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budget recorder for my mixpre-d


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" impedance guru's output of Mixpre-d tape-out is 2.1k input of unbalanced is 480 kilohms "

do you know what this actually means?

Inputs Input

XLR (balanced input)/standard phone (unbalanced input) combo jack

Input impedance

(using balanced input)

1 kilohm balanced, pin 2 hot

(using unbalanced input)

480 kilohms unbalanced

or this ?

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I believe Ohms is all about the size of the pipe.

so 2.k is 2100kilohms into 480kilohms?

so from the manual of the Zoom balanced has 1000k ohms

meaning a bigger pipe and more headroom?

so if I'm guessing correctly the output my sound devices will overload the zoom with out a pad?

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" meaning a bigger pipe and more headroom? "

not really...in this context not even related

" if I'm guessing correctly "

you are guessing, and incorrectly.

" Input impedance "

hint: Google "impedance" (which is resistance in AC circuits, both are measured in Ohms)

hint: http://www.soundonso...nceworkshop.asp

BTW, this is also an indication of why newbies as well as professionals should be in contact with the knowledgeable representatives (not on commission!) at their favorite of our "usual suspects" (Professional Production Sound specialty dealers).for helpful advice on equipment options...

Edited by studiomprd
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" meaning a bigger pipe and more headroom? "

not really...in this context not even related

" if I'm guessing correctly "

" Input impedance "

hint: Google "impedance" (which is resistance in AC circuits, both are measured in Ohms)

hint: http://www.soundonso...nceworkshop.asp

BTW, this is also an indication of why newbies as well as professionals should be in contact with the knowledgeable representatives (not on commission!) at their favorite of our "usual suspects" (Professional Production Sound specialty dealers).for helpful advice on equipment options...

it was a guess, I've worked in post and haven't read up on impedance matching in 20years

after reading this below off Crown audio I should be okay?

IMPEDANCE

'Impedance is resistance to AC electrical current , such as an audio signal. Impedance is measured in ohms. For best sound quality and highest voltage transfer, the input impedance of the connector you are plugging into should be at least 7 to 10 times higher than the output impedance of the source (such as an electric guitar or microphone )'

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Been using a Sony D50 with Sound Devices 302 for a while now. No TC but does the job neatly + that:

I don't care for the XLRs, when I bought I was going for recording quality in that class of units. Plus I got a phantom power box if needed. AND it's got kind of a "NeverClip" for unexpected bursts of sound if you want to switch it on ...

;-)

I had it since a while now and other manufacturers came with quite good products too I think. We hear lots of praise here about Tascam units and I've worked with one of the members here lately ( hey-ho Emory!) who had a Roland and he really seemed to like it so... up to you !

It's true I do like my Roland R-26. Really no complaints. I was just using it today, I had an external stereo mic plugged into the XLR inputs and my mixer feeding the plugin mic input from the tapeout. Recording Lamborghini engine sounds! Fun stuff! The R-26 is very versatile, good battery life and decent sound. The onboard mics I almost never use. They are way noisy for anything quiet.

The only thing I can personally compare it to is the H4n and the R-26 wins hands down. But it's quite a bit more expensive.

By the way the Lamborghini engine sounds like poop compared to a Ferrari! (in my opinion)

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If you like the idea of a good handheld that you can also use to gather some atmospheres and sfx, then the Sony PCM D50 is among the best. If you want a good quality small recorder primarily as a bitbucket, then I recommend the Sony PCM M10, Both are rugged, has a long battery life, and can take a full +4dBu line signal. They don't have any XLR inputs though - for that I recommend the DR-40 or DR-100mkII.

I myself use an Olympus LS-5, which is close to the M10.

Thinking of buying a Sony PCM M-10, for the battery life and the size. The H4n is just too big, and the battery life stinks so...

One issue I have with the H4n also is that when you have a lot of files recorded on the card, making it go into record can sometimes take a long time (like 10 seconds sometimes...:S) Which I assume is because of slow card processing in the machine itself (Senator, to save you some time I have pre-written a line for you: "It's a toy what did you expect". Bah), is the Sony any better at that?

The Marantz also looks like a good choice, but the battery life of the Sony just seems to be the winner here.

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Olle, if you want good batterylife then yes, the M10 is probably the best there is. The Olympus LS-5 (or the LS-11 that just have more memory) comes second, with still about 2-3 times longer life than most others. Both are small (the M10 a bit more so), rugged, and user friendly. The only possible downside to the sony, is that it's internal mics are omnis, so not good for FX but sometimes ok for atmospheres. For a bitbucket though, look no further. The LS-5 has internal cardioids in a stereo configuration, but it's line in can't take a +4dB line signal. Works fine with -10dB line signals like the tape out from several sound devices mixers, and I'm very happy with mine.

One reason I really don't like the H4n besides the noisy preamps and that the XLR-inputs is only mic level, is the file naming system. It automatically fills upp blank spots, so if file 003 was deleted for some reason and you just finished 011, next take will be on file 003. Maybe not a big deal, bit it was impractical.

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Just when i was checking on my budget for a stereo field recorder.. What a welcome coincidence :) Since im not planning to connect external mics directly to the recorder (will be using my 302's pres) XLR inputs is not so much of an issue, so id be concentrated in quality more than anything else. I would however appreciate relatively good built-in mics since im also planning to use it for ambience/landscapes recordings until a stereo mic solution becomes viable (for use w the 302). The M10 seems like a great option, but im a bit skeptical because of the omni mics used.. Theoretically (havent heard any recording out of it) id think that an omni configuration can affect stereo imaging quite a bit. I wonder how would the M10 compare to the Tascam dr-07mkII in terms of recording quality - built-in mics.. Anyways, thanx for all the opinions people, once again very helpful

EDIT: While the reply window was open for a couple of hours, there has been a mention on the omni mic configuration issue.. have to refresh more often i guess

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James, the omni mics are very close together on the M10 and gives little stereo seaparation. If you want to use the internals, I think the best choice is the big brother of the M10, the previously mentioned PCM D50. Handhelds are pretty much all noisier than your average external mic, but the D50 are among the more clean. It's bigger though and the batteries doesn't last as long (still 4-5h). Best result is given by an external mic, but that takes away a bit from the portability.

If you want to read more about different handhelds and how they compare to eachother, I recommend the forum taperssection.com. They are in it for music though, but many topics are still relevant.

There are more expensive handhelds out there with excellent quality (nagra does a few, and sony has one or two alternatives above the D50), but it's a really big step up in price.

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Hi Jesper, thanks for the info. Ive read great things about the D50 but its price (more than double M10's in Europe) is out of my reach. The recorder is primary going to be used with external mics and the 302, so line quality is more important than built-in mics/pre. In taperssection.com there seems to be a lot of praising for the M10, and claims that its the best in its price range (considering features as well). I'm currently looking for information on how the M10 compares to other recorders mentioned here (dr40, PMD620).

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12months ago I joined a big sporting bodies media dept. , so now I have various roles including live studio. I've been getting more involved in location sound due to the fact I'm sick of camera guys doing a terrible job on the sound side.

Well, you could tell the producers to hire a professional sound mixer to do this work, with their own (presumably reliable) gear...

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