As a previous owner of PDAudio(excluding the mic2496) , I just sold the
PDAudio card. I bought the PDAudio because my DAT recorder had eaten
some of my tapes and I was waiting for a decent HD recorder. Some concerns:
1. A complete system is really clumsy. Even you use some band to wrap
around as one unit. You still have lots of cables hanging around. No bag
system to carry over the shoulder for recording. You have to DIY. But
it's not easy as recording info (level and remaining time) is shown on
PDA screen. You don't want to wrap a band over the screen! When I use
it, I always wish I had 3 or 4 hands. One for adjusting gain, one to use
PDA pen, one to adjust mics or Telinga position or move tripod...
2. PDA battery may not be enough for long recording. External power to
PDA needs special connector which is not easy to get. Newer PDA may be
able to switch battery. But extra battery is expensive.
3. Currently real-time monitoring is unavailable except LIVE2496's 16/48
real-time monitoring. If you want to record in 24 bit, live2496 does not
support it right now (may be in the future). I don't know whether any
other software support real-time monitoring or not.
4. PDA may have performance issues depending on how much stuff you have
on your PDA. 3870 is said on their website to be able to record 24/96.
But I still occasionally have performance problems such as pure noise
after some time of recording (may be even after a few minutes!). Some CF
card is more unstable or uncompatible. I always worry that some disaster
may happen during important recording. You know, computers...
5. Although flexibility of interesting functions such as automatic
recording, currently only schedule time recording is available in
live2496. I am not aware of any software capable of threshold recording,
pre-record function. Personnaly I think pre-record is very useful for
species sound recording.
6. I remember having read somewhere that the gain of mic2496 may not be
enough for ambinet sounds recording. But I don't own one.
7. I agree with oryoki that given the cost of a complete system, I would
rather get either an R4, FR-2 or modified PMD671.
8. If microtracker is good, and capable of recording 24 bit through
digital input, the cost of a microtracker is only a little more than
(PDAudio card+live2496+cable+maybe storagetools software to format CF/SD
card as suggested by live2496?) But you get more functions with a
microtracker. If you don't have a PDA, the cost of a microtracker is
cheaper than PDAudio+PDA.
If you already have a PDA and an outboard pre/AD, you could consider it.
Another advantage is the possibility to use with a laptop (but not
compatible with my IBM X31). Or maybe in the future, PDA and its
softwares will have more useful functions and flexibility.
pjc
oryoki2000 =B4=A3=A8=EC:
>"Martyn Stewart" wrote:
>=20
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>>I don't see any facility for mics with phantom
>>power and XLR connectors etc
>>=20=20=20
>>
>
>You can use the Core-Sound system with any pro mics
>via a special Core-Sound cable.
>
>The typical Core-Sound PDAudio system has six parts:
>
>1. The Mic2496, an analog to digital converter and preamp,
>powered by a 9 volt battery, and capable of connecting to
>pro mics that need 48 volt phantom power, $550
>http://www.core-sound.com/pdaudio-cf/6.php
>
>2. The PDAudio-CF digital interface for PDAs and PCs.=20
>The PDAudio-CF plugs into a Compactflash slot on the host
>device. $200
>http://www.core-sound.com/pdaudio-cf/1.php
>
>3. The Pocket-PC PDA (not Palm PDA), which runs the
>recording software and holds the storage medium for your
>recordings. Since the PDAudio-CF takes up the Compactflash
>slot, most people buy a PDA that has both CF and SD
>flash memory slots. One example is the HP iPAQ hx2415, $375.
>
>4. The recording software, such as Gidluck Live 2496. $50
>http://www.core-sound.com/pdaudio-cf/4.php
>
>5. The storage medium for your recording. Today a 1GB SD
>flash card costs about $50
>
>6. Special cables to link the Mic2496 to the PDAudio-CF, and
>from your mics to the Mic2496 $50
>http://www.core-sound.com/Mic2496/8.php
>
>Total cost =3D $550 + $200 + $375 + $50 + $50 + $50 =3D $1275
>
>The Core-Sound web site tries to minimize the cost by suggesting
>the PDA might be purchased used from eBay. If you're willing to
>go that route, subtract about $200.
>
>If you put a big rubber band around all this gear, you can
>hold it one hand. The photo here shows what the system looks
>like (without the cables).
>http://www.core-sound.com/pdaudio_system/PDAudio_And_Mic2496_534w.jpg
>
>If I had $1275 to spend on a two channel 24/96 digital recorder,
>I think I'd buy a Fostex FR-2
>http://www.fostexdvd.net/fxdvd_route/docs/product/fr2/fr2_overview.htm
>
>or an Oade-modified Marantz PMD671
>http://www.oade.com/digital_recorders/hard_disc_recorders/PMD-671MODS.html
>
>--oryoki
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>"Microphones are not ears,
>Loudspeakers are not birds,
>A listening room is not nature."
>Klas Strandberg
>Yahoo! Groups Links
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>=20
>
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