Topic: Best line in recorder?

[Justinasia]

What do you think is the best recorder for using only the line input? I was thinking of a small setup for quiet acoustic music, something like this:

DPA 4060> CA ST-9100 > line in recorder

I would love the quality of the SONY PCM-D50, but without the weight and bulk. Is there anything comparable? Don't need internal mics nor pre, just good line in and battery life. I was thinking the Olympus LS-10 could be good, but read here that the line in has no gain, and mic in is bad for bass. Would gain be a necessity for a good recording of such quiet non-amplified music? Any better suggestions?

[digifish_music]

What do you think is the best recorder for using only the line input? I was thinking of a small setup for quiet acoustic music, something like this:

DPA 4060> CA ST-9100 > line in recorder

I would love the quality of the SONY PCM-D50, but without the weight and bulk. Is there anything comparable? Don't need internal mics nor pre, just good line in and battery life. I was thinking the Olympus LS-10 could be good, but read here that the line in has no gain, and mic in is bad for bass. Would gain be a necessity for a good recording of such quiet non-amplified music? Any better suggestions?

R09HR is very nice.

digifish

[sunjan]

I was thinking the Olympus LS-10 could be good, but read here that the line in has no gain, and mic in is bad for bass. Would gain be a necessity for a good recording of such quiet non-amplified music?

R09HR is very nice.

digifish

What he said.
ST-9100 has plenty of gain. R09HR at unity should be enough, unless you're recording something very quiet. 
The

[Justinasia]

What he said.
ST-9100 has plenty of gain. R09HR at unity should be enough, unless you're recording something very quiet. 
The

Hi Sunjan
You said at the end "The" - were you about to say something more? What do you reckon about the LS-10 line input? There's no gain, but could I just increase the levels afterwards with software? Would that be the same as having gain, or would it be worse in terms of noise or distortion?

Thanks.

[sunjan]

Hi Sunjan
You said at the end "The" - were you about to say something more? What do you reckon about the LS-10 line input? There's no gain, but could I just increase the levels afterwards with software? Would that be the same as having gain, or would it be worse in terms of noise or distortion?

Sorry, I was rambling.

The Olympus LS-10 needs a very loud signal going line in. And there's no gain at all!
It is workable with high-sensitive mics, but Chris Church advises strongly against it, especially if you intend to record acoustic stuff:
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,96477.msg1504687.html#msg1504687

Guysonic came to the same conclusion too:
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,103380.msg1389869.html#msg1389869

Sure, you can boost the levels in post, but that will increase the noise floor. Digital gain is never desirable.

Don't create headache if you can avoid it, get a R-09HR or at least something with better sensitivity than LS-10.

[Dede2002]

R-09HR all the way.

[John Willett]

I was thinking the Olympus LS-10 could be good, but read here that the line in has no gain, and mic in is bad for bass. Would gain be a necessity for a good recording of such quiet non-amplified music? Any better suggestions?

I am very happy with my LS-10 - and Olympus have released upgraded firmware is the last couple of weeks for it.

Otherwise, the Fostex FR-2LE is an excellent recorder (but not so small).

[Justinasia]

Hi John
Fostex FR-2LE is great yes, but I am thinking of a small very portable setup.
Have you been using your LS-10 with an external pre?

For those saying the R-09HR , why would you vote for the R-09HR over the PCM-D50?

Does anyone have the link for the size comparisons of the various recorders? There were a couple posted here on the forum but after searching again I can't find them. Really helps to give a visual image of the 3D volume of these things.

[Belexes]

For those saying the R-09HR , why would you vote for the R-09HR over the PCM-D50?

I have an R-09 and a D50 and the D50 is so quiet that I prefer it over the R-09.  To me, it's worth the bulk.

I still use the R-09 and when I need a very small setup for very stealthy operations.

[Justinasia]

For those saying the R-09HR , why would you vote for the R-09HR over the PCM-D50?

I have an R-09 and a D50 and the D50 is so quiet that I prefer it over the R-09.  To me, it's worth the bulk.

You're talking line level in, right? If so that's very interesting. I see you also have the Fostex FR-2LE. Would you say the difference between the noise of the R-09HR line in and D50 line is, is a bigger difference than the D50 mic in and the FR-2LE mic in?

Seeing as you have all 3 of these units, I'd really love your opinion so I'll explain a little more. I was actually thinking of having the FR-2LE as my serious recorder, and a smaller option for when I need to travel lighter, but hopefully also good quality. If you only had your Fostex, and you needed what I do, would you buy the R-09HR, the D50, or a different unit?

[johnw]

For those saying the R-09HR , why would you vote for the R-09HR over the PCM-D50?

I have an R-09 and a D50 and the D50 is so quiet that I prefer it over the R-09.  To me, it's worth the bulk.

You're talking line level in, right? If so that's very interesting. I see you also have the Fostex FR-2LE. Would you say the difference between the noise of the R-09HR line in and D50 line is, is a bigger difference than the D50 mic in and the FR-2LE mic in?

Seeing as you have all 3 of these units, I'd really love your opinion so I'll explain a little more. I was actually thinking of having the FR-2LE as my serious recorder, and a smaller option for when I need to travel lighter, but hopefully also good quality. If you only had your Fostex, and you needed what I do, would you buy the R-09HR, the D50, or a different unit?

^ I have the exact same question!

[Belexes]

For those saying the R-09HR , why would you vote for the R-09HR over the PCM-D50?

I have an R-09 and a D50 and the D50 is so quiet that I prefer it over the R-09.  To me, it's worth the bulk.

You're talking line level in, right? If so that's very interesting. I see you also have the Fostex FR-2LE. Would you say the difference between the noise of the R-09HR line in and D50 line is, is a bigger difference than the D50 mic in and the FR-2LE mic in?

Seeing as you have all 3 of these units, I'd really love your opinion so I'll explain a little more. I was actually thinking of having the FR-2LE as my serious recorder, and a smaller option for when I need to travel lighter, but hopefully also good quality. If you only had your Fostex, and you needed what I do, would you buy the R-09HR, the D50, or a different unit?

I never really have done a side-by-side yet of the Fostex and the D50.  I started out with the R-09, then purchased the D50 for the digi-in bit bucket and decided I wanted to open recording with an all-in-one, so I opted for the Fostex getting it modded by Busman.
When I patch into a board, I like the mobility of the R-09 and D50.  

I like the build quality of the D50.  It's sturdy and has some weight to it.  I like the "dial" gain control, just like the old Sony DAT portables.  The buttons are easy to navigate. I find the R-09 more cumbersome to operate and the R-09 has a build quality something close to Fisher Price.  I will say though that the build on the R-0HR is much improved.  For me when I stealth, size doesn't tend to be an issue. Most venues I attend don't have metal detectors and I can walk into the venue with no pat down. Thus the D50 fits me perfectly.  Obviously though, the smaller the better when you are dealing with tougher venues.  

Digi-in with the D50 is nice.

[su6oxone]

R09HR is quieter than the R09, there are some posts regarding that but i'm too lazy to search for it on my iphone.  

Edit: You could also consider the marantz pmd661 as your all in one device.

[John Willett]

Hi John
Fostex FR-2LE is great yes, but I am thinking of a small very portable setup.
Have you been using your LS-10 with an external pre?

For those saying the R-09HR , why would you vote for the R-09HR over the PCM-D50?

Does anyone have the link for the size comparisons of the various recorders? There were a couple posted here on the forum but after searching again I can't find them. Really helps to give a visual image of the 3D volume of these things.

I have handled all three - the Olympus is the smallest, thinnest, slimmest and most easy to handle.
The SOny is the largest and the R-09HR is somewhere in the middle (but these three were my short-list before I bought the LS-10).

I have only used the LS-10 line in connected to a consumer cassette deck as an easy way to copy cassettes to digital before popping them into the computer to make CDs of them.  I had no problem at all with level.

I hope this helps.

[digifish_music]

For those saying the R-09HR , why would you vote for the R-09HR over the PCM-D50?

Smaller size and lower cost, he said he was after a good line-in only recorder. The R09HR is a fantastic line-in recorder. When I use it with a MixPre the results are awesome.

digifish

[Church-Audio]

Here is a test I completed today of the R09HR Its very VERY quiet not quite as quiet as my 9100 but its not far off. BTW its got just about the same signal to noise at 16 bit that the D50 has at 24
All of these tests were done at 44.1k 16bit

Chris

[digifish_music]

Here is a test I completed today of the R09HR Its very VERY quiet not quite as quiet as my 9100 but its not far off. BTW its got just about the same signal to noise at 16 bit that the D50 has at 24
All of these tests were done at 44.1k 16bit

Chris

*Almost* very interesting...if only I knew what I was looking at (all those plots)

...these are all mic-in measures? What's line-in like?

digifish 

[markr041]

" I am very happy with my LS-10 - and Olympus have released upgraded firmware is the last couple of weeks for it.."

Does anyone know what the upgrade to the LS-10 firmware 1.10a fixes, improves or adds? There is nothing on the site.

[Sunday Driver]

For those saying the R-09HR , why would you vote for the R-09HR over the PCM-D50?

Smaller size for me was the number one reason. Why have big mics on top of the recorder if I was never going to use them? However, after you listen to a lot of these recorders, it becomes obvious that each internal preamp has its own "flavor". I own the Edirol R-09HR, don't use an external preamp, and grew to really love the sound of the internal preamp. It has a very relaxed bass sound, and a clear high end. In the few recordings I heard of the D-50, I thought it sounded very plain with not as much coloring. Owning the R-09HR, I might be a little biased though.

[spyder9]

I dig the Tascam DR-1.  Line-in is real quiet.  Much more so than the original Edirol R09, that I ditched the R09.  However, the Line-in is fixed, no adjustments. 

[Dede2002]

Here is a test I completed today of the R09HR Its very VERY quiet not quite as quiet as my 9100 but its not far off. BTW its got just about the same signal to noise at 16 bit that the D50 has at 24
All of these tests were done at 44.1k 16bit

Chris

Thanks for that, Chris 

[Church-Audio]

Here is a test I completed today of the R09HR Its very VERY quiet not quite as quiet as my 9100 but its not far off. BTW its got just about the same signal to noise at 16 bit that the D50 has at 24
All of these tests were done at 44.1k 16bit

Chris

*Almost* very interesting...if only I knew what I was looking at (all those plots)

...these are all mic-in measures? What's line-in like?

digifish 

You dont need to read the lines just the grey part that has the numbers These are all mic in measurements I will do line-in sometime this week.  The first graphs show the Edirol R09HR With the mic switch on hi and then I do incremental gain settings on the HR starting at 80 or MAX. What I did was record 20 seconds exactly of each  setting and then analyze the wav file in my software. So your not getting a transfer function error of my sound card. Your getting the actual noise of the wav file it self as recorded on the HR. I terminated the HR with a pair of 2.4K resistors and I also had the plug in power on for all tests. Bass roll off was OFF as was the limiter.

Chris

[sunjan]

" I am very happy with my LS-10

Mark, John: I'm sure that there are many happy LS-10 users out there.
But nothing that you wrote addresses the major issue for the OP: the line in requires a very loud signal. Sure, if you feed it with a line signal from your cassette deck, no biggie. But a 9V preamp in the field is a totally different story.

Read the OP again, and the links to Chris' and Guysonic's evaluation. LS-10 is not the best line in recorder for unamplified soft acoustic music.

[sunjan]

Does anyone have the link for the size comparisons of the various recorders? There were a couple posted here on the forum but after searching again I can't find them. Really helps to give a visual image of the 3D volume of these things.

http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/20215-PMD661-vs-Tascam-DR-1-vs-Olympus-LS-10-vs-R-09HR-vs-PMD620

[Church-Audio]

" I am very happy with my LS-10

Mark, John: I'm sure that there are many happy LS-10 users out there.
But nothing that you wrote addresses the major issue for the OP: the line in requires a very loud signal. Sure, if you feed it with a line signal from your cassette deck, no biggie. But a 9V preamp in the field is a totally different story.

Read the OP again, and the links to Chris' and Guysonic's evaluation. LS-10 is not the best line in recorder for unamplified soft acoustic music.

The ls-10 in my opinion is a great recorder if you DONT NEED GAIN. If you do you MUST use and external preamp with it. I also find the bass roll off feature to be very annoying and the built in mics are way to bright to be of any use for recording anything but a fart.

[spyder9]

" I am very happy with my LS-10

Mark, John: I'm sure that there are many happy LS-10 users out there.
But nothing that you wrote addresses the major issue for the OP: the line in requires a very loud signal. Sure, if you feed it with a line signal from your cassette deck, no biggie. But a 9V preamp in the field is a totally different story.

Read the OP again, and the links to Chris' and Guysonic's evaluation. LS-10 is not the best line in recorder for unamplified soft acoustic music.

The ls-10 in my opinion is a great recorder if you DONT NEED GAIN. If you do you MUST use and external preamp with it. I also find the bass roll off feature to be very annoying and the built in mics are way to bright to be of any use for recording anything but a fart.

I agree.  I think the LS-10 is bright overall, when compared to other handheld recorders.  The samples below are using the on-board mics.  I'd like to hear the difference between the 3 recording features of the LS-10:  on-board mics, line-in, and mic-in.

http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/portable-recorder-sound-samples.html
 

[flintstone]

Here's a link to an old Guysonic post that shows the line input noise with an external amp.   
I was surprised by the good performance of the Marantz PMD620 line input.

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,106750.0.html

[EarlyMorningRain]

Does anyone have the link for the size comparisons of the various recorders? There were a couple posted here on the forum but after searching again I can't find them. Really helps to give a visual image of the 3D volume of these things.

Not exactly 3D, but there is this link (there is one other I can think of, when I find it I'll post that as well)
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,113804.0.html

[flintstone]

Here's a link to Digifish's comparison of the R-09HR mic preamp
vs the MixPre --> Line Input of the R-09HR. 

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,105893.msg1443847.html#msg1443847

The same low noise mics are used with both setups.  This test shows
that, while the R-09HR mic preamp is pretty quiet, the MixPre is
a noticeable improvement. 

Note that this test records a very quiet subject.  The difference between
the R-09HR and MixPre might not be as noticeable when recording a
loud subject.

Flintstone

[Church-Audio]

Here's a link to Digifish's comparison of the R-09HR mic preamp
vs the MixPre --> Line Input of the R-09HR. 

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,105893.msg1443847.html#msg1443847

The same low noise mics are used with both setups.  This test shows
that, while the R-09HR mic preamp is pretty quiet, the MixPre is
a noticeable improvement. 

Note that this test records a very quiet subject.  The difference between
the R-09HR and MixPre might not be as noticeable when recording a
loud subject.

Flintstone

There are two many factors to make that test valid. Its great to get an idea of how things work but that is not a test that one should use as a deciding factor for noise. Why because the environment might change slightly from sample to sample and the way each preamp input interacts with the mics will be different.

Chris

[flintstone]

"The Olympus LS-10 needs a very loud signal going line in..."

This remark reminds me that we have not mentioned the external pre-amp's
ability to boost the signal.  Some of the less expensive preamps don't boost
the signal very much.  

For example, the Chris Church ST-20B preamp has a max boost of 30 dB, and the
Sound Professionals SP-Preamp has a max 42 dB boost, according to their web pages.
Compare with the 66dB boost of the MixPre and the Aerco MP2's 70dB boost.  

When recording loud music, a preamp with lower boost is fine.  When recording
a quiet subject, it's useful to have extra preamp boost available, especially when
the preamp is not adding a lot of extra noise to the recording.

The output signal from the mics varies a lot between brands.  A mic with a relatively
low output (say, the Rode NT1a) will need more help from the preamp to make a recording
with good level. A mic with a hot output (the Sennheiser ME series comes to mind)
won't need to be boosted by the preamp as much.

Flintstone

[Church-Audio]

"The Olympus LS-10 needs a very loud signal going line in..."

This remark reminds me that we have not mentioned the external pre-amp's
ability to boost the signal.  Some of the less expensive preamps don't boost
the signal very much.  

For example, the Chris Church ST-20B preamp has a max boost of 30 dB, and the
Sound Professionals SP-Preamp has a max 42 dB boost, according to their web pages.
Compare with the 66dB boost of the MixPre and the Aerco MP2's 70dB boost.  

When recording loud music, a preamp with lower boost is fine.  When recording
a quiet subject, it's useful to have extra preamp boost available, especially when
the preamp is not adding a lot of extra noise to the recording.

The output signal from the mics varies a lot between brands.  A mic with a relatively
low output (say, the Rode NT1a) will need more help from the preamp to make a recording
with good level. A mic with a hot output (the Sennheiser ME series comes to mind)
won't need to be boosted by the preamp as much.

Flintstone

The most important thing to keep in mind is dont be fooled by large gain. Because some of the preamps EDIT ( OUT THERE ) have very bad specs when the gain gets above 25 db... Thats one of the reasons the CA-9100 is so popular its quiet part of that is because its also lower gain. I could make my 9100 do 50 db of gain but the signal to noise would be shit. So I prefer to not mislead people by selling a preamp with a larger gain and poor noise performance. The LS 10 is not suitable for recording quiet sources unless you have a very VERY quiet preamp in front of it. But for loud rock my preamp's and the LS10 would be fine or some of the other preamp mentioned. The ST-20B Has a self noise of around 89db at +30 db gain that's not bad but it does not have a lot of headroom at +30 it really should be used for acoustic performance its really hard to get huge gobs of gain and headroom with a single 9 volt battery with out adding noise.

[flintstone]

Chris, are you saying the Sound Devices MixPre or the Aerco MP2
have "very bad specs when the gain gets above 25 db?"

[Church-Audio]

Chris, are you saying the Sound Devices MixPre or the Aerco MP2
have "very bad specs when the gain gets above 25 db?"

I am not going to name names. I dont want to get into that. And thats not what my post was about most of the companies that spec gain settings and noise do it at a low gain setting once you set the gain to max and measure the noise some of the preamps out there dont stack up. Most of the preamps you mentioned are not in the category of misleading specs.

[digifish_music]

Chris, are you saying the Sound Devices MixPre or the Aerco MP2
have "very bad specs when the gain gets above 25 db?"

I am not going to name names. I dont want to get into that. And thats not what my post was about most of the companies that spec gain settings and noise do it at a low gain setting once you set the gain to max and measure the noise some of the preamps out there dont stack up.

Well by elimination the MixPre is out, as I own one an am amazed at how noise free and good it sounds around 55-60 dB gain...

[Justinasia]

Here's a link to an old Guysonic post that shows the line input noise with an external amp.   
I was surprised by the good performance of the Marantz PMD620 line input.

Anyone else have anything to say about the PMD620? I was just asking Doug Oade if he does any mods for the SOny PCM-D50 or the LS-10, and he says he doesn't because he much prefers the PMD620. If says that, I am guessing that it must be a great machine (modded that is).

[willyp523]

Here's a link to an old Guysonic post that shows the line input noise with an external amp.   
I was surprised by the good performance of the Marantz PMD620 line input.

Anyone else have anything to say about the PMD620? I was just asking Doug Oade if he does any mods for the SOny PCM-D50 or the LS-10, and he says he doesn't because he much prefers the PMD620. If says that, I am guessing that it must be a great machine (modded that is).

I have the PMD620 and was about to post in another thread that I don't understand how this unit doesn't get more consideration here at TS.

I've run it stealth and as a secondary open rig.  Small box, easy to use, one touch recording, good battery life, easy to read screen and a mic pre that so far has handled my tendency to be aggressive with the levels.  Records to affordable SD cards and Japanese made to boot.

Some samples...

stealth job, Elvis Costello ...Church cards ST-11, simple battery box->PMD620 mic in
http://tinyurl.com/bnmexe
This is at Dime so if you're not a member you may have trouble hearing it.

open gig, Ragbirds....Pelusos->ps2->Church 9000->PMD620 line in
http://www.archive.org/details/ragbirds2008-08-02.flac16


edit to say I have the stock unit

[Dede2002]

Here's a link to an old Guysonic post that shows the line input noise with an external amp.   
I was surprised by the good performance of the Marantz PMD620 line input.

Anyone else have anything to say about the PMD620? I was just asking Doug Oade if he does any mods for the SOny PCM-D50 or the LS-10, and he says he doesn't because he much prefers the PMD620. If says that, I am guessing that it must be a great machine (modded that is).

Maybe. I have one (like new, used 3 times only) and I don't like at all  . To my ears, it doesn't come even close to the R-09HR.

[Justinasia]

Maybe. I have one (like new, used 3 times only) and I don't like at all  . To my ears, it doesn't come even close to the R-09HR.

Anyone have an Oade modded one? (PMD620) I'm sure it will be a great improvement, but still would like to hear how it ends up comparing to the other machines, after being modded. Could it be the winner??

[aaronji]

Maybe. I have one (like new, used 3 times only) and I don't like at all  . To my ears, it doesn't come even close to the R-09HR.

Anyone have an Oade modded one? (PMD620) I'm sure it will be a great improvement, but still would like to hear how it ends up comparing to the other machines, after being modded. Could it be the winner??

I have one of the Oade 620's and I think it sounds great.  I am using it with DPA4060s, mic-in with a DPA battery box, and getting some nice results.  There is another user who is running some Schoeps > battery box > mic-in Oade 620, and he said he is getting some great results as well (search "schoeps CMR" and you can probably find it).  A third guy I know of here has one and said that he thought it sounded almost as good as his open rig (which his signature lists as an Oade R-44).

It has higher bias voltage than most of the other pocket recorders, so it will adequately power many small mics with no battery box...It is also easy to use, fairly well built, small, and good on batteries (I got 12.48 hours on a pair of Duracell 2650 mAh NiMHs).

The stock one sounds pretty good too, but not as good as the mod.

Just ignore Dede2002; he is sort of like the anti-PMD620 troll...Every time the thing is mentioned, he pops up with the same comment...I doubt he has ever even seen the Oade mod'ed version.  And, at one time or another, he seemed to think it sounded pretty good:

To my ears, the R-09 internal mics are better than the PMD 620's. But the Marantz has a better pre.

[Dede2002]

Maybe. I have one (like new, used 3 times only) and I don't like at all  . To my ears, it doesn't come even close to the R-09HR.

Anyone have an Oade modded one? (PMD620) I'm sure it will be a great improvement, but still would like to hear how it ends up comparing to the other machines, after being modded. Could it be the winner??

I have one of the Oade 620's and I think it sounds great.  I am using it with DPA4060s, mic-in with a DPA battery box, and getting some nice results.  There is another user who is running some Schoeps > battery box > mic-in Oade 620, and he said he is getting some great results as well (search "schoeps CMR" and you can probably find it).  A third guy I know of here has one and said that he thought it sounded almost as good as his open rig (which his signature lists as an Oade R-44).

It has higher bias voltage than most of the other pocket recorders, so it will adequately power many small mics with no battery box...It is also easy to use, fairly well built, small, and good on batteries (I got 12.48 hours on a pair of Duracell 2650 mAh NiMHs).

The stock one sounds pretty good too, but not as good as the mod.

Just ignore Dede2002; he is sort of like the anti-PMD620 troll...Every time the thing is mentioned, he pops up with the same comment...I doubt he has ever even seen the Oade mod'ed version.  And, at one time or another, he seemed to think it sounded pretty good:

To my ears, the R-09 internal mics are better than the PMD 620's. But the Marantz has a better pre.

  Ignore me? Why don't you follow your own piece of advice? I have the same right to express my feelings as anyone around here. I don't like the 620. That makes me a troll? I need to like it because you do? Come on, do me a favor. Lots of people around here say they don't like this brand or that brand and still I respect their points. Even when they say bad things about stuff I own. You should do the same. As for asking people to ignore me, you should be the first one to do so. You pay too much attention to what I say  .

[aaronji]

So your experience with the Oade 620 is extensive?  You own one, I presume?  Hmmm, indeed...I said to ignore you because, as I said, you have probably never seen an Oade 620.  If I am wrong, my apologies.  Otherwise, how can you offer an informed opinion on something you have never used???

[Dede2002]

So your experience with the Oade 620 is extensive?  You own one, I presume?  Hmmm, indeed...I said to ignore you because, as I said, you have probably never seen an Oade 620.  If I am wrong, my apologies.  Otherwise, how can you offer an informed opinion on something you have never used???

Since you insist...
I've never ever said I own an Oade 620. Being such a carefull researcher of my posts, sir, could you please tell me when did I say such a thing? What I said was: I don't like the stock 620. English is not my primary language. But it's yours. Your reading skills should be better than mine, don't you think?

Justinasia said: 

"Anyone else have anything to say about the PMD620? I was just asking Doug Oade if he does any mods for the SOny PCM-D50 or the LS-10, and he says he doesn't because he much prefers the PMD620. If says that, I am guessing that it must be a great machine (modded that is)."

My response to his "great machine (modded that is)" guess was "maybe". Why? Because I've never set my eyes on one of those Oade units. He asked about the PMD 620 (not the Oade modded), and I gave him my point of view.
Take care.

[aaronji]

Well, I won't argue with you anymore, but I think justinasia's posts indicate pretty clearly that he was asking about the mod'ed version...Furthermore, the wording of your post seems to imply that you have the mod and don't like it...

And don't flatter yourself; I don't spend any time researching your posts...

[Dede2002]

Well, I won't argue with you anymore, but I think justinasia's posts indicate pretty clearly that he was asking about the mod'ed version...Furthermore, the wording of your post seems to imply that you have the mod and don't like it...

And don't flatter yourself; I don't spend any time researching your posts...

Really? 
One of your posts in this very thread quotes one of my messages from January 2008  . You have an astounding memory.
About the troll thing, well, this is your field, not mine.
Again, take care.
 

[aaronji]

I do have a pretty good memory, indeed.  You realize it takes one five-second search to find that, right?

[Dede2002]

I do have a pretty good memory, indeed.  You realize it takes one five-second search to find that, right?

You keep coming, don't you? You never give up.
 I've had it. I've always been polite and nice to everyone around here, but you don't seem to appreciate it.
But that's an improvement. At least now you speak up your mind. You really must miss the time when you and your friends were
-T'ing me like crazy. Minus 10 to 15 T's everyday!
Please, don't make a fool of yourself. I don't think it was you. I know it was you.

[Church-Audio]

Gentlemen you are all wrong and I am the only correct one. Lets understand that and move on. 

[EarlyMorningRain]

yes, let's move on please!

Justinasia, hope you have found some useful information in some of these replies!
 

[aaronji]

Gentlemen you are all wrong and I am the only correct one. Lets understand that and move on. 

yes, let's move on please!

Justinasia, hope you have found some useful information in some of these replies!
 

Indeed!  My apologies to all for the threadjack...

But that Oade 620 DOES sound good!

[Dede2002]

Gentlemen you are all wrong and I am the only correct one. Lets understand that and move on. 

 

[Justinasia]

Hi guys
aaronji and Dede2002 , you both sound like nice guys, and I appreciate both your posts, thanks. It's very useful for me to hear positive and negative feedback on this model, modded or stock. Actually I thought it should hopefully be quite good in the first place if Doug thought it was worth modding, so any feedback is welcome. I was just worried about the poor noise rating it has on the EIN value, on this website:
http://www.avisoft.com/recordertests.htm
I need to record very quiet acoustic music. At that noise level I would have no interest actually, and that's why I overlooked it, until Doug mentioned about it. I am hoping that after the mod that is greatly improved, and interested to hear how it will then compare to the other models.

[Dede2002]

Hi guys
aaronji and Dede2002 , you both sound like nice guys, and I appreciate both your posts, thanks. It's very useful for me to hear positive and negative feedback on this model, modded or stock. Actually I thought it should hopefully be quite good in the first place if Doug thought it was worth modding, so any feedback is welcome. I was just worried about the poor noise rating it has on the EIN value, on this website:
http://www.avisoft.com/recordertests.htm
I need to record very quiet acoustic music. At that noise level I would have no interest actually, and that's why I overlooked it, until Doug mentioned about it. I am hoping that after the mod that is greatly improved, and interested to hear how it will then compare to the other models.

You're welcome, Justinasia.
I agree with you: it's very useful to hear all kinds of feedback.
Have fun in your quest.  . That's what taping is all about.

Take care

[SparkE!]

Keep in mind that Oade only modifies units that can actually benefit from modding.  That should tell you something.

[su6oxone]

I need to record very quiet acoustic music.

Seems like 4060 > 9100 > R-09HR would suit this type of recording situation quite well.  Both the 9100 and R-09HR are very quiet as mentioned by several folks above.  If you're really on the fence, I would suggest finding someone to borrow them from and try them out before you actually buy one.  Unfortunately, I sold my 9100 months ago, and my R-09HR is my only recorder so I can't lend it out, but I'm sure some kindly folks here will help you out. 

edit: Yard Sale has a nice looking D50 at a nice price:

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,116901.0.html