Topic: It's been a while (Need new gear)

[stevetoney]

I will also add that I have seen quite a few
people run their 7xx as just bit buckets.
EXT pre and a/d > 7xx

This makes absolutely no sense to me.

Well, I've used the 7XX and I'd offer this in response to your statement.

Yes, I agree that the 7XX makes a VERY expensive bit bucket, but I understand why people use them that way.  Having said this, I can't personally justify the expense of having a 7XX for purposes of only using it as a recorder.

The 7XX are the some of the highest quality, finest recording devices that exist.  The feature set on these machines is second to none.  As a bit bucket, you have an immense set of capabilities at your hands that are not available in conventional bit buckets.  For example, the ability to monitor the recording alone is a tremendous feature.  You can route the signal out to the headphones in any manner you want...conventional stereo, one channel going to both headphones (either L or R)...you can monitor at different spots in the chain.  Finally, you can add delay to the monitor so that you can differentiate the live music from what is being laid down...and that just monitoring options.

Sound devices has included something like 80+ different settings in the setup menu.  I can't remember what are some of the other features that are useful in bitbucket mode right off the top of my head.

The point I'm making is that I understand the appeal of using the 7xx as a bitbucket.  It's both easy to use and the highest quality...in fact it's just a pure joy to use.  You rarely have to worry about missing a recording when using one.  Granted, it's an expensive bitbucket but if I had the budget to be able to afford it, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat even if I always ran a preamp in front.

[newplanet7]

If that's the case why not just get a Nagra and be done with it?
I suppose if I had $$ to burn, but even then I couldn't justify it.

[dgale]

What is perceived as the problem with the pre and/or A/D in the 7XX series that would make one just use it as a bit bucket? 

[Todd R]

What is perceived as the problem with the pre and/or A/D in the 7XX series that would make one just use it as a bit bucket?

It may not be a perceived problem, just a preference for a different A/D.

I owned both a 722 and a 702, and used them quite a bit as bit buckets.  I agree with all steve/tonedeaf said.  Personally, I went from a Microtrack to a 722 as a bit bucket.  At the time, the Sony D50 (which I now have and love) was not out and I wanted a bit bucket for using with my V3.

I made many, many fine 24bit recordings with the MT, but I don't think I ever once trusted it to make the recording, and I always backed it up with a JB3 or iRiver. 

There are a lot of things I will look for in a piece of gear, and the 722/702 is a very nice piece of gear that provides a lot of flexibility.  All the things that Steve said, plus:

- I did not love the 722's preamps for standalone operation, so I generally ran it with the V3 in front, but the 722 sounds perfectly fine on its own, so I had no qualms running it as a standalone recorder for the times I wanted less gear or whatever.
- The 722 can use the digital input to receive a clock input while recording off it's analog inputs.  So I could easily use it to do 4ch mixes by using source 1 > V3 > MT, and source 2 > 722, with the 722 clocked to the V3 clock via it's coax digital in.

These were the main reasons I got it, along with the fact that it is bombproof and completely reliable in my view, so I knew I'd always come away with a recording.  Though it was mainly a bit bucket, it's reliability, ability to perform very well as a standalone unit, and it's ability to be part of a 4ch recording system were it's main selling points for me.

I ran it mainly as a bit bucket until I got my Sony D50 and could use that to record 24bit files off the V3.  I used the V3 for years and liked it throughout.  Ultimately, I didn't want to use the 722 analog in and used it as a bit bucket since I didn't trust that I would like it better than my beloved V3.  After getting the V3 and running 24bit comps for myself, I came to like the A/D stage of the 702 (and have the knowledge that I liked it as least as much as the V3 A/D), so I started running V3 (analog) > 702 as my main configuration.

Anyway, it probably is stating the obvious, but even as bit buckets the performance of the 722 is not the same as a MT, so if what you really want is a bit bucket, there are many reasons not to choose the cheapest one on the market.

[meatballs]

I too have come back into taping after a long -- long -- long break. '93

First, things people are alot different (too me); it's taking some getting used to, as the old tapers you met on tour were in my eyes unknown legends (Don Watt, Cashh, Arizona Kelly -- some crazy dudes from Albany) and now... only god knows where they are. Nonethe less they were a different bread -- too me a t least.

To the point -- I purchased a SD 702 -- it is the simplest, most precise, and has the best pre-amps that I have played with personally.

My argument is this eliminate all the fucking>>>>>>>>>    >>>>>> >>>>> >>>> the more conecections you have the more possibility for error - fuzz yadha yadha-- it's simply more work that you have to do to find the problem if ther is one -- the pre's on the SD xxx are awesome. Set up SD xxx > _________. i.e neumann, schoepps, Sennheiser:), Josephsons, Beyers yadah yadah eliminate your pre's. I.E SD 788> milab's -- done!
You no longer need home made battery packs, flipping tapes, or fast forwarding new DATS to the end and then back before recording- not.

Do the math by the time you put together a sony, zoom, edirol, batteries, pre amp/power, cables yadah yadah it addds up to about the same as a SD 702 (used in the yard sale), CF 4gig, mics done finito -- one connection SD>mics (period). If the whole thing is out of reach talk a couple buddies into going in with you small investment 40-100 whatever-- it all helps and you can find amazing -- AMAZING DEALS in the yard sale right now. The older Mystics are letting entire rigs - mics - go for extremely reasonable prices. Seriously, you will / can be recording now with what wa a life long achievement for them to end up with.


If your not ready for this simpkply buy an edirol or Sony D-50 rn the built in mics and manipulate the whole wave in the post -- Note: post mastering is alot different you have to be an audio engineer and if you live in a small town this can be difficult -- i.e.;it's not like making micro brew you cna manipulate the entire recording in the post (I don't agree with this ), however, you can make it the way you want in the post  -- again I, don't like this and prefer to send the original raw master to the external terra drive and maybe listen to it roughly a month after the recording-- it's just m and I haven't quite mastered the post yet.