Topic: Edirol R-44 - Solid State 4 channel recorder

[Shawn]

it turns out you are right. I was confused I just looked back at the block diagram and you are correct. the sensitivity knob, which handles most of the gain is done in the analog domain. the level knob handles the small adjustments and it is done in the digital domain.

I say mod away oade and busman. I needs me a new 4 channel field recorder 

[tfs8271]

^ just a matter of time.

Looks like my modded R-4 might not be worth that much now.

[Roving Sign]

^ just a matter of time.

Looks like my modded R-4 might not be worth that much now.

Yeah - Im starting to hear a low rumble of discontent from the R-4 owners...I always thought there was too much tied up in "non-taper" features on the R-4s - a device that wasnt really conceived with music recording in mind.

wav editing - who needs that? But you can bet thats part of the price...

[KLowe]

Damn this creation!  My resale value of my modded R-4 is now tanking faster than our stock market.  I really, REALLY want to run one of these bad boys....but since my resale will be sucky....that's not really looking like a possibility anytime soon. 


but......I'll enjoy reading about everyone's experiences......

[Shawn]

Yeah - Im starting to hear a low rumble of discontent from the R-4 owners...I always thought there was too much tied up in "non-taper" features on the R-4s - a device that wasnt really conceived with music recording in mind.

wav editing - who needs that? But you can bet thats part of the price...

hmm. I've got zero complaints with my r-4. the only reason I'd switch is the fact that the r-44 is smaller and can mix analog and digital signals. that way I can take digital patches when I'm recording in bigger sections at festivals and what not. or if I decide to get a stand alone pre/adc device I can still take a SBD feed with the open analog channels.

Looks like my modded R-4 might not be worth that much now.

that's what I'm afraid of. IMO the market is already weak for the R-4 and the addition of the R-44 can only hurt which really sucks for those of us who invested fairly early on in the R-4. I guess that's the price you pay. The good news is that I'm happy with my R-4 so I can wait around for a year or so after the R-44 hits the streets and the price falls sgnificantly (like it did with the r-4) and hopefully get a decent price on one.

[stirinthesauce]

could be worse.  Could have bought a da-p1 new back in the day and try selling it now.  Talk about tanking prices 


Such is the life of digital equipment.  Buy when the price falls, sell before the price falls further.

Only thing that holds a nickel's resale, and sometimes increases in value, are microphones. 


FWIW, I'm actually interested in this little box.  May have to try one out.

[KLowe]

FWIW, I'm actually interested in this little box.  May have to try one out.

Doooooo ieeeeettt! 

just to make me jealous.  I heard street prices will be around 7-8 bones.  Still cheaper than a new r-4

K

[stirinthesauce]

FWIW, I'm actually interested in this little box.  May have to try one out.

Doooooo ieeeeettt! 

just to make me jealous.  I heard street prices will be around 7-8 bones.  Still cheaper than a new r-4

K

It would be an even steven deal, swapping current recorder for that.  Mine used and that new are about the same.  We'll see.  I'm lazy enough these days taping, I don't need to confuse myself.   

[rowjimmy]

So my pondering over whether or not to buy an all-in-one box vs separate pre & recorder is getting tougher and tougher.

[69mako]

With all I read about this recorder, I know exactly where part of my tax return is going.  4 channel here I come!!!  No more synching 2 JB3's.

Mako

[BayTaynt3d]

it turns out you are right. I was confused I just looked back at the block diagram and you are correct. the sensitivity knob, which handles most of the gain is done in the analog domain. the level knob handles the small adjustments and it is done in the digital domain.

I say mod away oade and busman. I needs me a new 4 channel field recorder 

Is that how the pro works too?

If so, why would anyone even use the fine adjust then? What's the point? Why not use the sens knob and that's it. I mean if fine adjust is just digital, hell, you can just do that in post, which you'd probably do anyway, so less quantization errors by waiting?

Also, I must be confused, cause what's the point of negative digital gain? I mean if I'm clipping, then decreasing levels digitally won't help at all. And if I'm not clipping, then why would I want to lower the gain digitally at all? I must be missing something...

Finally, I think I had a conversation with Doug once where I swear I remember him saying he thought the modded R4 actually was better than the R4 Pro -- a modded one. But can't remember the details of that conversation, but maybe this has something to do with it?

[evilchris]

With all I read about this recorder, I know exactly where part of my tax return is going.  4 channel here I come!!!

Ditto that, but I'll probably wait until NEXT tax return (early 2009) and collect mics until then.

I'm still curious as to how well the pre in this thing works.  If I can run four mics straight into it with no problem, I'm sold.  I just gotta decide on four mics.

I was thinking 4x avantone CK-1, running cards in the middle and flanking that with split omnis.

[Shawn]

it turns out you are right. I was confused I just looked back at the block diagram and you are correct. the sensitivity knob, which handles most of the gain is done in the analog domain. the level knob handles the small adjustments and it is done in the digital domain.

I say mod away oade and busman. I needs me a new 4 channel field recorder 

Is that how the pro works too?

yes, at least according to the block diagram. there maybe some minor techincal differences between the two, but from the macro-scopic view (a.k.a. block diagram) they are the same. the limiter is also digital, which in my mind raises questions about it's usefullness. Not because it's digital but because I don't know if it is useful to limit a signal digitally that was clipping in the analog world.

If so, why would anyone even use the fine adjust then? What's the point? Why not use the sens knob and that's it. I mean if fine adjust is just digital, hell, you can just do that in post, which you'd probably do anyway, so less quantization errors by waiting?

Also, I must be confused, cause what's the point of negative digital gain? I mean if I'm clipping, then decreasing levels digitally won't help at all. And if I'm not clipping, then why would I want to lower the gain digitally at all? I must be missing something...
I think that was basically the point of ozpeter's post a few pages back. seperating the gain stages between the analog and digital domain doesn't make much sense.

[Nick's Picks]

the sweet thing w/these decks is that even if you dont get them MOD'd, it doesn't take much of a preamp in front to really improve things.
a pair of V2s, for example.  Still a pretty tight package.

but here's hoping for the ass whompin' MODs. (AWM).

[slowburn]

So is there anything preventing connecting a R-4pro with a R-44 and do 8 channels? Using word clock?