>The very promising Sound Devices 24/96 portable hard disc recorder is
>joining the HHB Portadrive somewhere in limbo-land. Introduction
>date has been pushed out until 1Q 2004 due to design changes. Read
>the announcement here:
>
>http://www.sounddevices.com/news/7-series-update-1.htm
>
>--oryoki
>
Thanks for the tip Oryoki. This is quite a disappointment for anyone
milking the last hours out of DATS and MD's. Don't you think they
must be confronting some basic tech problems? Size is cited. It is
surprising that the move from tape to hard drive recording has been
so difficult for the field recorder manufacturers-- at least at price
point that makes HD recording somewhat competitive with tape/disc.
Rich and I had a hunch something was going astray when Sound Devices
didn't want to let us beta test the 722 or 744 this May at the
Kickapoo recordists gathering, only 50 miles from their office.
I fear the solutions are being complicated as manufacturers seem
compelled to keep overhauling computer operation systems. The latest
version of Jaguar, for example, seems to be rendering many OS9
software and hardware investments as non upgradeable. The manuf's
strategy of upgrading software to produce a market for new hardware
is running aground as people are being asked to throw away working
gear for unproven drivers and the like. And in today's economy.
Trying to buy something as basic as a d->d interface for getting MD
onto your hard drive using recent OSX requires major research. Such
unthoughtful moves actually reward consumers for staying on the
trailing edges of technologies.
Yep, this shift the bets to Walt's side on my "Walt will be doing 24
bit hard drive field recording" wager. I'll have to check that
deadline again. Rob D.
--
Rob Danielson
Film Department
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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