"Randolph S. Little" wrote:
>
> NatureRecordists:
>
> You may wish to check out the new Nagra V portable digital sound
> hard disk recorder specs at http://www.nagrausa.com
I read that, and a few quick comments:
They say it uses a Orb disk. If so, this is not really a hard disk
recorder, a Orb disk is a different thing. It does use the technique of
flying the head over the disk (at a height of 3 microns). This is a
serious problem in that the Orb drives are not built with all the shock
resistance of standard hard disks. Reports on the drive seem to indicate
that they work reliably in only one position (flat on the desk). Meaning
it may not work carried around on a strap, and I see no strap lugs on
it. Even then it's extremely vulnerable to dust and dirt or being
bumped. The disk cartridge has a shutter, but like any removable has to
injest raw air from time to time when inserted or removed, with it's
attendant dust particles. Anything bigger than that tiny gap can rip
material out of the disk surface, or the head. This is a classic problem
with removable hard disk technology. And we are talking about taking
this out into the field, which can often be pretty grubby?
I'm not familiar with the technology of the actual recording, it's
called magneto resistive. It sounds like it's magnetic media, vulnerable
to degradation by ordinary magnetic fields. I expect the info is
available on the internet.
There was considerable stir about Orb drives, particularly in the Mac
community about a couple years back. I've seen the drives back then in
the mac section in CompUSA, in a USB form. It's fundamentally a SCSI
drive as originally designed. There is a PC version. However, the last
ones I saw in CompUSA were on the disposal table very cheap. And I've
not seen them recently, or heard much mention, though I've not really
looked. (They are definitely not in the mac section) There apparently
was a fairly high failure rate to the drives, at least in the early
going. All the hallmarks of a custom drive and format that did not make
it in the marketplace. Or, at best is still only hanging in there.
Meanwhile, Fujitsu announced in January the next capacity upgrade for
standard 3.5" optical disks, the most durable and reliable removable
disks you can use. Just as fast or faster than a Orb disk. The new drive
will read and write to a new size, 2.3gig, as well as all the older
sizes. This is a standard cartridge system, not something limited to a
single manufacturer:
http://www.fcpa.com/products/mo-drives/mcj3230ap/specifications.html
It would be interesting to know how Nagra ended up with the Orb. Sounds
a lot like old stodgy company not familiar with modern stuff gets
flim-flammed. For those considering this recorder, do the research on
the current state of the single source Orb drive. The last price I saw
on disks was more like $40 than the $30 Nagra quotes, but that's a while ago.
The Nagra also appears to use XLR digital output connectors, not the
standard stuff. No optical out, no USB to transfer the files. A line
input that's a 15 pin mini D connector! Banana plugs! What a strange
mixture of connectors! You might luck out and they are using a standard
disk formatting which would allow you to buy a Orb drive to use for
transfer but it appears to have no high speed transfer.
They make a point that the format is BWF, which is apparently a variant
of the WAV format used in the broadcast industry. It might be a good
idea to check that format out before assuming this is standard WAV. The
AES/EBU format is broadcast stuff, not the same as the digital format we
are used to. It sounds very specific to broadcast equipment in it's
overall design.
> I note that the "Preliminary Information" lists only 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz
> sampling frequencies, but the Richmond press release adds 96 kHz.
> At just 3 kg (about 7 pounds) one would likely not suffer "Nagravation"
> which has been reported after carrying the heavier Nagra IV analog
> recorders.
As far as useful 96 khz sampling, if there really is such a thing, it's
output circuits only go to 20 kHz, not even the top of 44 or 48 kHz
sampling rates. And the switch for 24/16 bit sampling is listed under
Dither, making me wonder if one or the other is not a true sampler but
only mathematically derived.
Looking at the pictures, and thinking about it, unless that's without
batteries this thing is not built very solidly. Need info on what sort
of frame and body it's got. I also find it a bit strange that the Orb
drive appears to be grafted onto the machine rather than built in, and
under a plastic cover, that worries me a little.
> Who will be the first to get their hands on one of these jewels and let
> us know how it rates for field recording of bioacoustical information?
It will probably drag a few more folks off their tape fetish. Though not
onto proven trustworthy media.
I have no doubt it will sell. They could probably put their label on a
actual concrete block and use a hemp rope for the "strap" and call it a
recorder and someone would pay thousands of dollars for it.
But, it should be evaluated just like any other recorder, not by brand
name. It has all the hallmarks of a fairly specialist machine designed
for tying into specific broadcast equipment. And, in many ways what is
to be expected when a company that's been living way in the past tries
to play catch-up. It's carrying a lot of electronics not necessary for
nature recording, and has connectors that are going to result in a bunch
of strange adapters needed, and is not very modern in it's features.
(though I note it does have the prerecord buffer) It has a strange
physical design with the drive not being integrated, and that would
probably turn out to be annoying in portable field use, if not a
reliability problem. It's using a special disk drive and format that's
entirely dependent on one company, not a industry standard.
I'd say if it's under $2000, preferably way under, it might be worth
considering as a risky experiment, but if it's above that it's
overpriced. Wait for the model that fixes some of this one's problems.
Walt
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