Topic: Edirol R-4

[pfife]

SWEET, it has its own mic...now I will not only have an all in one box...but that will include the mics...like my first realistic tape deck!!!

I was just thinking the same thing!!!  Why only two mics though?  Should have four...

You know, they could lose all that wave editing crap, and prolly make it significantly cheaper.  I am really giddy about this thing- hope its affordable.

Maybe Guitar Center will carry them, so we can check them out on "musicians loan" 

[Ed.]

haha, says it'll run off of 8 AA's or ac power.  ok smart power people, what does that mean.  will a 9v be sufficient?

[MattD]

AAs = 1.5V each. 8 in series = 12V.

Will it run off of 9? That depends on the tolerances of the power supply.

[Chris K]

http://www.edirol.com/products/info/r4.html

[Flarnet]

Anything from 12 to 9 Volts will probably be acceptable (since 8 Alkalines puts out 12V and rechargables put out about 9.5V).

Any takers on price? The closest shipping competitor with 4 microphone inputs is the Zaxcom Deva 5 at about 12 000 USD. The closest vaporware competitor is the Zaxcom Fusion at about 5 000.
Two FR-2s (at God-knows-how-many pounds with 16 AA batteries and all) are about 3 000 when you include media and power adapter.
It looks really plastic and toy-ish to me. I'm guessing 1 999 or 2 499 list.

Their biggest problem is target group. Most musicians don't give a rats ass about microphone inputs or 4 channels (and those who do want a hell of a lot more than 4 channels - they want a MDM). Most tapers are not ready for surround taping in terms of their other gear so if it's significantly more than the FR-2 they will have absolutely no reason to buy it (disregarding storage issues).

The lack of 4 channels of digital input is also a REAL bummer. Provided that it is bit perfect (don't count on it - look at the broschure how all data passes through the dsp unit) it COULD have been the killer machine for newbies, a perfect 3-step machine. First you go straight in. Then when you wanna upgrade you get a Lunatec V3 or similar. Then when you wanna go surround you get another V3.

All in all it's another nice option. Unfortunately it's also vaporware and I don't really feel like the 722 and the Fusion needs any company in that department.

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

AAs = 1.5V each. 8 in series = 12V.

Will it run off of 9? That depends on the tolerances of the power supply.

Alkaline cells are 1.5V.  Rechargable NiMH AA cells are 1.2V.  That would make it 9.6V dc from 8 AA rechargable cells.  The device will tolerate voltage input of 1.5V per cell but I'm sure they designed it to work with the 1.2V rechargable cells.  The spec says external 9V DC source so the 9.6V RC rechargables should work fine as an external source.

[Ed.]

good to know on the batteries, now will it be bit accurate and how pricey will it be?  i think if its bit accurate and around $1000 it might outsell a lot of the other products out right now and possibly even the sd722/44 - most people will be running their favorite pre's outfront anyway.

[Chrysler]

great device, i only hope that there'll be another device with digi-in and palm-size for stealth-tapers...Even the R-1 is kinda big...compared to D100 or MD

[Ed.]

i don't think stealth tapers are ever going to get the recorder they're looking for.  but then again, i don't know what kind of shows you guy stape, cuz i've never had a problem stealthing my nomad.

[Brian Skalinder]

Understanding that the R-4 isn't targeted at us, specifically, as an audience, I have a tough time in general - taking into account other target markets - WTF they were thinking by including the following:

• Built-in Non-Directional Mics
• Five High-Quality Effects
• Waveform Editing
• Built-In Stereo Speakers

Didn't see where the power plug lives and couldn't figure it out from any of the images.  I'm guessing it's on the rear of the unit, of which there are no pics.

Provided that it is bit perfect (don't count on it - look at the broschure how all data passes through the dsp unit)

Given Edirol's track record, I, too, doubt it'll be bit-perfect.  But, I don't see in the brochure any indication that all incoming signals route through the DSP unit.  As I see it in the block diagram (attached), the incoming signal can be routed selectively either through the DSP unit or bypass it outright.

Edited for formatting.

[L Ron Hoover]

Digital Input
32kHz to 96kHz
(Convert to internal sample rate)

Methinks this means it's not bit accurate on digital input.

[Brian Skalinder]

Digital Input
32kHz to 96kHz
(Convert to internal sample rate)

Methinks this means it's not bit accurate on digital input.

Good catch, I missed that one.  I bet you're right.   

And I wonder how exactly they dither from 24- to 16-bits.

[Rick]

Didn't see where the power plug lives and couldn't figure it out from any of the images.  I'm guessing it's on the rear of the unit, of which there are no pics.

It's next to the USB out on the left pannel.

[Rick]

Digital Input
32kHz to 96kHz
(Convert to internal sample rate)

Methinks this means it's not bit accurate on digital input.

But if you go mic/line-in that shouldn't be a problem though, right? Its only a problem if you want to run an outboard A/D. right?

[John R]

no firewire, bummer