Dear Oryoki
=20=20
Thank you for your information.
It will be greatly appreciated for choosing the recorders.
Thanks again
=20=20
Yeon
oryoki2000 <> =BE=B2=B1=E2:
"scyeon2002" asked for information about the SP-Gigatracker, a $489
recorder assembled by Sound Professionals. The recorder is described
here:
www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-GIGATRACKER
This is an interesting alternative to a conventional field recorder,
and one that this group has not discussed before. So I will describe
it in some detail.
--oryoki
-------------------------
The SP-Gigatracker is composed of a mic preamp made by Sound
Professionals (SP) and an Archos GMINI 402 recorder with 20GB hard
disc. The two units are packaged in a waterproof case small enough to
carry in a jacket pocket. According to SP, the package can record
tracks for up to 9 hours without recharging batteries.
Preamp:
The preamp has two volume sliders and switch-selectable gain. A
maximum of +50dB is available for quiet nature sounds. You can choose
a setting of +29dB or 0dB as needed to avoid overloading the preamp
input with loud sounds (close thunder, ocean surf, or a waterfall, for
example).
The SP web page lists the preamp signal-to-noise ratio as 115 dBu EIN
(unweighted). This is a respectable figure. SP claims the preamp has
lower self-noise than the preamp of a minidisc recorder. Perhaps
Bruce W., Rob D., and others will comment about this.
The preamp has a 3.5mm (1/8 inch) mini phone plug connector for two
channel mic input. The preamp provides 9V of plug-in power to mics
that use that standard. Mics that use 48V phantom power will need an
external power source.
The preamp is powered by an alkaline 9V battery. SP states that this
battery will last for 75 hours of operation, even when providing
plug-in power to a pair of microphones.
The preamp has a second 3.5mm plug for headphones. This allows you to
monitor the mic input without having the recorder switched on, saving
the recorder's battery.
Recorder:
The Archos GMINI 402 is about the size of an iPod. You hold it with
the long side horizontal, rather than vertical like the iPod. The 402
has a 20GB disc drive and records 16/48 WAV files.
The 402 has a multi-pin connector that is used for two channel audio
line in. SP provides a custom-made cable to connect their preamp to
the multi-pin input.
The 402 has a built-in rechargeable battery. Sound Professionals
rates the battery to be good for 9 hours of audio recording. The
battery can't easily be replaced, so you'll need some sort of external
battery or recharger if you plan several days in the field.
The 402 has a USB 2.0 port for fast transfer of your recordings to a
computer. You must remove the 402 from the SP waterproof case to
access the USB port, and to plug in the battery recharger.
Operation of the 402 is controlled by making menu selections on the
2.2" color LCD screen, similar to the screen found on a digital
camera. This is less convenient than using a recorder with dedicated
buttons to start, pause and stop recording.
Case:
SP offers two case sizes for the SP-Gigatracker. The smaller measures
a diminutive 6.5" X 3.825" X 1.625", about the size of a single VHS
video cassette. The preamp is built into the left side, leaving
enough room for the 402 (or a minidisc recorder) in the right side.
The mic input and headphone connector are mounted through the side of
the case, so the case should be considered water-resistant, not
waterproof.
One useful option is to select a case with a clear top. This allows
you to check the operation of the recorder without the need to open
the case.
You still need to open the case to start, pause and stop the recorder,
and to change the preamp record level settings. This operation
requires two hands (one to hold the case, one to open and change
settings). This puts the SP-Gigatracker at a distinct disadvantage to
recorders like the M-Audio Microtrack 2496, Hi-MD mindisc, and Edirol
R-09 (coming soon), which can be operated in one hand.
Value for money:
The competition for the SP-Gigatracker includes the M-Audio Microtrack
2496 (about $350), the Edirol R-1 (about $400) and the Marantz PMD660
(about $430). Since these competitors use Compactflash storage, you'd
have to add a minimum of $50 for a 1GB Compactflash card, to have a
functional recorder. These competitors don't have preamp sections
that are as quiet as the SP-Gigatracker, and they are not packaged to
protect them from the elements as well. So the SP-Gigatracker looks
attractive.
The Sony Hi-MD recorder is another competitor. An example is the
MZ-RH910, available for $170 from many online sources. Add $60 for
ten Hi-MD discs, for a total of $230. That's only half the price of
the SP-Gigatracker. The Hi-MD preamp is pretty close to being as
good, the recorder is small enough to fit in a big shirt pocket, and
it can be held and operated with one hand. The Hi-MD recorder uses
the same plug-in power mics as the SP-Gigatracker.
At $489, Sound Professionals is charging too much for this recording
ensemble. SP sells the preamp and case, plus cable to interface with
the Archos Gmini 402, for $199. I found several online sources for
the 402 in the $250 range. So you can assemble your own system for
$40 less. That doesn't seem reasonable.
If you're interested in a hard disc recorder with very good preamp and
long battery life, in a rugged and weather resistant package, the
SP-gigatracker is a good alternative.
"Microphones are not ears,
Loudspeakers are not birds,
A listening room is not nature."
Klas Strandberg
Yahoo! Groups Links
Seong-Chan Yeon
Representative/Associate Professor
Korea National Research Resource Bioacoustics Center
Lab, of Surgery & Behavior
College of Veterianry Medicine
Gyeongsang National University
900, Gazwa-Dong, Jinju
Gyeongnam, 660-701,
South Korea
Tel: 82-55-751-5825(O)
Tel: 82-55-741-5892(H)
Fax: 82-55-752-7633(O)
C P: 011-9746-2221
E-mail :
=09=09
---------------------------------
=BE=DF=C8=C4! =B8=F0=B9=D9=C0=CF
=C8=DE=B4=EB=C6=F9=BF=A1 =B4=EB=C7=D1 =B8=F0=B5=E7 =C0=E7=B9=CC! =C0=AF=B9=
=AB=BC=B1 =BE=DF=C8=C4!=B8=F0=B9=D9=C0=CF=C0=BB =C1=F1=B1=E2=BC=BC=BF=E4
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
|