Topic: If you were designing a stealth recorder...

[cpatch]

Given that neither M-Audio or Edirol can get it right, if you were in charge of designing the perfect stealth recorder, what would it look like? Off the top of my head:

- iPod form factor, build quality, and ease-of-use
- Internal 16 GB flash memory
- SD or CF slot (SD to keep size down)
- Optical in/out
- Line in
- 1/8" powered mic in
- Two 1/4" TRS in (XLR nice but optional)
- True 48V phantom
- 24/96
- Firewire (USB 2 OK though)
- 8 hour battery life with phantom (!)
- Super clean preamp and ADC
- $500 street price (or less, of course)
- Recording monitor
- Programmable compressor/limiter
- Replaceable battery option nice (with internal reserve power so can swap while recording)

What would yours look like?

Craig

[Depechemode1993]

it would be a Sony PCM-M1 in hard drive format. also smaller.

[cpatch]

it would be a Sony PCM-M1 in hard drive format. also smaller.

And cheaper, presumably!

[rowjimmy]

I like the optical in/out but, having had to deal with coax > optical boxes for a jb3, it seems like coax s/pdif is possibly more useful.

So how about both!

Basically, I'd merge a UA-5 with a jb3 that runs up to 24/96

[cpatch]

I like the optical in/out but, having had to deal with coax > optical boxes for a jb3, it seems like coax s/pdif is possibly more useful.

So how about both!

Basically, I'd merge a UA-5 with a jb3 that runs up to 24/96

Oops...I actually meant to put digital in/out. But sure, why not!

[Since85]

When this comes out, I will leave my DAT alone...

Stands vertically w/ levels (e.g. small Denon DAT from early 90's).

24 Bit, 48v phantom powering with a sick preamp (PSP-2 or V2 quality), and better A/D than a mod SBM-1, all in ONE box. I guess if it's 24 bit that doesn't matter??

Just 4 to 6 Internal AA's that run the thing for many hours, and it likes the size of of different NiMh batteries.

How about a V3, but 1/4 the size, with a hard drive, and a CF slot. Firewire in/out with coax in/out as well.

Maybe if that damn Sonosax unit comes out, it will fit the bill. One can hope...

just my 2 cents

Still a 16 bit guy for now...

[j.mart]

the JB3 but:

-96/24 feature
-better level meters
-more power-friendly (up to 12 hours of recording per battery *HAHA*)
-pre-amp
-phantom
-external battery included
-smaller/lighter, but the way it looks like a CD player
-playback and ability to convert .wav to FLAC on the spot
-cheap
-default unipoint XY stereo (AT822?!) built-in mic

heck, turned up to get something completely different of the JB3

[udovdh]

Given that neither M-Audio or Edirol can get it right, if you were in charge of designing the perfect stealth recorder, what would it look like? Off the top of my head:

- iPod form factor, build quality, and ease-of-use
- Internal hard drive
- Optical in/out
- Line in
- 1/8" powered mic in
- Two 1/4" TRS in (XLR nice but optional)
- True 48V phantom
- 24/96
- Firewire (USB 2 OK though)
- 8 hour battery life with phantom (!)
- Super clean preamp and ADC
- $500 street price (or less, of course)
- Recording monitor
- Programmable compressor/limiter
- Replaceable battery option nice (with internal reserve power so can swap while recording)

What would yours look like?

Harddrives suck battery life.
CF is the right way.
Balanced only through hi-density breakout plug.
Why need phantom? If you're stealthing the crowd will always be above the noise floor. Eats battery life. 4+ hours without phantom is nice if the battery can be changed.
Digital I/O is nice but not needed for me if the ADC is at MT level or better.
1/8" mic powering at selectable 5 to 9V would be nice. Also selection of resistor over which the power is fed would be nice. (20K-1K?)
The MT has a limiter in the ADC but M-Audio did not implement it in the firmware. Bother them about it!
Replacable Li-Ion battery pack would be nice. Slim one for stealth, thick one for less stealth but longer life. (8h?)
M1/D100 formfactor or more like the MT.
No 2GB bug.
Better ADC is hard I guess. 110 dB SNR, 100 dB THD+N would be very very nice. (make it really worth to do 24 bits)
Small RMT-D7-like remote.

BTW: All this for less than $500 is a steal so don't believe it.
The bare unit for $500 would be OK after a while but additional for balanced breakout cable, thick battery, remote, etc.

[firmdragon]

it would be a Sony PCM-M1 in hard drive format. also smaller.

[kskreider]

I want the ability to swap the hard drives in/out if needed.  i.e. ease of going from 20GB to 80GB easily (aware of power sacrifice).

Also, please no kind of D>D resampling on the digi input, please.

[cpatch]

Harddrives suck battery life.
CF is the right way...

The point here is what would your ideal device look like? Notice that I specified 8 hours of battery life with phantom power. Feasible? Maybe not, but that's what my ideal would be. Are you saying that you'd rather have CF if you could get 8 hours of battery life with a hard drive? Dream a little here!

Craig

[MattD]

Are you saying that you'd rather have CF if you could get 8 hours of battery life with a hard drive? Dream a little here!

Absolutely. Solid-state media is more stable (no moving parts) and the CF form factor is significantly smaller than all but microdrives.

[cpatch]

Are you saying that you'd rather have CF if you could get 8 hours of battery life with a hard drive? Dream a little here!

Absolutely. Solid-state media is more stable (no moving parts) and the CF form factor is significantly smaller than all but microdrives.

Good point, although SD is significantly smaller than CF. I've updated my original post.

Craig

[jcrab66]

it would be the size of an archos gmini 220 that recorded on CF media, took a spdif, optical, rca, stereo 1/4" or 1/8" in and could record at a bit depth of 24 bits up to 48 KHZ...., it would also supply a full 48V phantom power if necessary and have a battery that would last 8 hours fully loaded....

[udovdh]

Harddrives suck battery life.
CF is the right way...

The point here is what would your ideal device look like? Notice that I specified 8 hours of battery life with phantom power. Feasible? Maybe not, but that's what my ideal would be. Are you saying that you'd rather have CF if you could get 8 hours of battery life with a hard drive? Dream a little here!

I am more on the realistic side. CF or maybe SD allows more recording time than a harddisk. Looks don't matter as long as it is small and not too bad. Ergonomics are more important than looks. Should be able to handle the device in the dark. The MT's buttons are OK. Changing a CF card can be more of a hassle in low light conditions.
Internal flash would drive the price up and make the recording unsalvable if the recorder goes bad. A card can be removed and maybe salvaged.