Taperssection.com
Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: Nick's Picks on February 09, 2008, 04:19:37 PM
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This weekend was my first outing w/the new Oade HD mod Fostex fr2le.
this is a *tapers deck* ! way cool features.
1. ergonoics.
the layout of this deck blows its big brother away (the fr2). Having the gain and the trim *on the same face* is a godsend. the straight fr2 had the trim on top and the gain on the front. it sucked.
This box is barely larger than a Marantz 660. Very close to a 722 in size, but a little thicker (and lighter).
Its plastic...so its not exactly SD/Grace build quality..but it is fine.
2. Metering
This is where things get good. on the top LCD screen you get the same cluttered layout as the FR2. Metering is good. Nice little segmented bars w/a quick peak hold that you easily calibrate. Hard to see in the bag though...but they thought of that. It also has LEDs on the front, which you can see easily when you have it sitting up in a gear bag. These meters just show you the peak level, and nothing behind it. They stay lit up for about 2 seconds. The meters run in db from 48 24 12 6 3 and over. So you know that if you are recording 24 bit and peaking at -6db, you are in the neighborhood of being -8db to -4db (averaging at -6db, which is the LED segment). So it gives you an "at a glance" average of your levels. the low tech approach, you could say. I think its handy as hell.
3. Battery
BRAVO FOSTEX !
takes a 7.2v RC battery. Has a built in locking Tiama plug. Comes w/a RC sized AA sled that you can load 4xAAs into. I get 5 hours of record time (light on, though unnecessary) on 2900mAh NiMH's. It will run for a few hours more w/a 3800mAh 7.2v RC battery.
Also powers very nicely w/my custom Toshiba laptop batteries that output around 12v when fully charged, though I have not tested them to see how the deck reacts as voltage drops (yet). It wants 12v DC ...according to the manual.
Phantom is software controlled (no switch) so its either on or off, and it remembers its settings when you turn it off. Note to self w/that..., either keep it off and turn it on manually when you are recording, or keep it on and remember to plug your mics in *BEFORE* you turn it on. wouldnt want to damage a mic by plugging it into a hot jack.
As for the HIGH DEF mod, I dont know what it sounded like stock, but this thing is super 3d sounding. very detailed. I like it ...thus far.
I'll be uploading lots of recording w/this unit in the coming weeks, and a full review on nickspicks.com is pending.
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oh, and this may have (and likely has) been covered in the previous 25 page thread...but I didn't read through that before acquiring the deck.
:)
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Having the gain and trim on the same face isn't that big a deal unless you record with different mics often. If you record with the same mics then adjusting the trim isn't really necessary once you get them set and when you do all further adjustments are made with the level knob. If you audition various mics frequently it's a very nice feature, especially if you keep the deck in a bag. Only two complaints, the trim knobs are tiny and the small indent is very difficult to see. Marking the indent with some type of paint/nail polish etc is almost mandatory. A trip to rat shack to see if there are some larger knobs that will fit over the stock knobs is on my "to do" list.
Metering, make sure you update the firmware to the latest version to take full advantage of the front meters. After getting used to the LCD screen on the FR2, I find myself using the LCD screen on the LE more than I use the front LEDs. Very nice to have the option.
Power options, best setup I've seen and hands down the best on any recorder I've owned. Except for the first time, I've run it on 2500mAh AAs. They weren't fully charged the first time I ran it so I plugged in a 9.6v 3000mAh RC battery to the built in Tamiya connector and it ran fine. The 9.6 didn't fit in the battery compartment but I ran in the open and didn't have to worry about space limitations. Can't say I would recommend making a regular habit of it but the unit hasn't exhibited any signs of damage from the additional voltage. I figured if it could run on 6v (4AAs), 7.2 (the RC that fits the battery compartment) or 12v from the ac adapter the 9.6 would be ok.
While I still prefer the FR2, the LE will get regular use and in unfamiliar venues and those that don't allow much room for tapers, the LE will be the "go to" deck.
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when adjusting the trim pots (which are tiny, you're right) I look at the levels, not the lines. I dont care where the lines are.
:)
I see your point though.
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Three questions...
Can't say I would recommend making a regular habit of it but the unit hasn't exhibited any signs of damage from the additional voltage. I figured if it could run on 6v (4AAs), 7.2 (the RC that fits the battery compartment) or 12v from the ac adapter the 9.6 would be ok.
[It] takes a 7.2v RC battery. Has a built in locking Tamiya plug. Comes w/a RC sized AA sled that you can load 4xAAs into. I get 5 hours of record time (light on, though unnecessary) on 2900mAh NiMH's. It will run for a few hours more w/a 3800mAh 7.2v RC battery.
Also powers very nicely w/my custom Toshiba laptop batteries that output around 12v when fully charged, though I have not tested them to see how the deck reacts as voltage drops (yet). It wants 12v DC ...according to the manual.
-If it will run on anything from 6-12V, that's good to hear. I'd also like to know the minimum voltage before shutdown when you get a chance to run that test.
the layout of this deck blows its big brother away (the fr2). Having the gain and the trim *on the same face* is a godsend.
-Where do you have the trim set with the Beyers?
-Lastly, will this take a board feed without overloading? 1/4" or XLR ins?
EDIT: link to Part I
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,62698.0.html
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it looks as though it will take that voltage range..., but further testing w/an external source is needed.
the rechargeable AAs I use certainly dont put out 6v between the 4 of them. More like 5.8 and change...
It will take 1/4" inputs via the combo jack. and you can set it for line level operation. I'm not sure how this MOD affects that though, and i'll be asking Doug some questions along those lines.
as far as "can it handle it"..., beats me.
for the beyers, I'm running the gain at around 10 and the trims at around noon. That was a bit hot for normal 24bit recording though. But...thats how I roll.
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At the Lincoln I was able to run at 3 on the trims no problem with the 480's and we all know how hot those things run. Of course that was with the House PA...
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Nice summary.. I've been following the other thread but it is long... This device deserves a FAQ to help new/potential users get up to speed.
I have never seen anyone explain the gain range available. With a v3, it is obvious. With a 722, it is obvious.. Anyone have it sorted out for the fr2le?
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I don't see a FR2-LE HiDef mod on Oades website. Which mod are you talking about?
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Its new...and I believe mine is the first. but not sure.
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Its new...and I believe mine is the first. but not sure.
You've got the first ACM version I believe. Mine's a warm type.
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So... you don't know what you have?....HD is such a buzz word.... I would want to know.
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no, i know what I have. the HD mod..., and it is ACM like. it was going to be "super advanced concert mod", but after listening Doug decided to call it the High-Definition MOD.
whatever...
it has ACM sounding characteristics.
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no, i know what I have. the HD mod..., and it is ACM like. it was going to be "super advanced concert mod", but after listening Doug decided to call it the High-Definition MOD.
whatever...
it has ACM sounding characteristics.
And sounds really good on the Duo pull. "Efortless" is the best buzz word I can come up with in the transparency of the box. Can't wait to hear what you come up with later in a less limiting room. Those beyers are a nice surprise as well.
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Good enough. Did you happen to get a test report graph.. I'd be interested in the mod if someone would test it and put it on paper.
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no, Doug does not offer that afaik.
yea, those Beyers are leaving me quite happy.
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has anyone ever had any problems shutting down the unit? it has happened to me twice where the unit wont shut down, but i stop the recording fine, pop out the flash card and then shut down. info is not lost on the CF card.
anyone know whats happening?
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has anyone ever had any problems shutting down the unit? it has happened to me twice where the unit wont shut down, but i stop the recording fine, pop out the flash card and then shut down. info is not lost on the CF card.
anyone know whats happening?
My unit has never done what you describe...
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i have never taken out my CF card with the deck on still, FWIW
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no trouble here
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no trouble here
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guess i'll see if i can repeat it and let yall know the details if i can.
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Checking in here..... AKG 461 > FR-2LE
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Nick
glad to hear you are so stoked on this deck!
I am stronngly considering one as my all in one box
probably get a busman mod
wondering if
anyone ever uses the limiter for acoustic shows where the crowds louder between songs than the music?
also
where is the best place to get a good high MAH 7.2v RC battery and charger?
peace
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I'm a big fan of Thomas distributors when I need batteries of any kind.
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wondering if
anyone ever uses the limiter for acoustic shows where the crowds louder between songs than the music?
peace
This seems like a troublesome solution for that problem. Since it's menu driven setup, you'd have to have the limiter on for the whole performance which could interfere with the music side of the project. Unfortunately I still think doing this in post would be a better choice.
Now I have used a limiter in the past at Bluegrass festivals with unattended gear after getting a good ballpark signal just in case someone joins in and fools the engineer.
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wondering if
anyone ever uses the limiter for acoustic shows where the crowds louder between songs than the music?
peace
This seems like a troublesome solution for that problem. Since it's menu driven setup, you'd have to have the limiter on for the whole performance which could interfere with the music side of the project. Unfortunately I still think doing this in post would be a better choice.
Now I have used a limiter in the past at Bluegrass festivals with unattended gear after getting a good ballpark signal just in case someone joins in and fools the engineer.
oh ok did not realize it was a menu set up deal...
and was wondering if it was a nice limiter, but
your point is well taken
Post is usually easier to dial things in
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I'm a big fan of Thomas distributors when I need batteries of any kind.
great Nick!
but do you have a link?
all I could fine was a j Thomas distributors
and they sell every thing...
is that right?
-- Ian
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He means this place:
http://www.thomas-distributing.com/index.htm
They offer great prices on lots of stuff...
that said, when I owned a FR-2LE I bought a couple batteries and a charger here:
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1299
Hope that helps :)
I'm a big fan of Thomas distributors when I need batteries of any kind.
great Nick!
but do you have a link?
all I could fine was a j Thomas distributors
and they sell every thing...
is that right?
-- Ian
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Would anyone know where to buy a car charger to charge the 7.2 4200mAh batteries described in the post above this one? Thinking of picking one up for Langerado in case I cannot find AC power anywhere.
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same place sells them.
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He means this place:
http://www.thomas-distributing.com/index.htm
They offer great prices on lots of stuff...
that said, when I owned a FR-2LE I bought a couple batteries and a charger here:
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1299
Hope that helps :)
I'm a big fan of Thomas distributors when I need batteries of any kind.
Jmos
thanx
the other link with the double battery and charger looks like a good deal!
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Would anyone know where to buy a car charger to charge the 7.2 4200mAh batteries described in the post above this one? Thinking of picking one up for Langerado in case I cannot find AC power anywhere.
Why not get a DC > AC converter and use your car's cig lighter as a remote power generator? Then just use your regular RC battery charger. I bought mine last year from Wally World for $30 and it worked like a champ all weekend long. Just remember to give your cars battery a recharge now and then, but even if your car battery voltage goes low, most chargers will cut off before draining your car battery dead. If you're REALLY worried about a dead car battery, pack your jumper cables as an emergency back up plan.
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2. Metering
This is where things get good. on the top LCD screen you get the same cluttered layout as the FR2. Metering is good. Nice little segmented bars w/a quick peak hold that you easily calibrate. Hard to see in the bag though...but they thought of that. It also has LEDs on the front, which you can see easily when you have it sitting up in a gear bag. These meters just show you the peak level, and nothing behind it. They stay lit up for about 2 seconds. The meters run in db from 48 24 12 6 3 and over. So you know that if you are recording 24 bit and peaking at -6db, you are in the neighborhood of being -8db to -4db (averaging at -6db, which is the LED segment). So it gives you an "at a glance" average of your levels. the low tech approach, you could say. I think its handy as hell.
The LCD screen on the fr2le is actually more cluttered than that on the fr2. I didn't find the LCD meters on the le as detailed and readable as those on the fr2, mainly in the all important -6 to 0 range. The fr2 meters went across the whole length of the lcd where as the le meters are compacted to show Phantom Power, HPF and Limiter status. I do like the addition of the front panel LED's and especially the front panel 'mic-pre clip' LED. Does anyone know when they added that one? I wasn't expecting it as the photo of the unit on the oade site don't have them. Very handy feature for sure.
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Would anyone know where to buy a car charger to charge the 7.2 4200mAh batteries described in the post above this one? Thinking of picking one up for Langerado in case I cannot find AC power anywhere.
Why not get a DC > AC converter and use your car's cig lighter as a remote power generator? Then just use your regular RC battery charger. I bought mine last year from Wally World for $30 and it worked like a champ all weekend long. Just remember to give your cars battery a recharge now and then, but even if your car battery voltage goes low, most chargers will cut off before draining your car battery dead. If you're REALLY worried about a dead car battery, pack your jumper cables as an emergency back up plan.
I will probably do this, or just buy one more battery. Did some tests yesterday and I was getting more than 13 hours on a single 4200mAh 7.2v RC battery. Had the display lights off and the phantom on powering my 460s. Think I should be fine with 3 batteries for the whole weekend. (Hopefully)
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has anyone ever had any problems shutting down the unit? it has happened to me twice where the unit wont shut down, but i stop the recording fine, pop out the flash card and then shut down. info is not lost on the CF card.
anyone know whats happening?
fortunately i have not been able to cause this to be repeated. but afaik, if the recording is stopped, the CF cards can be "hot swapped" or changed without shutting down the unit... What do others think of this practice?
the one time i did it was the time quoted above, but no data was lost.
luke
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has anyone ever had any problems shutting down the unit? it has happened to me twice where the unit wont shut down, but i stop the recording fine, pop out the flash card and then shut down. info is not lost on the CF card.
anyone know whats happening?
fortunately i have not been able to cause this to be repeated. but afaik, if the recording is stopped, the CF cards can be "hot swapped" or changed without shutting down the unit... What do others think of this practice?
the one time i did it was the time quoted above, but no data was lost.
luke
I was testing my battery on this unit a few days ago and something similar happened. Couldn't shut down the unit, so I took out the flash. Still couldn't shut down the uinit so I disconeected the battery and then plugged it back in and everything was fine. Files were still there on the CF card, and no issues with the formatting.
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I was testing my battery on this unit a few days ago and something similar happened. Couldn't shut down the unit, so I took out the flash. Still couldn't shut down the uinit so I disconeected the battery and then plugged it back in and everything was fine. Files were still there on the CF card, and no issues with the formatting.
any ideas on what caused that?
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just ordered by stock fr2le
now i need a battery
while i am off to search old threads if anyone sees this and can give me a link it would be appreciated
(i know i want 7.2v rc)
thanks
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just ordered by stock fr2le
now i need a battery
while i am off to search old threads if anyone sees this and can give me a link it would be appreciated
(i know i want 7.2v rc)
thanks
Where did you order yours from? Do you plan on getting any mods done to it?
I don't know what Oade mod people like/get the most of. The wmod seems like it would be the one everyone would like but then I notice the HDMod...
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just ordered by stock fr2le
now i need a battery
while i am off to search old threads if anyone sees this and can give me a link it would be appreciated
(i know i want 7.2v rc)
thanks
Where did you order yours from? Do you plan on getting any mods done to it?
I don't know what Oade mod people like/get the most of. The wmod seems like it would be the one everyone would like but then I notice the HDMod...
i got it off ebay $400 shipped
i am going to send it to busman for the mod when i get the money for that
in the meantime i will do some stock shows
i found some batteries for it
does anyone know if the 3300 vs the 3600mAh makes that much difference in run time?
now i need to find a charger - i didn't realize these were so expensive
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I was testing my battery on this unit a few days ago and something similar happened. Couldn't shut down the unit, so I took out the flash. Still couldn't shut down the uinit so I disconeected the battery and then plugged it back in and everything was fine. Files were still there on the CF card, and no issues with the formatting.
any ideas on what caused that?
no idea, i was running the unit for like 12 hours straight testing batteries, so that might have been an issue. nothing seemed fucked up, so no harm no foul i guess???
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Here is a link to a recording I did with the Busman Cards > FR-2LE (stock).
http://www.archive.org/details/bridge2008-02-16.flac.16
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just ordered by stock fr2le
now i need a battery
while i am off to search old threads if anyone sees this and can give me a link it would be appreciated
(i know i want 7.2v rc)
thanks
Where did you order yours from? Do you plan on getting any mods done to it?
I don't know what Oade mod people like/get the most of. The wmod seems like it would be the one everyone would like but then I notice the HDMod...
i got it off ebay $400 shipped
i am going to send it to busman for the mod when i get the money for that
in the meantime i will do some stock shows
i found some batteries for it
does anyone know if the 3300 vs the 3600mAh makes that much difference in run time?
now i need to find a charger - i didn't realize these were so expensive
Check out ebay. A while back I got a package deal of 2x 3300 mAh batteries and a smart charger for like 50 bucks. One battery will run it for a looong time. You could probably do 1 day of a festival on a fully charged battery.
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just ordered by stock fr2le
now i need a battery
while i am off to search old threads if anyone sees this and can give me a link it would be appreciated
(i know i want 7.2v rc)
thanks
Where did you order yours from? Do you plan on getting any mods done to it?
I don't know what Oade mod people like/get the most of. The wmod seems like it would be the one everyone would like but then I notice the HDMod...
i got it off ebay $400 shipped
i am going to send it to busman for the mod when i get the money for that
in the meantime i will do some stock shows
i found some batteries for it
does anyone know if the 3300 vs the 3600mAh makes that much difference in run time?
now i need to find a charger - i didn't realize these were so expensive
Check out ebay. A while back I got a package deal of 2x 3300 mAh batteries and a smart charger for like 50 bucks. One battery will run it for a looong time. You could probably do 1 day of a festival on a fully charged battery.
thanks i got 2 3500 with smart charger for $54 shipped
now i just hope everything gets here by next tues
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just ordered by stock fr2le
now i need a battery
while i am off to search old threads if anyone sees this and can give me a link it would be appreciated
(i know i want 7.2v rc)
thanks
Where did you order yours from? Do you plan on getting any mods done to it?
I don't know what Oade mod people like/get the most of. The wmod seems like it would be the one everyone would like but then I notice the HDMod...
i got it off ebay $400 shipped
i am going to send it to busman for the mod when i get the money for that
in the meantime i will do some stock shows
i found some batteries for it
does anyone know if the 3300 vs the 3600mAh makes that much difference in run time?
now i need to find a charger - i didn't realize these were so expensive
Check out ebay. A while back I got a package deal of 2x 3300 mAh batteries and a smart charger for like 50 bucks. One battery will run it for a looong time. You could probably do 1 day of a festival on a fully charged battery.
here's one from this thread.. or the other
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1299
2 4200mAh batts and charger
:)
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You can also get some good battery and charger prices at all-battery. I bought mine for my FR2-LE here as well as other batteries and have been very satisfied.
http://www.all-battery.com/ (http://www.all-battery.com/)
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for the record batteryspace and all battery are the same place
all battery is much cheaper on ebay then .com
i got 2 3600 w/smalrt charger for $52 shipped
should be here next wed
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Has anyone tried running a SBD > FR2LE yet? Just wondering how it takes the hot signal.
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so i did some in home tests
i didn;t realize you had to ajust the gain for both r/l the same
what are you guys doing it your mics are not matched? use the trim to match them?
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so i did some in home tests
i didn;t realize you had to ajust the gain for both r/l the same
what are you guys doing it your mics are not matched? use the trim to match them?
I'd use the trim to match the levels if they are off a bit, and then you can keep the main gain adjusters together...although you can also just offset the main adjusters a bit. They are pretty stiff, and will stay offset.
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man i love this box more and more every day i use it and have had a few busy weeks since i got it. the oade wmod is great. it'd be great to hear it up against similarly flavored busman mod. anyone got the ability to do such a comp?
best would be oade/stock/busman. pretty sure ive got the only one around town here...
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so i did some in home tests
i didn;t realize you had to ajust the gain for both r/l the same
what are you guys doing it your mics are not matched? use the trim to match them?
I'd use the trim to match the levels if they are off a bit, and then you can keep the main gain adjusters together...although you can also just offset the main adjusters a bit. They are pretty stiff, and will stay offset.
+T
i didn;t want to put to much pressure on them, good to know they actually do split though
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What are people using for bags / cases?
I want a small bag for the fr2-le, pelican 1020,
cables and shocks. Nova 3?
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Re: Mic trimmers
The settings of the mic trimmers (and monitor output) are very hard to see because they are small and black. There is a small marker line on the end of each trimmer shaft, but that is impossible to see too. So I placed a little white paint into the marker line and it is so much more visible and easy to adjust and see where they are set in the field. Hope this helps someone...
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Checking In
Picked up a stock FR2LE from ebay and Im lovin it. Taped MMW in Northhampton last Friday and this box makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
As for bags. I use a Cairn II. It holds my pelican 1060, Cables, 2 C Clamps, notebook, tbar and shock mounts...batteries, media, flashlight, leatherman, pretty much everything I need to take over the world...
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Feel the love of the group for what I call the the ugly duckling, it really is a swan in the quality of the pulls and operations. Nick, great review of this box. +T
I have done two pulls with it, just finished one with my new Peluso's and Hypers, will post this on LMA this weekend for everyone to take a listen. I am very happy my combo, this box does not get in the way of the pull.
I use an older Laptop bag, where the laptop would go I put the FR2LE, face meters up so I can check on it. It holds my mics and all accessories, does not draw a lot of attention and is small. And of course because it was laying around the house, very cheap.
I will be sending mine off to Busman shortly and will in the future be able to offer a comparison before after when I get it back.
I am grateful this box is getting the warm reception it deserves.
Tim
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i use this bag to keep the fr2le secure in my other bag thats got cables/mics/shocks/stand/etc etc etc.
REI Lode Waistpack - http://www.rei.com/product/747530 (http://www.rei.com/product/747530)
i posted this already, but i will again cause its perfect for the fostex. in the front pocket of the lode you can keep a spare batt and cf cards.
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What are people using for bags / cases?
I want a small bag for the fr2-le, pelican 1020,
cables and shocks. Nova 3?
the 3 was recommend in the team fr2le thread BUT the 3 would be a super tight fit because the inside of the nova 3 is 9.1" and the fr-2le is 8.11"
thus you would need RA cables AND it would still be tight
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I've used mine a 1/2 dozen times now and really like it. I've just been running with energizer 2200mah batteries which still have plenty of juice after the typical 2 1/2 hour show I record(4h15m at home when tested). We'll see how they hold up but at $10 for a set of 4 and 15min chargers I'm content for now. Agree with the trim setting being hard to see, I've got to get around to putting some white marks on them like suggested. LCD metering is good and the front LED's really provide for non-obnoxious, easy to see level monitoring. The one thing I've start doing is putting a piece of gaffers tape to lock the main gain in place after it's set. Depending on the crowd I'm in I might completely tuck away the recorder. The main gain is not nearly as stiff as the trim and it getting moved once is all it took.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/akg480/fr2letapeoff-1.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/akg480/fr2letapeon-1.jpg)
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Anyone running a pre in front of this? I ran Sonosax>FR-2LE the other night results were less than stunning.
Are the mic trim knobs disabled when going 1/4 in and phantom off? I wold think so but wasn't sure.
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Anyone running a pre in front of this? I ran Sonosax>FR-2LE the other night results were less than stunning.
Are the mic trim knobs disabled when going 1/4 in and phantom off? I wold think so but wasn't sure.
I have..
v2>rca out> ts in on fr2le.. The trim knobs are disabled when running with phantom off "line in"..
I ran a comp once.. one set with v2, one set without and to be honest the difference isnt astounding. the v2 made it a little tighter, however it was less open sounding. that could be because the signal is running through more electronics though..
Although, my point might be moot because my unit is an oade tcm modified one..
why do ya say the results were "less than stunning"?
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why do ya say the results were "less than stunning"?
I think it was operator error. I had the gain really cranked on the sax, b/c it didn't seem like I was getting levels on the fostex, so I have some distortion in places.
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why do ya say the results were "less than stunning"?
I think it was operator error. I had the gain really cranked on the sax, b/c it didn't seem like I was getting levels on the fostex, so I have some distortion in places.
ah yes.. when I ran the v2 in front the first time, I ran the v2 pretty hot and it "looked" like I was bouncing off zero the whole time.. In reality, I was clipping throughout the whole recording (verrrrrrrry slightly)... I have been running the fr2le (with the v2 in front) at about -4 or-5 since with good results..
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Anyone running a pre in front of this? I ran Sonosax>FR-2LE the other night results were less than stunning.
Are the mic trim knobs disabled when going 1/4 in and phantom off? I wold think so but wasn't sure.
I have run my Wendt in front of it for Ratdog. I liked how it came out. I am going to run it this spring with and without the pre for a comparison.
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I am looking at getting a Fostex FR2-le and am wondering if I should hang on to my AD-20 for the pre, or go without and use what the recorder provides? Seems like most here run mics>Fr2-le, but there are some that add a pre to the chain. Thoughts? TIA.
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I haven't heard a stock one yet, but i've read (here and elsewhere) that it is respectable and doesn't' brickwall all that easily.
anyone?
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I am looking at getting a Fostex FR2-le and am wondering if I should hang on to my AD-20 for the pre, or go without and use what the recorder provides? Seems like most here run mics>Fr2-le, but there are some that add a pre to the chain. Thoughts? TIA.
you can't run a ad20 with a fr2le because the ad20 has no analog out and the fr2le has no dig in
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I am looking at getting a Fostex FR2-le and am wondering if I should hang on to my AD-20 for the pre, or go without and use what the recorder provides? Seems like most here run mics>Fr2-le, but there are some that add a pre to the chain. Thoughts? TIA.
you can't run a ad20 with a fr2le because the ad20 has no analog out and the fr2le has no dig in
+T
Well that about does it then as they are not compatible. I'll get the fr2le, sell my Denecke gear and then probably get a Busman mod and hear how it sounds.
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I had a weird thing happen with my FR2LE last night. At the end of the show, I stopped the recording and it appeared to save and write the file fine. Then I went to power down. Held the power switch up for the usual few seconds, and nothing happened. The display stayed on, the unit stayed powered on. I tried playing with the switch a number of times, holding it up for a LONG time. Nothing worked. Eventually, I had to just yank the battery to get it to shut off. I think my file is saved fine, but I haven't checked yet. Has anyone experienced this issue before? I will do some testing this evening... kind of scary though.
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dont recall ever having that happen to me.
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has anyone ever had any problems shutting down the unit? it has happened to me twice where the unit wont shut down, but i stop the recording fine, pop out the flash card and then shut down. info is not lost on the CF card.
anyone know whats happening?
fortunately i have not been able to cause this to be repeated. but afaik, if the recording is stopped, the CF cards can be "hot swapped" or changed without shutting down the unit... What do others think of this practice?
the one time i did it was the time quoted above, but no data was lost.
luke
I had a weird thing happen with my FR2LE last night. At the end of the show, I stopped the recording and it appeared to save and write the file fine. Then I went to power down. Held the power switch up for the usual few seconds, and nothing happened. The display stayed on, the unit stayed powered on. I tried playing with the switch a number of times, holding it up for a LONG time. Nothing worked. Eventually, I had to just yank the battery to get it to shut off. I think my file is saved fine, but I haven't checked yet. Has anyone experienced this issue before? I will do some testing this evening... kind of scary though.
still have not had it happen again, but it happened, was scary, and i thought oh f***. The show was fine. i took out the CF card before popping out the batt and nothing was lost.
was your battery low? how long was it on, not that that should matter, but we should get to the bottom of this.
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has anyone ever had any problems shutting down the unit? it has happened to me twice where the unit wont shut down, but i stop the recording fine, pop out the flash card and then shut down. info is not lost on the CF card.
anyone know whats happening?
fortunately i have not been able to cause this to be repeated. but afaik, if the recording is stopped, the CF cards can be "hot swapped" or changed without shutting down the unit... What do others think of this practice?
the one time i did it was the time quoted above, but no data was lost.
luke
I had a weird thing happen with my FR2LE last night. At the end of the show, I stopped the recording and it appeared to save and write the file fine. Then I went to power down. Held the power switch up for the usual few seconds, and nothing happened. The display stayed on, the unit stayed powered on. I tried playing with the switch a number of times, holding it up for a LONG time. Nothing worked. Eventually, I had to just yank the battery to get it to shut off. I think my file is saved fine, but I haven't checked yet. Has anyone experienced this issue before? I will do some testing this evening... kind of scary though.
still have not had it happen again, but it happened, was scary, and i thought oh f***. The show was fine. i took out the CF card before popping out the batt and nothing was lost.
was your battery low? how long was it on, not that that should matter, but we should get to the bottom of this.
The battery was fully charged before the show. The show was 2.5 hours long. It was a 4200mah RC battery, so there was MORE than enough juice. It still showed nearly full when I pressed stop at the end of the night. Interesting that the same thing happened to you. I wonder what it could be. What batteries do you use?
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when it happened to me i think i was using a 7.2v 3300mah NImh Rat shack rc battery.
my other battery is a NICD 7.2v 2000mah. maybe it was this one and the setting was wrong on the fr2le? but i dont think i have ever used the NIcD batt.
i had just run for a 2.5 or so hour show where i turned off the machine at set break and powered back up fine. the battery may have been a bit low as id run it for a few shows, but was no where near dying. hmmm :hmmm:
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I just made a couple of test recordings of the home stereo, constantly bumping the level meters off of 0, with an OL or two. Listening to the recording through a wav editor, I hear a crackle at the OL spots. The rest sounds fine, but the waveform looks like there was a lot of clipping. The side LED was at -3 almost constantly. I take it this is not how y'all are running the unit? Do you just try to get the levels near, never touching, 0 (assuming 16-bit)? I guess I've been spoiled by the metering of my Rockboxed iRiver - most accurate metering I've ever used.
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I would suggest doing some tests with a clean sinewave and gradually increasing levels.. The sinewave makes it easy to see distortion creeping into the waveform. You might try low and high frequency waves.
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i aim for -6db and add gain in post if needed at 24 bit. no need to push the thing to 0db. ever.
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I just made a couple of test recordings of the home stereo, constantly bumping the level meters off of 0, with an OL or two. Listening to the recording through a wav editor, I hear a crackle at the OL spots. The rest sounds fine, but the waveform looks like there was a lot of clipping. The side LED was at -3 almost constantly
That sounds exactly like what happened to me during a show while 24-bit recording when I was testing the limits of the trim/gain. I had the mic trim all the way open and the rec level at about 1:00. Got a small crackle at the loudest parts of the recording that went OVER. The strange thing is that for whatever reason it was the left channel that was a couple dB louder, lighting up OVER more than the right, and had the mic peak indicator lit the whole time yet the crackle is only audible on the right channel?? That puzzled me. All considered though it handled pretty darn gracefully as I expected the recording to be completely ruined. Needless to say I won't be running that hot again, ever.
I've used this deck for about 12 shows so far and have to say that I'm loving it. Congrats to Fostex for the battery options. Currently just using energizer e2 batteries and I completely fill up a 4 gig card @ 24/48 (with phantom, no backlight, continuous metering) without the battery dropping 1 bar--very impressive. Been using SanDisk Ultra II with no problems, but have yet to try 24/96 with them.
-james
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i aim for -6db and add gain in post if needed at 24 bit. no need to push the thing to 0db. ever.
Yeah, old habits die hard. And I do still plan to run 16-bit at some shows. With my M1 and my iRiver, I know exactly when I have clipped (OVER indicator on the M1, backlight lighting up on the iRiver). I assumed the OL indicator served the same purpose on the Fostex, but I guess not.
I believe the mic trim knobs work as attenuators of the signal from the mic, and the main recording level control knob controls overall recording level. Anyone know if the OL indicator is linked to the mic level? It doesn't seem so from the manual (that's what the mic peak light is for), so there must be an undetermined level where you can be bouncing the levels off of 0, and clipping the waveform, and still not set off the OL indicator. Am I the only one seeing this?
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i aim for -6db and add gain in post if needed at 24 bit. no need to push the thing to 0db. ever.
This makes sense digitally. I don't know how the box is wired but if were looking at variable resistors for the pots in an analog world it's better to have less resistor. Fortunately we have a large test group and a few folks that know what's going on inside the thing.
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the side meters should only be used as a ref point imo
if you want to see where you are really at you should check the top lcd screen
i have watched both and the side are always slightly different then the top
add to the fact that the side goes in -6, -3, 0 you could see -3 lite up but really be at -1
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the side meters should only be used as a ref point imo
if you want to see where you are really at you should check the top lcd screen
i have watched both and the side are always slightly different then the top
add to the fact that the side goes in -6, -3, 0 you could see -3 lite up but really be at -1
concur.
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I use the side meters but try not to let the peaks get over -6 on that meter... which should be fine on the top. Haven't had any clipping issues thus far. YMMV.
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the top meeters are more of a loose range.
from page one:
So you know that if you are recording 24 bit and peaking at -6db, you are in the neighborhood of being -8db to -4db (averaging at -6db, which is the LED segment). So it gives you an "at a glance" average of your levels. the low tech approach, you could say. I think its handy as hell.
due to the layout of the LEDs, -12db , -6db, -3db
so Like I said, if you see -6 lit up, that means your are somewhere around -8db > -4db
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i'm probably gonna pick up another battery/charger combo. right now ive got a "5hr charger" with a switch to toggle between Nimh and Nicd. i dont know if this will recondition the batts, but i would like to get a charger that will.
suggestions?
thanks
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the top meeters are more of a loose range.
from page one:
So you know that if you are recording 24 bit and peaking at -6db, you are in the neighborhood of being -8db to -4db (averaging at -6db, which is the LED segment). So it gives you an "at a glance" average of your levels. the low tech approach, you could say. I think its handy as hell.
due to the layout of the LEDs, -12db , -6db, -3db
so Like I said, if you see -6 lit up, that means your are somewhere around -8db > -4db
Exactly, so the -6 dB peak approach is probably fairly good... if you let it get into the -3 dB LED too much, you *might* run into some clipping...
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Here is a recent NMAS show I recorded with this box.
Avantone CK-1 Hypers > Busman T-Mod FR2LE
I'm quite happy considering it was a crappy sounding place to tape.
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,101921.0.html (http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,101921.0.html)
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what kind of batteries and chargers are yall using?
I have 2 7.2v batts. one is NiMH the other NiCD. do i have to change battery type on the menus in the machine?
thanks,
luke
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yes you have to change the battery type in the menu
i use a 7.2 3500 rc and get approx 5-6hrs
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From the manual
To operate the FR-2LE with batteries, insert four commercially available AA alkaline, Ni-
Cd or Ni-MH batteries to the supplied battery case and set it to the unit, or set a Tamiya
battery to the unit.
am i correct in thinking i have 2 tamiya batts one in nicd and one nimh? In which case i would not have to change any settings - correct?
im asking cause my nicd batt only lasts for a few hours whereas the nimh seems to last forever.
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From the manual
To operate the FR-2LE with batteries, insert four commercially available AA alkaline, Ni-
Cd or Ni-MH batteries to the supplied battery case and set it to the unit, or set a Tamiya
battery to the unit.
am i correct in thinking i have 2 tamiya batts one in nicd and one nimh? In which case i would not have to change any settings - correct?
im asking cause my nicd batt only lasts for a few hours whereas the nimh seems to last forever.
I *think* that if you set it to the 7.2 V (Tamiya) setting it does not matter what type you have...
but I coold be wrong
as there is only one 7.2v setting
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It appears that my FR2LE auto-senses the when a 7.2v battery is in the unit and sets the battery type to "RC7.2". But...I do not believe it auto-senses correctly when you have a non-Tamiya type battery installed. The manual does indicate that you must set the battery type (when the RC7.2 is not installed) to the correct type (e.g. NiMH, NiCd, Alkali).
As for the type of RC7.2 battery type being used (NiMH or NiCd), it shouldn't matter as long as your battery type is set to "RC7.2" on the unit.
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I believe the mic trim knobs work as attenuators of the signal from the mic, and the main recording level control knob controls overall recording level. Anyone know if the OL indicator is linked to the mic level? It doesn't seem so from the manual (that's what the mic peak light is for), so there must be an undetermined level where you can be bouncing the levels off of 0, and clipping the waveform, and still not set off the OL indicator. Am I the only one seeing this?
There is a peak LED for the mic-pre amp on the side of the unit. Lowest LED in the side level LED array. Is this what you are looking for? I didn't want to state the obvious, but no one seem to discuss the MIC PEAK LED. I set my mic trimmers so that the MIC peak LED never lights and keep my top level meters below 0dB and I haven't experienced any clipping problems (even when looking at the waveforms in Samplitude on my PC).
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I believe the mic trim knobs work as attenuators of the signal from the mic, and the main recording level control knob controls overall recording level. Anyone know if the OL indicator is linked to the mic level? It doesn't seem so from the manual (that's what the mic peak light is for), so there must be an undetermined level where you can be bouncing the levels off of 0, and clipping the waveform, and still not set off the OL indicator. Am I the only one seeing this?
There is a peak LED for the mic-pre amp on the side of the unit. Lowest LED in the side level LED array. Is this what you are looking for? I didn't want to state the obvious, but no one seem to discuss the MIC PEAK LED. I set my mic trimmers so that the MIC peak LED never lights and keep my top level meters below 0dB and I haven't experienced any clipping problems (even when looking at the waveforms in Samplitude on my PC).
this is what i do too
you could have the mic OL or the gain OL light come on at different times, but don't want either to come on ever imo
i set the trims around 1-2 oclock for 480s
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this is the charger i use.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062121 (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062121)
that battery pack sucks and im gonna replace it. any opinions on the charger? should i replace it as well?
oh yeah, i realized why my nicd isnt nearly as nice as the nimh. no brainer, kinda feel like an idiot 2000mah vs. 3300mah.
Does anyone use the 4200mah tamiya batts?
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I'm using this.
http://www.batteryjunction.com/rc7-2v4500.html
And this
http://www.batteryjunction.com/unsmch.html
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this is what i do too
you could have the mic OL or the gain OL light come on at different times, but don't want either to come on ever imo
i set the trims around 1-2 oclock for 480s
Agreed. MIC Peak LED or recording level OL LED should never light. I try to keep a good margin and leave lots of "headroom".
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this is the charger i use.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062121 (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062121)
that battery pack sucks and im gonna replace it. any opinions on the charger? should i replace it as well?
oh yeah, i realized why my nicd isnt nearly as nice as the nimh. no brainer, kinda feel like an idiot 2000mah vs. 3300mah.
Does anyone use the 4200mah tamiya batts?
I use a 3800 NiMH battery pack and that is more than enough to run the deck with phantom mic power for many many hours. I've tape 4 hours straight and the battery indicator still indicates full. I bought this battery/charger combo and have been very happy with it. The charger is small and fast.
http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1604 (http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1604)
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I run my fr2le with a 8gb transcend x133 card in the last week and I got very minor digital clicks a few times in my recordings. I used different mics and it is present on all of them. Previously I used a 6gb hitachi microdrive and I did not experience this issue. Any idea what can cause this?
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i dont know what your deal is but when tring different mics did you use the sam cables?
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I used the following setups
AT4051a - Klotz kabel - Fr2le
AT853rx - fr2le
Sound Professionals AT853 mini xlr plug - Nady phantom adapter - Fr2le
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is the unit stock? are you pushing the pre's hard?
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same thing has happened to me using the same cards, but doesn't happen all the time, only randomly.
edit: here's a screen shot of the most recent "digi click"
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/jbanyai97/Untitled-1.jpg)
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i should also mention that i have (3) kingston 4GB 45x cards that work w/o issue.
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It is a stock unit. Pre was not really pushed, small knobs were between 12:00-02:00 hours, big one was around 2 clock. Levels were peaking between 6-3 db.
It is a very very quit click only, it is hard to hear, but once I started to hear it is bugging me.
I will start to use again the microdrive to see if that works better. I made only 2 recording with microdrive and they look spotless.
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same thing has happened to me using the same cards, but doesn't happen all the time, only randomly.
edit: here's a screen shot of the most recent "digi click"
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/jbanyai97/Untitled-1.jpg)
Wow I would have to pay close attention to find that. Fortunately that should be easy enough to pencil out if it doesn't happen often.
I'm using Transcend and so far I don't believe I've had a problem.
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Ya, the weird thing was, I highlighted the "problem" area, deleted it, and there was no loss of music continuity. I had thought there might be an audible "skip" but there wasn't.
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Ya, the weird thing was, I highlighted the "problem" area, deleted it, and there was no loss of music continuity. I had thought there might be an audible "skip" but there wasn't.
It looks like less than 1/500th of a second. Shouldn't be missed.
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Were you running on batteries or AC when you got this click? I'm hoping it was something like a noise spike from the AC line. Dedicated recorders shouldn't hiccup like that. I could understand it if it were a computer (Windows, OS X, Linux, etc.) but not a dedicated recorder.
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Were you running on batteries or AC when you got this click? I'm hoping it was something like a noise spike from the AC line. Dedicated recorders shouldn't hiccup like that. I could understand it if it were a computer (Windows, OS X, Linux, etc.) but not a dedicated recorder.
7.2v 4200mAh RC battery pack
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It looks like less than 1/500th of a second. Shouldn't be missed.
That is so completely not the point...
The original poster did not mention how and whether they have attempted to reproduce this problem at home in controlled conditions.. That seems like the next step.
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It looks like less than 1/500th of a second. Shouldn't be missed.
That is so completely not the point...
The original poster did not mention how and whether they have attempted to reproduce this problem at home in controlled conditions.. That seems like the next step.
I ran the exact same setup the next night, in the exact same spot, with the exact same cables/recorder and did not have the weird "click" noise. And yes, I agree with you that the length of the problem isn't the issue, it is the fact that there is an issue at all.
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Has anyone notified Fostex about this?
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Nor did i suggest it was. I don't have an answer for the problem, I was just pointing out that removing it in this case is easy enough.
It looks like less than 1/500th of a second. Shouldn't be missed.
That is so completely not the point...
The original poster did not mention how and whether they have attempted to reproduce this problem at home in controlled conditions.. That seems like the next step.
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Another thought is that if you were using condenser mics, they could have picked up an airborne RFI/EMI spike. I dread to think it is the recorder, and the fact that it happens so infrequently makes it hard to reproduce and diagnose.
Were you using a memory card from the Fostex "approved" list? If not, that would be a clue. We know this click wasn't due to Windows or OS X trying to "do" something (e.g. wireless networking) and locking out CPU cycles.
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The approved card list is very limitied imho on the fostex site. only 2 120x cards are approved over 2 gigabyte size. The 120x Transcend card is hard to get now. only 133x are widely available.
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I was using a Transcend 8gb 133x card. I had similar errors with my right channel during Langerado, so I just figured it was the CF card and not the recorder.
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My right channel has a loose XLR input. So I have to have the cable sitting just right or I don't get a signal.
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My right channel has a loose XLR input. So I have to have the cable sitting just right or I don't get a signal.
the one on the "right" on mine is not as tight as the one on the "left"
but i get a signal without issue
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I was using a Transcend 8gb 133x card. I had similar errors with my right channel during Langerado, so I just figured it was the CF card and not the recorder.
Condenser mics I presume? Unless the recorder itself hiccuped the only other possibility I can think of is the condenser mics picking up an RF glitch.
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I was using a Transcend 8gb 133x card. I had similar errors with my right channel during Langerado, so I just figured it was the CF card and not the recorder.
Condenser mics I presume? Unless the recorder itself hiccuped the only other possibility I can think of is the condenser mics picking up an RF glitch.
Ya, condensers, (akg460) That's possible, I did have my cables duct taped to the cables leading from the stage snake to the FOH.
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I'm more inclined to think the culprit is the mic rather than the cables. Back in the days of television when everybody had a roof antenna or rabbit ears, a car driving down the street with a noisy ignition system would make the picture break up due to RF interference (your basic spark gap). I'm thinking along those lines.
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I read elsewhere that the battery level meter is rather inaccurate, and I got lucky on my first taping experience not to run out of power. I decided to run some tests to see what would work best in the field. Here are my results.
Gear and Settings
Microphones
Beyerdynamic mc930; published power consumption 4.6 mA
FR-2le
48V Phantom power: ON at startup
Mic trim: 12:00
Monitor: 10:00
Recording level: 3:00
Resolution: 16/44
CF Card: A-Data 4GB Speedy (60x)
Battery
-Internal 4xAA, alkaline: Duracell, pre-test voltage, 6.4v
Total recording time: 2:40:12
-Internal 4xAA, NiMH: Radio Shack 1800 mAh, pre-test voltage, 5.59v
Total recording time: 2:18:04
-Internal 4xAA, NiMH: Kodak 2500 mAh
Total recording time:
1st test, pre-test voltage, 5.61v: 2:57:27
2nd test, pre-test voltage, 5.37v: 2:09:35
-External, 8xAA NiMH, Radio Shack 1800 mAh
Total recording time:
1st test; pre-test voltage, 10.88 (11.19 at full charge): 4:29:17
2nd test; pre-test voltage, 11.03: 4:47:38
(*this pack will power a UA-5 for ~ 3 hours with 2 mA mics (AT835rx), ~2 hours with 6.4 mA mics (Audix M1290))
-External, 8xD alkaline, wired in series for 12v output, with 0-15v panel volt meter; deck ran until voltage dropped to ~5.75v, though I didn't start with a fresh pack. I'd estimate ~15 hours run-time with new batts**, but the shutdown voltage reading was the key piece of information in this test.
[Edit: **After some real-world field use, I have some updated results. I was able to record 32+ hours on a new set of Duracell D batteries, and the battery level meter still showed about 60% (~10 volts). Yeah. Figure in another 20-25% additional time the unit was in standby mode for sound checks, and the capacity of this simple and inexpensive pack is phenomenal. I could use these same batteries next year and they could record another whole festival. No expensive RC batts and chargers for me, thanks.]
Voltage dropped ~1.5v under load. By comparison, the UA-5 will drop voltage only ~.5v under load w/phantom engaged. The pack has a 1.1A PTC resettable fuse which never engaged. I don't know the draw of the FR-2le, but the AC adapter is marked 1A. The best news is that the battery level meter actually worked with this external pack. The FR-2le ran for several minutes after the battery icon showed totally dead. The meter usually showed half-full only minutes before shutdown with NiMH. I didn't take careful notes on the meter with the internal alkaline test.
I am still puzzled by some of these results, particularly at the difference in internal vs external powering. I tried using a plain 9v alkaline battery externally, but I didn't have a fresh one, and the ones I had wouldn't power the unit up. It seems that there needs to be a lot of juice to get it going, but is very power-efficient once powered (*see my UA-5 comment above). Best of all, for me at least, is that I now have a reliable pack for festival use and I know when to change the batteries. This isn't likely to be helpful for anyone else since 8 D cells might as well be lead.
Hopefully someone with more electronic knowledge can elaborate on these results.
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I was using a Transcend 8gb 133x card. I had similar errors with my right channel during Langerado, so I just figured it was the CF card and not the recorder.
Condenser mics I presume? Unless the recorder itself hiccuped the only other possibility I can think of is the condenser mics picking up an RF glitch.
Ya, condensers, (akg460) That's possible, I did have my cables duct taped to the cables leading from the stage snake to the FOH.
Here is the show where this glitch occurred, and hopefully the fix isn't noticeable at all : http://www.archive.org/details/jgb2008-05-03.akg460.flac16
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So
I am
Posting
this again
because
using my FR2_LE stealth
(at Return2Forever)
it happened again!
I could not power
it off
I am running
a PoweriZer 4200mah NiMh Taymia battery
and have the deck
in a "fanny pack"
both time running Neuman KM 140's
its not a big deal
I use (menu option) turn off the phantom, wait, then unplug the batter pack
file saves okay
and every thin is intact
just wondering if any one else had this issue?
it
one though is that may be some how when the unit gets hot
it behaves poorly... like It won't let me shut it down???
any one else ?
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is this only happening when stealthing?
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is this only happening when stealthing?
well
yes
the last 2 outings
I used the deck at
were
other times not... with different mics
and at home to drain the batts
no issues
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It happened to me once running openly... wasn't able to duplicate it in testing. Seems to be just one of those flukey bugs.
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+t to all that stealth this shoe box! :cheers:
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i'm wondering if when you stealth its overheating or something
if its not happening any other time
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hard to imagine a machine w/ no moving parts overheating. i have never had this problem fwiw.
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hard to imagine a machine w/ no moving parts overheating. i have never had this problem fwiw.
true but if it only happens when its packed inside a hip pack - thats all i could think of
:-\
i never had any probs either knock on wood
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the one time it happened to me it was sitting out on a table and never moved. my only theory which may not be plausible is that the battery reached some magical place where it would not allow the machine enough juice or something to shut it down. it would be very nice to find an answer to this problem
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it's weird, when I tried to turn it off between sets I couldn't
I do know that packed in the pack it does get pretty hot in there
it's also only happend when I had Neuman KM140's plugged in to it
I have some gigs between now and the 2-week of july
and I really don't want to send it in with a RMA to Fostex as was suggested until after that...
I'll see if it does it again...
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Does anyone know what a blinking red light on the Tenergy charger means? Sometimes it's solid red, sometimes it blinks. When it's done it's solid green.
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quick question,
Just got my FR2-LE in the mail (thanks Aberg!) and in doing some initial testing, it doesn't appear that my AT853rx xlrs are locking securely into the slips in the deck. I think I remember reading someone else had a similar problem, but can't seem to find it. Has this been encountered in the past? Any suggestions on how to deal with it?
Thanks!
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quick question,
Just got my FR2-LE in the mail (thanks Aberg!) and in doing some initial testing, it doesn't appear that my AT853rx xlrs are locking securely into the slips in the deck. I think I remember reading someone else had a similar problem, but can't seem to find it. Has this been encountered in the past? Any suggestions on how to deal with it?
Thanks!
are you talking about the phantom power modules connected to the 853's? I have the at853rx's (with the modules to power them with p48) and dont have a problem at all..
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quick question,
Just got my FR2-LE in the mail (thanks Aberg!) and in doing some initial testing, it doesn't appear that my AT853rx xlrs are locking securely into the slips in the deck. I think I remember reading someone else had a similar problem, but can't seem to find it. Has this been encountered in the past? Any suggestions on how to deal with it?
Thanks!
are you talking about the phantom power modules connected to the 853's? I have the at853rx's (with the modules to power them with p48) and dont have a problem at all..
yeah, the hardwired AT8533x power modules. Maybe I'm not pushing hard enough or something, but they don't seem to "click" into place so that you need ot press the silver release lever on the deck to remove them. I'm a bit worried that they could just pull out of the deck in stealth situations.
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IIRC, mine "click" in.. but I'd have to check again at a later time..
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I'm looking to buy an FR2LE. There is someone onsite that I could get an Oade mod from, but while searching, I came across this:
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,106560.0.html
$450 Buy it Now on eBay; 6 units remaining. The seller's feedback is very positive. Does the unit s/he's selling on eBay look like it's missing anything, or is it just a really good deal?
(BTW, once I pick up an FR2LE, I'm going to need your guys' help to help me get all the necessary accessories (currently building my first rig). Here's a direct link to the item: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370065462198
Please help me make an educated decision on this item-- the low price shocked me, so I'm coming to you guys for input. Thanks!
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pull the trigger. the only accessories you need (besides mics/cable/etc) is batteries and cf cards.
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pull the trigger. the only accessories you need (besides mics/cable/etc) is batteries and cf cards.
How many batteries and total CF card storage space would you guys bring to a 3 day festival?
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pull the trigger. the only accessories you need (besides mics/cable/etc) is batteries and cf cards.
How many batteries and total CF card storage space would you guys bring to a 3 day festival?
batteries.. 4 7200mah or 6/7 5400mah should do it.. but that would be for every note..
as for the CF storage... depends on the bitrate/samplerate mostly..
16bit 44k 2 hours per gig
24bit 44/48 about a gig an hour
24/96 half that....
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About overheat with no moving parts, the hot temp is not due to motors or anything, but to regulators converting voltages inside.
It would be a good idea to get to the hot part and feel how hot it gets. If you can keep your finger on it the part will usually be fine.
If you can't keep your finger then the part will need some heatsinking, which may be provided or not. If it's not then some DIYing may improve on that.
In any case, such a mod should be carried on by someone who knows what he's doing, so as not to cause any short circuits or invalidate the warranty.
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pull the trigger. the only accessories you need (besides mics/cable/etc) is batteries and cf cards.
How many batteries and total CF card storage space would you guys bring to a 3 day festival?
I would have two Tamiya batteries and the fast charger. The Tamiya doubles the battery time of the LE and the fast charger can charge by mains or in the car while you are using the other battery - so you can always have power, even miles from the mains.
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Have my BSC1s. FR2LE is on the way. I need to order the rest online (quickly) so it'll all be here in just under two weeks for some shows. I don't know what I'm doing. Cables: what should I get and from where? 90-degree angled on the mics end would be nice. Stand: I have the T-Bar that came with the BSC1... where can I get a stand that would mount this? Batteries: Who's a good online vendor? CF card: Who's a good online vendor and what's a reliable brand?
Hope I'm not missing anything. Please help so I have time to practice setting up and taking down my gear before it's used in the field.
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edit: Helped in another thread. Ignore this post.
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Have my BSC1s. FR2LE is on the way. I need to order the rest online (quickly) so it'll all be here in just under two weeks for some shows. I don't know what I'm doing. Cables: what should I get and from where? 90-degree angled on the mics end would be nice. Stand: I have the T-Bar that came with the BSC1... where can I get a stand that would mount this? Batteries: Who's a good online vendor? CF card: Who's a good online vendor and what's a reliable brand?
Hope I'm not missing anything. Please help so I have time to practice setting up and taking down my gear before it's used in the field.
you can get cables from lots of places - depends what you want copper, silver, ra, length
you want a light stand typically and depending on the end of the stand and your tbar you might need an adapter
batteries seem to be cheapest on ebay
the fr2le doesn't seem top be to picky with cards, i am running adata 16gb
if you really want to make it easy though (i think) you can get everything from b&h although its not going to be the cheapest way to go
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if I'm not mistaken, there is a brand new set of FR2-LE compatible batts + charger in teh yardsale right now ($50). Not mine...
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,107038.0.html
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Thanks for the replies. Ordered the cables today. Have a light stand planned for purchase; and, after waiting for input from the guy who sold me the FR2LE, I'll be picking up batteries along with an 8 gig A-data card. Once this is done, so is the rig... for now >:D
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the fr2le doesn't seem top be to picky with cards, i am running adata 16gb
I have 2 A-Data 16GB cards (one bought new from Newegg, one in the YS), but I have not been able to re-format either of them in the Fostex. I had to use Disk Utility to erase them first, and then I could format them. Luckily, I checked this at the last minute, literally, just before leaving for a festival. Had no problem recording, but I am curious if my cards are somehow different from yours. Have you reformatted yours in the deck without issue?
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How many batteries and total CF card storage space would you guys bring to a 3 day festival?
I've updated my post about battery results. Want 75+ hours? You might consider an external 8x D-cell sled. Scroll down to the edited paragraph.
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,98557.msg1389778.html#msg1389778
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the fr2le doesn't seem top be to picky with cards, i am running adata 16gb
I have 2 A-Data 16GB cards (one bought new from Newegg, one in the YS), but I have not been able to re-format either of them in the Fostex. I had to use Disk Utility to erase them first, and then I could format them. Luckily, I checked this at the last minute, literally, just before leaving for a festival. Had no problem recording, but I am curious if my cards are somehow different from yours. Have you reformatted yours in the deck without issue?
i have ONLY reformatted in the deck
and i have had no issues at all using the card (record, transfer, format, record then transfer in a different unit, reformat in a different unit after recording in the fr2le)
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Thanks for all the info people. Looking at an upgrade.
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"Want 75+ hours? You might consider an external 8x D-cell sled..."
Not sure how this is possible. An AA cell has about 2850 mAh, a D cell 20,500 mAh. That's roughly 7 times more power in a D cell. If the FR2-LE runs about 4 hours on 8 AA cells, then it should run about 28 hours on 8 D cells.
Flintstone
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i know its splitting hairs, but the fr2le will run about 3-4 hours on 4 AA batteries. with phantom on.
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Dang, wrong again! :P
Let's try this arithmetic again. If the FR-2LE lasts 4 hours on four AA batteries,
then eight D cells should power it for 56 hours. That's still quite a
bit short of the 75 hours claimed in the earlier post.
I have to admit, 56 hours of recordings is a very long time! You'd need a pocketful
of Compactflash cards. Still, if you plan be away from a power source for a week,
this power sled would be good insurance.
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The power draw of the mics used will also affect battery time quite a bit. 56 v 75 hours isn't that huge a difference, percentwise. I get a similar proportional difference in run times using my LSD2 vs my power hungry Audix Micros.
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The 75+ figure is just an extrapolation of my results, so it may be an inflated number. Still, if my 32 hours is only 40% of the pack's capacity (based on the deck's battery level meter), that would put the figure at 80 hours. If the current draw isn't linear (or, faster as the voltage drops), the total number of hours could be significantly less. I can't be certain until I run it dead, but I don't really plan to just to prove a point. For the record, my mics draw 4.6 mA each, so they are average. The LSD2 draws less, the Audix more.
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Would a pair of DPA 4060s go well with the FR2-LE?
(I was thinking about buying a pair of DPA 4060s with the MMA 6000 pre-amp for my recorder, but then it struck me that the price of the MMA 6000 alone (in Norway) is higher than me buying a FR2-LE off eBay ... which got me thinking, and since I don't own a recorder with 48V ... well, you catch my drift :) )
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Would a pair of DPA 4060s go well with the FR2-LE?
(I was thinking about buying a pair of DPA 4060s with the MMA 6000 pre-amp for my recorder, but then it struck me that the price of the MMA 6000 alone (in Norway) is higher than me buying a FR2-LE off eBay ... which got me thinking, and since I don't own a recorder with 48V ... well, you catch my drift :) )
You would have to get some DPA Phantom Power adapters as well to do this (without the MMA6000). I don't recall the model number of those adapters, but if you have a look at the accessories for the 4060's on the DPA website you will find them. The 4060's need about 9V, and the FR2LE will give them 48V. Those adapters convert the microdot connector to XLR and also drop the power to 9V.
I have run 4060>MMA60000>FR2LE a few times lately. The ONLY time I was happy with the results was running the 4060's split about 6 feet outside (at Red Rocks). The other times have been running them in my hat FOB at a few shows. When the sound where you are is great, the 4060's are awesome. If the sound isn't so great...so is your recording.
Anyway...I'd much rather have something different than the 4060's in most situations.
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You would have to get some DPA Phantom Power adapters as well to do this (without the MMA6000).
I'm thinking of the SMK 4060 kit (matched pair plus accessories), which I'm pretty sure includes those adapters. Maybe. I think. It's not a large sum of money in any case.
I have run 4060>MMA60000>FR2LE a few times lately. The ONLY time I was happy with the results was running the 4060's split about 6 feet outside (at Red Rocks). The other times have been running them in my hat FOB at a few shows. When the sound where you are is great, the 4060's are awesome. If the sound isn't so great...so is your recording.
Hmm. You're one of the first people I've heard being negative towards the 4060s. I won't be using it to tape shows (mostly field recording of soundscapes, instruments, sound effects material etc.), so perhaps we have different needs.
I wouldn't mind hearing about the other mics you'd rather use, though. :)
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Hmm. You're one of the first people I've heard being negative towards the 4060s. I won't be using it to tape shows (mostly field recording of soundscapes, instruments, sound effects material etc.), so perhaps we have different needs.
I wouldn't mind hearing about the other mics you'd rather use, though. :)
i have no experience with them myself but i have read here a few times that they are "picky" mics and if the room sound isn't the best they are not good to use compared to some other more forgiving mics
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You would have to get some DPA Phantom Power adapters as well to do this (without the MMA6000).
I'm thinking of the SMK 4060 kit (matched pair plus accessories), which I'm pretty sure includes those adapters. Maybe. I think. It's not a large sum of money in any case.
I have run 4060>MMA60000>FR2LE a few times lately. The ONLY time I was happy with the results was running the 4060's split about 6 feet outside (at Red Rocks). The other times have been running them in my hat FOB at a few shows. When the sound where you are is great, the 4060's are awesome. If the sound isn't so great...so is your recording.
Hmm. You're one of the first people I've heard being negative towards the 4060s. I won't be using it to tape shows (mostly field recording of soundscapes, instruments, sound effects material etc.), so perhaps we have different needs.
I wouldn't mind hearing about the other mics you'd rather use, though. :)
I'm not sure about field recordings.
They are great mics, but in tough situations (poor sounding venues, running stealth) they can be tough. If it sounds good, they sound great.
I would imagine that running them for field recordings would provide great results as you are unlikely to run into the trouble you can FOB (and stealth) at a concert.
I have had good results at shows FOB, but it can be difficult sometimes.
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I'm looking to buy an FR2LE. There is someone onsite that I could get an Oade mod from, but while searching, I came across this:
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,106560.0.html
$450 Buy it Now on eBay; 6 units remaining. The seller's feedback is very positive. Does the unit s/he's selling on eBay look like it's missing anything, or is it just a really good deal?
(BTW, once I pick up an FR2LE, I'm going to need your guys' help to help me get all the necessary accessories (currently building my first rig). Here's a direct link to the item: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370065462198
Please help me make an educated decision on this item-- the low price shocked me, so I'm coming to you guys for input. Thanks!
For what its worth for those who are considering it, the lowest offer (on his 599 BIN w/ BO) I could get one from said merchant was $438 before shipping. I know in the past folks have scored them for 400 and 415ish. Just a current update.
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On Sunday afternoon this dealer had the FR-2LE for $409 bin with $9.99 shipping. There were four left when it expired. MSTaper
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On Sunday afternoon this dealer had the FR-2LE for $409 bin with $9.99 shipping. There were four left when it expired. MSTaper
:'(
Didn't look till Monday evening...
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i got mine for 405 shipped and he flat out told me fostex got on his case and he would no longer be listing them so cheap (but since i saw the listing before he took it down he would honor it)
the next day he posted some for 455
in the mean time a few times he has but only for like 3 days auctions
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I got a surprise today! My FR-2LE arrived today via FedEx. I never received a tracking number, which is why I was surprised when it arrived today! Everything is fine and he tossed in a Fostex bag with clear panels on the front and side and panels for XLR access. Not bad for $409. I was also amazed that shipping was only $9.99! Normally these NYC dealers nail you on shipping. Honestly, I lucked into this doing some cold searches on eBay Sunday morning and found a used FR-2LE for around $300 with some time to go and saw the new one for $409. The dealer's ID was "New Items Only" and the box had "Titanic Sales" or something. Too lazy to go in the other room and look. I just could not pass it up. Two of the seven he had were sold in the half hour I made my decision. Looking really forward to running this next week! :realhappy:
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I'm planning to get one of these in the future for mostly stealth and maybe some open use. Could anyone recommend some good mics that I can run in a kangol without breaking the bank? Getting everything in the venue is the easy part. I'm just wondering what small diaphragm condensers would fit in a kangol nicely. I'm thinking of getting a pair of Neavaton MKE 400's for omni mics.
Trenton
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Everything is fine and he tossed in a Fostex bag with clear panels on the front and side and panels for XLR access.
Unfortunately, you'll have to do some hacking of the bag to get access to both XLR jacks when the recorder is inside it. At least, that's how mine is. Nice concept, awful execution.
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Good choice of decks, but good luck getting this thing inside unnoticed! :P I'll continue to use my R-09 for those other applications ;)
MSTaper
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I agree with MSTaper, I personally would recomend a different deck for stealthing. Yeah, it's possible, but why go through the hassle when there are smaller choices.
An R09 plus Dennecke P48 adaptors would achieve the same effect, and are modular so you can hide them in smaller sections (and different spots) instead of just one thing which makes you look like you have some mutant ass cancer.
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Thought this stock vs. Busman T-mod comparison might be of interest. Please consider posting comments in the comparison thread rather than this one so all the followups are in one place.
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,111772.0.html
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Has anyone had any issues with the Kingston Elite Pro 4GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card Model CF/4GB-S2?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134575
I mean it only writes at 133x. Maybe the FR2LE needs it to be 136x.
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i have 3 of those, and they all work fine.
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I have one and never had an issue to date.
Tim
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Has anyone had any issues with the Kingston Elite Pro 4GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card Model CF/4GB-S2?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134575
I mean it only writes at 133x. Maybe the FR2LE needs it to be 136x.
i use a 40x so thats not the prob
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thanks guys. That's a damn good price too!
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Has anyone had any issues with the Kingston Elite Pro 4GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card Model CF/4GB-S2?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134575
I mean it only writes at 133x. Maybe the FR2LE needs it to be 136x.
i use a 40x so thats not the prob
Oh, I know. I was being sarcastic. ;D
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Has anyone had any issues with the Kingston Elite Pro 4GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card Model CF/4GB-S2?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134575
I mean it only writes at 133x. Maybe the FR2LE needs it to be 136x.
i use a 40x so thats not the prob
Same here. I don't think the speed matters with recorders, just cameras.
Are you sure you don't have a counterfeit card? There's a lot floating around on eBay.
I once had a Kingston card purchased off eBay for my Microtrack that would not format properly.
I sent it back to Kingston and they told me it was a counterfeit.
I only buy from reputable dealers now.
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Did we ever figure out if the CF cards are hotswapable? This thing comes with a honken manual, and I couldn't find anything related to that (but I did see where to calculate sensitivity for your mic in some mathematical fashion)
Ive been in a pinch before where I wished I could swap cards instead of power off > swap > power on and burn that initial jolt of power to get the unit on.
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As far as I know, FR-2 cards are *not* hot-swappable.
However, you do not need to turn off the machine.
Stop recording, wait for the TOC to write and then press "eject CF card" - then plug in the new card and off you go.
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As far as I know, FR-2 cards are *not* hot-swappable.
However, you do not need to turn off the machine.
Stop recording, wait for the TOC to write and then press "eject CF card" - then plug in the new card and off you go.
this is what i have found too.
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As far as I know, FR-2 cards are *not* hot-swappable.
However, you do not need to turn off the machine.
Stop recording, wait for the TOC to write and then press "eject CF card" - then plug in the new card and off you go.
this is what i have found too.
I just want to make sure I understand it, you can pull a card thats not being writen to, but has power?
I had a different mental definition of hot-swapping (power based, not writing based), I should have been a little clearer, my bad. I appreciate the information.
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As far as I know, FR-2 cards are *not* hot-swappable.
However, you do not need to turn off the machine.
Stop recording, wait for the TOC to write and then press "eject CF card" - then plug in the new card and off you go.
this is what i have found too.
I just want to make sure I understand it, you can pull a card thats not being writen to, but has power?
I had a different mental definition of hot-swapping (power based, not writing based), I should have been a little clearer, my bad. I appreciate the information.
When you press the "eject CF card" button, it properly shuts it down so you can remove it - *don't* jut pul it out without doing this.
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As far as I know, FR-2 cards are *not* hot-swappable.
However, you do not need to turn off the machine.
Stop recording, wait for the TOC to write and then press "eject CF card" - then plug in the new card and off you go.
this is what i have found too.
I just want to make sure I understand it, you can pull a card thats not being writen to, but has power?
I had a different mental definition of hot-swapping (power based, not writing based), I should have been a little clearer, my bad. I appreciate the information.
When you press the "eject CF card" button, it properly shuts it down so you can remove it - *don't* jut pul it out without doing this.
ok, I think I see the miscommunication, I ment the FR2-LE and not the big brother FR2.
Answer on pg 32 of the manual,
When you remove a memory card from the slot, make sure that the unit is powered off.
no hotswapping with the FR2-LE :(
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As far as I know, FR-2 cards are *not* hot-swappable.
However, you do not need to turn off the machine.
Stop recording, wait for the TOC to write and then press "eject CF card" - then plug in the new card and off you go.
this is what i have found too.
to beat a dead horse, you dont need to turn of the machine, just hit stop, wait for it to go to the startup screen and eject.
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Quick question: is the HPF (high pass filter) the same type deal as on the Oade m248 pre-amps?
I'm borrowing a stock FR2-LE for a few days, and the HPF was turned ON.
I've turned it off and will hope for the best.
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Hey folks,
I have posted a stock FR2LE vs. Busman T-Mod FR2LE here: http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,113128.0.html (http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,113128.0.html)
I would like to hear feedback.