Dat Or Himd, which recorder device to buy ? Options

[ipanema92]

Hello ! I would like to buy a new device to record live classical music concerts (mostly opera) and to transfer it on my Mac Power Book. I used a DAT recorder SONY TCD D7, but it broke down now for the 4th time and Sony does no longer repair it. What are my best options : another DAT (which brand), a HiMD, a iRiver iHP120....? Thank you very much for your advice.

[Morbass2004]

There is a few things out on the market it depends on your budget, how many mikes, etc,etc
Korg D4,Zoom PS04. Marantz makes a unit that records straight to cd which is underf $700.(USD)Marantz CDR-300 Professional Portable CD-R/RW Recorder/Player with Remote. Roland CD-2 - CD and Compact Flash Recorder The only drag to some of these is not having USB, If I was you I would not invest in a Mini-disc, that is slowly become extinct like the 8 track and b/w tv's. I still use my MZ-N10 mini-disc but once it goes I'm looking at something that has usb (which Sony does not support for Mac). Check out Electronic Musician, EQ, and you will find ads for new recorders on the market.
Hope this helps
Gene

[KarinC]

How about a Edirol R-4?

You record directly to a hard drive of 40gb (no tapes or moving parts) and you transfer it to your mac by USB 2.0...very easy

/Karin

[ipanema92]

Thanks both of you for your advice. I will check all that. All best. Philippe

[eaks]

morbass brings an important point: find a device that has usb or other fast transfer connectivity.

I have a DAT recorder (tascam dap1), it works great and I'm very pleased with it's options. BUT, I do have to transfer all my samples in real time and that sucks big time...

[beauty_speed]

depending on your budget, i would advise you to check out either HI-MD or a hard-disk/ pc card recorder (Marantz and Fostex).

I own a Sony Hi-MD MZ-NH1 which I have bought through Amazon for around 180$, a special promotion they had at the time, I imagine they are still not expensive due to competition by mp3 players. They are not as straightforward to use as MP3 players but offer much more versatility in terms of recording formats,available inputs/outputs, potentially better sound quality. No MAC support, which is a real pain...

Forget about DAT, it was never meant to be a format for professionals and it is now slowly being replaced by hard-disk recorders.

good luck