Topic: If you were designing a stealth recorder...

[SClassical]

Don't forget recorder with a small remote with a screen so you can monitor/check levels. Also level controls on the remote will be good, too.

[udovdh]

Don't forget recorder with a small remote with a screen so you can monitor/check levels. Also level controls on the remote will be good, too.

If you really have to change levels during a show you are too late.
Also this level changing is a risk.
Just get a good SNR and set the levels nicely (you do get some expereince after a few tries, right?).
With a soft limiter you can slightly compensate for high levels.
I never change levels.
I even set the levels on a new deck by comparing them to my old Sony DATs.

[johnw]

I had a dream last night that Neumann came out with a box the size of a Wallmart battery, used the 100 series capsules and recorded onto either SD cards or CF.

[udovdh]

i hate limiters
i LOVE clip indicators
i REQUIRE L/R level adjust
i REQUIRE details on the meters between -24 and -6 (outside that i dont care)

24/96 is a requirement

field replaceable media and battery also are great features

Limiters (soft...) can save yiou from clipping.
Adjustable clip indicators (-3, -2, -1 or 0 dBFS? 2 samples? more?) sound OK.
You mean separate levels for R and L?
Details are OK at the MT once you''ve seen the guysonic review.

A cool hack would be the replacable media thing for the MT.
I.e.:
Replace the original battery by some thin contact `sled`that takes standard Li-Ion cells of xxxx mAH capacity.
Insert battery pack of the right size.
The MT may get a tad thicker because of this setup.

Where would I find the right contacts thingie for some sort of standard batery pack?

[dunebug81]

A nice 2 1/2" OLED screen!

My MD is pretty much my ideal rig.  The thing records in PCM for 6 hours on 1 1350mah lithum gum stick and 2500 mah nimh AA.

However, I would change a few things but Id keep the size and shape of it the same.  A better mic pre, no scms, no sonic stage (or other crap software).  And for someone to start making those 2GB discs that I've heard about.

[udovdh]

A nice 2 1/2" OLED screen!

Way too bright?
Or you want to be able to adjust it down to almost black.
A simple monochrome screen will work fine for me.

[dunebug81]

A nice 2 1/2" OLED screen!

Way too bright?
Or you want to be able to adjust it down to almost black.
A simple monochrome screen will work fine for me.

Well...its what my MD has and I dont think its too bright.  Its certinaly less bright then most cellphone screens now a days. 



Having it be adjustable would be super nice!!

[rufus13]

Boogie-Check out Tascam HD-P2, it has a lot of the features you want, especially the "hold" switch.  Made in Red China, A Windoze CE device. The Firewire mounting/powering on MacOSX is A+.

Limiter switchable, monitoring levels okay, no AES-EBU i/o, only s/p-dif and RCA analog (eew!).

Complaint: Alkaline operation is required, because Ni-MH cells don't put out enough voltage to last over 3 hours on a charge with headphone amp and P48. External pack will solve this problem.

Karl Keefer
Portland Oregon
cjl5 (at) Qwest (dot) net

limiters also have this "nice" feature of changing how the recording in a not so special way....listen close and you will hear the "squash" or "warble" that they can cause when they are activated

====

in short, its my responsibility to keep the levels in range...its the devices responsibility to make the recording as un-tainted as possible

some people like limiters, i dont...i'm fine if they are there and i can turn them off

yes seperate controls for left and right channels...super nice feature in an "unbalanced" situation...lets you get full range out of each channel

as far as the clip indicator being adjustable that is a wet dream....having a visual light for each channel at some preset level is fine....0dB, -2dB, whatever...anything in that -6dB to 0dB range is fine when you are running 24bit sources

something i forgot previously.....a HARDWARE/PHYSICAL HOLD switch  (alot of devices forget this or make it real hard to use)
boogie

[tooldvn]

Boogie-Check out Tascam HD-P2....

No way I'm crotching that thing. ;-)   This is about stealth recording yo!  Not hometown bar stealth, we're talking about full on security ass raping at an arena stealth.

My perfect Stealth box...

-MT or smaller form factor
-24/96
-CF or SD, whichever can get to 16gb first. Most likely CF.
-No file size limit.
-Solid, more like the M1.  I like the MT, but it feels too plastic, maybe a better grade matl.
-True 48v Phantom
-a decent LED level indicator at the top of the unit, so you could view with a quick glance into your pocket.
-record, hold and possibly level adjustment also at the top.
-I like the idea of a remote being able to do all these functions as well. Run that up your shirt and down your sleeve and palm it the entire show. You could even strap it to your wrist so it looks like you're checking your watch.  (I always imagined of doing this with the D100/M1 remote.)
- solid A/D
- solid micpre
- mic/line in (dont need optical/coax in, because we already have a kickass A/D, so no need to run anything in front of it. Plus this is stealth so if we don't need the extra port, then why take up real estate.)
- also no need for line out or digital out for the same reason as stated above.
- I guess it can be done, but theres no way I'd be caught monitoring thru any headphone jack during a stealth show. Too much of a risk in drawing attention to yourself.  I can almost do without the headphone jack altogether then, and give up listening to it after the show until I get it home. If it'd save me any space on the actual recorder itself.  If its a wash, then put it in.
-2 or 4 AA's for power.

-dvn