Best Pres on Portable Recorders?

[John Willett]

GOOD NEWS Nagra says 24bit for the EMP on their website.

http://www.nagraaudio.com/pro/pages/products_nagra_EMP.php

Unfortunately this was a copy/paste error and is now being corrected.

It is 16-bit only, I'm afraid.   

[it-goes-to-eleven]

It is 16-bit only, I'm afraid.   

That makes no sense.  They say they use a 24 bit converter.. Why would they force dither it to 16?

[H₂O]

GOOD NEWS Nagra says 24bit for the EMP on their website.

http://www.nagraaudio.com/pro/pages/products_nagra_EMP.php

Unfortunately this was a copy/paste error and is now being corrected.

It is 16-bit only, I'm afraid.   

Will the USB interface support 24bit?  And the internal recorder support 16bit?

[John Willett]

It is 16-bit only, I'm afraid.   

That makes no sense.  They say they use a 24 bit converter.. Why would they force dither it to 16?

They don't say that - I said it was a copy/paste error when they compiled the page.

It has now been corrected - see HERE.

[John Willett]

GOOD NEWS Nagra says 24bit for the EMP on their website.

http://www.nagraaudio.com/pro/pages/products_nagra_EMP.php

Unfortunately this was a copy/paste error and is now being corrected.

It is 16-bit only, I'm afraid.   

Will the USB interface support 24bit?  And the internal recorder support 16bit?

The EMP is really a top quality analogue 2-channel pre-amp.  It has some internal software control and needed a USB socket to be able to update it.

So they just included a basic 16-bit recorder at the same time.  It was designed as a pre-amp. first and foremost.

I don't get mine until tomorrow, so I will learn more later.

[hi and lo]

So they just included a basic 16-bit recorder at the same time.  It was designed as a pre-amp. first and foremost.

Not to be skeptical, but seems more likely they just didn't want it cutting into the sales of their high-end recorders. I'm guessing the cost/labor/design differences between a 16 and 24 recording stage are negligible.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

So they just included a basic 16-bit recorder at the same time.

Yeah, but a minidisc?

[John Willett]

So they just included a basic 16-bit recorder at the same time.  It was designed as a pre-amp. first and foremost.

Not to be skeptical, but seems more likely they just didn't want it cutting into the sales of their high-end recorders. I'm guessing the cost/labor/design differences between a 16 and 24 recording stage are negligible.

More like to make it a proper 24/96 recorder would cost a lot more and make it more expensive than the LD and not get many sales.

They included an existing 16-bit circuit into a superb pre-amp without upping the projected price of the pre-amp.

I am betting that a 16-bit recording on the EMP will sound better than a 24-bit recording on an inexpensive pocket recorder.

Anyway - I gate my EMP today and I'll see how it sounds.

[George2]

Yep.. 16bit.. 24bit.. probably doesn't make a difference.....
Looks great. What is the price?

[Gutbucket]

The price is probably 48bit/fixed. 

[AB52]

Where does it say 24bit on the website???  I did not find it on the page you refer to.

GOOD NEWS Nagra says 24bit for the EMP on their website.

http://www.nagraaudio.com/pro/pages/products_nagra_EMP.php

[flipp]

Where does it say 24bit on the website???  I did not find it on the page you refer to.

GOOD NEWS Nagra says 24bit for the EMP on their website.

http://www.nagraaudio.com/pro/pages/products_nagra_EMP.php

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=148254.msg1897379#msg1897379

GOOD NEWS Nagra says 24bit for the EMP on their website.

http://www.nagraaudio.com/pro/pages/products_nagra_EMP.php

Unfortunately this was a copy/paste error and is now being corrected.

It is 16-bit only, I'm afraid.   

[stevetoney]

I know I could use an external preamp, but that would sacrifice the portability that I love about the whole field recorder thing in the first place.

Anyway, any thoughts?

Tyler, I haven't done any personal testing, but Doug Oade does upgrade mods to the pre's inside the PMD-620.  That should probably put it up there with anything you could get in a stock unit, but you'd probably want to confirm this with someone that owns a modded unit.

http://oade.com/digital_recorders/hard_disc_recorders/PMD-620MODS.html

[Todd R]

I am betting that a 16-bit recording on the EMP will sound better than a 24-bit recording on an inexpensive pocket recorder.

But will it sound better than a Grace Lunatec V3?

Given typical pricing on Nagras, I'm betting a Lunatec V3 (digital) > Sony D50 setup will cost less than an EMP and will record in 24 bits.

[hi and lo]

I am betting that a 16-bit recording on the EMP will sound better than a 24-bit recording on an inexpensive pocket recorder.

But will it sound better than a Grace Lunatec V3?

Given typical pricing on Nagras, I'm betting a Lunatec V3 (digital) > Sony D50 setup will cost less than an EMP and will record in 24 bits.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I completely disagree that a 24/96 recorder would "cost a lost more." Sure... they'll charge more, but the materials and design costs to a company like Nagra are negligible.