RF, here is the deal on the Radar.
Yes it is without a doubt the topdog in the recorder world. There are a couple of reasons why this is the case.
1. Sonics
iZ is almost anal about the sound of their gear and as a result have put a large part of their development into the sound of their machines. The a/d converters are considered to be some of the best on the market. The mistake most people make when comparing other hdrs to the radar is they don't realize that the converters in the radar are actually more in line with the Apogee not other hdrs.
For example the "Classic" radar converters are $2400 just by themselves. This is more than an entire SDR or Alesis so you can see why they sound so good. If you consider that the radar converters outperform outboard converters such as the apogee then the real comparison is the cost between 24 channels of apogee vs radar. In order to get the same quality as the radar you would need $19,500 worth of outboard converters.
2. Ease of use
I could fill up an entire thread on this topic alone. I was blown away by how easy the radar is to use, especially if you get the Session Controller. This is NOT a simply a remote control, the entire operation is designed around dedicated key strokes. Most every function requires one touch of a button. When it comes to editing my clients are amazed at how I can fly on this thing.
The radar is a fast and every operation is logical and intuitive.
3. Bulletproof
I do a lot of live recording and so reliablity was a key interest of mine. I looked at every machine on the market and I heard the same thing over and over about the radar. Other than the outstanding sound everyone I spoke to bragged about how reliable their machine had been.
RF, I know this is tough decision because I have been where you are as well. So here are a few final thought that might help.
The first thing you will notice is how much better the radar sounds comparied to your adats. The radar is most often comparied to a studer 2" not other hdrs. This is definetly a pro not prosumer gear.
When using the radar for the first time it took about about an hour and all the sudden it hit me what was different about the radar comparied to
my nuendo system. Radar is an audio system and it just happens to have a computer in it. I completely forgot there was even a computer in the room. There is no mouse and yes you can hook up a monitor but the monitor is not the focus of the system. I find I spend a lot more time focusing on the music and the musician and less time staring at a stupid monitor. With
my nuendo system I am constantly being reminded that it is a computer that also happens to do audio.
RF, hope this helps. I could go on but didn't mean for this to turn into a book.
Lee
