Topic: Pondering selling the R4..what are my portable multi track options?

[ellaguru]

hey friends..
getting a little bored with the r4 (and not really sure why).  i dont do multi track alot but can see some 'sellers regret' if i do get rid of it.  i think my displeasure is the footprint of it & the constant stress of battery time.  do i have any options?

chris

[Fried Chicken Boy]

Depends on your budget.  Off the top of my head:

Roland R-44
Tascam DR-2d, DR-680
Sound Devices 744, 788
various Sonosax recorders
various Nagra recorders

[bryonsos]

Depends on your budget.  Off the top of my head:

Roland R-44
Tascam DR-2d, DR-680
Sound Devices 744, 788
various Sonosax recorders
various Nagra recorders

I have an R44, but I still think about getting a DR2-d as a backup deck. For ~$125, why not pick one up and keep the R4?

[jmilo61]

You guys probably know this, but just in case, the DR-2D doesn't have four inputs like the R4.  You are limited to a stereo line input, and the onboard mics if you want to do a four track.  You can't do a stereo board feed and a stereo external mic feed at the same time.

The DR-40 is the same, but the interface was a good bit better to work with in my experience.

If using the onboard mics as your open air mics isn't a killer, I'd recommend the DR-40 over the DR-2D despite the higher cost ($200 vs $125).  The DR-40 is bigger than the DR-2D, but I suspect also significantly smaller than the R4.

  Milo

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Have you thought about getting (2) HD-P2s???  You could run (1) when you feel like going lite-weight...  Or you can tie the two together to do 4chan if you feel like going hvy-weight...

Terry

[bryonsos]

You guys probably know this, but just in case, the DR-2D doesn't have four inputs like the R4.  You are limited to a stereo line input, and the onboard mics if you want to do a four track.  You can't do a stereo board feed and a stereo external mic feed at the same time.

The DR-40 is the same, but the interface was a good bit better to work with in my experience.

If using the onboard mics as your open air mics isn't a killer, I'd recommend the DR-40 over the DR-2D despite the higher cost ($200 vs $125).  The DR-40 is bigger than the DR-2D, but I suspect also significantly smaller than the R4.

  Milo

You can do external mics + line in to do a matrix on the DR2-d. Two people I tape with do this all the time. You need an attenuator for hot SBD feeds though.

[Gutbucket]

You guys probably know this, but just in case, the DR-2D doesn't have four inputs like the R4.  You are limited to a stereo line input, and the onboard mics if you want to do a four track.  You can't do a stereo board feed and a stereo external mic feed at the same time.

^^^^^^^^^
This is not true.  Plenty of users here run the DR2d to record two stereo inputs simultaneously.  It's the only reason I own a couple of them.  Read any of the DR2d threads on this site.  Input is via two 3.5mm stereo jacks.

The DR-40 is the same, but the interface was a good bit better to work with in my experience.

DR-40 is not the same.  It can record two stereo files as well, but is limited to only one pair of external XLR inputs with phantom.

[H₂O]

Or get a Tascam HS-P82 - great deck if you don't mind large size and carrying high capacity batteries

[jmilo61]

...and I've been put in my place.  Sorry for the misinformation.  I'll have to play around with my DR-2D a little more I guess.

Not to pull hairs, but I think your description of the DR-40 is a little inacurate, or maybe I'm misunderstanding.

It can record the internal mics, plus both of the external inputs.  The external inputs can be either XLR (with or without phantom) or 1/4".

Please correct if me if I'm wrong, we all know it's happened before.

  Milo

[beatkilla]

So i understand correctly on the DR2D the external mic input and line input can or can not be seperated as single sources in software later?

[asobriquet]

So i understand correctly on the DR2D the external mic input and line input can or can not be seperated as single sources in software later?

The two sources CAN be separated in post......actually they are two separate files that appear in the DR2d"s recordings folder.

[jmilo61]

So i understand correctly on the DR2D the external mic input and line input can or can not be seperated as single sources in software later?

Yes, the dr2d haas the ability to record two seperate stereo files simultaneously.

You can do internal mics to one file, and mic or line input to other and mix them later.

You can do mic to one file, and line to the other file and mix together later.

Or, you can record one of the three sources, but create two files, one with a lower gain setting than the other.  Useful if you can't monitor levels while recording and are afraid your main setting might be too hot.

  Milo

[ellaguru]

thanks for all the tips.  so, from what i understand there really isnt any gear smaller that what i have that does what i can do with the r4?

but, in reference to the tascam dr2d below, "You can do mic to one file, and line to the other file and mix together later.".  but is that mic input powered and unable to be used 'line in'?  all mixing will be done via DAW.

chris

[H₂O]

The R-44 is alot smaller then the R4

[ellaguru]

getting a little bored with the r4 (and not really sure why).

Bored?!

Take an old cassette.  Tape the case to the top of the R-4.  Each hour of recording, make sure you "flip" the tape. It must be betwen songs.

Perhaps that would add the excitement you have been missing?

well..theres been alot of bobs tapes ran into it, thats for sure!

im really not using it at all, and getting tired of lugging it, tekkeons, and extra cables around when i 75% of the time run mics > pre > r09.  i originally got it to stop me from hauling the tascam 2488 around, but id wager ive only ran the r4 less that 10 times in the 2 years ive had it.

chris

[Gutbucket]

R44 is pretty much scaled down version of the R4 without the harddrive.  It would be a direct replacement for your R4 if paired with a 32GB card.  R44 is a straight-forward 4 channel machine in the traditional sense.  I use an Oade Concert Modded version, skip the external preamp and power it with a DVD battery.  The recorder and battery together are smaller than the R4 alone. Great full featured machine that isn't too large.

The DR2d strong points are mostly small size and cost and not needing an external battery.  The DR2d is far smaller still (its a pocketable hand-held) but is really a totally different animal-  3.5mm inputs only, no phantom, more difficult to adjust gain, and not really designed as a 4 channel machine with that as a primary function.  It's more of an R09 that can also record a second pair with some gain adjustment limitations.  I've replaced two R09s with DR2ds.  Two sync'd pairs of channels in one pocket.

SD744 is 4 channel, different dimensions but about the size of the R44, and is built to Sound Devices quality standards at a significantly higher price- one limitation compared to the R44 is that it has only two built-in preamps.

Most if not all of these machines which have XLR inputs use XLR - 1/4"TRS combo jacks.

[ellaguru]

from above:

  ' I've replaced two R09s with DR2ds.  Two sync'd pairs of channels in one pocket.'

how does 2 x dr2 sync up? 

[Gutbucket]

I previously used two R09s and would have to align and stretch the  two stereo files to sync them.  The DR2d gives me 'two sync'd pairs of channels in one pocket' via one recorder.   The second DR2d serves simply as a spare and an alternate machine for other uses.  The two don't sync together- if they did it would be pretty cool have 8 synced channels.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Someone is going to make a good chunk of money when they release a 2 or 4 channel pocket recorder that allows an arbitrary number of units to time-sync via cable.  If done as part of the design, I don't think it would be an expensive feature.

It's possible on some designs that a mod could be done to allow this.

[Gutbucket]

You'd think.  I've been wishing for that feature since the R09 first came out.