Digital recorder

probably because most of the world has moved on to SD and micro-SD. CF is becoming a dinosaur.

Have a look at the O'Reilly site (no, not the loud mouthed pompous @ss on the fake news channel - the computer/tech book company). They have some really good reviews on digital recorders - http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/audio/portable-recorder-comparison/

I've been doing some looking at these lately as I want one to take to lessons, a summer workshop I'm going to, jams, etc. For my needs I think I want to get the new Zoom H4n that was announced at NAMM / CES. The combination of features there seems to be right (regular replaceable batteries, large screen, good mikes, high Z input for direct guitar, real 4 channel so mikes and inputs can be recorded at the same time, etc.). I'm not sure if it will measure up yet so I'm waiting for the reviews to show up (the H4n won't be released for about 2 weeks still).

A friend of mine who has possibly similar needs as you (no direct input, cheap price) likes the Zoom H2. He uses it for recording jams and workshops. It has 4 built-in mikes and so can do a full 360 degree recording. If you shop around you can find these for about $150.

A friend of mine who has possibly similar needs as you (no direct input, cheap price) likes the Zoom H2. He uses it for recording jams and workshops. It has 4 built-in mikes and so can do a full 360 degree recording. If you shop around you can find these for about $150.

Thank you! That's exactly what I'm looking for. I just looked at the specs and a couple of reviews and it sounds exactly like what I need.

I have the Boss Micro BR and give it the thumbs up.

Yes, it has multi-tracking capability and I use that to work on some of my own songs.

I've also used it at orchestra rehearsal - 18 guitarists in a room with the musical director at the front - and it's good enough to be able to pick up what's being played so that I can rehearse the performance pieces at home afterwards. The built-in condensor mic does a good job. PM me if you'd like me to send you a MP3.

A :-)

Sorry I didn't respond to your post. I did check out the BR-600, but since it uses the older style cards, I gave it a pass. I already have 2 SD cards for my camera, so I want to stick w/ something SD capable. Thanks!

Is there a STICKY somewhere that says to ignore NEZTOK no matter what he says? It's almost like I HAVE to offend somebody just to get anybody's attention.

Not really. Treat it as the online equivalent of a load of potheads nodding about a good joint

A :-)

I've got to admit, I can't see much of a practical difference between CF and the SD cards. I've got a 2Gb CF in my camera and it does the job I expect it to; and I've got a 512Mb SD in my Boss Micro BR (well, it was the biggest card they had in Tesco's that day) and that does exactly what I want it to do too.

A :-)

SD does have DRM and has some pretty restrictive licensing. My last camera used CF cards, unfortunately it met its demise in a creek in the Smoky Mountains. My new camera uses SD, so that's the cards I have. I have no idea which one is better, but with money being tight, a bird in the hand is definitely worth two in the bush.

everything migrates to smaller physical size until -- or just past -- the point of impracticality. same with removable media. CF has been physically too large to fit many of the recent handhelds. there's another possible reason Boss and other portable (but not handheld) multi-track recorders use(d) CF -- the "secure" (invokable DRM) part of SD and micro-SD may slow down access times, and that's a problem for real time audio recording and fast pic snapping. I have an older MR-4 that I rarely use. it's CF-based. one of the reasons I rarely use it, is only a limited selections of the very fastest access CF cards will work with it. I'm assuming newer recorders may have faster (internal) buffering to help mitigate access time issues and be less picky about media compatibility.

as for ignoring your posts/advice. we all get it -- intentionally or not ... just one more endearing "WTF" feature of web communities.

Back OT: I've been impressed by the live recording capabilities of my H4. but damn I wish the thing had a better display. I may upgrade to the H4n just for that. I'm not a Zoom fan, due to early experiences with the crappy multi-FX pedals. but Zoom has come a long way.

I'm thinking about getting one of those digital recorders like the Boss Micro BR (there are several brands/models out there) to record our band's practices. Does anyone have one of these? Any advice on particular models or features? Is it the best solution for what I want it to do?

I'd like to spend as little as possible, I don't need high quality sound. I basically just want to be able to record band practice so we can see how we are doing with certain songs and also to catch any creative moments.

Edited to clarify: I don't really care about all the whiz-bang features like multi-track, drum machine and effects. I just want to hit record and have our practice sessions recorded.
JW, I have a fostex digital recorder that can be used to multi-track or simply record a single channel. You record to Hard disk or you can burn it to CD.

I haven't used it in a couple years so I'm thinking of selling it.

Here's a link to one like what I have. Let me know if you are interested. It was over $400 new but I'm willing to negotiate a deal for you...

http://www.fostexusa.com/index.php?file=products/digital/mr8hd

Sorry for the second quick post. I found a picture of mine so you can see the real McCoy...

I appreciate the offer, but it doesn't look like it has a built in mic. Maybe I'm wrong. I've got a good home setup (8 track mixer->stereo interface->PC), it just has too many components to lug around and setup for practice. Plus I only have a PG58 mic, which is a dynamic mic, not good for recording the whole room. I'm looking at the handheld digital recorders because they have the built in mics.