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 Post subject: Looking For Cheapest USB/SD Stereo Portable Audio Recorder
PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 5:21 am 
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I'm looking for the cheapest, handheld digital recorder with either USB transfer or SD card slot for storage.

Hit me with your best suggestions.

So far, I've looked at digital field recorders, some of them look promising and fairly cheap, I've also looked at small multitrack recorders like the Boss MicroBR, but haven't really seen anything that really says to me, 'This is what you want right here'.

So personal experiences, if you got em, I'd love to hear about 'em and what you've used.

Basically, I have a USB audio interface into my computer, but it's huge, it's a pain, I have to restart my computer after using it, I'm in linux, so I'm not really quick to buy another USB interface and all I'm going to be doing is recording tapes to load up onto the computer, along with maybe random field recordings for samples, and possibly ripping game soundtracks...Basically all the things I used the 404SX for before I sold it...

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 Post subject: Re: Looking For Cheapest USB/SD Stereo Portable Audio Record
PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 7:09 am 
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I've had a Zoom H4 for a long time now. It sounds fucking bad ass for the money - I actually think it sounds better than my Saffire 40 when using the 1/4" inputs. The built-in XY mics sound pretty solid but it's all about placement, also has emulations of several 'classic' microphones. Been using the four-track recording mode a lot lately, dig it.

I've had a few other portable recorders/multitracks but I've sold them all and keep this one... for what ever reason it sounds crystal clear and very up front to my ears. The highs are not brittle or piercing and the lows strong and present.

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 Post subject: Re: Looking For Cheapest USB/SD Stereo Portable Audio Record
PostPosted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 12:41 am 
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my sony hand recorder is good, I lucked out and found a super rare expensive one for 20 bucks in a bargain bin at staples. it has a high pass filter and sounds pretty darn good for 1/8 in only, I recorded my MPC to it today and sounds pretty good. cant really use the high pass filter for ripping music though, makes it sound too thin, but for recording the mpc helps cut alot of the thump out, and gets it ready for a vinyl sim. one cool thing is , i can import the raw waves from that card into the MPC with the multi card reader then save it to the CF flash where all the other MPC files are. Just need a bit of inspiration to start making music again tho, almost got a decent setup. Not like back 10 years ago when I was always stoked with 4 thousand records , and a set of dope monitors, and couldnt wait to get busy with music, I guess my last project drained me creativly, since It was my best work yet, still need to recover, I want to make sci fi glitch music and triphop type dub drum n bass. maybe start a new label with some cats, cause I outgrown my classic hiphop style or my recent breakup is getting me down, sorry for the last part, but what would I do without this place.

I might check out one of those zooms or real HD recorders, but if you can find a SONY ICD recorder, they are the cheapest and sound the best and have lots of features for ripping and quality settings.


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 Post subject: Re: Looking For Cheapest USB/SD Stereo Portable Audio Record
PostPosted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 12:54 pm 
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think i might switch to something more industry standard, since i can tell 24 bit and encourage its use for pro recording , it is warmer than 32 bit and less harsh. I read around that if you smash the inputs the converters handle clipping differently, however would reccomend recording with digital to keep the inputs low and the device maxed out, unless your going for anykind of saturation that the converters are rumored to generate if you clip into or around the peak, chances are 404 will destroy your sample with bad noise when you do that, especially with lofi on. I read somewhere also that you will get lots of noise and distortion anyway if you record close to 0DB, as you get a way expanded dynamic range at -16 db peak . now record that with 24 bit and were talking sound quality. this is why speakers and monitors are important, because so much can go wrong mixing it blind with headphones, most people want that bright transparent sound, and -16 db peak at 24 bit is very dark and muffled compared to that, so if you run a compressor to bring the -16 db mix to normalized , now if you can you can go back and eq parts because the percieved loudness theory causes a big problem with distortion, interference when you amp something that much, ideally u could use a high pass filter to balance out the compressor, except when shit gets that noisy you might as well be recording at 32 bit 0db . anyway im far from good at recording so Im still looking for the magic formula , i think all i need is a dbx and to stop sampling thru 1/8 inch jacks might be the ticket. id even save up for a 1 bit recorder before I got one of those budget pro recorders. 1 bit summing thru the DBX, monitored on speakers, i think is the secret fabled awesomizer talent maker sound im after.


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 Post subject: Re: Looking For Cheapest USB/SD Stereo Portable Audio Record
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 2:14 pm 
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Might wanna try to look for a Tascam DP008. Not the EX, but if you can afford it, why not. I say the OG DP008 because its selling brand new for $80 to $100 since the EX released. ;)

Its got SD, USB, 8tracks, editing, EQ, reverb, the works.


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 Post subject: Re: Looking For Cheapest USB/SD Stereo Portable Audio Record
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 2:28 pm 
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Just avoid Zoom H2 , very sensitive and noisy line inputs. They overload easy and you have to record on low volume ,but when normalizing you can hear the background noise...


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 Post subject: Re: Looking For Cheapest USB/SD Stereo Portable Audio Record
PostPosted: Sat Jan 03, 2015 1:10 am 
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for simple line in stereo stuff i use the kp mini 2 - it records at 44.1kHz 16 bit to micro sd... mini jack though. goes well with a 404 - bought mine for 50€ (new) after the kp mini 2S came out -recoring is just a feature but for bouncing patterns on the go it's totally alright...


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 Post subject: Re: Looking For Cheapest USB/SD Stereo Portable Audio Record
PostPosted: Mon Jan 05, 2015 6:27 pm 
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does anybody got the Roland r-05? It looks dope, it's like a cheap Zoom, with stereo mics but it has reverb and timestretching/pitchshift capabilities and also looping. That would be the perfect combo to an SP. It's 239$canadian.

http://www.roland.com/products/en/R-05/

I've been thinking of getting it. Just need to know if it's crap or not.

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 Post subject: Re: Looking For Cheapest USB/SD Stereo Portable Audio Record
PostPosted: Mon Jan 05, 2015 8:51 pm 
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+1 for the zoom h4 stuff, sounds amazing for the price
keep your eyes open, they go for cheap (the slightly older ones) on craigslist and the like


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