On 5/24/07, lightb4sound <> wrote:
> Currently in the market for a new field recorder (currently using
> either oldschool Minidisk, iRiver, Laptop and Mbox, Edirol 09 and R4
> and sometimes a borrowed Sound Devices 702). Having read Aaron's great
> thoughts of Compact flash V miniDisc
> (http://www.quietamerican.org/links_diy-MDvsDAT.html) and with my own
> personal experiences with hardisks, and flash cards in the field I am
> rather nervous to currently go down either the Fostex Fr-2, Tascam
> HD-p2 or even Sound Devices 702 route.
Should mention,
I *love* my SD722 and, if you could live with the cost and constraints
I discuss on that page, in 'extreme conditions' I would definitely
take it (or a 702) before HiMD these days... it's clear from
discussion here and on RAMPS and the sound_design list that it's
design has been proven in some very very punishing environments
(particularly, when recording to CF), and I little doubt that it would
happily work longer and better than MD in the same situation. It is
also very very well designed ergonomically, very high quality in both
sound and construction, and built like a tank... not to mention its
phantom, M/S decoding, high resolution capabilities, excellent
metering, etc etc.
The issues I bring up on that page are mostly targeted at people doing
long-term backpacking or travel on a budget, particularly those who
will be off the grid -- who will not have access to AC to recharge or
any mechanism for offloading recordings -- or the space/weight
available to carry an external backup drive.
If those constraints don't apply, and it sounds like you are willing
to carry a box that size anyway, I would seriously consider going the
SD7xx route!
I had a bellwether experience on the trip I just returned from -- I
shoot a lot of pictures every day for a project, and I needed enough
media for a six week trip. I looked into portable HD backup devices
used by photographers, but to my surprise in the end it was cheaper
(and lighter, and smaller, and more reliable-seeming) to invest in 15
GB of memory cards than to buy a HD solution. (Of course, I didn't get
the same capacity...).
Just yesterday I saw a link to an 8 GB CF card for less than $80 which
is approaching my own "magic price," when CF becomes so cheap I can
use it like MD -- as an archival medium. When that happens my choice
of gear to grab for many trips may alter for good.
All this said, if stealth and size and long-term use off the grid are
primary requirements, I still would look at HiMD... but it sounds like
those are not the primary concerns...?
best,
aaron
--
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