The problem is that since 1999 i have to backup at 24 bit, and mostly at 48 kHz.
Anyway Flash RAM is the future. Very soon we will forget spinning medias.

What I referred to as "Back-up" was my "Oh-crap" copy. In other words, something that will record a performance in case my primary unit fails. In cases such as that, I'm more than willing to accept 16/44.1.

As for true back-up, or archival, I archive to Hard Drive. They're just to cheap to even consider using DATs or DVD's as my backups.

J.

P.s.
Of course, I just saw on the same site that Edirol is making a portable HD recorder with up to 4 tracks. Cool!

Dammit, Jeremy; you WOULD go and try to ruin my budget for this season, wouldn't ya! :lol:

Such a cool, sexy, well-equipped fun, useful TOY, er....TOOL!!!! (I'm trying to come up with a reason NOT to get such a thing...)

Just imagine; two omni's and this baby, you could walk in to a remote with a handbag & two stands: pull off an archive recording with ease, and be out of there in time to beat the post-concert traffic. :twisted:

Well, seriously, it looks temping alright. In my own gear lust, er....never-ending quest that is...to do things more efficiently, I'm not adverse to downsizing. And the less moving parts, the better!

For example, I am THISCLOSE to dropping my Tascam DA-x8s from live use because I haven't needed any tape backup whatsoever in the last 2 years now. (Yeah yeah, I know; I can hear old man Murphy LAUGHING at me, waiting for me to screw up....) How much backup is enough? I do laptop/HD, CDr, and multitrack tape on most remotes. Other times, it's just the HD multitrack and CDr, on my second system. (Third system is just the CDr and DA-38, when it goes out at all.)

The Marantz is VERY tempting, but I've seen an uptick in clients requests for CDr's immediately following concerts, esp if we're doing a series and they want to listen from night to night, or session to session. I suppose I COULD just use the 2-mix safety that I record into the laptop as well for quick&dirty CDr's, but it still makes me nervous. (Plus you're NEVER done packing up if people are hopping from foot to foot waiting on CDr copies. Then I start thinking about stand-alone desktop CDr COPIERS for the gig...sheeesh...will it EVER end? )

Decisions, decisions...... I DO like the idea of a standalone, battery driven safety copy independent of everything else. (Now that I think about it, I COULD get a larger SD chip and digitial audio interface to run the same thing into my IPAQ....It WILL do 16/44.....hmmmmmmm......)

There is also the Edirol R1, which does either 24 bit or 16 bit:

http://www.edirol.com/products/info/r1.html

It streets for about $440 USD, but you'd need to add the cost of a 2 GB CFC to record concerts at either resolution:

16/44.1k = 47 minutes with a 256mb CFC, 188 minutes with a 2 GB CFC.

24/44.1 = 31 minutes with a 256mb CFC, 125 minutes with a 2 GB CFC.

The only thing I don't like about the design is no digital SP/DIF input, so you could bypass the converters if you're working with a digital mixer or laptop rig. At this price point, I'm sure the converters aren't wonderful quality. But I guess if you're using it mainly as a backup recorder, it might be best to be tapping an analog signal earlier in the main recording chain anyway?

Edirol also has the R4, a 4-track version, but I doubt you could get enough recording time that way.

Mike Barrs

>>Edirol also has the R4, a 4-track version, but I doubt you could get enough recording time that way.

Different technology. Built-in hard-disk. I´m very tempted by this box myself. Trying hard to get my hands dirty in a review job for a magazine around here. I´ll tell you if anything happens.

Gunnar

yes, I think it's all heading this way, eventually. Beyond CDr, these things would seem to be a no-brainer solution for safety backup. No moving parts, battery powered, and a choice of 24 or 16 bit specs.

For something small enough to fit in a briefcase (or stowaway with your laptop), these seem like a perfect backup plan in case of ANY disaster. Just imagine: Run one of these off a spare 2-mix analog send (in addition to your CDr or MDM), and you're doubly protected. Nice.

Check, please! 8-)

I just want something that has digital input. This thing for Core Sound looks like fun.
http://www.core-sound.com/pdaudio-cf.html

John

JoeH wrote:
Just imagine; two omni's and this baby, you could walk in to a remote with a handbag & two stands: pull off an archive recording with ease, and be out of there in time to beat the post-concert traffic.

Preamps are a bit noisy for that IMO.