Freesound Forums

As I use a preamp most of the time, I wonder if there is a big difference in the quality of line-in recordings, depending on which field-recorder one is using?

Any ideas? :?:

Inchadney, you know my opinion: in order of importance mic > preamp > recorder
As regards 'cheap' digital recorders, one picks a particular model considering characteristics unrelated to sound quality such as weight, size, battery life, ease of use, reliability, type of media, and... price. Uber-expensive recorders with good preamps play in a different league, of course

D

Have you got any idea, how the "usual suspects" differ on that score?

One thing to bear in mind wen choosing a recorder that will serve as back-end to a pre-amp is the line-in sensitivity or "input-level" as it is sometimes called in gear manuals.

The rationale is that you must be able to linu-up mixer and recorder signals. A 0dBFS signal on the pre-amp must yield 0dBFS on the recorder. Most (professional) pre-amps or field mixers allow you to output a line up tone, either at 0dBFS or Full Scale line-up or at nominal gain, usually at 0dBu, which depending on the standards used corresponds to -18dBFS (in Europe) or to -20dBFS (US).

Zoom recorders (I am told) do not have enough input sensitivity to adequately line-up to a pre-amp, nor does the Olympus LS-10 (I've got one and tried it). The TASCAM DR-1 however does comply. Needless to say that Sound Devices, Zaxcom etc. do comply as well.

To me this is what distinguishes (a.o.) professional from non-professional gear.

cheers,

--Peter

inchadney
Have you got any idea, how the "usual suspects" differ on that score?

er... no, or not a very clear idea
You could gain some insight reading the reviews at Sonic Studios
http://www.sonicstudios.com/tips.htm

D

"Zoom recorders (I am told) do not have enough input sensitivity to adequately line-up to a pre-amp"

I have used an Azden FMX-32 preamp/mixer preamp with great success on my H4.

Perhaps the key word there is "line up" but I simply use the preamp controls to ride volume gain and watch the meter on the H4 to keep levels acceptable - without a problem.

It is a great question. I am also using preamp (SD MixPre), so a nice recorder with low noise line input is a must. For some reason Edirol-09 HR (that it seems a nice recorder) hide that info. Sony PCM-D50 has 93 dB of SNR Line Input.

Now i dont know if anyone is looking at this ,but here goes...
Im new here and was wondering about the cheapest broadcast quality field mixer with clean and quiet pre amps 8 channels which 4 are XLR with 48Vp power to have a power supply that will run for a minimum of 8 hrs then on to either an unbalanced 2 channel line level output or an XLR balanced output to plug into a pro-sumer camcorder ,and before i get the answer Its A Sound Devices 442 i dont have that kind of money the Mics being used are 4 Rode NT1As in a home made windproof housing that can stand a 40 Knot wind and 1.5 inch/hr rain storm now i need the mixer to do the same.
many thanks Tony.