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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: audiothings on July 11, 2008, 10:56:47 PM

Title: galaxy audio hdr2
Post by: audiothings on July 11, 2008, 10:56:47 PM
galaxy audio hdr2... $148...
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/GA-HDR2

(http://www.soundprofessionals.com/mas_assets/full/GA-HDR2.jpg)

the manual says 1.5 v of plug in power while the SP site says 4.5 v  ???
Title: Re: galaxy audio hdr2
Post by: flintstone on July 12, 2008, 09:20:07 AM
Thanks for sharing this news. 

The manual says the two knobs sticking out of the top of the recorder are volume control for external or internal mics.  So this machine has individual level controls for left and right channels. 

This recorder is unusual in the use of 1/4-inch jacks for external mics.  I think this is to allow direct input from electric guitars and other instruments.  Also unusual is that the internal mics stay active when external mics are plugged in.  You have to manually turn off the internal mics when you want them off.  This could be an advantage in a few circumstances (sing along with input from your electric instruments?), but I bet this feature will ruin a lot of otherwise good recordings!

A couple of limitations: The PCM recording maximum data rate is 44.1/16.  The signal to noise ratio of the preamp is 55 dB.  And the recorder is quite large, about the size of the Zoom H4.

At $150, including two lapel mics, the price is attractive.  I'm guessing, but I think the $175 Zoom H2 will prove to be a higher quality recorder.

Flintstone
Title: Re: galaxy audio hdr2
Post by: audiothings on July 14, 2008, 10:27:14 AM
just to add that customer support from soundprofessionals replied to my mail and said this:
Quote
We put a voltmeter on the inputs and got 4.5v

this would make it quite interesting... i'm guessing it can power several different mics without a separate battery box...

Title: Re: galaxy audio hdr2
Post by: jonbo on July 14, 2008, 10:50:04 AM
Looks really affordable - I wonder if it will be good?
Title: Re: galaxy audio hdr2
Post by: sunjan on August 01, 2008, 08:27:55 PM
...aka Swissonic MDR-2 aka Dynasonic PDR-1.

What the heck?! This old sucker keeps coming back under a new monicker again?  ::)

The same recorder was announced here on 2007-11-30, and has been rebranded twice:
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,94945.0.html
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,100890.0.html
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,103570.0.html

As I said...
Cheap ($129), but for the same money I could get a Hi-MD recorder, or throw in $30 and get a H120. I know what I'd take.   ;D
The mics supplied are probably useless too.

(http://images4.thomann.de/pics/bdb/203423/455875_800.jpg)
Title: Re: galaxy audio hdr2
Post by: heyitsmejess on August 02, 2008, 08:51:16 AM
for the price, its worth a try.

might be a decent box to dump my nak 300s into sans preamp.
Title: Re: galaxy audio hdr2
Post by: sunjan on April 21, 2009, 06:00:45 AM
Just for the record, I noticed this was rebranded again!
http://www.adjaudio.com/product.asp?ProductIDNumber=1377&cat=Products%20That%20Record

Now called "American Audio Pocket Record", but still very few redeeming features...  :P

(http://www.activemusician.com/images/store/small/DJ_POCKET-RECORD.gif)
Title: Re: galaxy audio hdr2
Post by: sunjan on July 30, 2009, 09:37:08 AM
Another rebranding of the same gadget?!  ???
Now called TSM Studio PR1....
These guys have set some kind of record in trying to repackage the same POS the most number of times...  ::)
Apparently targeting the Scandinavian market, retailing for 595DKK/995SEK incl a cheap pair of mics.

(http://studie.eskildsen.dk/productimage/gallery.asp?productnumber=50314&filename=47840_pakkeindhold.jpg)
Title: Re: galaxy audio hdr2
Post by: fmaderjr on September 04, 2009, 10:19:22 AM
The mics supplied are probably useless too.

Virtually 100% likely to be correct.

for the price, its worth a try.

Too risky in my opinion (unless you could buy it at a store with return privileges). I'm guessing it really sucks. For $160 shipped you can get a Tascam DR-07 on E-Bay which has been proven to be a good recorder for the money. And I think I've read posts saying it's internal mics are way better than average.
Title: Re: galaxy audio hdr2
Post by: notlance on September 04, 2009, 11:30:56 AM
"A couple of limitations: The PCM recording maximum data rate is 44.1/16.  The signal to noise ratio of the preamp is 55 dB."

55 dB S/N? Really?  That's awful.  You do have to give them credit for being honest, 'cause if they were lying, they'd come up with a bigger lie than that.  Unless this thing has digital in, the 44.1/16 data rate is not the biggest limitation.