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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: macroint on September 23, 2004, 01:05:43 PM

Title: Marantz CDR300 vs Superscope PSD 300...?
Post by: macroint on September 23, 2004, 01:05:43 PM
I retired from trading almost two years ago when it became obvious I couldn't control my trading habits...now that I have my act together, I'd like to mess it up anew by tackling taping with the same fervor I had for trading. Still in the research phase, but I'm quickly settling on going with either the Marantz CDR300 or the Superscope PSD 300 (I'm willing to spend up to $1200 for the recorder)...but I have yet to locate any taper reviews for the PSD 300. If anyone has any experience with it (or with the Marantz CDR300), please feel free to offer an opinion.

Still up in the air about mics, though, as a trader, I always had a preference for shows recorded with Schoeps. Most of my taping will likely not require stealth (which is good given that these CDR recorders are huge!). I'd be interested in hearing some opinions on mics (Schoeps preferred, but all others appreciated). Haven't set up a budget for them yet, but I expect somewhere between $1500-$3000 for a pair.

Thanks.....Jeff

Title: Re: Marantz CDR300 vs Superscope PSD 300...?
Post by: dnsacks on September 23, 2004, 01:19:15 PM
Unless everything you intend to tape will have sets that are less than 80 minutes in length (AND you can guarantee that the recorder will sit perfectly still and horizontal, I'd SEROUSLY reconsider going with a cdr recorder.   Instead, I'd look at dat or solid state devices such as the Tascam FR2 or a digimodded ua5/jb3 combo as your recording device. 

IMHO, much better not to have to worry about the 80 minute recording limit inherent to cdr, as well as the need to keep the device perfectly still as I believe a simple nudge of the player while recording will ruin the entire disk. 
Title: Re: Marantz CDR300 vs Superscope PSD 300...?
Post by: twatts (pants are so over-rated...) on September 23, 2004, 01:22:17 PM
Yeah, if you are willing to spend $1000 or so on a recorder, I'd get a Fostex FR-2 or a Marantz PMD 670 flash recorder.

Or the reliable DAT workhorses, the Tascam DAP-1 or Sony D10proII.

The CD burner as a recorder is not a good idea...

Terry



Title: Re: Marantz CDR300 vs Superscope PSD 300...?
Post by: macroint on September 23, 2004, 01:51:57 PM
>Unless everything you intend to tape will have sets that are less than 80 minutes in length

  This brings up one of the questions I had about using a CDR recorder: can't you just stop recording and change the disc before it reaches capacity?

>IMHO, much better not to have to worry about....need to keep the device perfectly still as
>I believe a simple nudge of the player while recording will ruin the entire disk. 

   Is that an assumption or based on experience? I thought about that as well, but haven't even seen it mentioned in any of the reviews I've read. Would definitely be a deal breaker if you were right...

>Yeah, if you are willing to spend $1000 or so on a recorder,
>I'd get a Fostex FR-2 or a Marantz PMD 670 flash recorder.

  I was leaning more towards the CDR recorder because I'm more or less computer illiterate...took me forever and a day to figure out EAC (and I was never confident that I had it set up right anyway). Based on the suggestions here, I took a quick peek at the FR-2 and PMD-670...based on the review I read for the PMD-670, even a tech retard such as myself should be able to figure this one out...though I wonder if the 64 mb card is enough? I've more or less convinced myself NOT to go for a DAT...and if what's been said about the CDR recorder is true, the solid states are looking better by the minute.

  Thanks for the advice.....Jeff

Title: Re: Marantz CDR300 vs Superscope PSD 300...?
Post by: twatts (pants are so over-rated...) on September 23, 2004, 02:04:47 PM

  This brings up one of the questions I had about using a CDR recorder: can't you just stop recording and change the disc before it reaches capacity?


Yeah, I'm sure you could.  But are you willing to stop and change discs during a hot jam???

   Is that an assumption or based on experience? I thought about that as well, but haven't even seen it mentioned in any of the reviews I've read. Would definitely be a deal breaker if you were right...

I have no experience with using one personally, but I do know that I early on stopped trading with people who used stand-alone burners becasue of the errors (skips, pops, etc) that arose DURING the copying process.  I just find it hard to believe that a CD burner will work well when there is a super-loud bass cabinet going off very few seconds in the background.



  I was leaning more towards the CDR recorder because I'm more or less computer illiterate...took me forever and a day to figure out EAC (and I was never confident that I had it set up right anyway). Based on the suggestions here, I took a quick peek at the FR-2 and PMD-670...based on the review I read for the PMD-670, even a tech retard such as myself should be able to figure this one out...though I wonder if the 64 mb card is enough? I've more or less convinced myself NOT to go for a DAT...and if what's been said about the CDR recorder is true, the solid states are looking better by the minute.

64mb is certainly NOT enough to tape a whole show.  You'll have to get several cards, and it'll end up woring like the disc burner:

http://www.marantzpro.com/Products/docs/PMD670_media_times.pdf

Really, if you want to spned that much money, get a FR-2.  They use the PCIMIA Hardrives that hold up to 5.0 gigs (plenty of space, a typical show is 3x 700 mb CDRs)

Or hold out for a Sound Devices 722 or 744...

Title: Re: Marantz CDR300 vs Superscope PSD 300...?
Post by: Lil Kim Jong-Il on September 23, 2004, 02:20:21 PM
I have been present when someone was running a CDR deck.  It wasn't pretty.  Think cassette flips with longer latency.

Title: Re: Marantz CDR300 vs Superscope PSD 300...?
Post by: bl6216@yahoo.com on September 23, 2004, 02:37:25 PM
Take a look here they cell the cdr300 and the psd 300 http://www.micsupply.com/index.html. Give them a call ask for Dave he used the cdr 300 at one time. It work geate but you can only work with 80mins at a time. I would go with a laptop or the njb3. I think that here is run the marante pmd-670 solid state recorder right know.  I hope that was of some help.