A Moment with the Tascam DR-1

[Strungup]

Tascam DR-1

A view from afar

Ok , so I went to Kurasawa Gakki , and thought I would give the Tascam a try , 29,800 yen, 3,000 more than the Zoom

Several questions were in my mind at the outset

• What do it's mics sound like?
• How good is the limiter?
• How are the inputs?
• How good is the Headhpone driver?
• How is the Display quality?
• Doest it feel like a Toy ? or how well is it made?
• What are the Battery issues?
• And the BIG one , is it WORTH the money?

Let Us Begin

#1

I thought it's own Mics were quite clean , but a Little midrangy , they were much clearer than the Zooms mics , and had smoother transients ,

They were "Rollable" in such a way as to point either straight up (Out Front) or toward you (Face of the unit) , they had a fair seperation without sounding processed like my Zoom H2 , when I use the Zoom Front mics in a Closed room , or close mic setting where there isnt any ambient noise , they sound very processed , and like it is trying to compensate for something.

Not the Tascams , quite natural , just a Little Midrange peak in them .

#2

How good is the Limiter ? Well ,..... I was in a Music store and there was noise , but get this , some obnoxious guy decided he NEEDED to help me test my AT-822's and Yamaha headphone reaction , by BANGING the CRAP out of a Snare Drum RIGHT BEHIND ME !!!! ( scared the piss outa me)

Any way I didnt let that go to waste , ( You just KEEp bangin dude , I thought to myself) I engaged to limiter , and adjusted levels .

You dont get better transient peaks than a Hard HIT on a Snare drum from only 3 feet away, and the room sounds stayed quite visible , while the peaks of the Snare were kept under control , ( I made my decision to get it at that point) . The Limiter is almost like an optical limiter , fairly invisible no "Squished Sandwhich " syndrome, while you are NOT given Complete Autonomy over levels( you still need to set reasoable levels

You do get MUCH smoother reaction to the audio coming in , it was very nice indeed.

#3

Inputs ? Yeah baby ! I said I took my AT-822 with me , now you guys ALL know that I hate the ins on my Zoom...... Not this ! My AT-822 sounded Fat and Full even at Low mic gain setting , and at Hi Gain setting the Room Jumped out at me !! while not Perfectly quiet (in a quiet room there will be noise ) , it was ALMOST on Par with the Majority of the better MD recorders , it was pretty dang quite I was Listening for noise as best as I could in the place I was in ,What that meant doing was Cranking levels ALL the way up on the Phones AND the MIC in AND the REC levels( ( I waited for the snared drum guy to go away before I did this Ya Know) What I heard was a clean front end , with just barely noticable white noise and fairly bouncy dynamics( a GOOD thing ) while it probably ISNT the Sony PCM -D50 inputs , it Most definately isnt the Zooms( a GOOD thing)

#4

Headphones.......

The Yamahas are 40 ohms , and need a little juice to make them talk , The Driver in the Tascam , isnt ...... HOT but is Round , I could hear what I needed to hear in the details , I was listening for ho the room sound would translate in the Phones , ( was I getting a Canned image , or a Processed image , or unatural enhanced image , you know what I mean) This is of course a Relative viewpoint , not everyone is going to "Hear " the way I hear things, that being said , I found the Headphone driver could use a little more volume , in a Loud situation such as a concert , you will probable have to rely more on visual ( checking your meters) than on what you hear , I was in a Music store , but it wasnt REALLY loud , it was quite active , guitars , Bass , but not at High volumes , just think the sound of a busy music store ( the guitar players here will know what I mean) and I was peaking meters , but not blowin my ear drums . and I had the volume all the way up .

#5

The Display .

Pretty standard fair for what it is , a lot like the PCM-50 , but not as clean. various settings for backlight , and contrast , level metters are nice but could be better segmented , still easy on the eyes.

#6

How does it feel .

Well my Zoom gets made fun of a lot ( Higesori, in Japanese) My Electric razor!!! , and the Zoom is Plasticky.

The Tascam has a pretty solid feel to it , the body contours fit nice in the hands , controls are easy to get used to but some memorizing will be required ,where everything is. the buttons (FX , Settings,etc) that are small and round are a little hard to get selected without having to get a little nail into the push , the FX button is rounded on top so it is a little easier, but the sides are flat surfaced and round in form .

But no the Tascam does NOT feel like a toy . It felt good.

#7

Battery issues .

Well it has a Litho in it , of course ,........ BUT unlike the iPOOOD it is removable and user replaceable ( That is if you can find one , I did an internet search for the model , and came up with NADA!)

7 Hours of Batt life in Recording , but Beauty exists!!!! a STANDARD DC input(5 Volts) , so a USB to DC cable such as the USB to DC for the PSP would work fine , or a Batt pack with a regulator built in , ( we know how to make that stuff)

just would like to know how much the extra batts would be ??????

Is it worth the Money ?

Have to wait awhile

I actually have to say that I was quite pleased with it , and the list of other features , like the reverbs , and overdubbing are just icing on the Cake , the Revers are not THick and over powering , in fact you have to listen carefully to hear them , except for the enhanced reverb , Man talk about Brightening things up , ..... the Hi freqs , just jump out at you with it on. The adjustments are Level and Depth on the efffects , very simple , and the Level control is NOT a mix control , ie. if you turn the FX level down , there is no sound at all , so it is like a Post fader effect send , on a PreFader effect send , you Always hear the main signal , on a Post Fader send all the signal gets sent thru the loop so if you turn the loop down and your monitoring the effect loop , you hear nothing. Same thing on the Tascam , so it can be used as EXTRA level dampening for really loud situations.

Plugin Power .........MD STYLE , Yes folks a true Capacitor coupled plugin power stereo mic connection. It works very well , so all our 957's 907's tie clips , homemades , etc WILL WORK , and nicely at that !

in Wav format , you can OverDub into a NEW file , I believe they were calling on the spirit of another Great Idea that just couldnt get off the ground , the Yamaha Sound Sketcher , if any of you remember that ( I had one and really liked it except for it maxing out at 128 mb ??????Lame

but Tascam decided to incorporate that in this unit , ........ Reverb (ON The Input mind you , it gets recorded) and Overdubbing , hmmmmmmmm I like that !!!!!

Ok , last part . the Low Cut Filter .......... in the owners manual if you download it it states " Off, 80 hz, 120hz "

?!?! the one I tested , had ......" Off, 40 hz, 80 hz , and 120 hz " selectable and with the AT-822 connected I needed it ,, having that three different freqs to work with REALLLY will help out in Very Bassy situations where you jut wanna get a more natural sound instead of subwoofers pounding down your throat...... the Low Cut works good , I like it a LOT .

so ,......... I have a Zoom H2 for sale ,............ any takers ?

the Tascam DR-1,............ reviewed.

UPDATE Feb 22 2009 .

The DR1 has been Supplanted by the new DR-07 , in which Every thing I had discussed with Tascam was corrected .

I have purchased the DR-07 AFTER , giving it a thorough check out , and all my concerns were addressed

Edited February 22, 2009 by Guitarfxr

[ozpeter]

For more, see http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,97231.0.html and http://tascam.com/products/dr-1;9,12,3594,14.html

[robin726]

All that matters is the sound quality. I would love to hear more from you on this when you get a chance to really compare the preamps to a HiMD. Thanks for all you have done so far!

[Strungup]

I appreciate that thought as well , as I said I was in a Music store and not a quiet place , so that remains to be seen , what I did notice immediately was the difference between the Zoom and the Tascam , Hands down no contest , the Tascam wins .

The Idea of overdubbing has resparked my minimalist instincts , even though I have worked in Rec Studios and big boards , there is just something about the challenge of getting a really good sound on minimalist structure .

That being said the 1/4 inch input for Mic no.2 which is mono , combined with an attenuator , so that an Acoustic preamp could be directly connected ............. Noise free acoustic guitar ........ another thing that leans me in this direction is that Tascam IS FAMILIAR with the structure of MD , having made several PRO level MD recorders ( Rack mount ) but I have used them , and know what they sound like .

After the wheels spun in my head creating imaginary settings for the DR1 , I couldnt see me NOT using it , Podcast , ok done , Minimalist CD , ok done , Simple Commercial ideas w/ backing tracks , Done , Guitar lessons , done , Live Recording , done , shaving the cats butt , hmmmm nah dont wanna go there !

Is it the PCM -D50 , NO ........ that is Sony , and nobody does it better , But the Tascam does have some very cool stuff about it .

Edited February 24, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[Strungup]

The Tascam is officially at Home , I sold a few things , Traded a few things , a full report forthcoming .

Edited February 24, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[Strungup]

Ok , I have played with it for two hours , various settings , Hi gain , Lo Gain , Mic 2 input with my guitar plugged directly in ( that was clean )

what I have found , is that in Quieter settings , there is a Fair amount of noise , quite a lot actually , I will be emailing samples to Tascam and asking if it is just my unit .

But in Louder concert settings , The Limiter and Rec Level will be of great use , , For people wanting to Catch an Idea , thro a second part to it ( My Main purpose for it ) it is kinda cool .

Edited May 15, 2009 by Guitarfxr

[Strungup]

Well , . hmm although , it doesnt have the Sony Quality mic preamps , certain functonailty is appealing , the Overdubbing is cool ,( but it is some thing an MTR person would really have to get a knack for ) I harken back to the days , of when we got ideas down using two small tape decks and a mixer , You remember the little shoebox style tape recorders from the late 60's , early 70's

a little mono mixer , a mic , and two tape decks , ( you would be surprised at was was actually released from sessions like that)

The mic 2 input , is pretty clean , very different character than the Mic 1 stereo mic input ( Mic 2 also is NOT running thru the processor dedicated to Mic 1) with an XLR to 1/4 inch transformer ( Hi impedance adapter) and a decent Balanced mic , you can get a pretty good sound ( Way better than those tape decks we used) so now you have a very quick Mono Idea catcher ...... WITH stereo effects ( not great but not bad)

The stereo mic input ( Mic 1 , is usable in higher volume settings , the internal mics are ok , but the preamp that drives them is the issue , for fine detail recording , .............. where there isnt any ambient noise to mask the white noise ,........... you might be disappointed .

Line in , well what can I say , 90 Db S/N on the spec sheet , and it sounds like it too ....... Line in is going to get MAJOR usage on this machine .

There does not appear to be an Updater function in the menues , no system update function at all , so if Tascam releases an update it would have to have it own installer .

Final thoughts . ................

For the Pro Field recordist , who doesnt need overdubs or metronome , or secondary inputs , ........... Get the Sony PCM - D50 , do not buy the Tascam , you will have buyers remorse .

For the Gadjeteer , who like to experiment with stuff , ......... definately This will be a Fun toy indeed

For the Minimalist ( Acoustic Guitarist , Chapman STick , any Solo player who doesnt want or need a Big Multi Track setup )

A small 2 mic channel mixer and this DR-1 is all you will need ........... The Line in is pretty , very pretty .

For the MD people , If you are looking to replace the MD ,........ this , isnt it . at least not yet , the sound quality of the MD Preamps are nice , and apparently will not be equaled for awhile in this price range . Sony did it first , and it seems like they are the only ones who understand it , while the software they used for an interface between the MD and the PC might be buggy , the system and sound of the MD is as of yet , unparalleled in this market range . the MZ-RH1 and the R50 will remain at the top of the pile for a while longer .

I heard mention on another board of "How would this compare to the Marantz PMd 620 ", it doesnt , completely different machine . wholly different thought process behind it and this .

I can take my Acoustic and plug directly into the DR1 , and get a WAY TO CLEAN sound , I can also use my acoustic preamp , and tone it down a bit ......... The DR1 is made for a Musician

That final statement says a lot , The DR1 ........ IS made for a Musician , NOT a Recordist . I will have fun with this , and it will be usable to me . I know a lot of tricks to make stuff work better than it should , what Adapters to use , Impedance matchers , little mixers , gadgets galore ,................ but that is me , not the guy down the road looking to get the Phish concert from over the fence .

For the Greatful Dead Bootlegs ( which were ENCOURAGED the setup was not a concealed thing , you dint have to hide anything .

The Sony TCM D5M Tape deck , some Sennheisers, or a Sony ECM 5s stereo mic ( I have one , kinda rough shape , but it still works)

and you had a Beautifull FAT sound ,

Today Recording is relagated to the "Hobbyist" in the eyes of the corporation , to actually put a piece of Pro quality gear in the hands of amatuers ,........ they are not going to to that , they will tease with the Possibility and give you bells and whistles .

Instant coffee is instant coffee , Fresh Roasted Hawian Kona Beans , ground in front of you and blended are a whole different story .

the extra 275 to get the Sony PCM-50 will be worth it for the recordist.

For the Guitar , Bass , whatever Players here , The Tascam is nice to have in the backpack .

Edited February 23, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[Strungup]

A mono Recording , so that you can hear each mic separately Left pointed at me , then Right , but as a Mono file .

In this test one of the Faults becomes VERY clear , I believe the Mono setting is most likely intended for the Mic2 input , it must be , because with the stereo mics it is unusable

I will post another with the AT -822 here for comparison

I spent a couple of hours just playing with the MIC2 input , ( the main reason for me getting this unit ) and I will say the I am in no way disappointed there , the Mic 2 input is VERY usable as it can also be used with the FX process , which has Choruses , Reverbs , pitch shift , and other goodies .

The Sound quality of Mic 2 is round , and fat , very warm , and pretty clean , I have heard a lot of standard Mono Mic Preamps , and thought this isnt , ........ say , a Focusrite , or such , it is completely usable .

I will have to record in a quiet room away from my bird , and family , do a 10 minute demo of different effects , and settings , on just Mic 2 .

On that point , the Tascam absolutely Nails it . for some people , this will be the only thing they need , The Mic connected to input 2 , and a Pair of good headphones .

I know that I will get MAny miles out of that alone .

I will also say the quality of the mp3 encoder is MUCH nicer than the Zoom H2 , I sent a file to Tiggerlou , that was recorded at the Zooms Lowest setting 48 kbs mp3 , ......this goes lower than the Zoom , and Sounds way Better .

My ONLY and I Reapeat ONLY real complaint is the front end , Mic1 / Internal mic section , .......... the line in , Mic2 , FX , Internal Sound quality , is kikn , When you get past the Mic1/internal issue , and get to the rest of the unit , it rocks .

Edited July 16, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[bobt]

"Well , . hmm although , it doesnt have the Sony Quality mic preamps , certain functonailty is appealing , the Overdubbing is cool ,( but it is some thing an MTR person would really have to get a knack for ) I harken back to the days , of when we got ideas down using two small tape decks and a mixer , You remember the little shoebox style tape recorders from the late 60's , early 70's"

Do I ever remeber, even did my own version of frippertronics, although I thought it was my own invention, didn't hear abot King crimson till later. Wish I still had those tapes, some very neat stuff from a non-instrumentalist, where would I be If I kept that up??

Thanks for the memory trip, and have fun with your new toy

Bob

[Strungup]

I knew Bob would be there with me !

BOB you will LIKe This part for sure , .............when the Tascam starts up . the screen shows a Pair of Reels spinning , one empty one filling up ,!!!!

[Strungup]

Apparently this is the first Hands on review on the planet , I bought the display model , not understanding that this was still in PREORDER state

All the stores online and otherwise are in Preorder , and the clerks were young , so I dont think they understood either , they were just being very helpful , I have been looking online and there are NO REVIEWS anywhere , that arent in Quotation marks , or swiped from Tascams web page , I have managed to snag a NAMM video of its introduction , but can find nothing else anywhere .

A friend of mine brought this to my attention earlier today, while Talking online thru Skype ,.......... so I started searching , and 4 hours of searching later , ............... Nothing , not 1 post ......... exept this one .

wow ........ I am floored.

and now for some Rock and Roll!!!

Edited February 24, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[Strungup]

I just spent 3 1/2 hours , with my guitar and the DR1 .

My Setup is this :

#1 a Soundboard Transducer inside the guitar

#2 A K&K sound Systems Pure Preamp , with the internal gain set low and the external volume used to balance the input the Mic 2 of the DR1

#3 an EBow

#4 My Yamaha Headphones

#5 a Planet Waves Slide

I went thru all the effects , and different levels of effect , different tunings on the guitar , recorded about 35 minutes of different stuff as one long file. then I engaged the "Monitor " function , and put my guitar back in standard tuning , ......played back the file , and used the slide , the ebow , different effects , playing along with the file .

I dont think I have had this much fun with a gadget in a LOOOOONG time , the sound is absolutely pristine thru Mic2 and the effects are JUST enough , and not over the top .

every musician needs to get one of these .

just for the Mic2 input alone , the DR1 rocks , absolutley rocks .

At first I was a Little disappointed, by the Mic 1 input ( still am ) but the rest of the DR1 really makes up for what it lacks at that point .

My next purchase , will be the absolute biggest SD card I can afford .

Outdoor recording =Yes

Line in recording =Yes

Mix recording =Oh Yes

Use as a Master Recorder = YES YES YES

Live Concert = YES

Use to record in a very quiet room , with soft acoustic instruments using its own internal Mics , = Not unless your right up on it , and you dont mind a little noise , but as for the rest of the above , whatever algorithm whenever ambient noise is present , it gets pretty quiet. and the Transient response improves quite a lot .

I Like this thing , I had a LOT of fun with it today , and heard some really incredible possibilities .

In fact I know that at least 4 of my songs , will be recorded , mixed , and completed , right off of this unit with the only editing being Fade in , Fade out . It sounds good enough to burn straight to CD for those four songs , without question .

next week I will post a sample of a Mixed recording , direct from the unit , it will not see Audacity , I will upload it directly from the Tascam .

I think you will Like !!!!

[silvermix]

Hi guitarfxr

First a very big THANK YOU for your reviews !

I have been waiting for this unit, and for the reviews...

you have really been helpfull.

I have some questions though, hope you will help again.

I need a device like this for three reasons:

1: songwriting/idea catcher out of the studio (overdub function is perfect)

2: field recording (rehearsals, ambience stuff, voices, traffic etc)

and maybe

3: as a replacement for my DENON S-1000 DJ-CDplayer

I perform live with drummachines, fx´s and with a CD-player for longer prerecorded sections/interludes

At clubs, with jazzinstrumentalists and often for dance/theatre/performance etc.

I travel a lot and weight+ size is an issue...

If it would be so great to replace the big/heavy DENON CD player with the Tascam

So, my questions are:

- how fast is the "play" response on the unit !?!

does it spin up/wake from sleep, or is it fast to trigger a track/sound ?

-how is the AB loop working..

is it fast as well, can you do it on the fly ?

-how is the pitchshifting ?

-could you use the unit as a simple live-looper:

live record a send from my mixer and loop it instantly

hope you can and will answer these questions.

Thanks

Hans H

-

[Strungup]

#3

loop and all of the above that fall into #3 catagory ,............Keep the CD player .

The loop sections are involved to setup , the wake time , and isnt what your looking for , Record /Playback .....Not exactly "Instant "

You have to hit the Record button twice to start recording ( first time is Record standby , so you can set levels)

A/B loop is great , but isnt instant , You can set exact points in a song to loop from ( which means you can MAKE a set of loops by recording each loop to another machine or into the computer with Audacity , then take the loops and drop them to a CD , then you will have random access loops, ready for punch in )

Sound quality of any recording device Starts at the inputs , ... that being said , the Tascam sounds FAT , they are aiming for the original Analouge Tascam signature sound , and it isnt far off , the Mic 2 input is quite nice , I am being pleasantly surprised by it each time I try something new . The line input is noise free , you set the level by adjusting the volume on whatever unit your recording FROM , Some people might have issues with that , but I understand why they did it after playing with it . Any extra control functions require processing power and /or space and circuitry which can and will degrade the signal path . The line input goes direct to a Buffer then the A/D converter , so there is nothing in the way ,............. Beautiful in my opinion , and the stated 90db S/N I think is conservative , it is quiet

again my ONLY gripe is the Mic1 input stage , I used a little Sony MX10L portable mixer that runs on a 9 volt battery , and comes out Mic level , ( 1/8 in stereo output) and it sounds a lot better , so there are workarounds .

So ,........ could you use it live , ....... yes , but it would be a bit tricky ...... would it replace the CD player , No , with the CD player you have immediate file swapping by just changing CD's , the Tascam has to take a little time to register the files( not much but it is there)

[silvermix]

Ok, I guess I was hoping for too much...

Anyway, #1/#2 is the mainpurpose, and the live-player stuff would just be a nice extra feature.

I guess I will go for it, and maybe the unit can be used in another way in the live-setup.

Again. your reviews and opinion have been extremely helpfull !

thanks

Hans

[Strungup]

Absolutely going to have to make a Scrunchy for it , I took it out today on a Tour of a Building inside and out , and I used Auto Level for the first Half , and Limiter for the second half .

I really do not like the auto level control when in motion , any slight movement of air triggers a way to strong response of the Auto Gain , it acts like clipping .

Limiter was much better but Wind noise from air moving across the mics , will make outdoor recording impossible , You will have to make a GOOd scrunchy for this to use it outside .

Also the Mics seem a LOT more sensitive in an Ambient area, walking down a hallway of a Factory was interesting , hard walls high ceilings , forklifts , etc , cargo elevators , it seems that the noise of the quiet room isnt so much preamp related as it is software related , the Dynamics and sensitivity of the mics image jumped considerable amounts over the quiet room .

When in a room where the ambience is dampened ( Carpets , insulation , etc ) a QUIET room , there is a lot of white noise to be heard .

I think the Edirol R-09 wind shield might fit this, I will have to order one.

http://www.edirol.net/products/en/OP-R09WS/

In an Ambient environment , the white noise isnt masked , by the ambience , it actually goes down , you can hear it drop , I tried it at home , by using the AT 822 , walking around in the house quiet , no one home , then while still recording went outside the front door in the street down the road around the block and back inside , the noise levels actually dropped when I went outside . So I am thoroughly convinced it is a algorithim , or in other words a Software issue . Somekind of a Noise reduction or gain control system or subroutine that gets overly cramped in a quiet room , and then lets go in an ambient area , outside it was MUCH quieter in terms of white noise , and the mic gain seem WAY more sensitive than in a closed soft room .

The AT 822 even sounded a lot better outside . ( Mic setting Low , and input level at 8 ) it could definitely do any concert without a problem .

Edited May 28, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[rounik]

Hi Guitarfx

I'm a noob here. Thank you for the great & indepth review and the samples you've posted. Really useful.

I'm deciding between the Tascam and the zoom H4. I'm looking to record in the field: nature sounds, ambiences etc, so the quieter the preamps the better.

Have you tried recording ambience's?

Do you think the Zoom H4 has quieter hum/noise than the Tascam?

Thanks very much!

Rounik

[Strungup]

For Field and Nature sounds ( with the exception of thunder that is close ) , I will still recommend the RH1 , and an AT 822 mic

I have recorded ambient with the Tascam , and with a proper windscreen , it could be usable , but there would be a minimal after processing,

of noise removal , with a tool like Sound Soap , from Bias Peak , Not much noise but it is there , The Zoom H4 is not in the same class, I wont even go there ,

The Roland/Edirol R-09 would be a better bet .

The Mic preamp that is in the Sony MD far out classes any portable recorder in its price range , just the lack of a proper limiter in it creates an issue for sudden jumps in dynamics, especially large jumps ( Big Thunder ) but with good level watching and manual level control , it cant be beat .......yet.

If you know how to use Noise removal tools ( delicately , and a little at a time ) you can get away with the Tascam .

I think if you take a Good pair of headphones , and go to different hi end shops and just listen to different units first , The Sony PCM D50 might be a better option , I havent had a chance to A/B it yet , there is one in a store close to me , I just have to get the time to actually hear it .

I am a Musician so I was looking for a different purpose from the Tascam ( which it does quite well) for Field work , I think I will still use my Sony MZ-R50 , or the RH1 , I havent found better yet ,at least not under a huge price tag .

[jaeger28]

If you want to record band rehearsals w/internal mics at high volume, would the H2 or the DR-1 be the better choice?

I thought that the 4 mics oh the H2 might be good for circular musician placement?

Also the included accessories of the Zoom are cool, but what about the sound with the internal mics, better go Tascam?

Edited March 8, 2008 by jaeger28

[Strungup]

If you want to record band rehearsals w/internal mics at high volume, would the H2 or the DR-1 be the better choice?

I thought that the 4 mics oh the H2 might be good for circular musician placement?

Also the included accessories of the Zoom are cool, but what about the sound with the internal mics, better go Tascam?

In my first post , I made mention of the Zoom , and in the first recording I also mentioned the Zoom .

Although the internal mics were a little quieter on the H2 , I did NOT like the sound , the Sound quality of the Tascam is impressive , very punchy , very wide spectrum .

The Limiter that is in the Tascam is of FAR BETTER quality than the Zoom ( I had the H2 so I know) The Limiter in the Tascam is Beautiful if you know how to set levels properly . Very clean .

I prefer a Good Stereo recording to a Not so good 3d image any day .

The accessories with the Zoom are indeed cool , this is a Prob for the Tascam , there are no mounts at all , there are four tiny silicon feet on the back of the unit so you can lay it down on a Table . but the is a little Bar across the top of the Mic assembly , and Hanging it from that is not out of the question use something soft , ( shoestrings , cloth , rubber bands , etc ) and it will dampen vibrations .

Also in a Louder situation like you describe , you can easily get away with using the stereo Mic Input with an external Mic on a Stand,( in fact that is what I would recommend ) and use the Limit , and Low mic gain settings with the Input level down low . You will get a Noise free recording.

Edited May 15, 2009 by Guitarfxr

[Strungup]

wow nobody has jabbed me about my bad guitar playing !

Edited March 8, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[jaeger28]

wow nobody has jabbed me about my bad guitar playing !

Soooo, I went today and tested both, the Olympus LS-10 and the Tascam DR-1. Tascam won hands down. I really WANTED to buy the Olympus, because it looks cool and sexy, but the limiter was BAD and we were unable to record drums without distortion. I think it is really really good for interviews etc but defo not for my loud band rehearsals.

So got the DR-1, you were right man.

Did a first recording of my Marshall at home

Download recording (recorded 24 bit, normalised and converted to mp3 in Spark XL)

PLUS I built my own design mic stand adapter. Just glued a 6.3 mm jack onto a mic adapter with 2 component glue (epoxy). Obviously I need to be careful not to kill the 6.3mm input, so treat with caution, but this works rather well actually.

[Strungup]

LOL ........ " Necessity ,... The Mother of Invention "

Yah mon , I would be treetin dat , like baby cobra gentle mon .!

I went to your Myspace , " Video Killed the Radio Star " ............. Right ON dude , I love it , I have the original Video of the Song from way back it the 80's It is in Divx format but I could send it to you .

I am very "Stuck" in the 70's 80's time period ..........

Your band sounds good by the way.

Edited March 8, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[Strungup]

Actually I think you have inspired me to build a Proper mount for this thing .................... We will see what hapens.

[A440]

Guitarfxr, you said the Line-in of the Tascam is clean but has no recording-level adjustment.

How do you think it would work for my typical loud concert setup, which is mic (SoundPro BMC-2)-->battery box-->Line-in ? Do you think the the signal would be strong enough? I usually record at about 20/30 on the MZ-NH700, which is just above unity gain of 18/30.

[Strungup]

Guitarfxr, you said the Line-in of the Tascam is clean but has no recording-level adjustment.

How do you think it would work for my typical loud concert setup, which is mic (SoundPro BMC-2)-->battery box-->Line-in ? Do you think the the signal would be strong enough? I usually record at about 20/30 on the MZ-NH700, which is just above unity gain of 18/30.

Do you have Level adjustment on your box ?

Or can you build that into it with a stereo Linear taper volume potentiometer , then it would probably work .

The Caveat is , that the Line input has to be pushed a little so I dont know if it would be sensitive enough , I dont have one of those boxes .

It works VERY well from a Mixer output , ( which is why I listed Master Recorder in my list of can do's )

The Sound quality is Fat Analougish without the Noise . The More I play with this thing the more I like it , just have to work around a few quirks , but what doesnt have its quirks , I havent seen a Perfect machine yet in the digital realm .

I think my Sony WM-D6C was as close to perfect as a small recorder could get , but that was in the "days gone by "

[soundpro]

Do you have Level adjustment on your box ?

Or can you build that into it with a stereo Linear taper volume potentiometer , then it would probably work .

The Caveat is , that the Line input has to be pushed a little so I dont know if it would be sensitive enough , I dont have one of those boxes .

It works VERY well from a Mixer output , ( which is why I listed Master Recorder in my list of can do's )

The Sound quality is Fat Analougish without the Noise . The More I play with this thing the more I like it , just have to work around a few quirks , but what doesnt have its quirks , I havent seen a Perfect machine yet in the digital realm .

I think my Sony WM-D6C was as close to perfect as a small recorder could get , but that was in the "days gone by "

Here is another mount for digital recorders:

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/.../item/SP-DRSM-1

Thanks

The Sound Professionals

[Strungup]

not bad for 39 bucks ,

send me one I will promote it !!

[Strungup]

Update , I recorded a Meeting with the Tascam today , using just the internal mics , gain at Low setting , and Input level at 6

Limiter on , MP3 192 kbs

I have to say I was quite impressed with the results Very clear , very solid , crispy and round at the same time.

Battery level didnt move , 1 hour long recording . Listening to playback now , and ................

I in NO way regret , letting go of the Zoom H2 .

The Tascam is giving me at LEAST 90 % of what I needed and the other 10 % is negotiable , there are workarounds.

I have my recorder .

Between it and the RH1 ,............... Portability has in fact been solved.

[jaeger28]

Here is another mount for digital recorders:

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/.../item/SP-DRSM-1

Thanks

The Sound Professionals

This is looking good indeed. I was trying the same with my T-bone mic holder, but it's a bit sturdy.

Well the major downside of that solution is the size. You don't wanna lug around a huge holder apparatus if you bought a compact recorder ... but let me see I might still order one...

[jaeger28]

Guys, have you yet seen the 1.02 version? Just installed it. There is another rec level available (Lo/Med/Hi). The old Lo became Med and the new Lo is below the old one.

Works great when I crank up my Amplifier

[Strungup]

Guys, have you yet seen the 1.02 version? Just installed it. There is another rec level available (Lo/Med/Hi). The old Lo became Med and the new Lo is below the old one.

Works great when I crank up my Amplifier

wow thx for the notice , I will go get it now , any other improves ?

where did you get it , it isnt on the US website?

update , I found it on the German site ( Why isnt it on the US site , that makes no sense ) Also got eng instructions , so I will go charge up the DR1 and do an Update ,

THX jaeger, Meister!!

Edited March 10, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[Strungup]

Hey JAeger

You can you a USB wall adapter ( Available anywhere now ) and one of these cables , for power instead of having to buy the Big Tascam adapter.( unless you already did it)

This is what I am using works fine , also lets me use a USB battery pack to have extra juice while out .

I have even charged it from a Solar panel !!!

Edited March 10, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[Strungup]

Ok Update done , and Recorded my Acoustic , with it sitting about a foot in front of me ..................... Wow what a difference, almost noise free . Big, Fat Warm guitar

It actually sounds almost as good as my AT822 I cant believe it.

When the update was going , it showed it erasing all the system files (13 of them anyway) and replacing them one by one .

the noise levels came down a bit , and the mic sensitivity increased nicely , still at High Gain its pretty noisy , but Low gain sounds so good I wont ever use the High gain .

I will have to play with this a day or two and post something for the MDCF as appreciation for puttin up with me .

I am completely convinced the noise is MOSTLY ( not all of it , ) software related , and after a few updates they will figure out a little better subroutine for it , after the update , at low gain the mics just sounded more punchy , when you increase the gain setting , they incrementally lose that punch , it also seems the that Balance is a little better now as well.

In the Mono recordings I had posted earlier , I could hear the Bass roll off being applied unequally , I havent done a mono test yet , but Just the dynamics and the Image I am getting at low setting say a lot .

I will play with the other inputs today , also I got an email yesterday , an Irish Group that I had recorded before , wants another shot , so I will take both the RH1 and Tascam . and see what happens .

Edited March 10, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[jaeger28]

Hey dude

That cable is great. I was trying to hook the power supply of my USB hub, but the freakin plug is too small. Standard guitar effect plug is too big, GRRRRRR. What should I look for in the USB cable in terms of plug size?

By the way, here is another recording, I am very pleased, about 1m in front of my amp, around 1,5m high, recorded in 24 bit and converted with Spark XL/Mac.

Long guitar amp recording about 1m away.

[Strungup]

Hey dude

What should I look for in the USB cable in terms of plug size?

it is the same size as the sony 6 volt plugs ,in fact there are accessories for the PSP portable , one of which is that cable Look in an Electronics store or hi end Game shop that has a lot of stuff for Nintendo , and Sony look for accessories , that is where I found mine , it was Black with a standard Sony plug on one end , and USB o the other

also at Cell phone stations , where you buy cell phone stuff (they have lots of USB wall warts and cables)

By the way , Like the Mike Olefield reference , keep working on it !

Edited March 12, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[totalsuper]

Long guitar amp recording about 1m away.

Totally tubular, jaeger28!

Guitarfxr, thank you SO MUCH for this long and detailed thread about the DR-1. I have enjoyed every word, and listened to all the sound bites. I have had such paralysis of analysis trying to decide to buy the DR-1 or the Sony PCM-D50. I didn't want to shell out the extra money for the Sony, and now it looks like I don't have to. I was originally crestfallen when you said the DR-1 was not a good choice for recordists, but it sounds like with the firmware update in low gain setting, have redeemed its Mic1/internal virtue in that area based on your last post. What are your thoughts about that?

[ozpeter]

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/naturer...s/message/32018

"I received a sample Tascam DR-1 on Friday. I can't recommend it.

The 3.5mm mic input and headphone output have poor electrical

connections. If the mic cable or input jack is touched, static-like

noise is added to the recording. The headphone jack had a similar

noise problem when wiggled a bit. This is not a good sign after only

30 minutes' use!"

But read the whole post as linked, plus subsequent comments.

[Strungup]

The 3.5mm mic input and headphone output have poor electrical

connections. If the mic cable or input jack is touched, static-like

noise is added to the recording. The headphone jack had a similar

noise problem when wiggled a bit. This is not a good sign after only

30 minutes' use!"

But read the whole post as linked, plus subsequent comments.

Yes I noticed that as well , if I shake it ( even with nothing connected ) you end up with noise , any movement of the wires causes some static disruption , and that is part of the noise I mentioned in my first review .

But , I have used it with the AT822 connected holding the 822 in my hand and walking around got very little to no disruption .

This will cause a lot of people to send it back ( maybe even a recall) but for the other capabilities that it has , I am willing to wait for a fix . Maybe the next software update ????

I wont use it for field recording , and you will notice that I did NOT recommend it for that . Field recording which requires moving around in any way , will disqualify this unit .

@totalsuper

If you can swing it get the D50 , unless you are a musician of some sort , if your going for the Purity of field recording , first understand what that really requires of a recorder .

#1 VERY hi quality mic pre's

#2 Very LOW noise floor (S/N ratio) you will see a number IEN or S/N , and it will say -65db or - 85 db , what that "- " represents , is just how far the noise is BELOW the signal your recording ................... -85 db = 85 decibels BELOW the recordings top level , ie. if your PEaking at -2 db just under the 0 db mark , then your noise will be 85 db below that ( in theory anyway)

Sony is generally very conservative about specs , whereas other companies tend to be too generous , so as to impress you .

the Inputs on the Tascam are about -69 db , which isnt really all that good , but as I said , I know a lot of tricks to get stuff to do what it isnt really supposed to .

I will use Mic placement and other things to maximise a signal / noise ratio , or use adapters etc .

For field recording your want a WIDE OPEN SPACIAL image , ............ I think if you get the SONY you will be happier in the long run

I specifically mentioned that , that type of recordist should go for the D50 , and not this.

For the Musician however ............. What it is mainly designed for , it rocks .

Edited March 15, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[totalsuper]

@totalsuper

If you can swing it get the D50 , unless you are a musician of some sort , if your going for the Purity of field recording , first understand what that really requires of a recorder .

#1 VERY hi quality mic pre's

#2 Very LOW noise floor (S/N ratio) you will see a number IEN or S/N , and it will say -65db or - 85 db , what that "- " represents , is just how far the noise is BELOW the signal your recording ................... -85 db = 85 decibels BELOW the recordings top level , ie. if your PEaking at -2 db just under the 0 db mark , then your noise will be 85 db below that ( in theory anyway)

Sony is generally very conservative about specs , whereas other companies tend to be too generous , so as to impress you .

the Inputs on the Tascam are about -69 db , which isnt really all that good , but as I said , I know a lot of tricks to get stuff to do what it isnt really supposed to .

I will use Mic placement and other things to maximise a signal / noise ratio , or use adapters etc .

For field recording your want a WIDE OPEN SPACIAL image , ............ I think if you get the SONY you will be happier in the long run

I specifically mentioned that , that type of recordist should go for the D50 , and not this.

For the Musician however ............. What it is mainly designed for , it rocks .

Yes, that's true, you did mention that. I was just being hopeful that maybe you were reversing yourself after the upgrade, but apparently not. That's ok. Clarification is always welcome. I can only buy one or the other, so this was invaluable advice. I really appreciate it. I'll be using it in a wide variety of situations, none of which I'll have any real control over. Some will be press conference sound bites, some will be at trade show booths, and some will be concert reviews. Versatility is key for me, and it sounds like the only real choice is the Sony.