Edirol R4-Pro Woes

[lamacchiacosta]

Hello,

I've been using the R-4 pro with no front-end mixer for a while and it gave me some disappointment in sound quality.

I always used v-lock batteries and they last more than a day with no problem.

The I finally bought a sound devices 552 as front end feeding the inputs with line level and finally had some great sound with no preamps hisses. Never used the R4 limiters because they sucks.
I had a lot of noise coming from the spinning hard drive on the tracks on quiet recordings and I managed to install an adapter tu use CF cards instead and the noise dropped dramatically.

I just noticed in very, very quiet recordings that there is some noise coming from the data transfer though.

Now I upgraded to a better machine but still keeping 552+R4 as a spare backup solution.

[bigbenboom]

Now I upgraded to a better machine but still keeping 552+R4 as a spare backup solution.

It is always good to have a back-up if you can help it. I will be purchasing a 664 soon, and will then bump my 552 and 744t to back-up. Out of curiosity, what is your new set-up looking like?

[Malcolm Davies Amps CAS]

So you say an NP1 battery can run the Edirol R4-Pro all day? This Clive at Hawk-Woods did know what he was talking about! I gather their mini-DV batteries have higher margin and he was trying to push for them.

Is there a specific one that I should be looking for? Here is their selection:

http://www.hawkwoods.com/products/np1_solutions/batteries/batteries.php?mainMenuItemToSlide=5

 

Have a look at the other UK manufacturer www.dsmpower.tv based in Haydock near Liverpool. They have a 84 watt NP1.

 

The answer to your question is yes Clive really knows what he is talking about as does his partner Brian Woods. They have been at it for a long time and only use the best components in their gear. NP1 is becoming old technology but will be with us for a good while yet. Their mini DV stuff is excellent and very compact. I say this with confidence as I use both their systems.

Malcolm Davies. A.m.p.s.

[lamacchiacosta]

It is always good to have a back-up if you can help it. I will be purchasing a 664 soon, and will then bump my 552 and 744t to back-up. Out of curiosity, what is your new set-up looking like?

My new set-up look like a 788T.

[SonicBoomPole]

Just to chime in, I'm using Li-Ion battery by Tekkeon.

They run at several selectable voltages from 5-19V and come with an assortment of tips for your device. I'm using it with a Tascam DR-680 which also runs on 8xAA or 12vdc.

I can get through a full 12 hour day if I remember to both turn off P48 when not in use and power down for extended breaks between takes. I have two for those extra long days or when I have to be on all day. No issues, but do make sure you set the voltage right Also, I used the Edirol and hated the UI. TC wasn't worth it. Good luck dude.

[sonicparticle]

Hey all

 

Currently, I have paired the R4-Pro to an SD442, using the pre-fader directs outs, while saving ££££s for a 664. This setup gives me the ability of being able to have my iso tracks and send a different mix to a camera (and/ or an Olympus LS10 as a backup, using the mini jack mix out outs) separating by panning the boom and the radio mics.

 

NP1 batteries work like a treat and I get about 6 hours powering both units of the Hawk-wooks distro NP1 cup. 

 

To be honest with you all, although I did slag the unit a lot, I now thing that the R4-Pro is not that bad a recorder at all. It's been solid to me and I never run to any problems.

 

It's definitely not a production sound mixer, I don't believe it was advertised as such, so it should be considered for this job.

 

If anyone is interested, my negative points about the R4-Pro are: colour chips away easily, no recording matrix (so you might end up having to record blank tracks in order to avoid repatching cables and going to the menu to change the recording setup), no pan control on the monitoring section (it is fixed to L R L R).

 

When I wasn't using a mixer with it, or if sometimes I had to bypass the mixer for whatever reason, I had an issue with the absence  low cut filters, but I found that there is one, in the "Effects" section of the mixer, in the Noise Gate option (the user can bypass the noise gate and only use the filter). 

 

After, using it for almost two years now I would be more than happy to keep the recorder as a back up unit, while purchasing a solid mixer/ recorder and relieve some strain on my back.

 

I really didn't know a lot when I wrote the initial posting, and I was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of info I had to take. Since then, and with the help of this forum, I am holding the stick and I am getting better sound every time I am on set.

[sonicparticle]

Have a look at the other UK manufacturer www.dsmpower.tv based in Haydock near Liverpool. They have a 84 watt NP1.

 

 

Cheers for that Malcolm. I've been thinking about adding a couple more NP1s and I will definitely give these a try.

 

Hawk-Woods is definitely a great port of contact.

[Rick Reineke]

Just to chime in, I'm using Li-Ion battery by Tekkeon..

Out of curiosity what's the Tekkeon battery model number your using the mah (mini amp hour) rating?

[SonicBoomPole]

I'm using a MP3450 R3 (I also have an "R2" version, no noticeable difference). 58Wh. Dont see mAH listed on the unit. Maybe on the website?