Topic: CTRL SYNC Edirol R-44

[Toyberg]

I will be doing some wildlife audio recordings with a Edirol R-44 and some DPA´s. The problem is that I will have to start and stop the recordings without getting closer to the R-44 than a 100 yard. I could buy a second R-44 and make a master/slave connection (very long cable!?) between the two recorders, but this second R-44 would then just be functioning as an expensive "remote control".

The CTRL SYNC of the R-44 is fed through a regular 1/8 stereo Jack, and I´m looking for a way to feed my R-44 (slave) a master signal without using a second R-44?

I´m traveling light, and in the setting for my field recordings my devices will have to run on battery power.

Any suggestions?

Kind regards
Jens

[TNJazz]

I will be doing some wildlife audio recordings with a Edirol R-44 and some DPA´s. The problem is that I will have to start and stop the recordings without getting closer to the R-44 than a 100 yard. I could buy a second R-44 and make a master/slave connection (very long cable!?) between the two recorders, but this second R-44 would then just be functioning as an expensive "remote control".

The CTRL SYNC of the R-44 is fed through a regular 1/8 stereo Jack, and I´m looking for a way to feed my R-44 (slave) a master signal without using a second R-44?

I´m traveling light, and in the setting for my field recordings my devices will have to run on battery power.

Any suggestions?

Kind regards
Jens

If you're using external mics (DPAs), why does the recorder have to be 100 feet away from you?  Wouldn't you just want to run 100 foot cables from the mics back to the recorder so that the mics are away and the recorder can be with you?

[Toyberg]

Thank´s for the comment!
I´m using four microphones and, I´m 100 yard away, not 100 feet...so it would add up to 400 yard of microphone cable, compared to 100 yard of headphone cable. 400 yard of cable is way to heavy, both in weight and price.

[Gutbucket]

I don't know the specs, but I doubt that the sync cable would work properly at that extreme length.  How about just taking a few 32GB SDHCs and just let the recorder run the entire time. If you note the start time and use a watch and note-pad note to indicate the times of interest you'll be able to find and edit those points more easily.

[Toyberg]

I don't know the specs, but I doubt that the sync cable would work properly at that extreme length.  How about just taking a few 32GB SDHCs and just let the recorder run the entire time. If you note the start time and use a watch and note-pad note to indicate the times of interest you'll be able to find and edit those points more easily.

I think this is the best and easiest solution. I also have notised that the R-44 splits long recordings down in 2Gb packages, so when the batteries run out I will only loose the 2Gb package being recorded. This I can live with.

Tanks for your repost Gutbucket!

[Gutbucket]

No problem.  Welcome to the board and good recording to you!

I also have notised that the R-44 splits long recordings down in 2Gb packages, so when the batteries run out I will only loose the 2Gb package being recorded. This I can live with.

File split size depends on the menu setting for size and the recording rate and channel format chosen. You shouldn't loose data when the batteries die. The file being written should close properly as the machine shuts down when the internal batteries die.  Even if there is a problem, the file is generally recoverable by using a utility to write a new file header.  Look in the R-44 threads for information on running the recorder off SLA or portable 'DVD player' LiIon  batteries for long runtimes.  If you keep charged AA's in the machine they will take over when the external battery runs down and also allow  you to swap external batteries without shutting down.

[Toyberg]

Hello again,
I´m done with recording the birds and everything went fine....Found the bird site and ended up dragging a 70 meter long multicable out in to the field. Not precicely the lightweight solution I have asked you guys for advise about, but it worked fine for this project since against all odds the birds had decided to land next to a highway!! So, not the hiking experience I had planned for.
Got 4 h of recording with the TetraMic and 5 h of 5.1 surround with DPA mobile Surround mic. So for the post production I´m now glad that I used pen and paper to note down what happened when! Thanks for this obvious and easy solution.

I´d like to contribute by telling that I can realy recomend using DPA´s mobile surround microphone and the TetraMic, for fast setup and good sounding ambient recordings.
On the matter of recording devices I´d like to say that allthough the Edirol R-44 showed to be a realy good companion in the field, realy easy to operate, 2600mAh NiMH gave 3 h of continious recording time (with 4 x 48 V phantom), it will not be my first choise when recording this type of quiet sounds in the future. For this I find the preamps way to noisy, even when leaving both level and gain in position of 12 o´clock. The Sounddevice 788T worked like a charm, and when I get rich I will buy one.

ps.  What would be the recomended tool for post removing of hiss noise.

[Gutbucket]

..Got 4 h of recording with the TetraMic and 5 h of 5.1 surround with DPA mobile Surround mic. ..I´d like to contribute by telling that I can realy recomend using DPA´s mobile surround microphone and the TetraMic, for fast setup and good sounding ambient recordings.

Cool tools. Interested to hear more about using these mics and the comparisons between them.

ps.  What would be the recomended tool for post removing of hiss noise.

There are many available plug-ins and tools built into DAWs that work with varying degrees of effectiveness.  I've played with the noise reduction tools in the restoration suite that came with Samplitude.  You might look into Izotope RX among others.  The expensive professional grade tools are stuff like Cedar. Some require a 'sound print' sample of the noise to be removed, others you simply manually tune, balancing noise removal with the sonic artifacts.