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Upgrading to a 4 channel (XLR) recorder...could use some advice!

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detroit lightning:
Currently using a R26 with my berliner CM33 mics, and the occasional board feed either using XLR or a connector into the 1/8.

It's been a good setup & I have no complaints, aside from it would be nice to have 4 XLR inputs.

So I'm thinking about something like a Zoom F4 ($449), or a Marantz PMD706 w/ an Oade mod ($400). Could I possibly go up to a mixpre6 or something like that? Possibly I guess.

I'm really only interested in improvements in sound quality. Size isn't a factor since I'll never use this aside from open situations. I'll never need more than 4 channels (famous last words, I guess), so additional inputs isn't really an issue either.

Would like to keep it in the <$500 range, but if it just makes sense to go up one more level - I'd consider it.

Any feedback is welcomed!!

heathen:
I think the F4 is a fantastic recorder, and personally I don't think the MixPre-6 is worth the extra money (that's just my personal opinion...don't kill me guys, I'm not saying the F4 is objectively better).  The F4 is a tank, and having two SD card slots is great insurance.  The display isn't pretty, but I found it to work just fine.  Sure, colors would be nice, but I didn't find it to make a functional difference.

Some people might say the MixPre-6 sounds better than the F4, and I'm not going to touch that.  For myself, I don't think I could hear the difference between an F4 and a MixPre-6 (I couldn't when comparing the F8 with the MixPre-6, and the F4 likely has the same preamps as the F8).  At the end of the day only you can decide whether you hear a difference between the two.  Certainly on paper the specs are different, but I just haven't found that to be audible to me.

As for the PMD706, I've followed the thread a bit and it just doesn't seem like a high quality unit.  Even with the mods, there's nothing that would make me want to get a PMD706 over other options.  Again, just my opinion.

You might want to check out the F8 vs. MixPre-6 comp thread if you haven't already.  See if you can hear a difference doing a real ABX comparison, before reading any responses in the thread.  Let your own ears make the decision.  At the end of the day, you really can't go wrong with either the F4 or MixPre-6, in my opinion.

rocksuitcase:
Used Tascam Dr680; less than $400 most times they come up. ( I got mine for $325).
The stock pre-amps are not as good as OADE mods of course, but mine (mk1) has been a workhorse since January 2016.

Admittedly, this is a step below the F4, PMD706 or mix-pre's feature wise, but I like it for the price point. To be a bit more informational/critical: After about 1.5 years of use with the stock PRe's, we started puttiing a Grace V2 in front of varying AKG mics, still using mic in at the deck input and the results are substantially better sounding.

heathen:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the DR680 has a digital input while the F4, MixPre-6, and PMD706 don't...?

rocksuitcase:

--- Quote from: heathen on October 04, 2018, 01:56:40 PM ---Correct me if I'm wrong, but the DR680 has a digital input while the F4, MixPre-6, and PMD706 don't...?

--- End quote ---
yes on digi input. I don't know how to use it or set the menu to use it but it is there! 6 channels of RCA analog out as well as S/PDIF digi in/out

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