pros & cons of 1bit palm recorders

Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:25 pm

Who likes/dislikes what brands of the small 1bit recorders? Are the recordings much better than the 24/96 recorders? Do they really record the most "pristine" sound possible of acoustic instruments? Any problems inputing to software for proccessing?-What's next???

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:10 am

From what I've been able to ascertain the DSD type of recorders are all superior sounding to anything PCM. I don't care if you're recording a 32-bit, 192kHz signal. DSD is not plagued with brick wall filters and has a frequency response that is flat to 100kHz! Biggest problem from what I understand is that there is a lack of effects and software capable of handling and/or processing this particular type of Bitstream. It's still quite new and there are folks trying to come up with acceptable DSP algorithms. Apparently not as much problem Editing as there is trying to add plug-ins style effects. And only a limited amount of software is capable of dealing with this currently. I think the little KORG for under $ 1k, looks very interesting.

Once & zeros, the way it's supposed to be
Ms. Remy Ann David

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:16 am

Hey Remy! You've got to come out to one of my upcoming gigs and check out the new MR-1000! It really does sound amazing! You're going to want one..

Here's my take on the Korg DSD recorders since I've now lived with one for about 4 or 5 gigs.

If you're not recording the most amazing signal possible (professional orchestra or similar ensemble) don't even waste the money. It won't make the crappy garage bands sound better....it will just get out of the way of the recordings and let them shine for what they are.

The sound from the Korg is simply stunning. Decays are natural and smooth, attacks are as fast as I've ever heard them and the tonal balance is simply *right.* At no point do I ever say..."Gosh, the conversion sounds....." You simply don't hear any conversion artifacts.

I have specifically been using the 5.6 MHz sampling rate simply because the 2.8 has a bit of noise at or around 100 kHz when sampled down to PCM. True, it's inaudible, but it throws off my meters. In either case, I wind up putting a LPF on at around 80kHz and any trace of HF noise is gone.

What do I like about the recorder? (Specifically the MR1000):
1 - Size. It's perfect for grabbing a small pair of mics and hitting the road. I've been doing a little project - we have a lot of street musicians in our area. I've been hitting the streets and just sitting down in front of these guys and recording. It's very easy for doing this. The preamps are usable but not great. They work in a pinch.

2 - Battery power - this thing actually lasts for an entire concert and the sound check on 8 AA batteries!

3 - Sound, sound, sound.

4 - The software it comes with is pretty intuitive if you understand certain things about file size limitations. (When recording Beethoven symphonies, you're going to make a file bigger than 2 GB, it splits these up and you have to manually recombine.)

What I don't like about it:
1 - the meter is a tad funky...why offer 6 dB of overage when it clips at 0dBFS?

2 - Preamps...I'd love it if they had at least similar quality to Sound Devices or Nagras. These are on par with say Focusrite platinums with a tad bit more noise.

3 - Software...if it's capable of combining and splitting DSD files, why can't it perform simple edits like splices and fades? Instead, I'm working on my own program which does just that. It's quirky at best and takes a bunch of processing power, but it works...kinda.

I just can't wait til my new preamp is built!

8 channels input - 72 dB gain range, no phantom power and a 2 channel bus output (with 8 direct outs on each channel). This will allow me to record direct to multi-track AND at the same time, mix down to a 2-track bus from the same preamp!

YAY! I'll be doing my 2 track DSD mixes on the fly without having to bust out my mackie mixer....

Cheers -

J.

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:36 am

Thanks Jeremy. I'd love to hook up with you at one of your jobs and check this thing out under real-world conditions.

I'll be in NYC next weekend, for the AES and then back on Monday the eighth. If you are going, perhaps we can all hookup? Not equipment but liquid libations.

Cellular 703-608-2381
Office 703-532-7335
Ms. Remy Ann David

Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:08 pm

Thanks, I got the Korg MR-1. So far, pretty easy to use, "you-are-there"
clarity but lows missing with supplied mic.

This topic sponsored by: