Topic: Archos Gmini: This could be what I've been looking for...

[timP]

I bought the Archos Gmini at Circuit City the other day, and now I've got a trip to Comp USA to take back my IRIVER. First, the Archos was $239>IRIVER &375..(the 125 I'll get back goes in the UA-5 fund).... It has a nicer button lay out, a keyboard option to name the file without a comp, and you can delete from the unit. The plug in attachment fits Snug, not chance of it falling out; the recording software is still free at ARCHOS.com, and I easyly insatlled it and the newest OS.... It has a viasable left and right meter readings, prob. crappy, but... and the 3 times I've let it just go, I stopped it at 3hrs, 4hrs 20min and 2 hrs, I charged it between each run, but 4hrs + ain't bad. So maybe unlimited file size is true. Plus you can pause a recording and resart it... I t charged in approx 3 hrs, and I have a PDA power back-up that would work great... I recorded a band parctice with my AT953> Denecke AD-20>SPDIF ARCHOS and it sound fine...transfered a few 3hr shows from my comp to it and back in less then 3 min each....
All in all real nice...playing around with the other features and will see what other cool functions it has...

[Kelso]

can you record in .wav? is the Digital input coaxial or optical?

[timP]

you can record in WAV, and I plugged it in and pressed recorded....I now have a 10hr wav audio file on it, so unlinted file size is true...don't know if I manipulate it or not on my comp, may be to big...........

[scb]

next up:  the bit perfect test

how big is this unit? does it have a remote?  might be a good stealth unit instead of the d100/m1

[timP]

it isn't as big as a DAT, but bigger then my IRIVER/IPOD...feels heavier then them as weell, not too heavy, just sturdy. You can purchase a remote, but I hope to learn to buttons well enough....just intstalled the flash reading software, you can supposedly view yr pix on the screen...I am also really likeing to keyboard fuction. Much easier to keep track of all the test-runs I'm doing if I don't have to say "test1, test2 etc.." into the mic.....

[greenone]

Input is S/PDIF via 1/8" connector. It's pretty small. 4.5 x 3 x 1; compare to an iPod at 4 x 2.5 x 0.6. Almost the exact same dimensions as an M1, actually.

It has a remote, sort of - it looks like it's just for FM recording and probably has to go in the "line in" that you'd use for regular recording. Best part is that it's Mac-compatible.

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

Oh, I may have to retire the Nomad 3 after only 4 months!!!  Let us know on the bit accuracy!!!

Terry

[nickgregory]

I have to agree with scott that this unit could be tempting for stealthing...so who is volunteering for the bit accuracy tests :-)

[timP]

if anyone comes across any ARCHOS forums out there in the net, could you please post 'em, PM me?
bit-accuracy tests? I'm still catching on around here....little info...is this a test to see if the unit encodes the bits it records properly?

[scb]

>>It has a remote, sort of - it looks like it's just for FM recording and probably has to go in the "line in" that you'd use for regular recording. Best part is that it's Mac-compatible. <<

as long as it's not a proprietary filesystem, there is no real requirement for mac compatibility now.  10.3 added support for reading ntfs, so we can read any pc hard drive now.  things like the nomad JB don't work with macs because didn't use one of the "standard" filesystems

what's the metering like on this thing?

[timP]

yup, my iriver showed up on a friends mac...
The Archos has left and right meters that run the length (top-bottom) of screen when recording...........

[Nick in Edinboro]

Scott it looks like FAT.  You plug it in via USB2 and Windows and Mac both "see it" automagically as an additional hard drive.. so me guesses it's FAT32...

Take a look at the PDF on their site for some limited screen shots..

[seethreepo]

I have a pretty basic dat setup with just mics , battery box and deck  

I run line in  on the dat ,  would this config work with the archos ?  ie mics - battery box - line in ?>
if so I'm sold  !

[Sean Gallemore]

just remember you will be utilizing the gemini's adc, which may or may not be better than the one in your DAT recorder.  I know where my money is, though.

[F.O.Bean]

hmmmm