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RIAA Nightmare: Pro-level Portable Hard Disk Recorder
ratfynk writes "Anybody interested in creating their own MP3 or WAV recordings should take a look at this device. It is a compact hard drive recorder that looks like it is the next logical step beyond ADAT.
My interest is fair use, the ability to record my compositions and performance with studio grade equipment at a reasonable cost. This device seems to fit the bill. Specs are available at micsupply.com. This device looks so good that the RIAA might try to make it illegal." For a not-cheap but cheaper alternative, check out the updated-weekly Core Sound page on their PDA-based recorder mentioned a few months ago.
Much more in the way of jacks then for example the sony walkman dat recorder that i've experenced in the past. Not nearly so portable, and likely not nearly so quiet, but hey, looks like the perfect thing to jack into a mixing board.
It's nice to see someone designing goods that are ment to be modular. Part of the reason 4mm dat was attractive to me back in the 20th century was the fact that it was also a computer media standard and one could, in theory, pop it in a system for digital editing. Alas because of issues with the RIAA, it was a pain in the butt to get the drives though successfully upgraded the rom on a old HP unit and got something useful.
This unit on the other hand based on what I read is pretty much geared for fast transfer to a system.
I question sometimes the motive behind the RIAA getting on the case on devices who's sole purpose and design are for people who want the ability to master origional materal, rather then music pirates who use the CD. When I see this, I say, "wow, plug into a mixing board and get great recordings of live shows" something that you typicaly need the band's authoration for (well, record label and venue, but let the band fight out that aspect), somehow I suspect that it would be percieved as a great evil. Yea, the great evil the fact that professional grade recording equipment, the type you'd use to master with, is becoming lower in price and more practical for bands to actually own them selves, creating the danger of no longer needing to be signed with labels to get material out.
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
would be diagrams for building your own high-quality music recording device at low cost.
The thing about "making it illegal" is, there is a point at which they make it "illegal" to use the device to record my own music. At that moment, I have grounds for a federal lawsuit on first amendment pretenses, and possibly even criminal sanctions for an unlawful restraint of trade.
I *WANT* them to cross that line. Then I want someone like Springsteen or Madonna to press the charges.
-fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
Their site: Welcome to MicSupply.com This page is temporarily unavailable due to excess server traffic caused by the kind folks at Slashdot. Thanks for the warning guys. My e-mail to them: Slashdot can't go around warning people they're going to post a link. Should CNN, Yahoo, msn, cNet do the same thing when they give you free promotion??? Most retailers would actually be extatic if their e-commerce site got tens of thousands of exposures.
Check out the Manufatures site
I can do all of this already. So what's so great about this new device ?
I haven't had this device in my hands yet, but from what I can tell it's a pro device in a ruggedized package. It has a lot of the features that a professional would require and would take a beating in the field. Your Zaurus doesn't even compare to this piece of gear. Having done film shoots in completely crappy conditions (rain, dust, mud, snow, you ge the idea...) I can say at least a couple things: One, if I showed up to record with a Zaurus, I'd be sent away and never called for a job again, and Two, that Zaurus would be toast in a matter of minutes.
Your Zaurus is a fine tool for certain things, but this is not one of them.
I guess to answer your question, what is so great is that it includes a lot of features at a great price. Compare it to the HHB unit that was mentioned elsewhere...$10k+ so $2k is pretty reasonable.