I have tried several setups with piano in the same hall (but not generally simultaneously). The things I tried were: Schoeps MK2S > CMC6XT, Sanken CO100K, DPA4052. I generally backup with DPA4060>MMA6000>D1. These all sound superb, sometimes the backup rivalled the more expensvie mic setup (different positions and baffling), but I am convinced that the Josephsons with larger diameter diaphragm caps do the best job. The AT835ST comparison was the most exact on placement and material recorded, but the ATs cost about 1/4 what the others do, and it sounds it.
Thanks for your comments. I didn't know the MMA6000 or the D1. The MMA very much influenced a preamp I designed in 2000, which you can see here:
http://www.preciseaudio.com/brochure.html
My unit had balanced/XLR inputs & outputs, which the MMA does not seem to have but were very important on this application. The internal circuitry was based around the SSM2017, which I am not sure if it's what the MMA uses.
But coming back to the H4, I am very much interested in it, as an alternative to the M-Audio 24/96 and the Edirol R-09. Particularly because the H4 offers XLR inputs and 48v phantom power.
My application would always be field recording, as a backup or double-system audio for video/film recordings.
How good are the internal preamps as compared to the MMA6000?
Is it difficult to setup for recording, meaning how many steps until getting to REC/Pause?
One thing I found irritating on my Sony Hi-MD portable is that it's default is "AGC" instead of "Manual", so you can't go straight into REC/Pause as was in my Sharp 722.
How would that be in the H4?
My idea is probably to use an external preamp/mixer to feed line level signals into the H4, but having a simpler option, like feeding quality mics (like Sennheiser MKH416 or Oktavas) into it would be interesting too.
Carlos, I can't comment on teh MMA pramp as I ahve never used it. But in regrads to you question on how easy it is to setup and record, the answer is very. just go into your seup menu, and select either built in mic or ch1/ch2 mic setup, 48v phantom on/off/48v/24v, turn limiter/compressor on/off, AGC on/off, set levels (which you can do even when not in record or record standby mode if you set monitor to on so you can always monitor sound even during playback).
Push record button once to go into standby and again to start recording, push record again to stop recording and push teh record button twice again to record next track.
Once you make these setup options, the H4 will remember them the next time you power up the unit. So you wouldn't have to worry about things sych as the AGC being turned on for recording your next gig.
Also the onboard preamps seem pretty quiet, as I have done a test using the built in mics, as well as 48v phantom using my matched pair of Rode NT5 mics. Next I hope to test an AT822 in stereo fed to both channels, as well as my AT815B and rode NTG2/and or NT3 fed into channels 1/2.
