The recorder is as small and stripped down as it can be. I'm attributing any problems to my inexperience with it, and I'm sure I'll be fine. Interesting that the F8 also goes straight to phantom power and meters going. That is certainly not the case with the M10 which I'm used to, which lights up but does nothing until you hit record. Running phantom on powerup is not what I would choose- I'm sure it's draining the battery even when not recording.