Buying recorder to use with Sound Devices 302 - some doubts

C

censurado

Member
I'm tired of using my school's equipment or asking a friend to loan me something, so I'm starting to buy my own stuff.
I just bought a Sound Devices 302, a Sennheiser MKH-416 and I'm about to buy a pair of Oktavas MK012 and a recorder. And this is where I have my doubts. Latelly I've recorded to a Tascam DR-100 Mk II, I like it but I had the chance to buy the SD for a good price and I did it. What I wanna know is, since I'm using the SD as a mixer and pre-amp, if I connect it to a recorder via a 3.5mm jack input I'm bypassing the recorder pre-amps, right? So I guess it doesn't matter if the recorder is a Tascam DR-680 or a Zoom H1. Am I wrong? Do I loose some quality if I use the 3.5mm jack input instead of a XLR input? The recorder would be right next to the SD, so the cable would be really short.
 
A recorder that accepts nominal +4dB balanced line level would be preferred. Most budget recorders do not bypass the preamp in line level. The 680 does, don't know about the 100 or 100mkII.. probably not. The mkII has +4dB inputs the previous model not. The H1 would sound OK with the 302's tape out to H1 unbalanced -10dB line in. It would distort horribly feeding a mic level input form +4 or -10dB.. Have you factored in funds for other microphone accessories, ie: shock-mounts wind-screens, ect. I would also not recommend the 680 to inexperienced folks due to the complexity, quirks and power requirements.
Just so you know... great equipment is certainly nice to have, but many (regardless of age) are disappointed with the result thinking high-end gear will make up for experience and skills. Sorry, it does not.
 
I have most of the gear you mention except I use a ntg3. The dr100 will function well as a bit bucket being fed by a 302. A 680 brings more to the table, but as Rick mentioned it has a few issues. However, I would recommend it and lately, the prices for the has plummeted. The 680 is more bag friendly which is really important if you are going the mixer route. Realistically, the 680 needs external power, but you should probably have external anyway if you have a 302 in a bag. I went cheap on external power and have been using Tekeons successfully. If I were a full time sound fella, a BDS system would be better. This setup makes a very decent entry level pro unit.
 
I would concur with ggrantly on all.. except the term... "bit bucket"
Yes, the DR100Mkii will accept digital input .. but not from a 302 which (only) has analog outputs; The SD MixPreD OTOH would be digitally compatible with a S/PDIF connection as true "bit bucket".
Sorry to be nit-pickin , but just to confirm accuracy. And... differences may not be audible under balanced line-in analog connections.
 
The 680 was just an example, it's not really an option since I live in Europe and here it's really expensive (I could buy 3 DR-100's for it's price). I was just looking for something cheap that could bypass the pre-amps in line input. Rick, so the Zoom H1 would work nice? Do you think there is any noticeable difference between the H1 and a DR-100 in line level?

I'm going to buy the boompole and blimp too. I know I don't have the equipment and it may sound I'm completely noob but I already have some years experience, I just never had the need to buy equipment because I could request it in my school. And as I've never worked with a separate mixer and recorder I have some doubts. This +4B and -10dB inputs and outputs is still a bit confusing to me.
 
censurado said:
Do I loose some quality if I use the 3.5mm jack input instead of a XLR input? The recorder would be right next to the SD, so the cable would be really short.
Click to expand...

Always use balanced cables when possible. Always. Preferably XLR line level from mixer to recorder.

The point of balanced cables is noise rejection. Doesn't matter how short an unbalanced cable it, it is still much more susceptible to RFI noise than a balanced cable. I've picked up noise on an unbalanced cable that was just six inches long, running from a MixPre-D to a camera that required a 3.5mm unbalanced input.

The corollary is that you have to listen to what you record in real time, via headphone return from the recording device. So you'll know if you're making a clean recording with good levels.
 
Rick R said:
I would concur with ggrantly on all.. except the term... "bit bucket"
Yes, the DR100Mkii will accept digital input .. but not from a 302 which (only) has analog outputs; The SD MixPreD OTOH would be digitally compatible with a S/PDIF connection as true "bit bucket".
Sorry to be nit-pickin , but just to confirm accuracy. And... differences may not be audible under balanced line-in analog connections.
Click to expand...

Yup, but it is digital after it records. Does that qualify as a bit bucket?

Grant
 
Not technically. Bit bucket refers to a device you send digital info to and is only used as a digital storage device. With what you describe you are using the analog section of the recorder so it's not being used as a "bit bucket" but as a digital recorder.
Line in to the DR100 is going to be good so the difference is as he said a bit nit-picky.

Classically you would buy a really cheap recorder that had a digital in and that was your "bit bucket". The Sony DAT walkman was commonly used that way.
 
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