ProAudio Review - August 2008 - (Page 24)

BROADCAST | Feature by Steve Murphy files or display record level and running time simultaneously while recording. Prosumer Portables in a Pro World hile all of the sub-$500 flash recorders provide an impressive amount of basic and extended functionality, for professional use none are without pitfalls and omissions. The following is a roundup of what features to look for – and look out for – when considering the purchase of a palm-sized portable. USER INPUT For pro use, one of the biggest considerations is external signal input – getting the output of a mixer, A/D converter or professional microphones into the recorder. Unfortunately, the most common input configuration happens to be the most awkward and problematic: 1/8-inch stereo jacks. There is no means to easily or properly connect pro condenser microphones without a collection of adapters and a phantom power source – or an external mixer. Simply connecting a mic to the unit using a 1:1 XLR-to-TRS Mini cable will result in a stereo file recording with a positive phase signal on the left and negative on the right. If the recorder sums L+R inputs for mono file recording, you'll end up with a file with no signal. This is because balanced wiring carries differential versions of the same signal on the Tip and Ring (or pins 2 & 3 on XLR), whereas stereo wiring expects discrete L & R signals on the Tip and Ring. I have been asked to troubleshoot these unfortunate results (the later being non-recoverable) on several occasions while at the National Press Club. The solution is simple: Look for a recorder with separate left and right inputs. If you're stuck with 1/8-inch stereo, the high road is to get balanced-to-unbalanced transformers and a means to join the channels to a stereo Mini; there are a few hardware interfaces commercially available that do just that. You can get by with just a dual-XLR to TRS Mini Y-cable. Pins 1 & 3 of each XLR should be joined together (thus sending the neg signals to ground), XLR-L pin 2 wired to the Mini's Tip and XLR-R pin 2 to the ring. This results in a channel gain loss of 6dB, which may be unacceptable given the lack of gain I have seen on several of the recorder's mic preamps Another solution is to choose a flash recorder with a digital input so you can use any mics, preamps and A/D converters you wish. Like using an external mixer, this approach significantly impedes system portability, however. POT-POURI Have you wondered why many of the flash recorders have no input level potentiometers, when every $29 microcassette recorder did? That's because most digital recorder level controls are post-converter. Adjusting this level has no bearing on proper gain structure as it applies to the analog path. It is the audio equivalent of "Digital Zoom" on a digital camera – you achieve the exact same results adjusting level in an editing program as you do on a recorder's post-converter controls. Many of the recorders do have analogstage pads, but when interfacing with prolevel devices you may find the incoming signal to still be too hot – and adjusting the recorder's digital level controls won't help you avoid clipping at the analog stage. Here's another tidbit – most of these portable recorders have dynamic range specs well below the 96dB possible with 16 bits, and signal-to-noise performance is often ten or more decibels worse. In other words, there's not much benefit to recording at a higher bit depth, other than a higher-resolution noise floor. An exception to this is if you can't get enough gain at the analog stage, you'll be better off with a 24-bit recording when it comes to boosting the level in post CHECK MATE Having used many of the current flash recorders professionally, I've been both amazed by their unexpectedly useful features, and occasionally taken aback by the lack of certain functionality, the existence of which I had taken for granted. Some examples of the latter included the inability to record mono For me, the ideal portable flash recorder will have at least the following:* s Individual L & R balanced inputs with phantom power s Analog gain control and pads s Digital input (output a plus) s Standardly available batteries s File naming & trim editing s Broadcast Wave File support *Product Designers: Clip & Make! ¡ Here are some additional considerations when comparing portable recorders: File formats, resolutions & rates File and card size limitations High-capacity and high-speed media card support Internal memory Streaming audio USB interface Lifespan of proprietary rechargeable battery and can it be field-replaced? Mic characteristics and quality Positionable mics Tripod and/or mic stand mounts Moisture and shock resistance Operating control ergonomics & I/O jacks placement Record settings presets Automatic input selection Separate L & R input selection Size and weight Menu navigation and operation Most of the current crop of recorders truly present an extraordinary amount of features and value – kudos for that!So given my "ideal recorder" box above, am I expecting too much from a prosumer unit? I don't think so. All of the items within are found across the current range of sub-$500 recorders – unfortunately, just not on the same recorder. Built-in WiFi for quick file uploading? Now that would be asking too much. Never hurts to plant the seed though… Steve Murphy is the Technical Editor for Pro Audio Review. ¡ 24 | ProAudio Review | August 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.proaudioreview.com

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ProAudio Review - August 2008 Contents Publisher's Page Broadcast News and New Products Yamaha Pocketrak 2G Olympus LS-10 Linear PCM Recorder Bench Test Marantz PMD620 Flash Recorder TASCAM DR-1 Portable Digital Recorder Tips From The Pros: Location/Production Audio Prosumer Portables in a Pro World Studio News and New Products Apogee Ensemble Solid State Logic Duende Mini FireWire DSP Live News and New Products Avril Lavigne's The Best Damn Thing World Tour Behringer Eurolive B412DSP and B415DSP Active Loudspeakers Gear for FOH Engineers — A PAR Contributors’ Wish List Contracting News and New Products Buyer's Guide Single Slice

ProAudio Review - August 2008

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