EDIROL R-44 (PART IV)

[sanaka]

Gutbucket: Will certainly be showing off my PZM configs soon! Just need to find a scrap of time to set up and take good photos.

if you adjust the outer (clicky) knob while recording, it results in a small, less than 1 second, dropout

Yoiks!    Good to know. I hadn't noticed that but I know I adjusted down 1 click on a recording the other night I haven't reviewed yet...

• Using PNY & Transcend class 4 16GB SDHC cards with NO issues.

I am super excited to have a R-44 on the way, and was wondering if there is any consensus around here on memory cards? I want something dependable, but don't want to spend a fortune.

Thanks!

This jibes with what I read, uh, somewhere, probably on one of these R-44 threads, that it likes class 4 cards. The one card that a bunch of folks had trouble with was a class 6. I bought 2 Kingston 16G class 4 at B&H, ~$34 each. Have run 1x stereo, 2x stereo and 4x mono all without a hitch. The 8G ones are $17.50 right now at New Egg.

Peace,
Sanaka

[dmonkey]

I'm using 16gb transcend and PNY with no problems, both class 4. I too love this this thing, the ONLY complaint I have, and I just noticed this while taping at Bonnaroo, is if you adjust the outer (clicky) knob while recording, it results in a small, less than 1 second, dropout. Luckily, you will find that once you find the right setting for your mics, and the type of music you genarally record, you will rarely adjust the levels. Set it and forget it. However one day I was taping some bluegrass, and needed to increase the gain a couple clicks, and found this flaw...

I think it only puts a noticeable gap if the knob gets moved slowly. When I click up the gain knob relatively quickly, it results in a gain increase without a noticeable dropout. At least that's my experience in listening and looking at the wav files. The only times I've noticed a dropout is when I've moved it kind of slow.

Regarding Rigpimp's question about opinions of the R-44, I've got to give it an A+ from my perspective. I've been very pleased. It has a few minor quirks, but overall it does a great job. I'd buy another in a minute if I had to.

[Ozpeter]

Here in Australia the price seems to have almost doubled since it was released - I'm certainly glad I got mine when I did (as soon as they became available).  That, together with apparent scarcity 2nd hand, indicates that Edirol got it right with these.  Certainly I can't picture ever buying another recorder again before I go to the great gig in the sky.

I wonder what the next such device from Edirol would be - eight channels in a broadly similar format?  Though the ability to link two perhaps undermines that.  As the market matures the various manufacturers must be scratching their heads to think up a device which would (a) attract people to buy who currently have nothing similar and (b) attract people who have something similar, but the new device would be so much better that it would be irresistibly tempting.  So what would that be??

[cybergaloot]

I'm using 16gb transcend and PNY with no problems, both class 4. I too love this this thing, the ONLY complaint I have, and I just noticed this while taping at Bonnaroo, is if you adjust the outer (clicky) knob while recording, it results in a small, less than 1 second, dropout. Luckily, you will find that once you find the right setting for your mics, and the type of music you genarally record, you will rarely adjust the levels. Set it and forget it. However one day I was taping some bluegrass, and needed to increase the gain a couple clicks, and found this flaw...

That seems like a big flaw. Anyone else have this happen? Do you get the dropouts when you adjust the inner knob?

I haven't had that problem at all and I have made outer-ring adjustments many times. In fact if I can find the exact right spot where I made the change and amp or atten from there its not even a noticeable blip even when you know its there. If you get a bit off the spot sometimes you will get a tiny hiccup in the sound.

[rigpimp]

I have adjusted the outer ring on occasion and normally do it quickly enough that I only get the 5-6db jump or drop.  No dropout of sound at all.

[sanaka]

...manufacturers must be scratching their heads to think up a device which would (a) attract people to buy who currently have nothing similar and (b) attract people who have something similar, but the new device would be so much better that it would be irresistibly tempting.  So what would that be??

A 788T-SSD for <$1000 

Peace

[bugg100]

I have adjusted the outer ring on occasion and normally do it quickly enough that I only get the 5-6db jump or drop.  No dropout of sound at all.

Zoom

Way

In

I bet it's there. My deck as well does this but you don't hear it on playback, but I also adjust one channel at a time because of this.

I am currently using a Sandisk 16gb class 2 card that i bought for cheap (local) purchase and I run 4x mono 24/44 or 24/48. All my other cards are class 4.

[yltfan]

I have adjusted the outer ring on occasion and normally do it quickly enough that I only get the 5-6db jump or drop.  No dropout of sound at all.

Zoom

Way

In

I bet it's there. My deck as well does this but you don't hear it on playback, but I also adjust one channel at a time because of this.

I am currently using a Sandisk 16gb class 2 card that i bought for cheap (local) purchase and I run 4x mono 24/44 or 24/48. All my other cards are class 4.

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, but with this outer ring dropout, would it be better to adjust the inner ring?

[Ozpeter]

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, but with this outer ring dropout, would it be better to adjust the inner ring?

Indeed it's probably the most discussed aspect of this recorder, but to summarise, if you need to lower the preamp level (controlled by the outer clicky ring) lowering the inner smooth knob will not help - it's controlling the level (almost certainly digitally) after any distortion at the preamp, so you'd just get lower level audio with lower level distortion.

[dmonkey]

Not trying to start any crap or nothin'  , but I've taped a bunch of shows and moved levels around with the outer knob and I've only noticed a slight gap maybe a couple of times. I think you have to be pretty slow to get an audible gap. Perhaps on the inaudible gaps if I were to zoom in close enough I might see that there is indeed some small gap in the wav file, but I've got to say I've looked at those transitions before (relatively zoomed in too) and haven't really seen much of a gap present.

I dunno...seems like much ado about nothing. 

So, I guess what I mean to say is this: don't be afraid to adjust the outer knob.

[yltfan]

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, but with this outer ring dropout, would it be better to adjust the inner ring?

Indeed it's probably the most discussed aspect of this recorder, but to summarise, if you need to lower the preamp level (controlled by the outer clicky ring) lowering the inner smooth knob will not help - it's controlling the level (almost certainly digitally) after any distortion at the preamp, so you'd just get lower level audio with lower level distortion.

Thanks for clarifying!
I went back and read most of the last thread, starting to understand all this stuff. I figured out the external power situation, now just need to get a couple of sd cards. Can't wait for the maiden voyage!

[rigpimp]

Thanks for clarifying!
I went back and read most of the last thread, starting to understand all this stuff. I figured out the external power situation, now just need to get a couple of sd cards. Can't wait for the maiden voyage!

Go get yourself one of these sdhc cards

[yltfan]

I went with a Kingston 16 gig--this ebay seller has them for $35, with a usb adapter.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kingston-16GB-SD-HC-SDHC-Class-4-Memory-Card-16-GB-16G_W0QQitemZ190315409452QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigital_Camera_Memory_Cards?hash=item2c4faeb02c&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1205|293%3A1|294%3A50

[andyjah]

Tried this same question on the Team R-44 thread with no luck.

Any comments on the sound of any of the mods from owners who have had their R-44s modded? Thinking about getting it done on mine. Just curious on the sound difference between the Oade's or Busman mods. Any favorites amongst the mods? Much of a difference between Busman and Oade?

[kirk97132]

Tried this same question on the Team R-44 thread with no luck.

Any comments on the sound of any of the mods from owners who have had their R-44s modded? Thinking about getting it done on mine. Just curious on the sound difference between the Oade's or Busman mods. Any favorites amongst the mods? Much of a difference between Busman and Oade?

I saw you post there too.  Mine is not modded but I borrowed a modded one recently (Thanks Danny!) and was originally hoping to do some switches between sets to see what the differences were.  That never happened.  All I can say is that the Busman mod sounded good.  Not much help and I can't offer any kind of concrete comparisons.  The other downside to mine opinion is that I have never used the stock pres so I can't even begin to say how it compares to stock let alone O vs B.  Not really much help there sorry, kirk