Hi all,
I've been using my Edirol R09HR for stealth recording gigs since 2009. Not too many gigs, maybe a couple per year. Most of them are loud shows, but also some acoustic/quiet theatre shows) The results with my Core Sound cardioid mics have always been very nice imho (although the quiet shows come out a bit noisy due to the CS mics), so I couldn't be much happier with my R09HR.
However, over the years the display of the R09HR has started to fail. It is showing less and less lines. So far it's still usable but I don't know how long it will last.
So I'm thinking of replacing it with a new model. I've been doing some research (e.g. by reading the long threads on several recorders on taperssection), and my main contenders are the Roland R07 and the Sony PCM-A10. They seem quite similar on functions, quality and price.
I like the bluetooth monitoring & control option on both, which seems ideal for stealthing. (Although I don't want to rely 100% on this, e.g. for gigs where phones are not allowed...)
These are some pro's & con's and differences that pop up in my mind:
Roland R07:
- Bright red lights when recording which cannot be shut off through some maintenance menu. Not nice for stealthing. (My old Edirol R09HR is covered with tape on the top and the menu buttons to kill the recording lights. Could do that too with the new Roland, but it's not my preferred option)
- Bluetooth connection doesn't seem too reliable (maybe depending on type of phone??)
- Lesser battery life than the Sony, but not a real issue to me. I never needed more than 3.5h for main+support act, and it's easy to replace batteries e.g. on festivals.
Sony PCM-A10:
- As I keep reading, it is small.
- Bluetooth connection apparently more reliable than the Roland.
- Rechargeable battery built in. If battery brakes (which it will after X years of use), the device is dead. I much prefer the 'normal batteries' option of the Roland, even if it means less battery life 'on a single charge'
- I like the idea of recording on internal memory and handing over the sd card with some dummy wav files on it when caught .
- Internal mics seem slightly better than the Roland's (??). (Good to know in cases of emergency when external mics are not possible for some reason.)
I just do stealt gig recording, no other use cases for me...
So my questions to you are these:
- What would
you choose and why?
- Are there other differences between these two recorders that could be relevant for me?
- Are there other recorders out there that would be better for my use case (similar or better quality/features, similar price range)?
- I read here and there about 32bit recorders (e.g. with dual A/D conversion per channel). This seems a very nice feature. Is anyone aware if Sony and/or Roland is planning to release new devices in the foreseeable future that may have 32-bit support? (Or have these two companies completely given up on this market segment?)
Looking foward for your reactions, thanks a bunch!
TheJez