Are there any DIY chip development kits that could be used to build a very, very simple purpose-built but high-quality DIY audio recorder?
I'm talking a purpose-built bare-bones recording machine- Turn it on and let it fill a card and that's about all it does. No need for any fancy display, no playback, no switching, no mic powering. No need to adjust input gain once set initially via trimpots.
Was beyond the realm of possibilty 10 years ago, but perhaps now within the realm of the reasonably imaginable for a competent DIY project builder, certainly within the capability of someone like Jon as long as the necessary chips and support tools are available from the chip manufacturers. Are the capabilities of off-the-shelf chipsets now integrated enough to minimalize the support circuitry required to even consider the possibility of something like this?
With no obvious replacement appearing for the DR-2d's 4-channel mode in an easily pocketable recorder, I'm left wondering about this possibility. I'd like 5 channels at minimum but I really can't see TascaSonyRolaZoom offering anything like that except in larger unpocketable machines which include XLR inputs.
Outside-
A small box with a power on/off switch and Record/Stop switch, power LED, cliping indicator LED, card slot, battery holder, and mulitple unbalanced inputs.
Inside-
Inputs > input buffers with level trimmer pots > ADC hip > control chip, formating data for writing > SDHC card. 24/48 only is fine.
Most would be content with 2 channels. I need at least 5, but 6 or 7 would be welcome and I think appropriate 6 and 8 channel all-in-one ADC chips are available so make it 6 or 8 channels.
KISS- Keeping It Simple and Small with reliable operation are the keys here. Not really interested in an interface to a recording app on a phone.
Crazy or possible?