Topic: what are the pros and cons of the jb3?

[setboy]

hey all

i'm thinking about geting a JB3 and wanted to know any pros or cons and how to get by the cons and maybe just why you picked it or didn't pick it

thanks

Raphael

 

[Sean Gallemore]

http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=14;action=display;threadid=16338

[Humbug]

I think he meant compared to other recording devices:

Pros: Better sound than minidisc, no media (so tape flips), low cost. Easy transfer of recordings. Same sound quality as DAT. Decent battery life, particularly if you add a second battery.

Cons: Larger size, sensitive to knocks / and or overheating which can lead to shutting down, discontinued. Internal A>D apparently not the best in the world, although you can always upgrade and buy an external A>D (I haven't).

Never used a DAT, but I bought a JB3 instead of a minidisc and never regretted the decision.

[F.O.Bean]

hey bro, the jb3 fluffer that i am, i say fuck dat, go jb3

i just ditched dat after running it from 97 till present and i aint looking back

pro's:3 minute transfers over firewire, 3 hrs wav span(like having a 90m dat tape in basically), new tracks are a breeze w/ the newest firmware, holds 20 GB, thats alot of music in 16/48k

cons: 6 hr batt life (altho, thats perfect for most of you), optical input (id much rather have a coax input, but whatever!!!) i think its size is perfect since ive been toting around a portable cd player for years (and this is basically an exact replica!!)

[drumminj]

con: you'll have to carry a stick with you as well to beat off all the ladies that come runnin'!

[jimmc]

People keep saying the JB3 is discontinued.... is it?  I'm just curious if anyone knows for sure or if this is still the same old rumor from 6 months ago that was floating around.

That said, I love the JB3.  Also, my JB3 has gotten warm, but it has never shut down.  I started w/ MD and the JB3 blows it away.  As Bean said, fast transfers and no more spending money on media. Also, the internal A/D isnt that bad IMHO.  It is better than the A/D in most MDs, I'd dare to say. Yeah, an external A/D would be better, but that is true in almost all cases.
Jim

[John Kelly]

Con:  You need a PC to transfer any shows you tape.  

[Scuba Jeremy]

Con:  You need a PC to transfer any shows you tape.  

Why is that a con? I mean, with the exception of standalone CD burners, what else would you use?

Or are JB3s not compatible with Mac?

[jpschust]

not compatable with mac.  no software

[Scuba Jeremy]

Ahhh. Right on.

[nickgregory]

Con-your only archival copy of your tape will be on whatever you put it onto from the PC...CDR in most cases...and with production quality of CDRs, you have varying lives of the masters.  This vs. DAT tapes, which I have not yet had a problem with crapping out, yet I have had a problem with CDRs flaking away

[F.O.Bean]

ive been using verbatims w/ an archival life supposedly of 100 yrs. so i should be good there, also pholks, save your original copy in a flac format untouched/unedited....

[John Kelly]

ive been using verbatims w/ an archival life supposedly of 100 yrs. so i should be good there, also pholks, save your original copy in a flac format untouched/unedited....

Why?  I started to do this but gave up a while ago.  Seemed like I was burning a ton of extra CDs for no reason.

[nickgregory]

ive been using verbatims w/ an archival life supposedly of 100 yrs. so i should be good there, also pholks, save your original copy in a flac format untouched/unedited....

my problem is that 100 years is unproven....could be right, could be wrong...I know that I have had Sonys, Fujis, Verbatims, manuf in Taiwain, Japan and India...all fail within 5 years...seems to be hit or miss on those estimates in my opinion...

[Brian Skalinder]

No Mac support - unfortunate.

No original media backup - easily mitigated.  I keep my audio copy and a FLAC copy, and I distribute almost all of my recordings (at least those I give a damn about) to others (archive.org, bluegrassbox.com, or just the broader trading community at places like bt.etree.org.  If my FLAC'd recordings are distributed in the trading pool, they're backed up, IMO.