portable multitrackers? (md, hd, etc)

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tony moore

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hey folks,

i'm thinking of getting a prtable multitracker to take to rehearsals, gigs, etc. my current home setup is a mac with digi001 so i'd prefer to stay digital. i'm 'hoping' to stay in the $500ish range but will go up if needed. any advice? i'm been considering the md recorders and the roland vs series. the little 4 track md looks cool but i'm wondering if i should just bite and go for the 8. i will be hauling the thing around, so... also, how does md multitrack sound compared to uncompressed digital recording? oh, and midi would be cool to sycnh up to a drum machine and sampler. thanks!

tony
 
The only "under $500" thing I know of digitally is the Fostex digital four track. It's $300 and you gotta buy a Zip drive which is around $140.

Or you could look around for something used.
 
I agree with the Pan man. The FD-4 isn't too big and at $300 (from Musician's Friend) it's a decent price. I've seen them at the stores for about $385 without the ZIP drives. For about $900 you can pick up the Fostex FD-8 which is an eight track with a 5.1 gb hard drive (from American Music Supply) A bit bigger than the FD-4, but still more portable than most guitar amps. The VS series is great stuff, but the VS-840 is got a ZIP drive, about 12 minutes of 8-track recording, and that will be close to $900-1000. The VS880 will start at about $1500. If you don't need mixer, a Fostex VR800 with a 5.1 gb hard drive will run about $800. I'm sure you will soon get more suggestions. I've heard lots of good things about the MD-8 from Yamaha. You'll get arguments both pro and con about audio compression, but hey, you'll probably get a few suggestions about a tape player, too.

Peace, Jim
 
I use an MD-8 and have no trouble with it. It is a bit higher in the price range, however. I think the compression factor with md is nill, especially if you're just looking to record off the cuff.

I'm pretty sure the smaller md recorders have full midi implementation (the MD-8 does).

I have found it to be extremely easy to transport. I recorded a project for some friends at small bar and the duplication place they took it to couldn't believe it was from an md recorder.
 
hey dal,

i've been seriously thinking of ponying up for an md8. i love my little sony md recorder. i use it to record live gigs with a little condensor mic and it's amazing how good it sounds. any more detailed info on the md8? how is the eq? do you hve the approximate dimensions? how is the metering for gain structuring and such? guess i better raise my ceiling from the sounds of it :-) oh, what are the stereo output options? specifically i'm wondering if it could be used somewhat as a live mixer/recording console. another thing, any more detailed info on the midi. can it handle midi time code? send and/or receive?

about the fostex. i agree, those sounds cool too and the price is right. but only 2 tracks simultaneously?

about the rolands. anyone know how many tracks can be recorded simultaneously on the 840?

ok, thanks!

tony
 
The 840 only records 4 tracks at a time.
Plus, you can't hook it up to a cd burner.

The VS880 can, and records 8 tracks simultaneously, and has 2 effects cards in it (the 1680 doesn't. You gotta buy em.)
 
I'm not completely sure about the new 880EX, but the older 880 only does 6 tracks in the uncompressed mode. Recording time is also significantly lower. I have the 880 and can hear the difference between the sound quality of the modes. If you want to spend $1400, it's really great for portable recording.

BTW, you have what I'm thinking of getting: the digi001. How do you like it so far? I'm waiting for the PC version of ProTools LE to come out.
 
i REALLY like the digi001! sounds great great, simple to use, and was effortless to install in my mac g4. my only really dislike are the two mic preamps. you have to go thru them to use channels one and two and i don't like the sound of them compared to say even a little art tube mp. i do, however, think the a/d converters sound great! at least compared to the adat converters i'm used to hearing. you really can't beat the digi001 for the money! in fact, i pmailed dragon and asked about the possibility of hosting a digi and/or mac forum here.

thanks for all the portable multi tips! i'm still undecided but leaning towards an md.

tony
 
I got a Sony MDM X4 4-track digital minidisc recorder for $500, clean and used.

The MD's are $13 each and hold 32 minutes of 4-track recording time, or 74 minutes in stereo. I think that's cheap and easily expandable data storage, which is what we're talking about.

The compression scheme is not audible - don't worry about it. MIDI in and out, and portable. Beat the tar out of casette-based recorders, esp. for editing and punching-in!
 
The MD8 does support midi time code.
The EQ isn't bad, it provides lots of shape but not huge detail (I'm not sure I understand that either!).
Dimensions: W=484mm D=412.3mm H=102mm
midi in, out, thru.
Has direct outs for each channel, stereo out, monitor out, and two FX sends. Also can work as a 4 bus board.
Mic pres are what you would expect on an all in one unit.
Metering is fine.
Operates from 5 degrees C to 35 degrees C at humidity of 10% to 95% (can be used in drizzle, not downpour).

Maybe I should mail you the manual? lol
 
thanks dal! i'm sold on an md :-) just gotta figure out whether 4 or 8 track... it hasn't been mentioned, so i assume there are no digital i/o's?

thanks again!

tony
 
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