Please, help me choose a field recorder for my Red!

[Thom Steinhoff]

I'm looking for a good, guerilla, recorder to go with my Red with Timecode. This one is only $999.

Tascam HD-P2

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...le_Stereo.html

It seems like a good thing because it writes to compact flash (shared media would be nice) and is pretty high resolution. Reviews look pretty goodm but I'm not sure if you can Sync it and disconnect or if it needs to be tethered to write the timecode.

Looks good to me, but I know someone with more experience could have some much needed input.

Another option, would be the Sound Devices one, but at $2495 it is a bit steep and I can think of a few things to do with the extra $1500.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...n_Compact.html

The best "match" for Red would be the 4 Chanel, 744T, but $4k is really way more than I wanted to spend.

Please help! I'm getting the e-mail today so the rest of my purchase are happening this week to make sure everything is ready for my new baby!

[R Fogg]

Have you looked at the Edirol R-4 pro?
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/R4Pro

4 channels of 24/96 recording with TC right around $2K

[Dustin Cross]

I have been looking at the Roland R-4 Pro. $1999
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...4_Channel.html

It records 4 channels, has faders, EQ, and has lots of great features including timecode for under $2000. All the reviews I have read are good.
http://www.videomaker.com/article/13240/
http://www.nickspicks.com/rev-r4.htm

I like Sound Devices, but the 744T needs a separate 4 channel mixer. So you are looking at over $4000 to use it. I can get two R-4 Pros and have 8 channels of high quality audio for that same $4000.


Mahalo,
Dusty

[Thom Steinhoff]

Have you looked at the Edirol R-4 pro?
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/R4Pro

4 channels of 24/96 recording with TC right around $2K

Looks pretty good. Have you used it? The only thing I liked about the ones I posted is the fact that you can record to Compact flash so someone could swap the CFs from both the audio and the camera and keep rolling while they are verified and backed up.

It looks like this one records to a hard drive that you would have to stop shooting to back it up. I would rather have something that could be changed out with the camera CF to ensure all backups are completed.

[Thom Steinhoff]

Dusty,

Looks like the same deal with the Roland. I'd hate for my entire day's audio to be on one hard drive and I'd rather have a Compact flash workflow for the audio that parallels the video workflow.

Maybe I'm making too big of a deal about this. I guess whoever is doing audio can backup off the hard drive between setups. $2K is a lot of money after all! As a Birger Canon user that's a couple of extra lenses!

[Thom Steinhoff]

Also, one last thought on the "backup" situation. As long as the audio is "backed up"/teathered to the camera--there is that and all wouldn't be lost if the audio hard drive crashes.

[Patrick Tresch]

I'm still speaking for Sonosax...
It's a bit pricy but it last a life time...
Look at their products.

SXR4
8 tracks Recorder with 4 Mic/Line Input and 2 adjustable line Input
http://www.sonosax.ch/SXR4/sxr4_perpective.jpg

The minir82
http://www.sonosax.ch/PHOTOGALLERY/U...nes_Dam_DK.JPG
http://www.sonosax.ch/PHOTOGALLERY/U...SON003-Web.JPG

And still lot in development.

http://www.sonosax.ch/index2.html

See you.

Pat

[Mike Paul]

The HD-P2 needs an external timecode reference sent to it in order to maintain a sync relationship with the camera. It can take and jam to external TC, but it does not have a full featured TC generator. Since the TC output of the Red is not enabled at this time, you would not be able to accurately sync the two devices. You could still record the audio as a backup, and the HD-P2 has pretty good sounding inputs.

[Thom Steinhoff]

I'm still speaking for Sonosax...
It's a bit pricy but it last a life time...

Looks like some good stuff in the works, and that leads me to think that maybe it would be best to hold off to see what NAB drags in.

Maybe several 4 chanel TC CF recorders are waiting in the wings ready to be announced.

The HD-P2 needs an external timecode reference sent to it in order to maintain a sync relationship with the camera. It can take and jam to external TC, but it does not have a full featured TC generator. Since the TC output of the Red is not enabled at this time, you would not be able to accurately sync the two devices. You could still record the audio as a backup, and the HD-P2 has pretty good sounding inputs.

Thanks, Mike, That's what I was afraid of. Any recommendations? Any, wink, wink, nod, nod, new recorders you've heard are coming our way at NAB that would be good to hold off for? :)

[Mike Paul]

"Any, wink, wink, nod, nod, new recorders"

Depends what you're looking for, and what your idea of a "backup" recorder is.

If you plan on using the Red's audio capabilities as your "Master" (i.e. that's the audio you will use to edit and for your final product), then a true backup would be at least a 4-track recorder. Of those, the SD 744t is the best of the bunch.

But, if you 're recording four tracks to both devices, then you're into audio splitting, cables, timecode, etc., etc. and will you really have the time to pay attention to all of that when capturing the image is your primary focus?

If all you want to do is maybe "backup" two tracks of audio in the event that there is something wrong with the Audio recording in the Red, then look at the plethora of new little handheld recorders like the Marantx PMD620, the Edirol R1, or the Sony PMD-1 and others like it. They don't have timecode, but they all record WAV files that should hold sync in a DAW if the sample rate is correct.