Topic: Edirol R-44 - 4 Channel Recorder (Part Tres)

[kbergend]

My Oade concert R-44 arrived yesterday!   Sure is a compact little thing, actually fits nicely in the bag for my Bose headphones.

Also if you are only going to run with an external pre-Amp does getting a modded R-44 make a difference?  And do you have to use the TRS jacks when using an external pre (as you do with the R-4 - to bypass the internal pre's)?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you can bypass the internal pres with the TRS jacks (I know you can't with the R-4).  You'd have to go digi-in to do that.  I don't think TRS vs. XLR makes any difference for the analog path.

[Scooter]

correct, can't bypass the pres.

[H₂O]

So can you run the R-44 with external Pre's or can they be disabled (i.e. through a mod)?

[kbergend]

I don't know of a mod that disables the pres, they mainly replace some of the stock analog circuitry with better components.  You're either going to run through both the external and internal pres (presumably with the internal pres at low gain) or you need an outboard ADC as well as the preamp to run digi-in, basically using the R-44 as a bit-bucket.  I think there are people here doing each.

[flintstone]

I'm not familiar with the stock R4Pro.  Does the R4Pro sound better than the R44?
Can someone point me to samples comparing the two? (Yes, I'm lazy to look
throug the previous 500 posts in this thread.)

Flintstone

[Scooter]

easyjim runs a pro, maybe PM him for some thoughts

[Ozpeter]

It's been said - I think by someone from Edirol way back - that the R-44 preamps are the same as the R-4 Pro.  Wasn't that on an exhibition video online somewhere??

[kgreener]

hey ho, new member of the team, just picked up an Oade R-44 and really digging it so far.  i do, however, have a problem as Focker did below.  I bought the same external battery from B&H, and also went to rat shack and per Lee's rec bought an adaptaplug cable plus the M and B adaptaplugs.  Set the R-44 to adaptor and still...nothing.  can't get this sucker to power on with a fully charged Impact 8000mah.  Any ideas?  Thanks.

Received my mod R44 last night and have to say I like it.  Gonna take a little time to get used to the levels, themetering on the 744 was much easier on the eyes.

The question I have today is around external power.  I bought a 9V DVD battery but can't seem to get the R44 to power up using it.  Is there a setting I'm missing?  I changed the voltage in the menu to 9V and to external.  The battery I bought didn't have options for polarity with the connectors...does anyone use this battery and do I need to buy an adapter to fix polarity?  I didn't see anythiong in the instructions one way or the other with the battery.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/480307-REG/Impact_BPD8000_BPD_8000_Universal_Portable_Li_Ion.html

The R-44 is center pin negative.

Go to Radioshack and buy an adaptaplug.  M and B tips and cable.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049698&cp=&sr=1&kw=adaptaplug&origkw=adaptaplug&parentPage=search

[leehookem]

The tip on the M needs to be negative and the B needs to be positive.

[kgreener]

The tip on the M needs to be negative and the B needs to be positive.

hey Lee, thanks man.  does one have to specify this (i.e. positive and negative) when at rat shack, or did i maybe plug the adaptaplugs in the wrong end of the cable or something?  i'm clueless when it comes to this electrical stuff so pardon my ignorance!  thanks again.

[kgreener]

I am so happy to say that I'm not as dumb as I think I am 

thanks Lee, i figured it out...just gotta look a little closer at the cable ends!  it's working now so thanks again.

The tip on the M needs to be negative and the B needs to be positive.

hey Lee, thanks man.  does one have to specify this (i.e. positive and negative) when at rat shack, or did i maybe plug the adaptaplugs in the wrong end of the cable or something?  i'm clueless when it comes to this electrical stuff so pardon my ignorance!  thanks again.

[airbladder]

Thought I would chime in here.  I have had an oade mod R-44 for 4 months now and last week was the first time I ran mics without an external preamp.  I taped The Brew Neumann U89> (OCM) R-44 and it came out great.  Of course it sounds better with an external pre and a/d but I have no complaints with it as an all in one unit.  Normally when I hear an all in one unit recording I feel like it's missing something but the this recording is well rounded, balanced, and sounds great.

Around here people have been talking about powering the deck.  I use rechargeable batteries.  They are cheeper, lighter, take up no space, and there is no way you can knock the battery cable out.

I use the edirol bag.  It's not cheep but I think it's worth it.  Very nice bag.

 

[dmonkey]

I've never seen the Edirol bag for this unit. Now I'm curious...I'll have to check it out.

[Gordon]

well I said last page I'm a new member.  haven't taped anything yet but did a DAT transfer for the hell of it last night.

damn this thing is small!  I'm not a undercover guy but nice to know that the one or two shows a year where that would be necessary I can use this without the v3.

on that note I've read the stock pres are pretty good.  any side by side comparisons with the busman mods?  anyone know if he will only mod two channels?  or if that would work?  see no reason it wouldn't but i really have no clue.


reason I ask that is most of the time I'll be running as a bit bucket and every now and then using the other 2 for sbd.   do the mods improve the "line in" ie sbd with no phantom?  if so is it enough to consider doing the mods?  99% of the sbds will be used for matrix with my 140's.


another thing.  I read a few pages back that the unit will create a folder for the files (even 1x stereo) and create multiple files for 4 channel.  when I got done with the dat transfer I popped the card in my card reader and the file was there but there was no folder.  just the icon for the "drive" (card reader) and when clicking on it there was my file.  I would assume it keeps the 4 channel files separate?


edit:  yet another question   mine came with a pny 16 gig card which I see many folks are using.  are their 8 gig versions just as reliable?  don't see why they wouldn't be but thought I'd ask.
 

[Ozpeter]

Just got mine back from the service people following its failure to work on external power.  Some little fuse blew apparently, but it seems like it was the first problem to be encountered in Australia and it took a while for a service manual to arrive from (?) Japan.

They are cheeper, lighter, take up no space, and there is no way you can knock the battery cable out.

It does run well on quality rechargeables, but if you use them with an external power pack as well, if the battery cable comes out or the external battery runs down, it carries on using internal power as if nothing had happened.

any side by side comparisons with the busman mods?

Well, there's a couple of threads going with discussions of whether anyone can hear modded versions of another item right now...  probably enough blood on the forum floor already!  I think the general view is that you are unlikely to be able really to distinguish in blind tests the results from stock and modded machines, but if you feel happier with mods, go for it.

Of course it sounds better with an external pre and a/d

Well, for the reasons given in the preceding para I won't suggest someone proving the difference with some samples for blind testing - enough already!