Dan Dugan wrote:
> LANG
>
>> > Good question. I note from the pics that it includes a flash card slot, so
>>
>>> maybe that is the primary storage medium and mode of transfer to a computer.
>>
>
> WALT
>
>>That's my impression, it's primary storage will be compact flash.
>
>
> My impression is that most users will use the internal hard drive.
Yes, once that was reported to us it was obvious. At the time I
commented I only had three photos to go on. I'm not part of the industry
in crowd, and don't go to the electronics conventions.
In fact it seems a bit redundant to even have the compact flash if you
have the internal HD. Especially if you can just go in and replace it if
you find the stock disk too small. Sound Devices gear is put together
with screws, so it can be opened up. So, I assume it would be no more
problem than replacing a laptop HD.
The internal HD means we are back to spinning a motor, however. So the
capacity of the NP500 series battery will be severely tested. There are
several capacities available, but I think the biggest current one would
not even be as much as the 2000mah available by using NIMH AA's. I know
the ones I have, some bought as recently as a year ago don't have near
that. I do prefer lion batteries over NIMH, however.
>
>
>>It's got a firewire port just below the compact flash, so that's how you
>>would transfer most likely. A lot of the other connectors don't look
>>useful with our current equipment.
>
>
> Have you seen mini-XLRs before? They're pretty common on pro audio
> equipment for the film industry, like wireless mikes, and Cooper
> mixers, where they're used for all but the main ins and outs.
I have seen them. But if you notice most nature recordists don't use
them, and that's the group we are in, which is what I mean. It will mean
a change of cables for most. I currently have no field equipment that
uses them. I would expect that studio types that have wandered into the
group will probably already have been using them some.
Also, it does not have the more common (for most folks) optical digital
connections. Only the coax.
The intended market is fairly obviously the movie/TV crowd. From things
like the connectors, the sync functions, and so on.
I've nothing against the mini XLR, and actually wish they were what was
on everything. The current XLR is a hangover from the days when
equipment was much bigger and should have gone a while back.
>>It appears to be the intent is it's a
>>remote sound collector for a computer.
>
>
> It has mike inputs with phantom and all, metering, and audio
> outputs...it's a field hard drive recorder, smaller and more rugged.
With the primary out being firewire. The files undoubtedly stored as
Windows Wave format.
It lacks the M/S decoder that's on the MP2. May not matter to the mono
recordists, but does to me. Were I to be using one of these I'd still
need the MP2 for that function.
Yes, it is a full function pro recorder, not rooted in mp3 listening as
so many recorders that have been pointed out are. It is encouraging in
that regard, although the price is too high.
Rugged is yet to be seen. I have a lot of respect for Sound Devices, but
in spite of the solid case I consider the MP2 more vulnerable than the
Portadisc. The design is just too open to dust and water. I always use
mine in a PortaBrace case. Though lately my Portadisc also lives in one
of their cases too. This looks like it's built in much the same way
mechanically as the MP2, slots milled through the case for switches that
are not weatherproof, for instance.
Walt
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
|