Hey all,
I have been considering getting a recorder for a first step into running mics + sbd and have narrowed it down a bit but want to see if there is anything I am missing by asking you folks who have experience with the various devices in question. Top considerations at the moment based on availability and budget are a Tascam DR-70D or a DR-680 mki which I've seen pop up at around $100 locally. Initially I just plan to run 2 mics and sbd when able but when I acquire more mics, I'd eventually like to explore setups with additional mics which makes the 680 appealing for future-proofing but am conflicted between liking having physical buttons for each individual channel's configuration and concerned with said buttons being on top of the machine requiring consideration when deciding on transporting and setting up gear at the venue.
What I would like to know from y'all is considering the larger size and any potential differences in build quality, ease of use, and preamp quality if it would be a worthwhile step to go straight to the 680 despite not having enough mics to use it to its full potential yet or if it'd be advisable to start with a DR-70D and as I save for additional mics, also save for something like a used MixPre 6i or other more modern piece of equipment? I've been a hobbyist photographer much longer than recorder and much of the research I did before investing in equipment then was whether older but higher end at the time or newer lower end gear was a better choice for my use case and ultimately went with the former but am uncertain if that logic holds true with recording equipment as well or if the technologies that have come out since then are game changing enough to make the DR-680 not worth the size, handling, and potential sound quality penalty for the additional channels and/or the unit's age is old enough to be worried about effective lifespan. I understand some modding can be done to the units which may change how they stack up but would like to only consider stock for now unless the mod in question is very high on the simpleness to effectiveness scale.
I haven't quite combed through the many pages of threads here dedicated to the DR-70D, DR-680D, and MixPre6, etc enough to be able to determine what'd be the most effective use of funds, especially having no real world experience with any of them, and was hoping I could tap into the group mind for considerations I may have missed or perspectives that may be helpful toward deciding.
Thanks in advance