Topic: Korg MR-1, In the Field...

[Nick's Picks]

I've had mine out 4 times now and have made some observations that i'll share.  some of you might find this stuff helpful.

a few things up front:

Ergonomics / menu:
easy.  a nice deck to operate.  the pleather case that ships w/it is excellent, allowing you to secure cables via all sort of entry ports in/out of it.  The menu is farily straight forward.  It comes up from "off" to "ready to roll" in 3 seconds.  That is nice.  I suspect most people will not even need to access the manual.  Its fairly intuitive, and if you understand what you are reading in the menus then you're all set.

recording
I've been running line in.  When you first turn the unit on, you must access the "recording levels" menu and make an additional adjustment of dropping the levels down from 0db to -10db, give or take.  Otherwise it runs too hot and you'll overload the deck.  This is sort of a bummer.  I'd like there to be an optional preset or something so that the deck comes up in 3 seconds ...and is actually ready to use based on my preferences, not its default settings.
Maybe Marantz just spoiled me w/this feature.
Otherwise, piece of cake.  Hold switch is easy to access.   Headphone amp is ok.  line out is also ok sounding.  Transport features are a little clunky.  Accessing files is not exactly intuitively laid out in the menu, but not a super-hassle or anything.
Levels are fast, accurate, detailed...and LARGE.  Definately better than any of the Edirol decks, and easily on par w/the larger tascam/marantz offerings.  I really like how they devoted the entire display to the levels.  The counter runs in TMI mode (ala SD7xx boxes) right down to the 100th of a second.  Files split at 25min / 1gb.  Seamless. 

Sound
sick.  absolutely breathtaking at times.  Maybe i'm biased (certainly) as I already have it in my head that I like DSD/SACD sound over DVDA/REDBOOK.  Maybe its as simple as a shiny new placebo w/cool levels bouncing around in my bag that leads me to believe my recordings have certainly gone to the next level.
I'm pretty confident that what I hear coming out of my stereo is only what i'm putting into it (signal / source wise), and if that is to be true...damn.  then this is the best sounding recorder i've ever used.  I have not run my Church-Audio AT853s into it yet (though I plan to), so I cant comment on how its preamp sound or perform.

I've run it directly into my stereo...and it sounds excellent.  I've taken the DSD files to every resolution of PCM, and again they all sound exceptional...well beyond most of the PCM masters I've made..ever.
I hear depth.  I hear realism.  I have sound that projects out of my speakers, and not just in between them ....but out in front.  Weird.  Even times when there is no music playing and its just crowd noise in the venue, the detail and sense of space just jumps out at you. 

for the same price of what a new M1/D100 was, this is truly the "next level" in a hand held recording deck.  Thats my $.05, fwiw

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Thanks.  It will be interesting when someone gets around to comparing the MR1 to the MR1000 behind the same preamp... And also at a show where there are sources from other rigs..

[kindms]

So it does have a HOLD button ? I thought that there was some confusion about that ?

Also Nick what is the amount of time it takes for a show lets say WSP or similar length to go from the DSD to PCM ?

I was debating seeking this unit out and the conversion times mentioned seem to be loooong

[ghellquist]

Hmm. I find parts of this quite interesting.

From my experience good PCM sounds exactly like what you are recording. The differences are totally insanely impossible to hear in normal circumstances. Just maybe I can hear something with my Sennheiser HD650 headphones and the volumes turned up to max and listening to the noise level of the mic. Just maybe I can hear it, not certain. My reference for good PCM is Lavry Blue. The Sound Devices 722 comes rather close, not quite up to it. None of the other small handheld devices I have tested comes close.

The other important part of the recorder is the analog stages. Now, I would not really expect any revolutions in a small handheld from Korg.

In theory DSD should also give you exactly what you put in, no more, no less. If it adds or detracts, that is distortion.

My only conclusions then can be:
- either you are comparing a decent DSD to a PCM that is not that good (my current bet)
- or there is a large difference in the analog stages (not as likely)

This does not detract from the DSD, only puts it into perspective. Or to put it into car terms: of course a modern BMW is more comfortable than a 20 year old Subaru. But so is a modern Mercedes.

Gunnar

[Nick's Picks]

Hold button?  yes.  didn't I mention that?

DSD>PCM conversion, on my laptop is not slow at all.  it takes maybe 30-40min to do a 3 hour show, to any resolution.

some folks say this is "suspicious", and maybe it is.  but Korg says they have access to all the "bells and whistles" of DSD technology...so maybe it ain't.
either way, it doesn't detract from my thoughts at the moment.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

My reference for good PCM is Lavry Blue. The Sound Devices 722 comes rather close, not quite up to it. None of the other small handheld devices I have tested comes close.

Curious about your impressions of the Mytek 192 vs. those others.

The other important part of the recorder is the analog stages. Now, I would not really expect any revolutions in a small handheld from Korg.

The tight component spacing in any small recorder is definitely a concern. It may be dsd but things are still packaged close.


In regard to Hold, it is the mr1000 which currently lacks Hold.

[mandoman]

So it does have a HOLD button ? I thought that there was some confusion about that ?

MR-1 has always hada hold button. The MR-1000 does not. That's probably where you got confused.

[kindms]

So it does have a HOLD button ? I thought that there was some confusion about that ?

MR-1 has always hada hold button. The MR-1000 does not. That's probably where you got confused.

Ah yes. thanks all

[Nick Graham]

Quick question - what's the deal with line inputs? Dual mono 1/8"? Where would I find a stereo 1/8" to mono 1/8" Y Cable (for running Sonosax>MR1)?

[Nick's Picks]

right, balanced 1/8th (3.5mm) inputs.  so its like a stereo jack w/3 contacts.  but inplace of a unbalanced left/right/ground on one jack, its +/-/ground on one jack. 
a mini trs is exactly what it is...though i've never heard of that before.
:-)

so where you'd get a cable..?
try ts.com perhaps, i hear some folks there make cables.  some chump even posted MR1 cables for sale in the retail forum I believe.

[Nick's Picks]

also, fwiw..
instead of making multiple cables for this, I found a stereo female > dual mono male RA converter at "da shaq" for like $5 or something.
that'll do.

a custom cable eliminates that. 
does the SAX only have that 3.5mm single ended output?  if it has XLRs, I'd get XLR>balanced mini cables.

[Nick's Picks]

i'm sure it would be interesting.
though, i'm gentle w/this thing.  it ain't no $400 piece of plastic!