Topic: Some questions about moving towards flash recorders

[madman]

I've been out of taping for about a year and did my first show of the year tonight.  My Sharp minidisc decided to die on me and the data wasn't recoverable with a TOC clone  , so it's time for a flash recorder.  I tape in small clubs, most of which don't have any security and the bands really don't mind about personal taping anyhow.  However, in places where the venue security does care about taping, I've been able to pass my MD recorder off as an MP3 player by simply walking into a security pat down with it in hand and my headphones on.  I'm a little worried about using the R-09 in a similar fashion and wondered what people have done in those cases.  Maybe one of those belt holsters for the R-09 would help sell that.

Also, the thing I really like about minidisc is that I have the minidisc for archival purposes.  What are people doing to backup their original data from flash cards?  Just burning the WAV to a cdr or dvdr?

Thanks!

[guysonic]

Burn to CD archival is fairly effortless with flash, so no pain just something you got to do at least after a few shows to clear the card for doing more. 

Investing in at least a two drive raid storage gives you extra margin to keep many shows semi-permanently on the drives until feeling like burning optical archive discs.

Since smaller flash decks kinda look like an MP3 player or a cell phone, I've heard of people using both disguises with putting music on the flash deck to listen on phones during entry, and putting the deck into a cell phone case with a dummy antenna attached and walking in with the deck to their ear acting like in a conversation!

[digifish_music]

I'm a little worried about using the R-09 in a similar fashion and wondered what people have done in those cases.  Maybe one of those belt holsters for the R-09 would help sell that.

Thanks!

...as noted above, hold it to your ear and talk loudly about what a great time you had last week and that you will have to hang up because you are about to pass through security, then holster it

As noted, backup to CD/DVD is easy.

I have an external USB HDD (320 GB) and back up individual recordings to DVD every so often.

digifish

[madman]

My only worry about the flash recorders is the big REC button on them, especially that new Marantz 620   But, 99% of the taping I do is in little venues where they don't care either way.  I think I'm going to hold off on the R-09 a bit and see what the verdict is on the new PMD620.  I wish the Korg recorder was flash based instead of HDD.

[Belexes]

The R-09 is easy to stealth being as small as it is.  I wouldn't walk in and try and pass it off in the open as an MP3 player.  Better to hide it and not have any questions asked.