Analog/Digital Converters In the MR-8

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Marcellovalerio

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I am a tiny bit concerned about the quality of the A/D converters in the MR-8...

Does anyone actually know how good they are, compared to maybe some of the midpriced M-Audio sound-cards?

Would you/99% of people actually "hear" the difference?
 
When I posted this:

http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=137199&highlight=dissapointed+mr8

I could hear a difference between my Fostex MR8 recordings and my pentium II Dell computer soundcard recordings ( Montego ).

I am sure the experiment that I did was correct.

The result: I concluded that my PC soundcard could record better 16bit, 44Khz takes than my Fostex MR8.

Someone suggested that the difference maybe in that the MR8 does no have good preamplification ( I recorded direct in both cases ). But it is strange that a cheap computer soundcard could have a better preamplification than MR8.

Hope this helps.
 
I don't use the stereo outs on the MR-8, so I really can't tell you. I use my Yamaha MG10/2 mixer in my signal chain to boost my signal because the MR-8's pre amps suck. But I take all my tracks to pc using the usb and the Wave Manager software. I don't mix onboard the MR-8 because I don't really like the effects. I have never used an interface and will not record directly to pc because of all the hassle (for me) just getting it set up and working the way it's supposed to. At one time there were almost 50 active threads on this board with people having problems with M-Audio, Audio Buddy, E-mu, you name it, it was there. This was when I was first getting into home recording, and was on the fence about it all. The price of the MR-8 and the fact that I wouldn't have to deal with all the issues that came packaged with an audio interface are what drove me to get the MR-8.

And I still see people having the same problems with audio interfaces while I have made countless recordings with my MR-8 with little hassle (all electronic devices are prone to have "issues" at one point or another).
 
On budget gear, you get budget converters -- and since digital recording is all about the converters, then you have to expect that manufacturers are going to cut corners on those types of electronics producing budget products. If a unit has high-quality components, its price would have to reflect that.....
 
Rokket said:
I don't use the stereo outs on the MR-8, so I really can't tell you. I use my Yamaha MG10/2 mixer in my signal chain to boost my signal because the MR-8's pre amps suck. But I take all my tracks to pc using the usb and the Wave Manager software. I don't mix onboard the MR-8 because I don't really like the effects. I have never used an interface and will not record directly to pc because of all the hassle (for me) just getting it set up and working the way it's supposed to. At one time there were almost 50 active threads on this board with people having problems with M-Audio, Audio Buddy, E-mu, you name it, it was there. This was when I was first getting into home recording, and was on the fence about it all. The price of the MR-8 and the fact that I wouldn't have to deal with all the issues that came packaged with an audio interface are what drove me to get the MR-8.

And I still see people having the same problems with audio interfaces while I have made countless recordings with my MR-8 with little hassle (all electronic devices are prone to have "issues" at one point or another).
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Hey, you old fart machine, when did you get a mixer?
 
Lurk_R said:
Hey, you old fart machine, when did you get a mixer?
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Almost a month ago. I posted a song I did with it, but I DI'd the damn vocal and it came out like crap. I've had Chris resing it for me, but he doesn't want me to post it. I may do it behind his back...
 
cellardweller said:
Why... that selfish little...
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Not selfish, just a little shy about it. I am going to convince him that it's better that I get it critiqued.
 
Rokket said:
Not selfish...
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I was only kidding. What's the name of the collab?

I've been working on a little song with a friend of mine, but it's not progressing very fast... :(

I won't name the song, but it sounds very similar to a somewhat popular song. I would have dropped the riff, except for the fact that I'd "written" the simple little progression before their CD/Tape was ever released (early 80's! Exact date is now unknown). It was shortly after this that I stopped listening to other peoples music for fear I would subconsciously steal a riff, or derive too heavily from one...

Anywho, as I said, I'll not name the band or song, but when my project nears "completion" (*ahem*) I'll post it....or at least two minutes of it which will strictly adhere to my fomula :D
 
cellardweller said:
I was only kidding. What's the name of the collab?

I've been working on a little song with a friend of mine, but it's not progressing very fast... :(

I won't name the song, but it sounds very similar to a somewhat popular song. I would have dropped the riff, except for the fact that I'd "written" the simple little progression before their CD/Tape was ever released (early 80's! Exact date is now unknown). It was shortly after this that I stopped listening to other peoples music for fear I would subconsciously steal a riff, or derive too heavily from one...

Anywho, as I said, I'll not name the band or song, but when my project nears "completion" (*ahem*) I'll post it....or at least two minutes of it which will strictly adhere to my fomula :D
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Actually, it's a song that I had submitted for that "Show us your worst" thread that I started, the one called "Without You". I had put it up in the clinic with my vocal on it and Jake ripped it apart. "Boring, aweful"... Oh well, I like it, Chris liked singing it.... and it's for my wife. I posted it on NL5's mp3 host, and sent the link to grn to do a solo on it....
 
I read that the converters on the blackface are pretty good. They didn't seem to hurt the multi platinum Jagged Little Pill. But the mr8 is $299, and how would I know if they are any good? But it is a good question that I don't know if anyone knows how to answer it well.

If the mr8 had dig in/out then I could use the blacface dig i/o, if it were compat, and then externally mix w/ the i/o on the adat or the analogs and mix down to another adat or whatever and then just use the mr8 for recording to the cf, or I could do that w/ a HD rec like the hd2424 or get a pc interface and use the dig out of the adat to the pc to mix? Seriously, what do people do if they want good converters?
 
junplugged said:
I read that the converters on the blackface are pretty good. They didn't seem to hurt the multi platinum Jagged Little Pill. But the mr8 is $299, and how would I know if they are any good? But it is a good question that I don't know if anyone knows how to answer it well.

If the mr8 had dig in/out then I could use the blacface dig i/o, if it were compat, and then externally mix w/ the i/o on the adat or the analogs and mix down to another adat or whatever and then just use the mr8 for recording to the cf, or I could do that w/ a HD rec like the hd2424 or get a pc interface and use the dig out of the adat to the pc to mix? Seriously, what do people do if they want good converters?
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Spend the money on them. Sad but true. What Bruce said above is the answer. I don't worry about it, as I am not trying to be a pro or sell my stuff. I am content right now to do with what I have. I won't upgrade or change anything until someting dies and I am forced to.
I was thinking of going for the VF160EX when the MR-8 dies.
I will not go with pc recording, however. No matter what...
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
On budget gear, you get budget converters -- and since digital recording is all about the converters, then you have to expect that manufacturers are going to cut corners on those types of electronics producing budget products. If a unit has high-quality components, its price would have to reflect that.....
Click to expand...

The makers of these budget multitrack digital recorders have missed the boat entirely by leaving out one important feature: SPDIF input. That's all they have to do to make little boxes like the MR-8 serious recording machines. If I could use my own converters I could then use my own mic preamps to feed those converters. And if the MR-8 was simply recording data off its digital input then it could sound as good as the external converters and preamps sounded.

With the inclusion of a simple SPDIF input any of these budget digital multitrackers would become viable portable recording options on a par with computer DAW's.
 
But how much do the converters really count, soundwise?

Is it like, "I can't hear the difference between an mp3 and and shn" type difference or is it, in some way a very obvious thing?
 
I personally think converters make a huge difference. But the point is that if the recorder has a digital input, *any* converter can be used with it. So if you've got a high end outboard converter, your MR-8 will sound that good. The MR-8 then becomes as good as whatever converters, preamps and mics you are using. With the addition of that one feature, a digital input, the MR-8 goes from being a only budget box to being useful for a whole range recording tasks.
 
SonicAlbert said:
I personally think converters make a huge difference. But the point is that if the recorder has a digital input, *any* converter can be used with it. So if you've got a high end outboard converter, your MR-8 will sound that good. The MR-8 then becomes as good as whatever converters, preamps and mics you are using. With the addition of that one feature, a digital input, the MR-8 goes from being a only budget box to being useful for a whole range recording tasks.
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Maybe you should go to the Fostex board and mention that... ;)
 
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