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Re: The waiting game (was SD 722...)

Subject: Re: The waiting game (was SD 722...)
From: Rob Danielson <>
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2005 12:34:38 -0500
And we all sincerely hope there will be more job openings at M Audio
in sales than in customer relations.

The wait to replace worn-out DAT's and MD's with a perfect, cheap,
high "quality" recorder will likely continue for at least two more
years. After learning how quiet the HiMD mic pre is and seeing how
reliable the transfers are, the recorder question is "case closed"
and "get on with life" for a while. With several classes to tool, at
$160 for the recorder and $70 for the phantom unit, that's
unthinkable,.. Finally, there's money to spend on mics!

There's an opportunity for smaller businesses to fill in the gaps
between pro and consumer with outfitting gear that everyone is
currently cobbling together. Items like more compact phantom power
units and easy to wear/carry binaural, MS , ORTF and boundary mic
rigs that use condenser mics with a fraction of the noise of electret
PIP. How about a complete, 4 channel portable surround rigs for half
the cost of a 744 alone?

This particular moment may be as exciting as it gets with some added
PVC, fake fur and DIY.   For $700-$1000 total, to use Martyn's
metaphor, one can assemble a whole rig that burns as brightly as
those costing several thousand a few years ago. Or a second rig you
can tuck in a tree in a ripe spot and pick up on the way back.  Rob D.

  =3D =3D =3D =3D

At 11:31 PM +0900 8/20/05, Mark R. wrote:
>Hi JR,
>   I too am trying to procure that job at Sony and can vouch for the ease =
of
>file transfer, bit for bit. With the most recent update of Sonic Stage
>3.2and maybe previous versions, have made it possible for unlimited
>uploads of
>analog made recordings. Sony has been compromising a little from what I ca=
n
>tell, and some of the complaining about Sonic Stage's faults seem to be
>lessening.
>  You *may* also want to look at the M Audio Microtracker, (
>http://www.core-sound.com/microtrack_2496.html ) as it looks like a
>marketing move by M Audio to one up Edirol's R series. They are bringing t=
o
>the market a suspiciously small recorder that looks at first glance like t=
he
>holy grail of portable recording, but as many have mentioned on this forum=
,
>still untested and unreleased.
>   Best,
>  Mark R.
>   8/20/05, JR <> wrote:
>
>>  Hi
>>
>>  The HIMD plus the 722, next thing you will be suggesting buying a new
>>  Sony supersize LCD to go with the HIMD :)))))))
>>
>>  It has been a couple of years since I investiated the MD option and
>>  then my recollection is transfer was via line in. If the Sonicstage
>>  software works, this could be tempting.
>>
>>  Thanks again,
>>  John
>>
>>  --- In  , Rob Danielson <>
>>  wrote:
>>  > I'm not suggesting anyone consider a NH-900 or RH-900 HiMD recorder
>>  > _instead of_ a 722, of course.
>>  >
>>  > Not sure why HiMD transferring has bad rap in some circles. Here's
>>  > the HiMD USB uploading "frustration" I endure:
>>  >
>>  > 1.Sonicstage 3.1 loads the 1GB HiMD disc on the "Transfer" side of
>>  a window.
>>  > 2. Set the location where you want the converted sound files
>>  > (16/44.1K .wav) to go. (Or use the same location you used the last
>>  > time by default)
>>  > 3. Select All (or some) of the sound files on your 1GB disk.
>>  > 4. Click on the Big Red "Transfer" arrow.
>>  > 5. Go get coffee.
>>  >
>>  > On my $100 used 512Hhz (98me 128 mb ram) PC laptop, transferring 94
>>  > minutes takes 40 minutes. I hear its 4 times faster on a current
>>  > desktop. I place my converted files on an external firewire hard
>>  > drive so they go where I'll edit them, first time. I back these
>>  data
>>  > files up on DVD-R for 10/hr. and erase and reuse the 1GB disc.
>>  >
>>  > The 722 is drag and drop-- but only to the PC or Mac's internal
>>  disc-
>>  > not directly to external drives where files are stored and edited.
>>  > That requires another step. The transfer speed is ~ 4mbs, about
>  > > twice as fast as HIMD, but that gets eaten up with the double
>>  > transfer. The HiMD 1GB discs go home and are transferred at home at
>>  > my leisure & no field fussing. The Sony HiMD discs have _never_
>  > > failed to mount first time. The 722 does fail to mount, first time,
>>  > from time to time. Haven't lost anything on the 722 or 744. I had
>>  > one bad 1GB disc that failed to transfer the last recording on it.
>>  It
>>  > was a defective disc.
>>  >
>>  > Any other reservations? I'm trying get my old job back at Sony. Rob
>>  D.
>>  >
>>  > =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D
>>  >
>>  > At 4:52 AM +0000 8/20/05, JR wrote:
>>  > >Hi Rob,
>>  > >I have watched colleagues struggle working with MDs trying to get
>>  > >their files onto their computers and getting frustated in the
>>  > >process. I am not a patient person and doing an analog transfer is
>>  > >not for me.
>>  > >I visit minidisco enough to know the HIMD may be an improvement
>>  over
>>  > >the MD of a couple of years ago ,but from what I understand the
>>  Sonic
>>  > >whatever it is software for digital transfers may still be
>>  > >troublesome. I did see there is a Mz 10/100 but looks as if that is
>>  > >pretty similar to the the RH910?
>>  > >
>>  > >The idea of the MD appealed to me and probably millons of others,
>>  but
>>  > >I need to get the information on my computer and unless that
>>  process
>>  > >has changed, I just have to live with my impatience and be patient
>>  > >for a 722, although I still need to check out the specs for the 671
>>  > >and how different it is from the 670 in terms of preamp noise.
>>  > >
>>  > >Thanks!
>>  > >John
>>  > >
>>  > >--- In  Rob Danielson <>
>>  > >wrote:
>>  > >> John
>>  > >> How about an Sony MZ-RH910 Hi-MD Recorder and a Rolls PB224
>>  phantom
>>  > >> power supply for while you wait in line? I think you'd find the
>>  > >> combo to be a lot more than you paid for. Rob D.
>>  > >>
>>  > >> =3D =3D =3D
>>  > >> i
>>  > >> At 11:31 PM +0000 8/19/05, JR wrote:
>>  > >> >Mike,
>>  > >> >What was the decision process that resulted in the 722
>>  decision?
>>  > >> >Thanks,
>>  > >> >John
>>  > >> >
>>  > >> >ps I have checked around and the line is longer than the gas
>>  lines
>>  > >of
>>  > >> >the 70s
>>  > >> >
>>  > >> >--- In  Mike Feldman
>>  > >> ><> wrote:
>>  > >> >>  wrote:
>>  > >> >>
>>  > >> >> > I personally would go with the 722. ...
>>  > >> >>
>>  > >> >> That was my decision last April, and I'm
>>  > >> >> still waiting for my order to be filled;
>>  > >> >> I haven't looked at how long the line is
>>  > >> >> behind me.
>>  > >> >>
>>  > >> > -- Mike
>>  > >>
>>  > >> --
>>  > >> Rob Danielson
>>  > >> Film Department
>  > > >> University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
>  > > >>


--
Rob Danielson
Film Department
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee


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