Earlier in this thread I wrote about some relatively minor problems that I'd had with the R-44--one odd case of RFI, and finding that the phantom powering in my particular R-44 was slightly below specification when four relatively high-current microphones were connected simultaneously.
I'd just like to balance that by saying that I've continued to use the recorder since then for about a dozen live recordings (some 2-channel and some 4-channel), and have had no further mishaps with it.
--best regards