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Author Topic: Eight-channel bit bucket  (Read 4903 times)

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Offline heathen

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Eight-channel bit bucket
« on: January 08, 2019, 10:50:10 PM »
For a while I've been toying with the idea of a Raspberry Pi as a bit bucket, which is certainly not a novel idea.  I recently got the last piece I needed to try it out, and tonight I successfully tested it running eight channels.  My setup was purely a "proof of concept" sort of thing, and by no means ready for field use as-is.  Now that I know it can work, though, I'll probably take the next step of trying to get it into the field.  Here was my test setup:

* 8 mics running into a Zoom F8 in USB interface mode

* USB cable from the F8 to the Raspberry Pi 3

* Raspberry Pi connected to the official Pi touchscreen and a USB keyboard

* Pi powered with wall wart

I was able to record all eight tracks at 16/48 on the Pi using Audacity.  For the moment I am not quite sure how to change to 24-bit.  It might require using different software, or I may have just not found the right setting yet.  Or maybe it's not possible at all with this setup.  I didn't try a higher sample rate, but Audacity gave the option.

Anyway, I don't know if this is all that interesting, but it's a fun little project that I'm finding mildly amusing.
Mics: AT4050ST | AT4031 | AT853 (C/SC) | Line Audio CM3 | Sennheiser e614 | Sennheiser MKE2 | DPA 4061 Pre: CA9200 Decks: Zoom F8 | Roland R-05

Offline if_then_else

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2019, 02:14:03 AM »
Not really convinced by the sonic qualities (e.g. shielding) of the RPi. But you might want to consider running something like ecasound (https://ecasound.seul.org/ecasound/Documentation/examples.html) from the shell (or even remotely via SSH from your phone). It's capable of recording in 24 bit and would remove the need for the USB keyboard and the touchscreen.

Online tim in jersey

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2019, 02:55:15 AM »
For a while I've been toying with the idea of a Raspberry Pi as a bit bucket, which is certainly not a novel idea.  I recently got the last piece I needed to try it out, and tonight I successfully tested it running eight channels.  My setup was purely a "proof of concept" sort of thing, and by no means ready for field use as-is.  Now that I know it can work, though, I'll probably take the next step of trying to get it into the field.  Here was my test setup:

* 8 mics running into a Zoom F8 in USB interface mode

* USB cable from the F8 to the Raspberry Pi 3

* Raspberry Pi connected to the official Pi touchscreen and a USB keyboard

* Pi powered with wall wart

I was able to record all eight tracks at 16/48 on the Pi using Audacity.  For the moment I am not quite sure how to change to 24-bit.  It might require using different software, or I may have just not found the right setting yet.  Or maybe it's not possible at all with this setup.  I didn't try a higher sample rate, but Audacity gave the option.

Anyway, I don't know if this is all that interesting, but it's a fun little project that I'm finding mildly amusing.

That is actually very interesting. I've been wanting to mess w/ a Pi for sorta same purposes.

Fairly certain that the next-gen recorder we all want is gonna come from TS.com. Will be modular to fit everyone.

Offline heva

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2019, 03:34:37 AM »
Using a pi3 with an ECHO2 every now and then, controlling the pi3 over wifi from an iPhone.
It works nicely with alsa and 'sox' [which does the actual recording], all from commandline using a simple shell script.
One thing needed to fix dropouts in writes to the SDcard was to set the I/O scheduler to 'cfq' mode.
Also, have to keep the pi3 a bit away from mic.cables/echo2 because the wifi signal is quite strong and noticable in the signal.

Offline crunchy

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2019, 08:24:26 PM »
Good to know there are others working on a Pi recorder. I am working on a pi zero bit bucket for my V3 also using Sox. I’ll have to make a post if I end up doing anything that works out.

How was setting up the Pi the record with a usb audio device?

Offline heathen

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2019, 09:56:01 PM »
Good to know there are others working on a Pi recorder. I am working on a pi zero bit bucket for my V3 also using Sox. I’ll have to make a post if I end up doing anything that works out.

How was setting up the Pi the record with a usb audio device?

It was pretty much just plug and play. Really easy, to the point that it hardly felt like I accomplished anything. It might be different with another USB device, but I'm just speculating there.
Mics: AT4050ST | AT4031 | AT853 (C/SC) | Line Audio CM3 | Sennheiser e614 | Sennheiser MKE2 | DPA 4061 Pre: CA9200 Decks: Zoom F8 | Roland R-05

Offline seethreepo

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2019, 01:01:42 PM »
This is nothing I’d attempt but a picture of one In Action would ld be cool.
"Never heard anyone say that music was the thing that fucked up their day" 
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Offline IronFilm

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2019, 12:34:45 AM »
Fascinating!

If only the F8 maintained full 100% functionality in all ways while being a USB interface, then this would be a great solution for a quick and cheap back up of everything.

Offline malow

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2019, 06:37:38 AM »
i will get a tiny usb mixer that has a usb interface, and try to add a raspberry pi zero w to it for a "integrated recorder" (and run everything from batteries)

but, how limited are those portable recorders when using usb interface for recording?

Offline heathen

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2019, 09:09:57 AM »
i will get a tiny usb mixer that has a usb interface, and try to add a raspberry pi zero w to it for a "integrated recorder" (and run everything from batteries)

but, how limited are those portable recorders when using usb interface for recording?

I apologize but I don't understand your question.
Mics: AT4050ST | AT4031 | AT853 (C/SC) | Line Audio CM3 | Sennheiser e614 | Sennheiser MKE2 | DPA 4061 Pre: CA9200 Decks: Zoom F8 | Roland R-05

Offline heva

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2019, 02:51:29 PM »
This is nothing I’d attempt but a picture of one In Action would ld be cool.
Recording a reconstructed french baroque pipe organ.

Offline EmRR

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #11 on: January 16, 2019, 02:56:53 PM »
This is nothing I’d attempt but a picture of one In Action would ld be cool.
Recording a reconstructed french baroque pipe organ.

Cool.   Omni's on floor for boundary effect? 
Mics: DPA 4060 w/MPS 6030 PSU/DAD6001/DAD4099, Neumann KM 131, Oktava MK 012, Sennheiser MKH 105, MKH 20, MKH 30, MKH 40, MKH 800 TWIN
Recorders: Zoom F8n, Sony MZ-R50

Offline voltronic

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #12 on: January 16, 2019, 07:04:07 PM »
This is nothing I’d attempt but a picture of one In Action would ld be cool.
Recording a reconstructed french baroque pipe organ.

Earthworks omnis?

Would you please give us a hardware list?
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Offline malow

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #13 on: January 16, 2019, 08:49:14 PM »
I apologize but I don't understand your question.
"If only the F8 maintained full 100% functionality in all ways while being a USB interface"

what functionalities are lost when using usb interface?

Offline heva

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Re: Eight-channel bit bucket
« Reply #14 on: January 17, 2019, 03:14:12 AM »
This is nothing I’d attempt but a picture of one In Action would ld be cool.
Recording a reconstructed french baroque pipe organ.

Earthworks omnis?

Would you please give us a hardware list?

No, not Earthworks; found these in a music shop, they look like a silver colored version of the 'Monheim omnis'.
They turn out to be quite useful, some lift at 10kHz and less noisy than Superlux ECM999.
Chain: omnis @36cmAB angled out +-20' -> ECHO2 -> RaspPI3; powered by usb.battery [10.000mAh, runs for hours].



« Last Edit: January 18, 2019, 03:08:07 AM by heva »

 

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