Topic: looking to purchase best stealthing.. r-9,,or micrtorack or i river

[ctfshjohn]

looking to give the d8 back to its owner. i mainly stealth shows.
i want these options in a new recorder that im looking to purchase.
recording to wav,, backlite,, level adjusting while recording,battery options.
easy transfer to pc to track and put on cdr to give to friends.
thank you for any and all input in advance.
looking to buy so feel free to solicit me also.
thanks!!

[Liquid Drum]

Seems like the R-09 would be the perfect choice. I have got one recently and its been flawless. Apparently the input jack is not soldered down properly (they can break easily) but if you look after it, it should be ok. If it did break, I've been told its easily fixed.

Runs on AA batteries, so get yourself some 2500mAh or 2700mAh rechargables and you're set for 5-6 hours on 24bit recording and even more on 16bit.

[sunjan]

looking to give the d8 back to its owner. i mainly stealth shows.
i want these options in a new recorder that im looking to purchase.
recording to wav,, backlite,, level adjusting while recording,battery options.
easy transfer to pc to track and put on cdr to give to friends.
thank you for any and all input in advance.
looking to buy so feel free to solicit me also.
thanks!!

Each one has their own advantages, I assume you mean the new MT II. Depends on your budget, really.
Are you looking for an option where you can run your mics straight into the recorder, or you can sacrifice some stealthability for an external pre or bbox?!
What mics/pre are you running today?
Will you run 24/96, or is 16/44 enough for you?
Do you ever tape festivals (consider iriver for 20GB of space!)

/Jan

[Nick's Picks]

if you are looking for the best *sounding* stealth rig, the Korg MR1 should be mentioned.
DSD can be quite stunning, and the "dumbing down" to CD still retains a lot of sparkle.

I'd put it up against any of those mentioned.

2nd choice would be the R09 for sure.  great batt life, sounds good (if not great).

[Nixoo]

I guess this is all about the budget.. There's plenty of recorders that can do what you'd like it to do. Ranging from the 199 USD Zoom H2 into the more expensive models. Like Sunjan said, what mics are you running or are you planning to? XLR or mini-jack connections?

[powermonkey]

Being able to easily replace the batteries on my R09 shades it for me. That said, being able to record at higher than 24/48 is definitely something I'll look into in the future. The MR1 seems as though it'll be pretty f*cking sweet, but I'd like to pull better tapes with the rig I've already got before I head that way.

Now that I think about it, is the MR1 software Mac-compatible? Anyone know?

Cheers, all.

[bgalizio]

Now that I think about it, is the MR1 software Mac-compatible? Anyone know?

Yes, it is.

[ctfshjohn]

thanks for al your input.
i am using a smaller mic setup with 1/8 in jack and batt box.
the input on the r-9 is sensitive huh?
hmmmm well which iriver records in wav and would be cheapest?
thanks!

[powermonkey]

Now that I think about it, is the MR1 software Mac-compatible? Anyone know?

Yes, it is.

Cheers! T+ for the info.
 

[fmaderjr]

The R-09 input is not sensitive which is a big plus for field recording. Best review and tips on how to best use it in the field is found here:
http://www.sonicstudios.com/r-09revw.htm

The iriver 100 and 300 series record in wav. The 100 series also has digital in & out (mini toslink) which the 300 series lacks if that is important to you.

I think most of the members here would steer you away from the MicroTrack (I or II) unless you want to go digital in with a preamp that includes an analog to digital converter.   

[anhisr]

I own a MTII.  As a bit bucket, which is all I want, it works great.

[Mattyb123]

I am very new to this, and in the same boat.  I have a pair of Sonics, and am wondering the same thing about a recorder......I would prefer if I could transfer some DATs with my recorder as well.......what to do?  and do I need a pre-amp?

[jeromejello]

i have both a ihp-120 and r-09.  in regards to stealth, my vote is the iriver b/c it has a remote that makes things super easy.

as i am sure most anything can be used to stealth (i even used my jb3 on occasion) the convience of the remote definately took things the next level for me.

[fmaderjr]

I love the iHP-120 but it's often safer not to use the remote for recording. See the following copied form the iRiver FAQ:

[170] Does using the remote introduce interference?
If recording analog-in, yes.  It seems on most units that having the remote plugged in during recording does introduce a ticking noise, which is only really noticeable when amplified.  For example, with no gain the extra noise is about 3dB. So if you're using an external pre the issue is moot.  However if using the iriver's pre at quiet gigs for a lot of gain (eg about 30dB), you may notice the extra noise.

I find the remote isn't necessary for stealth anyway due to the safety clip feature. No need to monitor the levels when safety clip is turned on because it will back off the levels automatically whenever clipping is about to occur. For a loud show, many people just set the iRiver gain to around +15, turn on the hold, put the machine in their pocket, and let the safety clip do its thing finding the proper level. Of course with experience you may want to pick a different starting gain setting depending on the sensitivity of your mic and how loud you anticipate the show will be.

I've just started using an iHP-120 for some of my recordings and in the couple I've done where safety clip automatically reduced the gain, I did not hear any clipping nor any obvious drop in volume when it kicked in.

[sunjan]

I am very new to this, and in the same boat.  I have a pair of Sonics, and am wondering the same thing about a recorder......I would prefer if I could transfer some DATs with my recorder as well.......what to do?  and do I need a pre-amp?

Normally, I would have told you guys to read Brian's sticky on this:
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,35002.0.html

But the info over there is getting very obsolete, just the last year we've seen so many affordable units come. That sticky needs some serious updating...

/Jan