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If you're an audio engineer, the Blackfin is used by the legendary Bricasti Model 7 (actually, the M7 uses six Blackfin processors). It's also used in devices like the DR-70D. I'm actually surprised they are dropping support for it.

True. These are the handheld models. They look pretty nice, albeit not cheap for some (e.g., the DR-2d costs $449 or so). Newegg by Zoom for $299. I have no particular experience with either of these, but $100-400 seems typical for hand-held solid-state sound recorders, rather than the "voice" ones that are pretty variable in quality. There seem to be plenty of options to replace MiniDisc recorders. I'm kind of surprised it took this long for MiniDisc to go extinct.

A musician friend of mine just picked up a TASCAM DP-008. He was debating on whether he should buy a USB-2 or a Firewire based A to D system, and decided something he could take along to live shows without bringing the whole laptop and cable thing was even better. I think he paid about $299 for it.

Takes SDHC cards, so an 8GB card will hold a lot of sound. But while it's an "8" track device, it can only record two tracks at a time (you can record two while playing back up to six others, supposedly it's good for live performances playing backing tracks.) And he's said the built-in microphones were "adequate".

To a starving artist, the cost of studio and engineering time can be prohibitive

Ah but artists don't need a full blown studio. Everything needed for a home studio is available from reel to reel tape decks and equalizers or mixers to software. Tascam is one place equipment can be bought. The problem would be having someone who knows how to use the equipment, but a "sound engineer" should be available in many places.

I recorded an album on my iBook with a TASCAM US-122, and found that Apple's loops just aren't good enough. They sound clear, but they're just not that interesting. So, I got M-Audio's These Drums Are Loud, and it really added a lot to my drum section (I don't have the space for a drum kit). Anyway, that's just a tip. I'd avoid the new Jam Packs without a lot of reviews and maybe some sample clips. Of course, if you want more than drums, that's another story.

We have the Zoom palmtop multritrack recorder, and don't forget your Tascam 5 track pocketstudio.

Some decent headphones wouldn't hurt, either. Add a decent microphone and you can do some serious work with this stuff!

Just look at any mid- to high-end recording equiptment (http://www.tascam.com/product_info.php?pid=343), and you may just see something very simmilar to the scroll wheel. They've been used on home studio equiptment for a loooong time.

Tascam also has a portable MP3 encoder, aimed at live music recording. It's a little larger, but it also records at higher bitrates, has more inputs, and has a CF slot.

A) Lack of pro-quailty connection. (XLR, TRS, or even just balanced etc)

b) Lack of Quality Mic Pre. Something that small can not carry the components of a decent "professional" microphone pre-amp.

c) Lossy compression. Even the MiniDisc(tm) is lossy, fine for voice, but has limited headroom and has an equivelant sampling rate of 32khz. They do it smart tho removing the ugly and invisible frequency ranges, rather than just chopping them of the top. It is still lossy.

The industry standard will be the industry standard untill some makes a field recorder that has the same or better specs, or the same or smaller size, or the same or less money.

The Radar24 mixing console runs BeOS.
Tascam's SX-1 mixing console runs BeOS.
Level Control Systems has been using BeOS to control their system for a long time
(it was used for the Nagano winter olympics opening ceremoney, various Broadwar shows and the Hollywood Bowl, for example).

Have you considered the Tascam US428? It performs as a bright-blue hardware interface to your sound software (a stripped down version of Cubase is included, although you may be unimpressed with the 'Mac version coming soon!' bit).

It's got a USB interface, MIDI I/O, 4 inputs, 2 outputs, and may meet many of your needs...

I'm trying to locate one in Sydney at the moment (with limited success), so I cannot give a review of its capabilities, but if it lives up to the product blurb, it could be nice! (any tips from fellow Australians?)

Also, a quick Google search brought this up: The Tascam US-428 has 4 channels of audio plus MIDI, and has actual sliders and transport controls that can control your recording software. And this online store has a whole page of USB audio interfaces.

Please see the Tascam US-428 for a USB- connecting MIDI and Audio (Analog and Digital, XLR, half-inch jacks) In and Out- Box.

It has knobs and sliders, pre- configured for Cubase, which you assign as you please.

Personally, I use it for Reason, where I like to tweak those filter sweeps physically.

Latency? No problem for me - try it out, it's faster than MIDI.

The Soundblaster thing might be great adding surround to my system, but dunno about it's Mac- friendliness. They make a card for the Mac, but who knows - when it doesn't state any platforms, it's bound to be Windows- only...

The Tascam, of course, works perfectly with any USB- Mac.

Judge_Fire

Well, the Creative Extigy may be nice, but it isn't exactly the first one to do this. "USB speakers" have a "sound card" built in. And companies like Tascam also make USB-based audio interfaces. The USB audio protocols are standardized, so this should work even for Linux (at least if they keep to the spec).

I saw this in a local shop the other day - Tascam US-428 It's a small digital audio mixing board with USB in and out and most if not all the hookups you'd need. XLR, balanced and unbalanced 1/4", S/PDIF. Four channels in two out all through USB. Put that with an iBook and you'd be looking sweet for about $1800 out the door!

Mac OS is the go as far as desktop publishing is concerned.

W98SE is the go as far as games & application 'n driver compatibility is concerned.

BeOS is the 'bees knees' as far as music editing is concerned. Hence its the OS for the TASCAM SX-1 Integrated Audio Production Station & IZ Tech's RADAR 24, plus its the OS of choice for Edirol - Roland UA100

QNX is where its at for embedded applications, whether its the 'machine that goes beep' in hospitals or its nuclear reactors.

W2K/XP is/are where its at for the best balance of stability & compatibility for a desktop system

BSD is the server OS

Amiga classic is still consided by many to be the video editing platform. Have you seen the prices a 10 year old towered upraded video toaster goes for campared with a Wintel PC of the same age & new retail price?

Linux is the cheapskate OS for cheapscapes who have hangups about infringing on copyright, & is also the script kiddie OS of choice. Plus is the *nix OS for compatibility.

OS/2 is the bankers OS, being the OS of choice for ATM & counter teller workstations.

While Mac OSX has the potential to displace maybe more than half of the above.

That'l do for now

The TASCAM SX-1 is a good example. (I hope this works, I'm a real newbie as faras HTML is concerned)

Bzzzzzt. Wrong. Tascamuses BeIA for it's new SX-1Integrated Audio Production Workstation.
I'm sure there's more.

Bzzzzzt. Wrong. Tascamuses BeIA for it's new SX-1Integrated Audio Production Workstation.
I'm sure there's more.

Got another speculation for you...

Tascam. why? No reason in particular. But their new digital audio workstation (more like a compact pro studio) is built on BeOS. Looks to be quite an interesting product...

Pure speculation on my part, and even I am guessing it's dead off. But it's a thought, anyway...

I'll admit, you might have me on cutsey UI, if you're just thinking about stock OS X. But with the option to run Linux and windows, and the likely flexibility of the OS X UI, I can have any UI I want.

Firewire. USB. PCMCIA. Up to 1 gig of ram. The only things I can't upgrade are the CPU and the video card... It's a damn sight better than Audrey, and a lot more portable than my desktop systems. With my 1.3" thick Cannon scanner, Tascam US-428 and a digital video camera, I can produce a [insert creative endeavor] anywhere that there's enough oxygen for me to run the devices.

I know, you were just joking... but even I'm overwhelmed by the versatility and usefulness of this gadget. It's the 200 lb. gorilla of swiss-army-knives-that-we-call-general-purpose-com puters in a one-inch-thin sack (to blend my metaphors).

Regarding your sig, I take it you have a pre-released Vestax VRX-2000, eh?.

On topic, you're partially right, DAT is for most consumers, dead, myself I own a plethora of Dat decks (Tascam DA-302 (dual well, high speed dub), Tascam DA-P1 (HQ portable), Sony M-1 (TINY!), Sony D-8(POS backup portable)) but I know this is an exception. As for digital VCRs though, how often do you really need to take the tapes to someplace other than your house? Honestly, I almost always watch my recorded material in my own home. I already own a Sony DSR20 which I use for those purposes, and I fail to see how anybody could really do anything about it. The one thing I really want though is a direct digital stream from my DirecTV, through my TiVo, and optionally into my DVTR.

Regarding your sig, I take it you have a pre-released Vestax VRX-2000, eh?.

On topic, you're partially right, DAT is for most consumers, dead, myself I own a plethora of Dat decks (Tascam DA-302 (dual well, high speed dub), Tascam DA-P1 (HQ portable), Sony M-1 (TINY!), Sony D-8(POS backup portable)) but I know this is an exception. As for digital VCRs though, how often do you really need to take the tapes to someplace other than your house? Honestly, I almost always watch my recorded material in my own home. I already own a Sony DSR20 which I use for those purposes, and I fail to see how anybody could really do anything about it. The one thing I really want though is a direct digital stream from my DirecTV, through my TiVo, and optionally into my DVTR.