Topic: JB3 Sucks

[chazwars]

Okay, so you know how some people should not own certain types of equipment even though the gear is very handy? Well I am that guy when it comes to the JB3. I've had about 5 taping experiences with one and every time I run into some sort of issue. Last night was no exception. The batteries pooped on the deck and what happens...I lose all data from the show. Man, is this the new world of recording? Do I have to be PERFECT or risk losing everything? I'm getting frustrated over here and may switch back to DAT. I just don't want to deal with the headaches of converting all the audio to .wav.

So, what I want to know is if there is a deck that has the following:

-Easy plug and play into a PC system where I don't have to go searching around for recordings. It just syncs up.
-Recording info on a drive that is being saved while recording, rather than having to be stopped and saved.
-Some deck that lasts more than 3 hours on batteries. (I am posting on remote power to get info on the JB3 power issue)


Really, I just need to get a good bit bucket that isn't gonna bust my balls on price and cause so many problems.

peace.

[Chris K]

sorry for your troubles. i have never had any kind of problem with the jb3, and since it is 16bit, it can record for a long long time, and has an auto split feature so you dont lose music. i use red chair notmad explorer to d/l shows off the jb3 and it cant be much easier.

are you using 2 batteries inside the jb3? or just a single battery? you should be using two, but even if you are, it may be time to look into getting a fresh set of batteries.

[kfrinkle]

Yeah i have to tell you, the JB3 was the greatest fucking recorder.  I just wish it was a little smaller for stealthing purposes.  I could set that thing to record and forget about it for the whole evening with the two batteries in it.  I never had a single problem with it for the several years I used it.

[wbrisette]

Last night was no exception. The batteries pooped on the deck and what happens...I lose all data from the show. Man, is this the new world of recording? Do I have to be PERFECT or risk losing everything? I'm getting frustrated over here and may switch back to DAT. I just don't want to deal with the headaches of converting all the audio to .wav.

Wow, I want to see batteries crap all over a deck.  

I think you meant popped...

But I'm also missing something. I think what you are looking for is something that doesn't exist at least in the FAT-16/32 world. You want a recorder that records and if you have sudden failure, you can recover everything up to that point. MARF does that, but that is a proprietary format developed by Zaxcom for the Deva and you don't even want to think about how much that will set you back. The biggest flaw in the current crop of hard drive recorders is that they all use common FAT-16/32 formats, which is not a fault-tolerant format. That doesn't mean you have to give up on the current crop of recorders, but you do have to be aware of certain things. One of the nice things the SD 7xx series (Aaton Cantar, Zaxcom Deva, and a few others) does is it allows you to record to multiple medias, so if you are recording on the internal drive and an external drive, you at least have the opportunity of trying to salvage the audio from two sources.

The bottom line is hard drive recording does take a bit more care than DAT. But really it's not much more care, and the fact that you no longer have to transfer data real-time like you did with DAT helps a lot.

I'm sure others with more experience with other recorders will chime in here.

Wayne

[chazwars]

Last night was no exception. The batteries pooped on the deck and what happens...I lose all data from the show. Man, is this the new world of recording? Do I have to be PERFECT or risk losing everything? I'm getting frustrated over here and may switch back to DAT. I just don't want to deal with the headaches of converting all the audio to .wav.

Wow, I want to see batteries crap all over a deck.  

I think you meant popped...

But I'm also missing something. I think what you are looking for is something that doesn't exist at least in the FAT-16/32 world. You want a recorder that records and if you have sudden failure, you can recover everything up to that point. MARF does that, but that is a proprietary format developed by Zaxcom for the Deva and you don't even want to think about how much that will set you back. The biggest flaw in the current crop of hard drive recorders is that they all use common FAT-16/32 formats, which is not a fault-tolerant format. That doesn't mean you have to give up on the current crop of recorders, but you do have to be aware of certain things. One of the nice things the SD 7xx series (Aaton Cantar, Zaxcom Deva, and a few others) does is it allows you to record to multiple medias, so if you are recording on the internal drive and an external drive, you at least have the opportunity of trying to salvage the audio from two sources.

The bottom line is hard drive recording does take a bit more care than DAT. But really it's not much more care, and the fact that you no longer have to transfer data real-time like you did with DAT helps a lot.

I'm sure others with more experience with other recorders will chime in here.

Wayne

Thanks Wayne. That makes a whole lot of sense. And yes, my unit actually poops all over. It is rather disgusting but keeps the drunk people away from the gear. 

sorry for your troubles. i have never had any kind of problem with the jb3, and since it is 16bit, it can record for a long long time, and has an auto split feature so you dont lose music. i use red chair notmad explorer to d/l shows off the jb3 and it cant be much easier.

are you using 2 batteries inside the jb3? or just a single battery? you should be using two, but even if you are, it may be time to look into getting a fresh set of batteries.

Yep, prolly time to pick a few extras. I went through the remote power section and found a thread explaining various external options. I am going to rig one up today and try it out tonight in the field.

What I wonder, and maybe I just need to tinker with the unit, if if I were to press FF during a recording, would this save the previous track and start a new one? If this previous track were saved, at least I could salvage that part.


Thank you for the input. I guess I just needed to VENT a little frustration. I am a lowly infant child in the vast world of HD recording. Mommy...I miss D8.

peace.
  Charlie

[Sloan Simpson]

What I wonder, and maybe I just need to tinker with the unit, if if I were to press FF during a recording, would this save the previous track and start a new one? If this previous track were saved, at least I could salvage that part.

That works.  I've had to do it when I knew batteries were about to die, and at least the majority of the set gets saved.

[chazwars]

Ahhhhh....well now you tell me!!!!  JK. 

Thx. I'll test it out tonight as well.

[dean]

What I wonder, and maybe I just need to tinker with the unit, if if I were to press FF during a recording, would this save the previous track and start a new one? If this previous track were saved, at least I could salvage that part.

That works.  I've had to do it when I knew batteries were about to die, and at least the majority of the set gets saved.

Correct.  Keep an eye on battery life so if that sucker drops to a single bar of batt life you hit FF and you're saved up to that point.  Not seamless, though, so wait until between songs.

Also if you set up the recording at "continuous", once you reach the 2:59 recording limit a new track automatically begins while saving the other.  That way if it's a long show and you're not there when the time limit is reached, it'll do the work for you.

Bottom line, if you have 2 fully charged batts in that jb3 you don't have to even look at the thing until about the 5 hour mark (of power on time).  Even then you'll have a decent amount of time left.

[Roving Sign]

What I wonder, and maybe I just need to tinker with the unit, if if I were to press FF during a recording, would this save the previous track and start a new one? If this previous track were saved, at least I could salvage that part.

That works.  I've had to do it when I knew batteries were about to die, and at least the majority of the set gets saved.

Correct.  Keep an eye on battery life so if that sucker drops to a single bar of batt life you hit FF and you're saved up to that point.  Not seamless, though, so wait until between songs.

Also if you set up the recording at "continuous", once you reach the 2:59 recording limit a new track automatically begins while saving the other.  That way if it's a long show and you're not there when the time limit is reached, it'll do the work for you.

Bottom line, if you have 2 fully charged batts in that jb3 you don't have to even look at the thing until about the 5 hour mark (of power on time).  Even then you'll have a decent amount of time left.

2 of the stock batteries is the way to go - most of the external solutions were created due to a shortage of batteries - which seems to be over...plenty on ebay.

Also - make sure you go into "Rescue Mode" and do a "Clean Up"  - you may well be able to retrieve the lost track.

Also puzzled by this statement:

I just don't want to deal with the headaches of converting all the audio to .wav.

Your files should already be in wav when they come off the recorder...

Really, I just need to get a good bit bucket that isn't gonna bust my balls on price and cause so many problems.

You have it - I think the JB3 is the most reliable and proven recorder out there...

[DeepCreatures]

I'm getting frustrated over here and may switch back to DAT.

come back to the dark side!

peace,
ts

[wbrisette]

Also puzzled by this statement:

I just don't want to deal with the headaches of converting all the audio to .wav.

Your files should already be in wav when they come off the recorder...

I took this to mean if he switched back to DAT, not if he stayed with the JB3.

Wayne

[Belexes]

* Belexes still an M1 user.

[Roving Sign]

Also puzzled by this statement:

I just don't want to deal with the headaches of converting all the audio to .wav.

Your files should already be in wav when they come off the recorder...

I took this to mean if he switched back to DAT, not if he stayed with the JB3.

Wayne

Ahh - yes. Thanks...makes more sense.

[Chris K]

you can find new batteries on ebay. at one time they were hard to come by as only creative sold them, but i think there is an aftermarket company making them now.

here is a listing on ebay for one. the same seller is selling a ton of them and reasonably priced at $25 shipped.

http://tinyurl.com/2pxdet

as stated above, with 2 batteries, 5hrs+ recording time = no worries!

[bonghitwillie]

it's back to dat. unfortunately my m1 is not retracting the tape all the way into the shell when i eject.  i can get it out but it involves little screw drivers.  try and do this during a show when you are stealthing.  onto your battery popping out issue.  whenever something bad happens you have to figure out a cure.  i have never seen a jb3.  try using a heavy duty rubber around the whole device to prevent the batts frrom popping out.  or use some heavy duty gaffers tape.  i used a right angle 1/8" to get the mics into my m1.  the first time i used the connector it kept popping out.  after that i used a rubber band to hold the connector in.  never had a problem after that.  i have seen others do this with the iriver.