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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: edtyre on January 08, 2012, 07:46:59 PM

Title: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: edtyre on January 08, 2012, 07:46:59 PM
I just scored a used Korg MR-2 at a decent price. Used it for the first time last night,
so i'll give you my first impressions and compare it to the MR-1.

The MR-2's size is a little different, it's narrower and a slight bit taller than the MR-1.
Battery door on the back is similar to the Sony M-10. It uses (2) AA Batteries and SD cards.
The screen is a lot smaller on the MR-2, the size and metering of the MR-1 was just wonderful
but the screen on the MR-2 has all the info you need, and i had no problems seeing everything at
the show last night.

Korg got rid of the scroll wheel on the right side and added a menu button right under the screen.
Now there are separate buttons for increasing or decreasing the input level on the left side.

The battery life is still to be determined, i used the unit last night for 2.5 hours recording and 1.5 hours
of playback and there are still two bars (out of three) showing on the battery level. I am using Powerex 2700 AA's.
Different from the MR-1, this unit can be powered by the USB connection. I tryed this at home and it works fine,
as soon as you plug in the USB, the battery level changes to a USB logo. There is no connector for external battery.

Another big difference i noticed is adding a lot of gain with the MR-2, last night an acoustic player opened and i recorded a test track
using max gain and then lowering it every minute or so. After listening, there was no noise i could hear even at max gain. On the MR-1
loads of extra noise would be introduced by adding too much gain.

The headphone out sounds very good. I must admit i never used the MR-1's headphone out so i can't compare.
Every time i put the MR-2 in my pocket, the unit turned on. No problem, i know to use the hold switch.

The inputs are now unbalanced mini stereo for both line and mic. No more dual balanced inputs.
Can't comment on the internal mics, i won't use them. I noticed a wheel on the upper right side to rotate them.

How about the important part? Hows the sound? Well......after recording one show, it's hard to say if the MR-2 sounds better than the MR-1.
In my opinion it sounds just as good. With the changeable batteries and powering by USB, and the ability to record to SD cards Korg addressed
all the problems with the MR-1. The only thing wrong is the price. B&H Photo has reduced the price to $499.00

Samples here : http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=388908



(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad159/edtyre2/IMG_2036.jpg)
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad159/edtyre2/IMG_2033.jpg)
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: beatkilla on January 08, 2012, 08:24:40 PM
Does the hold button lock the record level as well?And is it a slider button or do you engage by holding for 5 seconds or something?
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: tim in jersey on January 08, 2012, 08:49:31 PM
Hi Ed.

Could you snap a photo of the MR-2 next to the M-10 (I assume you still have the M-10).
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: edtyre on January 08, 2012, 09:09:43 PM
Does the hold button lock the record level as well?And is it a slider button or do you engage by holding for 5 seconds or something?
Yep hold locks the record level and its a slider on the side that you slide up and it clicks in place.
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: edtyre on January 08, 2012, 09:22:33 PM
Hi Ed.

Could you snap a photo of the MR-2 next to the M-10 (I assume you still have the M-10).
The MR-2 is longer, narrower and thicker than the M-10.....but not by much.
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad159/edtyre2/IMG_2037.jpg)
(http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad159/edtyre2/IMG_2038.jpg)
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: jb63 on January 09, 2012, 01:27:42 AM
Excellent, Ed!

AND you chose a show in whose thread no one will post gear questions about that korg.

:-)

Well, the bit about the acoustic set interests me. You are right: do that with the MR1 and you will hear a lot of noise added.

I really liked the dual balanced inputs. I'll miss them, and probably always try to keep one of the MR1's on-hand, just for that reason.
I'd still like to deal with the battery issue on those, but it will probably never happen... where are the damn batteries for those hiding?
There's a guy selling one on ebay "that won't power up" who states he has a new battery, but from where?
I still think the MR1 was the best-designed pocket recorder I've used.

I would definitely want to use the internal mics some day, you say a wheel on the upper right side to rotate them?
That sounds good. The idea of course, being that you may want to your recorder to have multi-uses, pull it out for interviews, impromtu acoustic jams, etc. You won't always have schoeps-in-a-box. That's why I like the PMD-620. Tiny & versatile. Unfortunately the oade mods kill the internal mics, and that's an important feature. WHen Korg updated the MR1, that was a big plus for me.

So far, the $499 is the cheapest I've seen it.
There's a shop in Canada selling 3 of these for $499 with the description stating "Please make an offer - no reasonable offer refused!"
I sent them a $300 offer but haven't heard back from them.
If they decline I can always just keep going up, but I think $300 should be about the top.

The inputs on the side kind of make it more look more clumsy than the M1 or the M10 in the picture, but it is still pretty...

I am dying to use one of these, even if I just end up going back to something else.

Oh!
What kind of card did you use? Do you format it in the machine?

Thanks again for taking the hit!

jb
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: edtyre on January 09, 2012, 01:44:35 AM
What kind of card did you use? Do you format it in the machine?

Just a standard sd card i was using in my R-44. Yes it had to be formatted in the Korg to work.
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: beatkilla on January 09, 2012, 11:35:11 AM
Looks nice but the mini jack input on the side is not gonna work for me,unless i get some really big pockets to run the deck sideways.
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: jb63 on January 09, 2012, 03:38:21 PM
Exactly!

I heard back from the shop.
They will go as low as $350.
Anyone here want me to see if they will sell 2-3 of them for $300?
Multiple units might make them go that low.
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: dgale on January 13, 2012, 10:52:23 AM
Looks nice but the mini jack input on the side is not gonna work for me,unless i get some really big pockets to run the deck sideways.

Why wouldn't you use a right-angle mini-plug?
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: beatkilla on January 13, 2012, 02:48:21 PM
I guess i like to be different than everybody.........currently all my mics are straight plug(i have had no issues with them in 8 or 9 years taping with them.)

I'll stick with the Sony M10 for know.
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: F.O.Bean on January 14, 2012, 01:47:29 AM
Loojks like a neat uinit. What is its MAX sample rate/bit depth?

I know the MR1 was something like 1-Bit 2.8kHz ??? does this go to 5.6kHz like the MR1000 did?
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: edtyre on January 14, 2012, 02:29:27 AM
After testing the battery usage a few times this week,
i can say that i'm gonna like this unit a lot more than my MR-1.

With (2) AA 2700 Powerex rechargeables i was able to get 6 hours record time.
I tryed this 3 times and got the same results after charging the batteries.
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: jb63 on January 16, 2012, 12:00:00 AM
I've still never had a chance to play with one, but I want to.
I'd still need to find one for under $350.

I love how simple the mr-1 was, this looks a bit more complex, but not problematically so.
Post more post more!

Let us know how the low / med / high switch works!
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: M on May 18, 2012, 11:29:13 PM
What shop in Canada is selling these for $350?

Also, does the hold switch lock out the power switch?
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: M on May 23, 2012, 09:43:43 AM
So I bit the bullet and dropped the 6 bills (ouch). I'm thinking DSF in the the format I should use? What are you guys finding is the "unity" setting? I use 13 on my R09 and 4.5 on my M10 if that helps.
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: fmaderjr on May 24, 2012, 04:55:58 PM
Looks like this still works. Less than $355 shipped. Normal price is $499, so I guess you're outside the US, M, if you paid $600.
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=153691.0
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: M on May 30, 2012, 01:08:50 PM
^yep, Canadian here.

The default gain setting is -12dB. I am assuming that this is the unity setting or close to it.

I did a battery test with Duracell alkalines and the recorder shut off at 1h50min (DSDFIFF all other settings off). I turned it back on and got another 10min. I recently bought a smart battery charger, now I just need some reliable high capacity rechargeables. Are the 2000mAh Eneloops the best? What do you guys reccomend?


Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: fmaderjr on June 03, 2012, 09:12:09 AM
now I just need some reliable high capacity rechargeables. Are the 2000mAh Eneloops the best? What do you guys reccomend?

They are very good, but I switched to the similarly priced 2400 mAh Imedions which seem to be just as reliable with longer run times. There are now 2500 mAh Eneloops, but they cost considerably more than the Imedions.

I would definitely limit myself to low self discharge NiMh's like these. LSD's seem to last longer before needing to be replaced in addition to holding their charge much longer. I just reconditioned my 5 year old Eneloops and 85% of them still tested out at > 2000 mAh.
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: M on June 03, 2012, 11:17:49 AM
What discharge and charge rate are you using?
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: MBHOTAPER on August 17, 2017, 01:15:17 AM
Looking at these for stealthing my mbho caps >  naiant ipa. Do theses have both a seperate left and right balance control? Would I run mic in or line in from an ipa set at 18db gain? Are the pres about the same? Thanks
Title: Re: Korg MR-2 Anybody Using One?
Post by: beatkilla on August 17, 2017, 09:16:40 AM
Looking at these for stealthing my mbho caps >  naiant ipa. Do theses have both a seperate left and right balance control? Would I run mic in or line in from an ipa set at 18db gain? Are the pres about the same? Thanks

No independent channel control.

A great deck though,but not easy to find these anymore.