Dennis Kersten Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 The r4 arrived yesterday. I picked it up in the evening and spend using it untill midnight. I'm having a hard time dialog editing at the studio today I really love this small machine! A few things I notice: - Not a lot of headphone output, I use a beyerdynamic DT48 (25 ohm). I think sonosax recommend to use headphones greater than 30 ohm... - Headphone output distorts quit fast, when screaming or short loud signals are recorded. In the recording everything sounds fine.. - When switching from pre-rec to play-mode the phantom power is automatically switched off which results in 0 dbfs loud spikes on all the channels and headphone out... I also send these observations to the dealer. Anyone experienced these things too? I'm on software 4.1.400 Can't wait to play with it again this evening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vale Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 i've used it a couple of years ago (don't remember what software was) but i also noticed the same you say about headphone output distortion and that passage from pre-rec to play. as far as i can remember, the things i didn't like of this recorder were mainly: - the headphone matrix: i was able to hear the tracks only paired (altough they can be inverted L-R) and to me it was also a lot uncomfortable to scroll from Solo Track 1, Solo Track 2, 1+2, Solo Track 3, Solo Track 4, 3+4, and so on...; - the way it menage the recorded files, and the lack of many metadata entries; - the internal stilo batteries can power the recorder not for a long time on location; - his 4 potenziometers (or gain, whatever it was) don't go to zero, even though they're at their lowest level. so a little amount of audio will always go in the reorded track and for a mix track this could be a trouble (without a mixer before the recorder). Maybe i can remember something wrong, i'm not using this recorder for a long time... but i certainly can remember its warm and wonderful sound... but, at the end, i decided to buy a Fusion. Enjoy your recorder, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johngooch Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 The r4 arrived yesterday. I picked it up in the evening and spend using it untill midnight. I'm having a hard time dialog editing at the studio today I really love this small machine! A few things I notice: - Not a lot of headphone output, I use a beyerdynamic DT48 (25 ohm). I think sonosax recommend to use headphones greater than 30 ohm... - Headphone output distorts quit fast, when screaming or short loud signals are recorded. In the recording everything sounds fine.. - When switching from pre-rec to play-mode the phantom power is automatically switched off which results in 0 dbfs loud spikes on all the channels and headphone out... I also send these observations to the dealer. Anyone experienced these things too? I'm on software 4.1.400 Can't wait to play with it again this evening! Are you sure about software version 4.1.400? I thought the latest was 4.1.396? Yes, i heard the distortion. On a properly modulated normal speaking voice, I did not hear it until i pushed the Headphone volume past +5db- quite loud. When i did hear distortion it was very bad. I am using sennheiser HMD -280s 64 ohm headphones. The spike when switching modes..... yes, i hear that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Kersten Posted July 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 It's a beta version they installed, Sonosax was suprised that this version was installed as it's not on their website. Good news: Got a email from Pierre (within 2 hour reply!) at Sonosax they are testing version 4.1.402 which comes out next week and will appear on their website. This update fixes the headphone distortion. They are searching for a solution for the clicking when switching from play to rec mode, I hope it's fixed in version 4.1.402. Also tried a 70 ohm HD 25 headphone today now the headphone volume is more than ok. Headphones with less than 30 ohm are not recommended and also bring extra distortion issues as I experienced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 It's a beta version they installed, Sonosax was suprised that this version was installed as it's not on their website. Good news: Got a email from Pierre (within 2 hour reply!) at Sonosax they are testing version 4.1.402 which comes out next week and will appear on their website. This update fixes the headphone distortion. They are searching for a solution for the clicking when switching from play to rec mode, I hope it's fixed in version 4.1.402. Also tried a 70 ohm HD 25 headphone today now the headphone volume is more than ok. Headphones with less than 30 ohm are not recommended and also bring extra distortion issues as I experienced. So, no way to name files? Did I read the manual correctly that the machine can record 4 analog tracks AND 2 or 4 digital inputs at the same time? Would the analog outputs be adequate to drive a camera's inputs? thanks phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johngooch Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 So, no way to name files? Did I read the manual correctly that the machine can record 4 analog tracks AND 2 or 4 digital inputs at the same time? Would the analog outputs be adequate to drive a camera's inputs? thanks phil p Yes, it can do file names. What sonosax did not add was track names. The file naming convention is the same as zaxcom and cantar( see Dennis thread on this subject in the general discussion area of the site) It can do a variety of combination of analog and digital inputs-pretty flexible. I don't have the digi in cable so am not sure how it works. The analog outs are on an unbalanced TA3f or mini connector. I would feed not cameras with it. It will mirror all eight tracks to CF drive. I am testing one myself but i am probably going to have one in my kit. john. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Kersten Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 It has 6 analog inputs (4 on xlr and 2 line inputs on a stereo ta3 connector) It has 8 digital inputs for a total of 8 track recordings analog or digital or any combination. It has a stereo line output on ta3 and minijack I'm going to use these for feeding the camera. John why wouldn"t you use the line out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johngooch Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 It has 6 analog inputs (4 on xlr and 2 line inputs on a stereo ta3 connector) It has 8 digital inputs for a total of 8 track recordings analog or digital or any combination. It has a stereo line output on ta3 and minijack I'm going to use these for feeding the camera. John why wouldn"t you use the line out? I would just prefer a balanced line out. Also I will almost never use this recorder without a mixer. The input channels do not mute so it really can not be used well as a mixer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Wang Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 was really into R4 for a while but it lacks of outputs and seems sonosax doesn't want to inprove this anymore. The words are the reply from sonosax. but these are all ok to deal with as i can use wireless hop,but deal breaker for me is the track only can record post-fader for the 6 analog inputs,which means if you use this device alone,you can't really do MIX job, but the size just perfect for doc/eng if it can be used alone,but since the 62R came out recently,i don't think they will improve R4 to a stand-alone MIX machine . 1. about the TA3 SUB OUT connector on the R4 : do you think this connector can be re-designed to a TA5 balanced output ? (+4dBu) Impossible, this would require a new design and lot of additional components to balance this output 2. the phono connector below the TA3 SUB OUT connector, do you think this connector can be re-designed to a RETURN IN connector ? and the fader there can adjust its input volume ? ( this is just for monitor the return audio purpose ) Again this is not possible for the same reasons 3. as the digital mic is so popular these days,do you think that could be possible at least give one channel on the R4 is allowed AES32 for digital mic ? Digital Microphones require a lot of power and a special 10V supply, we do not intend to implemen AES42 in our productsthank you have fun ,i do love my M32 soooooo much best Cloud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 You could run the analog outs thru an inline transformer to become a wired camera feed. For a wireless hop it wouldn't make any diff. Bummer about the pots not going to zero, why did they do that? phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 Bummer about the pots not going to zero, why did they do that? phil p It was the same situation with the first Sound Devices recorders. They just make the decision whether the pots are faders feeding a mix bus or are trim pots for preamp input trim. When they are trim pots they usually do not fully attenuate. This arrangement should be okay for those few who have been saying that they "mix" using the input trim pots, something which I have always said I don't think is a good idea (particularly since you no longer have pre-fade iso tracks for post to work with --- every track is a mix track). Sound Devices eventually corrected this so the recorder could be used as a true mixer/recorder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 " sonosax doesn't want to inprove this anymore. " your requests are significant changes to a product, and it is understandable, and to be expected that they, just like other manufacturers, do not go back to upgrade older models, but instead bring out new models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johngooch Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 It was the same situation with the first Sound Devices recorders. They just make the decision whether the pots are faders feeding a mix bus or are trim pots for preamp input trim. When they are trim pots they usually do not fully attenuate. This arrangement should be okay for those few who have been saying that they "mix" using the input trim pots, something which I have always said I don't think is a good idea (particularly since you no longer have pre-fade iso tracks for post to work with --- every track is a mix track). Sound Devices eventually corrected this so the recorder could be used as a true mixer/recorder. Even still, SD recorders really don't work well as mixers without a control surface such as the Cl-8. If had to mix on the front panel of a 788t without the cl-8, it would be very difficult. It could help If there were a method to mute the inputs via software in the same way that the 788t can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VASI Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 http://sonosax.ch | Update Sonosax SX-R4 Firmwares - Version 4.1.405 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Thomas Posted August 18, 2012 Report Share Posted August 18, 2012 Just been having another look at this, looking at using it as a mixer with the SX-M32 (or even on its own). I'm wondering how practical it would be to make a 4 channel passive mixer box and feed it channels 1&2 from the headphones and 3&4 from line out and feed the mix back into 6&7 (or digital via the SX-M32), using either the m32 to monitor or putting a headphone amp on the output of the passive mixer. It's also got an RS422 input on the accessory port, so it would be possible to send it control data through that, but the firmware would have to be able to understand it (maybe an external controller has been in the works, or perhaps this is for reprogramming at the factory?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlempen Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 By the way, there's a new firmware version out for all SX recorders. SX-R4 VERSION 4.2.437 July 2012 WARNING: 8 channels @192kHz operation is not guaranteed with this firmware. This is a maintenance update, fixing various issues logged from previous firmwares. Added time display system setting: user can choose to display timecode or program time in main screen Improved FAT32 file system Improved timecode accuracy, fixed timecode format issue Added "C mode" in sampling up/down menu Improved CF detection and performance tracking Improved CF monitoring playback Fixed stereo polyphonic playback Fixed incorrect tape metadata modification Fixed incorrect solo mode Enhanced solo mode: 2 channels solo is now applied as MS if default monitoring is set to MS Fixed minor user interface bugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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