Christopher Sharpe wrote:
>..I wondered if anyone can comment further on the
>Edirol R-09 as a recorder for bird sounds...
Chris,
Welcome back.
One area where the compact design of the R-09 shows a weakness is in
the low voltage it provide to mics that use plug-in power. This can
adversely affect the mic performance. Edirol (apparently) decided to
keep the power output low to make the R-09's two AA batteries last
longer. The Edirol R-1 and M-Audio Microtrack 2496 have the same
problem.
This issue was first revealed by Klas Strandberg (maker of the Telinga
microphone systems) in a post to this group last August:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/message/24253
The solution is to use a separate battery box or external mic preamp.
Klas is designing a preamp like this. The British firm Felmicamps
also has announced a preamp suitable for use with devices like the
R-09: http://www.felmicamps.co.uk/products/felbattpreamp.html
The Felmicamps release date is "Autumn 2006," so perhaps it is
available for sale now.
It might be worth delaying your purchase for a few weeks. A new
Compactflash recorder from Fostex is scheduled for release in January.
It's called the FR-2LE. The recorder is expected to deliver pro
features like excellent preamps, pre-roll buffer, 24/96 digitization,
easy-to-use controls, XLR inputs, for about $550. The FR-2LE will
have an optional rechargeable battery pack powerful enough to provide
real phantom power.
Here's a link to a vendor site that has a couple of photos
http://www.oade.com/digital_recorders/hard_disc_recorders/FR-2LE.html
The FR-2LE is a couple of inches bigger than the R-09 in all
dimensions, so it's not going to fit in a shirt pocket. It's really
designed for use while hanging from a shoulder strap. This may make it
unsuitable for your purposes.
--oryoki
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