (715), but well worth it.  I use an HD-P2, and Sobel did as well in the past.  Good deck, though I suppose i'm biased!

Good luck!

Terry

[JasonSobel]

I agree with Terry that the Tascam HD-P2 is a very nice deck and meets your requirements (solid, reliable, S/PDIF coax, XLR inputs with phantom, etc, etc..).  The only reason why I didn't recommend it in the my first post (and recommend the PMD-661 instead) is because the PMD-661 is a good deal smaller than the HD-P2, and therefore, is easier to deal with in those "low profile" situations.   in the initial thread post, that was listed as a "bonus".  The HD-P2 will be great to fill your primary requirements, but doesn't fill the "bonus" requirements.  I think the PMD-661 fills both.

[modmike]

What are the other decks of similar size (or smaller) to the PMD-661 that also have a coax digital S/PDIF input?

[JasonSobel]

The only other one that I can think of is the M-Audio Microtrack II.  this deck and smaller and less expensive.  Some people use this deck and it works fine for them.  Other people have reported reliability issues.

[willndmb]

depending on how important the low pro issue is...
IMO
the mt1/2 and the hdp2 are not going to work
the m1/2 you would get either 30v instead of 48 (1) or you would need adapters, 1/4 (2)
the hdp2 is pretty big for a stealth job

so i would go with the 661 overall based on your original post

[stevetoney]

What are the other decks of similar size (or smaller) to the PMD-661 that also have a coax digital S/PDIF input?

It's unfortunate the manufacturers aren't listening to tapers suggestions about including this in the feature set of their products.  Coax SPDIF is usually one of the first features tapers ask for in a small low priced digital recorder.  However, the bottom line is that there simply aren't many low cost options...those that are available have already been mentioned.  Some added thoughts to what's already been mentioned...

If all you want to do is use it for digital is SPDIF input recording, the MTII might be your best option, if only because it's very low cost and fulfills the criteria you've mentioned.  It tends to work reasonably well if all you want to use it for is a bitbucket.  Otherwise, the deck can be a pain in the ass and has features that will probably cause you pain if you try to use it for anything other than a bitbucket.  Personally, I'd avoid it if you're also gonna be using the other inputs because it's just too frustrating losing recordings because of its quirkiness. 

Next in line is the Sony D50 at $450, but that has an optical digital input not coax, so that doesn't work for you.

Then there's the 661 that has been mentioned.  Great little unit.  Be aware that the XLR inputs on the 661 need to be balanced.

Beyond that, I don't think there are any new decks in the sub $700 price point that offer SPDIF coax input.

Used, the HD-P2 has been mentioned.  I'd also mention the Marantz PMD-671...and there have been some good deals on used 671's in the yard sale lately.  Neither of these meet your size criteria though. 

Finally, the R-44 is small-ish (not stealthy small though), but used prices are more than $700. 

[duch]

I had one M24/96 (bugged as hell and terrible conception) and two MTII. The battery of the first got fried after a few weeks (30 to 40 minutes of power when fully charged). The second started to randomly screw files (that were perfectly ok and listenable prior to shutdown of the unit) beyond recovery, then the battery showed the same symptoms as the first one.

If you can have some ok or good analog back up, the MTII is the least expensive bit bucket out there, for sure. On its own, it's highly unreliable and built to random standards. Even with a perfectly fit MTII the battery life is quite short, the display is unresponsive and ugly as hell, the device is a true PAIN to use (even more in a well populated bag), and the analog section is crappy, using some of the worst components (IC for instance) available.

Definitely not worth a penny (or buck or euro ot whatever) IMHO.

I'm having dreams of something as small, lightweight, sturdy, low priced and user friendly as a Sony M10 ... with digi in.

[fmaderjr]

The only other one that I can think of is the M-Audio Microtrack II.  this deck and smaller and less expensive.  Some people use this deck and it works fine for them.  Other people have reported reliability issues.

Jason is being kind. Many, many people have reported reliability issues. Using one is just too risky.

I love the 661 for its features other than digi-in (which I haven't used personally), and I don't think anyone has reported a problem with the digi-in. A very versatile recorder.  I 2nd Jason's recommendation.

[rocksuitcase]

I love the 661 for its features other than digi-in (which I haven't used personally), and I don't think anyone has reported a problem with the digi-in. A very versatile recorder.  I 2nd Jason's recommendation.

I just bought an Oade Concert mod PMD661. We used it for over 10 hours of recordings last weekend at Wormtown. We sued the digi in and I used AKG $61s plugged straight into the XLR inputs. The sound quality of both types of inputs is very nice. Battery life when powering the mics came down to about 4 hours using regular alkaline batts. With line in I would think I got more, but I didn't run long enough using line in to have a valid judgment.
Overall, I third Jason's recommendation.