Topic: My used FR-2 is so noisy!

[KiddCabbage]

I tried Gearslutz on this, but I figure there are probably a lot of people on here who are familiar with the FR-2 as their recording machine.

So, I just bought a Fostex FR-2 (not LE) for field recording. Got the unit from ebay for a deal. But when it arrived and I plugged in my mic to test it out, I noticed that it was just LOUD - full of noise. I thought maybe it was the room, but I ran some side-by-side comparisons and found that this thing just has tons of noise in the recordings. Is this normal for a unit like this?? Or did I maybe buy a faulty unit?

I ran a test... I set up a Rode NT-4 (stereo mic) in an enclosed space with a small speaker. I played a finger-snap sample through the speaker (to match volumes) and let the mic record the silence. I recorded with both my computer's interface, an Echo Layle3G, and through the Fostex FR-2. Both were powering the mic with phantom power, not the 9v battery option.

The results showed that I was indeed right... the Fostex is adding a ton of noise to my recordings... Here's the side-by-side (both snaps peak at the same volume):

Echo 3G
Fostex FR-2


Even just looking at both the recordings on a spectrogram, you can see a big difference:
Echo 3G:


Fostex FR-2:


The Echo recording sits at about -52db. The Fostex is sitting at -44db.

So is this right?? Is this part of the unit? Maybe just comes with field recorders that they won't be as quiet as a computer's preamps? Or did I just buy a busted unit? I'd expect that a $1000+ field recorder would have quieter preamps than a $300 audio interface...

[ACandDC]

Hi KiddCabbage,

It doesn't sound right. I have FR-2 too but I use MixPre-D as preamplifier and FR-2 records through AES/EBU.
I remember why I didn't want to use FR-2 own preamps. It was the overall sound, but not noise.

Faulty unit maybe?

[2manyrocks]

Have you contacted the seller and did they fess up to selling a noisy unit? 

If you are starting out dissatisfied, I'm not sure you'll ever be satisfied with it. 

[flipp]

So, I just bought a Fostex FR-2 (not LE) for field recording. Got the unit from ebay for a deal. But when it arrived and I plugged in my mic to test it out, I noticed that it was just LOUD - full of noise. I thought maybe it was the room, but I ran some side-by-side comparisons and found that this thing just has tons of noise in the recordings. Is this normal for a unit like this?? Or did I maybe buy a faulty unit?

That is not normal. Yes, you may have bought a bad unit.

So is this right?? Is this part of the unit? Maybe just comes with field recorders that they won't be as quiet as a computer's preamps? Or did I just buy a busted unit? I'd expect that a $1000+ field recorder would have quieter preamps than a $300 audio interface...

Have you contacted the seller? Does the seller offer returns? If so, send it back; if not open a dispute with paypal or your credit card company for receiving an item "significantly not as described" or whatever the exact phrase ebay uses.

Out of curiosity, is this from the same seller who has a current listing for a FR2 without time code but with a 4-pin power socket added?

[KiddCabbage]

Thanks flipp. Coming to help me out on all my FR-2 needs.

No, the seller that I bought mine from on ebay doesn't currently have any other auctions up.

Opening up a case with Fostex tech support to see what they think.

[Ozpeter]

As I recall it the headphone output of these is said to be noisy but the actual recordings should be very low noise.

[John Willett]

As I recall it the headphone output of these is said to be noisy but the actual recordings should be very low noise.

Yes - the headphone amp in the original FR-2 was optimised for maximum battery life and was not so good quality.

I found that the best headphone match was the Sennheiser HD 25-1 which were very efficient and gave a good listening level without driving the headphone amp. so hard.

But the recording was always good.

So if the noise complaint is via listening with headphones, it is very likely to be this rather than the recorder.

[KiddCabbage]

Well, for that test, I recorded it and transferred it to my computer via USB. I wasn't using the headphone jack on the FR-2 at all for that. But thanks for the heads up about that jack problem.

[KiddCabbage]

Heard back from tech support. They said the following:

Based on the information you gave us our main tech believes that the preamps are slightly noisier than they should be.  As a specification to measure against, the FR-2 signal to noise ratio (difference between the maximum recording level (+24dBu) and the noise floor level) specs are as follows:

S/N (REF: -20dB, Fs: 48kHz)
LINE (Input gain: +4dBu): 97 dB
MIC (Input gain: +60 dBu): 84 dB

Is there some sort of measurable test that I can run on the unit to test just how much noisier the preamps are than they should be?

[Red Boink]

I have two fr2 recorders and no problems with them.  The preamps aren't the quietest, but there shouldn't be noise.  I've used them both with lots of different mics with no problem and they've both been is service almost 10 years.  For voice they are fine straight in.  For music, I use a cooper cs104 line out into fr2.  For classical or jazz I use the schoeps mk5>cooper mixer>mytek 192>fostex AES xlr in.  Sounds fine with the cooper pres and mytek conversion.  But the fr2 alone should be quiet.  Have you checked the trim and all the pots for dirt?  If the noise changes as you turn the dial, use a good contact cleaner, worth a try, but you may have been fleabayed, don't wait to start a conflict case.  Good Luck

John