The Marantz PMD671 ($900), Tascam HD-P2 (<$1000), and Fostex FR-2
($1200) are worthy candidates for a mid-priced field recorder that is
loaded with features. Pay less, and you'll give up features like
24/96 quantization, XLR inputs, digital input and output, accurate
meters, and full-size controls.
The HD-P2 offers good value for money by including 24/192 recording,
Firewire connectivity, and support for several types of time code to
synchronize with other devices.
Best price I've seen for the HD-P2 is at Cascade Media, quite a bit
lower than the $999 most retailers are advertising. They claim to have
the HD-P2 in stock. Contact Cascade through this web page to get a
quote. http://www.cascademedia.net/products.asp?catid=0&prodid=1897
These machines use CompactFlash cards as the recording medium.
There's no need to purchase one of the super high speed CF cards. The
standard CF card, rated at 40x to 50x (where X, by industry standard,
is 150kbps), is fast enough.
A 4GB standard speed CF card costs about $225, with discount coupons
frequently available. 4GB provides enough space for two hours of
stereo 24/96 recording. Alternatively, 4GB will hold twelve hours of
mono tracks recorded at 16/48. Transfer the recordings to a computer
when the Compactflash is full. Then erase and re-use.
--oryoki
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
|