[linux-audio-user] (semi)professional "field" recording work, what to use?

[Patrick Shirkey]

Wilbert Berendsen wrote:

You couldn't use the maudio quattro in the field as it needs a power 
supply however their are a couple of other options. One is a usb device 
that gets it's power from the computer.

http://www.usbpre.com/


The other which I would like to see more promotion of is PDAudio -- Core 
Sound's High Resolution Portable Digital Audio Recorder.

http://www.core-sound.com/HighResRecorderNews.html




> Hi, this is my first posting to this list; I'm a professional musician 
> (organist) and avid Linux user from the Netherlands.
> 
> I want to make good quality recordings with lightweight equipment and to 
> further process the recordings on my Linux desktop PC.
> 
> Currently I own a DCC recorder, but there are no DCC tapes available 
> anymore.  I have some tapes, but they are starting to show problems.
> 
> 
> So I'm in the market for some new equipment. I researched quite a lot and 
> I think there are the following possiblities:
> 
> 1. Minidisc recording.
> 
> consumer minidisc recorders are very compact which is good. But they 
> almost never have a digital out.  Some have USB, but will not function as 
> an USB-Audio device under Linux (AFAIK, all use the proprietairy NetMD 
> protocol, which is partially reverse engineered, see: 
> http://www.marcus-brinkmann.de/freemd.en.html).
> 
> so to use most consumer market MD recorders it looks like I have to have a 
> good audio interface to record the sound from MD to my PC (and still have 
> it D->A and A->D converted in the process.)
> 
> A professional MD recorder which looks very good (the HHB PORTADISC 
> MDP500, see: http://www.hhb.co.uk/000/int.htm) has an USB interface that 
> if I understand correctly just manifests itself as an usb audio device 
> under Windows, and should thus also work with ALSA (?)
> 
> so with that recorder I could once record the sound and futher process it 
> fully digitally. The price is around EUR 1600,= which is quite a lot. My 
> main concern would be the availability of MD's.
> 
> 2. Harddisk/flashcard/cd-rw recorders.
> 
> It seems these are very expensive now.
> 
> 3. A laptop with a good (external?) audio interface (M-audio USB?)
> 
> Just Linux on it and arecord -f cd full_concert.wav :-)
> 
> 
> My question is:  What equipment do other people use?  Would the HHB MDP500 
> be a good choice?  Will MD stay for another decade?  I think it is 
> important that open standards are used (I feel more confident with usb 
> audio than e.g. NetMD)
> 
> thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts :)
> 
> regards,
> Wilbert Berendsen
> 


-- 
Patrick Shirkey - Boost Hardware Ltd.
Http://www.boosthardware.com
Http://www.djcj.org - The Linux Audio Users guide
========================================

Being on stage with the band in front of crowds shouting, "Get off! No! 
We want normal music!", I think that was more like acting than anything 
I've ever done.

Goldie, 8 Nov, 2002
The Scotsman