Topic: upgrade from tascam DR-100?

[jnorman34]

hi guys - i ihad a DR100 for a short while, and wasnt thrilled with the internal mic preamps.  i do not want to carry a separate preamp box, so i am looking for the best one-box alternative to use with  my KM140s.  i need GOOD internal preamps, XLR in's with strong phantom power, SD card, good battery life.  ideal might be the sonosax unit, but too expensive...

i can live with either a 2 or 4 track machine, but assuming that for the same money i will get better quality in a 2 track machine, right?  perhaps the marantz 661?  or 4-track choices like R-4, DR680, others?  are there any new options on the market now? 

or maybe you can convince me that something like a littlebox and a recorder which has no XLR in's is somehow a better way to go? 

thanks.

[sunjan]

Assuming you're taping open, it makes sense to go for an all-in-one unit.
Although littlebox>M10 is the sweet point for stealth right now, you've come to the conclusion that you don't want to fiddle with separate boxes. Makes sense to me.

So your budget is anything between the DR100 ($275) and the Sonosax MINIR82 ($5K)?

You mentioned some of the usual suspects (661, DR680, R-44, SD 7xx series, FR2-LE). Each are good value and have their proponents here on TS. Recent posts seem to agree that DR680 offer great price/quality ratio. More channels doesn't necessarily mean that the manufacturer has been skimping on other aspects.

It really boils down to how big rig you want to carry around, whether you ever will need those extra channels, and if you could pin your budget closer than just wanting "the best".