Topic: How about these dreamy "coming soon" recorders from FOSTEX?

[Roving Sign]

I was looking at info about the FR-2LE and saw press releases for these units...sorry if dupe.

http://www.fostexinternational.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?id=EEZuAZFpFFhyumDJdF&tmpl=viewnews_pro_head



http://www.fostexinternational.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?id=EEZuAZkllVtRxMOncV&tmpl=viewnews_pro_head

[bluegrass_brad]

That PD606 looks sick!

[H₂O]

Look pretty nice, but you better bring your sherpa.

[boojum]

I would like to know how it sounds, and how much it costs.  This, the 744T and the Sonosax are all looking good.  Ah, yes, all it takes is money. 

[Ozpeter]

Anything aimed at film sound like those is going to be for those with deep pockets!

Meanwhile I'm extremely pleased with the results I'm getting with a Korg D888 recording classical concerts - eight inputs to eight tracks at once, unlike either of the Fostex units!  Admittedly not battery operated, but probably no heavier.

[Ozpeter]

(Kind of OT but in response to an offline enquiry, I happen to know that the "Orchestral" symphony orchestra 1 minute sample at http://www.naiant.com/studiostore/audiosamples.html was recorded using three Naiant $25 mics into a Korg D888's own preamps, and there's no EQ on the sample - gives an impression of both recorder and mics for anyone interested in either).

[wbrisette]

Look pretty nice, but you better bring your sherpa.

 

I looked for any sort of weight or dimensional info and couldn't find any. Their previous DVD-RAM unit was really not for over the shoulder use, and these look just as bad from that perspective.

Wayne

[NOLAfishwater]

Look pretty nice, but you better bring your sherpa.

 

[F.O.Bean]

man, it would take me 5-10 years to fully learn every aspect and function on that sucka By the time it took me to learn how to use that thing, it would be obsolete

[wbrisette]

Bean:

It's really no different than the 744T, Deva, or Cantar. They simply made a lot of the options available as hardware switches instead of through software. When Fozzy helped me recently, I was amazed at how many menus the 722 now has. It was amazing. I don't think any of the file-based recorders designed for multiple inputs, timecode, etc. are just a push of a button anymore. There are a lot of options for them.

Wayne

[F.O.Bean]

Bean:

It's really no different than the 744T, Deva, or Cantar. They simply made a lot of the options available as hardware switches instead of through software. When Fozzy helped me recently, I was amazed at how many menus the 722 now has. It was amazing. I don't think any of the file-based recorders designed for multiple inputs, timecode, etc. are just a push of a button anymore. There are a lot of options for them.

Wayne

Sweet, tahst why there are SOOO many buttons on that thing

Yeah, the 7xx menu options are quite long But Id rather have MORE options than not enough, so I guess youre 100% correct there.......I guess after reading the manual for a 6 straight hrs the day I got my 722 while driving to Philly for moe def helped me understand it pretty quickly. That and the fact I didnt have ANY other reading material on that LONG drive to Philly

Like anything, hands on using it will figure things out rather quickly.....

[meatling]

I looked for any sort of weight or dimensional info and couldn't find any.

Try Fostex Japan. You probably won't understand much, but the Japanese do use arabic numerals 

Anyway, it's 325（W） x 116.5（H） x 234（D）mm for both recorders, 3.3 kg for the 204 and 3.4 kg for the 606.

m

[meatling]

I would like to know how it sounds, and how much it costs.

For the latter there might be a ballpark figure: The PD204 is listed with a price of 560,000 Yen, the PD606 with 1,380,000 Yen.

At current exchange rates, that's $4,885 USD for the PD204, and $12,040 USD for the PD606.

m

[wbrisette]

I would like to know how it sounds, and how much it costs.

For the latter there might be a ballpark figure: The PD204 is listed with a price of 560,000 Yen, the PD606 with 1,380,000 Yen.

At current exchange rates, that's $4,885 USD for the PD204, and $12,040 USD for the PD606.

Which really hurts them, because now you're looking at a 6 channel recorder for the same price as a 10 channel recorder (Zaxcom Deva 5.. On the bright side, this still makes them cheaper than the Cantar. Which has seen a price bump thanks to our shrinking dollar.

Wayne

[meatling]

now you're looking at a 6 channel recorder for the same price as a 10 channel recorder (Zaxcom Deva 5..

... or else you're looking at a 6 channel recorder for some 50 % more than the Sonosax SX-62R. I think that's going to be a hard sell.

On the bright side, this still makes them cheaper than the Cantar

Like a Hyundai is cheaper than a BMW? Seriously, I think the Cantar is a piece of art, pretty much in a league of its own. It's the only piece of audio gear I've ever witnessed people swooning "I don't care what it does. I want it!"

If the PD606 is of comparable build quality, it might become just as successful. Then again, I think I read somewhere that Aaton has sold some 300 Cantars or so. That's not really many, or is it?

m