Edirol R-44 - 4 Channel Recorder (Part Tres)

[Rick]

Continued from http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,103270.0.html

Team R-44 >> http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,106140.0.html

when I record one minute from a CD into the R-44 via spdif, then rip that CD into my DAW and invert it against the R-44, I get silence - the spdif recording is bit-accurate.

For proof here's the readout from Audition for the mixdown of the two files, one inverted against the other -

   Left   Right
Min Sample Value:   0   0
Max Sample Value:   0   0
Peak Amplitude:   -inf dB   -inf dB
Possibly Clipped:   0   0
DC Offset:   0    0
Minimum RMS Power:   -inf dB   -inf dB
Maximum RMS Power:   -inf dB   -inf dB
Average RMS Power:   -inf dB   -inf dB
Total RMS Power:   -inf dB   -inf dB
Actual Bit Depth:   float

Using RMS Window of 50 ms

Eureka!  Sorry for the scare last night.  Never do stuff late.

Mod R-44? You Bet!
http://oade.com/digital_recorders/hard_disc_recorders/R44_upgrades.html
http://www.busmanaudio.com/mods.html

[Colin Liston]

Checking part 3....carry on.

[leehookem]

Checking part 3....carry on.

[Scooter]

.

[sonidista]

two issues I have recently encountered with my R44 which I use for recordig music and location sound for film (very satisfied so far):

1 wherever I plug it to a computer via USB, I never seem to get USB 2.0-like speeds, rather exactly like USB 1.1. In the same ports if I plug my USB 2.0 data stick, the same files transfer much faster. Tried PCs and Macs- same result.

2 I had a power supply cable made that connects my 12 V NP1 battery from my 4 channel mixer to the R44. When I connect it and put the power supply in the menu to either 9 or 12 V (or any other of the given options), my R44 say "batteries low" and shuts down soon after. The cable plug has the correct polarity.

I'd appreciate any helpful advice, as always

[Ozpeter]

Yes, transfer speed direct from the R-44 is slower than you'd expect.  I don't think it's as slow as USB1 however.  As the only time I have had an SDHC card fail was somewhere in the process of taking it out of the R-44 and putting it into a card reader, I now tend to do a transfer with the card in the R-44, and if that takes a little longer than via a card reader, well, it's not often those minutes would make a difference.

If you have a 12 volt battery, and set the R-44 to 9 volts, when the battery voltage goes down to or close to 9v it will assume the battery is about to go flat.  I can only think that the battery isn't maintaining enough voltage under load to convince the R-44 that all is well. 

[mblindsey]

The description for the "Control Sync Jack" on the R-44 says "Word clock sync and start/stop remote control of 2 units".  That makes me wonder if if it's possible to hack a cable to make this be just word clock out to some other device.  Anyone taken a look at what data is coming out of that jack?  My assumption is that standard signaling for "word clock" is probably being observed (whatever that might be) + some command/control for the slaved device.  Could it be as simple as wiring it up the proper cable to only transmit what a second device needing "word clock in" would expect...leaving command/control wires going nowhere?  Probably a long shot...but, possible? 

--Michael

[Carlos E. Martinez]

2 I had a power supply cable made that connects my 12 V NP1 battery from my 4 channel mixer to the R44. When I connect it and put the power supply in the menu to either 9 or 12 V (or any other of the given options), my R44 say "batteries low" and shuts down soon after. The cable plug has the correct polarity.

Do you connect this NP1 battery directly or through the mixer's output feed? If the latter, then the mixer might be feeding less current than the R44 needs.

Have you fed any other battery or supply through that socket into the R44?

[sonidista]

2 I had a power supply cable made that connects my 12 V NP1 battery from my 4 channel mixer to the R44. When I connect it and put the power supply in the menu to either 9 or 12 V (or any other of the given options), my R44 say "batteries low" and shuts down soon after. The cable plug has the correct polarity.

Do you connect this NP1 battery directly or through the mixer's output feed? If the latter, then the mixer might be feeding less current than the R44 needs.

Have you fed any other battery or supply through that socket into the R44?

I feed it from a direct output, though the NP1 batt is fixed mounted on the mixer. I have fed a wireless receiver that usually runs on 9V batteries without problems. My slight guess is that the voltage the mixer gives out is enough to feed the R44, but maybe not enough to convince it it's enough, if you know what I mean.

What USB speed do others have? All of you have slow R44s???

[Carlos E. Martinez]

My slight guess is that the voltage the mixer gives out is enough to feed the R44, but maybe not enough to convince it it's enough, if you know what I mean

The guess might be wrong. The mixer should specify how much current can it feed.

IMHO there's a bottleneck there. It's not the R44's fault probably.

[sonidista]

My slight guess is that the voltage the mixer gives out is enough to feed the R44, but maybe not enough to convince it it's enough, if you know what I mean

The guess might be wrong. The mixer should specify how much current can it feed.

IMHO there's a bottleneck there. It's not the R44's fault probably.

To specfy my guess, I guess (huh) that the reason is that my NP1 is NiMH, and my charger being a NiCd charger, it doesnt fully charge the battery, though still full enough to run my mixer with all four channels phantom power on for more than 24 consecutive hours. So maybe the voltage is just below 9 V, thus too little to be approved by the R44 as valid power source. Does this make any sense?

[Carlos E. Martinez]

To specfy my guess, I guess (huh) that the reason is that my NP1 is NiMH, and my charger being a NiCd charger, it doesnt fully charge the battery, though still full enough to run my mixer with all four channels phantom power on for more than 24 consecutive hours. So maybe the voltage is just below 9 V, thus too little to be approved by the R44 as valid power source. Does this make any sense?

It doesn't really make sense, because AFAIK most NiCd chargers will charge NiMHs alright. Except if the charger is too cheap, which probably is not your case. What does the charger specify as its charging voltage? Is it an intelligent charger?

NP1 batteries are at least 12v, and they can't hold voltage below 9v. In fact you shouldn't use a 12v battery below 10v, or 1v per element, or you will damage it.

So do check what voltage and current will your mixer output. It may feed just a few milliamps, which won't do with the R44. Just now did I have a look at the R4-Pro manual (which is the one I'm thinking of buying) and it demands 2 amps, which shouldn't be much different in the R44.

To be sure of the actual consumption you should connect a DMM in line with the R44 and the power source, battery or not. Then you should precisely know what you are dealing with, instead of just guessing. 

[BayTaynt3d]

Yeah, my USB is painfully slow compared to my old R4, but OMG the R44 rocks, lol.

Heh...

[dmonkey]

Yeah, my USB is painfully slow compared to my old R4, but OMG the R44 rocks, lol.

Mmmmm....sexy. 

[leehookem]

What Lowepro bag is that?