Topic: Portable recorders that accept S/PDIF In

[Cheesecadet]

Hey all...anyone know which protable recorders have SPDOF In & Out on them???  Has anyone ever compiles a list?

I know the Microtrack & the Marantz pmd-671 do...bur are there any others?

My dilema is that I want to upgrade to something new soon (from DAT)...but don't want to have to deal with an optical cable.  I am also looking for something somewhat affordable.

I would running C4's > Dmod UA5 > ...new recorder???


Anyone heard of anything small on the horizon (Like the R-09) that would accept SPDIF Input???


Ryan in CA

[JasonSobel]

in addition to the M-Audio MicroTrack and the Marantz PMD-671 (which you listed above), there's the Tascam HD-P2, the Sound Devices 7xx series (702, 722, 744, etc), that new Sonosax recorder.  I'm probably forgetting a few, but that's a good start to the list...

[SClassical]

MT does not have S/PDIF out...only S/PDIF In.

[eric.B]

if 24 bit is not a need..  there is also the marantz 670 which only does 16bit via spdf..  Then there is the Fostex FR2 which is 24bit spdf, and the awaited Fostex FR2LE..

[rowjimmy]

Does the FR2LE have S/PDIF in? I thought that it did not...

[petur]

iriver H120/H140 has optical in/out, Rockbox supports it fully

[eric.B]

Does the FR2LE have S/PDIF in? I thought that it did not...

ya know I think you're right..  that was one of the missing features on the fr2le people were griping about.. 

[Nick's Picks]

there is still no *THE DECK* for us, i'm afraid.
by THE DECK, I mean one that is:
24bit
digi i/o
handles large files and long record times
decent analog stage

We have bits and pieces.
the MT, crappy analog, no file size management ...which kills 24bit recording seamlessly beyond 2 hours at low sample rates.  battery sucks
R9, almost there...but apparently ...as measurments show, its self proclaimed "pristine 24bit recording" is actually more like 14bits of music and 10bits of noise.  sounds awesome in 16bit mode though (and in 24, but its not quite as detailed as it should be).  No digital input either.  Everything else is great.

all the big decks have what we like....but it would still be sweet to have a great hand-held that did it all.  It doesn't exist afaik.

Perhaps the MR1 will sound so damn good as to render digital I/O useless any way (especially if recording DSD)

[Sam Lord]

there is still no *THE DECK* for us, i'm afraid.
by THE DECK, I mean one that is:
24bit
digi i/o
handles large files and long record times
decent analog stage...

Exactly!  Why can't we have something like this--with 8 channels of 24/96 on an AES DSub in plus XLR/TRS for 2ch AES and SPDIF inputs.  Look, THESE guys have it (*with* an HDV camcorder thrown in!) for $2100:

"...Highly reliable and flexible because it’s solid state with no moving parts like tape or disc-based systems, the noiseless AG-HSC1U camcorder records up to 88 minutes (41 minutes in the highest quality mode) of video on a high-speed 4GB SDHC memory card. A highly-portable 40GB hard drive, capable of receiving and storing the contents of 10 4GB SDHC cards in the field, is packaged with the camcorder. SD video can be output in the widescreen 16:9 format...

...The AG-HSC1U (including camcorder, 40GB SD Store portable hard drive, 4GB SDHC memory card and HD Writer version 1.0 software) will be available in March at a suggested list price of $2,099. The camera will be offered with a one-year parts and labor professional warranty.

For more information on the AG-HSC1U, please visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast..."

Story at:

http://www.videomaker.com/news/2007/02/1746-panasonic-releases-new-3-ccd-hd-camcorder/?label=enews200702

Also see this baby:

http://www.focusinfo.com/solutions/catalog.asp?id=150

Someday...Sigh

[JasonSobel]

there is still no *THE DECK* for us, i'm afraid.
by THE DECK, I mean one that is:
24bit
digi i/o
handles large files and long record times
decent analog stage...

Exactly!  Why can't we have something like this--with 8 channels of 24/96 on an AES DSub in plus XLR/TRS for 2ch AES and SPDIF inputs.  Look, THESE guys have it (*with* an HDV camcorder thrown in!) for $2100:

I beg to differ.  if you're counting the 722 as a "big deck", why not go for the Sonosax MiniR82.
while I haven't used this deck, it's small (4.75” x 3.15” x 1.1”), can record 8 channels (only 2 pre-amps though), has digital inputs, seamlessly splits files, and I bet the analog stage sounds sweet.  in my mind, the only thing keeping this thing as the "perfect deck for us" is the cost.  I think most of us can't spend $6000 on a recorder.  but, on the other hand, with some folks running two different outboard pre-amps in front of a 744, I'm surprised that more people aren't running this.

[BayTaynt3d]

there is still no *THE DECK* for us, i'm afraid.
by THE DECK, I mean one that is:
24bit
digi i/o
handles large files and long record times
decent analog stage...

Exactly!  Why can't we have something like this--with 8 channels of 24/96 on an AES DSub in plus XLR/TRS for 2ch AES and SPDIF inputs.  Look, THESE guys have it (*with* an HDV camcorder thrown in!) for $2100:

"...Highly reliable and flexible because it’s solid state with no moving parts like tape or disc-based systems, the noiseless AG-HSC1U camcorder records up to 88 minutes (41 minutes in the highest quality mode) of video on a high-speed 4GB SDHC memory card. A highly-portable 40GB hard drive, capable of receiving and storing the contents of 10 4GB SDHC cards in the field, is packaged with the camcorder. SD video can be output in the widescreen 16:9 format...

...The AG-HSC1U (including camcorder, 40GB SD Store portable hard drive, 4GB SDHC memory card and HD Writer version 1.0 software) will be available in March at a suggested list price of $2,099. The camera will be offered with a one-year parts and labor professional warranty.

For more information on the AG-HSC1U, please visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast..."

Story at:

http://www.videomaker.com/news/2007/02/1746-panasonic-releases-new-3-ccd-hd-camcorder/?label=enews200702

Also see this baby:

http://www.focusinfo.com/solutions/catalog.asp?id=150

Someday...Sigh

I'm confused what this video camera has to do with anything in this thread? I mean that camera records audio in LOSSY format after all, which is obviously a non-starter for a taper...

[Nick's Picks]

well Jason.., you're right.  but to use a 7xx as a bit bucket is arguably stupid, imo..of course.
I forgot to add that this "the deck" needs to be d8/m1 sized and under $1500.
Granted the 7xx boxes are very, very nice.  and relatively small (until the batter is on)...its still not the equiv of what the M1 was in the DAT world.  see what i'm after?
that sax is great...but not for our market.  who has that much dough to drop on a *piece* of the chain ?

5k for a mic, I can understand.
6k for a deck..., I'd rather have VR4sr's.

[Evil Taper]

If you're recording a digital signal then why would it matter what the analog stage sounds like?

I'll argue that the 96 rate is overkill unless a super super high quality signal is being fed into the recorder.  The audible detail difference is going to be ever so slight in a live room recording that the extra resolution data is just eating your space.  If you have sweet converters 48 is all you need realistically.  The upper rates like 96 and 192 are just bling factors and aren't something that is going to make you recordings sound any better than they would otherwise.  The 88.2 rate is just there to make it easy for some devices to switch between 16/44.1 and a 24 bit format.

[Nick's Picks]

options...options.
thats why it matters.

for example....the M1.  it had a respectable performance running line in.

[ghibliss]

The greatest plus to recording in 24/96 kHz is the fact that you are able to record with much greater headroom afforded.  It is not so important to get your levels as close to 0 db on your meters with this arrangement.  In fact it is best to set levels to approximately -12 db and never need to worry about transient peaks saturating your recording.  The results which I have achieved using the MT 2496 and a core sound Mic 2496  a/d mic premaplifier with DP 4061 microphones is amazing. 

I stealth record a lot of shows and the sound quality at a good venue simply blows me away!  I also would like to be able to have seamless file splits with the MT 24/96 however this will never happen.  I simply am reserved to manually stopping and starting when the band introductions take place and this has always worked well with out me losing any of the music from the show.  We must remember that this is a hobby not an occupation (at least for me)!  I truly enjoy being able to capture the sound the way which I heard it and be able to share it with my friends.