Benefits of a Standalone recorder

J

JimJoe

New member
If you have a good analog board, with good preamps and you are going to mix with a computer, what do you think the benefit (if any) would be to using a hard disk recorder and then transfering to the computer maybe via a removable harddrive or cd versus recording directly to the computer via soundcard/interface?
Are the A/D converters generally better on a standalone?
If not, is there any reason why you would ever want to use a hard disk standalone, unless you were mixing on a digital mixer?
Thanks Jim
 
The a/d is typically better on most sound cards than on a standalone (like a Roland VS, Korg D12, etc.).

The only advantage you would get using a standalone hard disk recorder is the portability factor. Kinda' tough lugging your puter to an on-location thing. :)
 
chessrock said:
The only advantage you would get using a standalone hard disk recorder is the portability factor. Kinda' tough lugging your puter to an on-location thing. :)
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not if you have your pc rackmounted and you have a flat panel monitor .
 
I've got both.

I never recorded remotely with my HD recorder, but I did bring it to a studio to dump my tracks into ProTools. That was ok, but If I wanted to do that today, I'd export the tracks from my recording software into individual .wav files, burn them on a CD and bring that to the studio.
 
I tried the roland vs880 and I gotta say I hated trying to actually edit and mix on it. I ended up burning the two tracks I did to CD and finishing up an my computer. Just a matter of preference though. The guy I borrowed it from hates working with audio on the computer because he learned everything on his little doohickey-thing. To each their own. At least on those things you don't have to worry so much about the dreaded blue screen of death.


I also saw some website where you could buy a PC all rack-mounted and such. That looked pretty cool.
 
sonnylarsen said:
I tried the roland vs880 and I gotta say I hated trying to actually edit and mix on it. I ended up burning the two tracks I did to CD and finishing up an my computer. Just a matter of preference though. The guy I borrowed it from hates working with audio on the computer because he learned everything on his little doohickey-thing. To each their own. At least on those things you don't have to worry so much about the dreaded blue screen of death.


I also saw some website where you could buy a PC all rack-mounted and such. That looked pretty cool.
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You can buy separate parts and build a rackmount computer, which would make it easier to bring it on location, without having to use a laptop.

An LCD monitor would be nice too, for the size/weight factor.

Actually, that's a really good idea. A rackmount computer, probably 2U, with a rackmount drawer to carry small mixer, keyboard, and mouse.

I build computers already, so a rackmount is a piece of cake, for a fraction of what you'd pay at Dell or the likewise.
 
I'd be curious to see where to get a proper rackmount case for, let's say, under $100. That might be asking too much. I think they're significantly higher than regular cases though.:(
 
ChuckU said:
I'd be curious to see where to get a proper rackmount case for, let's say, under $100. That might be asking too much. I think they're significantly higher than regular cases though.:(
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No you can get a 2U with PS for about $100.
 
Awesome. Where?

Right now, I have a mid tower and it fits fine on the bottom of my rack (on its side). Of course the CD drive doors are vertical, but they work fine.

I put my system together and will probably try to rackmount my next one. That price seems reasonable.
 
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