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The evolution of modern audio field recorders began in the 1970s, when Nagra introduced the IV-S, a portable 1/4" analog stereo tape recorder. Amazingly, Nagra still sells the IV-S today, although modifications such as SMPTE/EBU time code have been added over the years.
But these days, digital media is the preferred option for professional audio field recorders, with a range of options not only from Nagra, but from competitors such as Fostex, HHB, Zaxcom, Sound Devices, Metric Halo and others.
Capturing a high-quality audio recording on location requires a specialized breed of equipment designed for the task. Portable audio recording systems must be relatively small, lightweight and able to withstand the rigors of the road. They should be able to operate on DC or battery like IBM ThinkPad T22 Battery , IBM ThinkPad T23 Battery , IBM ThinkPad T30 Battery , IBM ThinkPad T40 Battery , IBM ThinkPad T41 Battery , IBM ThinkPad T42 Battery , IBM ThinkPad T43 Battery , IBM ThinkPad T60 Battery , IBM ThinkPad T61 Battery , IBM ThinkPad X20 Battery , IBM ThinkPad X21 Battery , IBM ThinkPad X22 Battery power. And they should offer more flexibility and a significantly better signal quality than simply recording through a video or film cameras audio inputs. Otherwise, why bother?
Some of the newer portable recording setups can capture a high-resolution 24-bit/96k (or 192K) DVD-quality audio signal. Multiple mic preamps are a popular option for providing separate channels for different actors in the same scene, or to capture six streams of audio to be used in a 5.1 surround audio track. Sync features are another valuable feature to have on an field audio recorder: Word Clock I/O, the ability to read/generate Timecode, SMPTE Timecode Rates and Video Sync. Field recording solutions range in price from less than $500 to more than $10,000, depending on the quality and the options involved. That doesnt include the cost of external microphones, booms and related gear.
For the past 10 years, DAT has been the dominant audio field recording medium. Many post houses in the LA area still request DAT tapes, says Michael "Kriky" Krikorian, an audio specialist there who works with a client list ranging from A&E and MTV to IBM. He uses a DAT recorder for location recordings, but says hes been evaluating some of the new solutions on the market. One product he checked out was the Fostex PD-6, a 24-bit six-channel digital timecode recorder using DVD-RAM with an MSRP of $9,995. ?It would be cool to have six tracks, because then you could isolate people in a production, he says. But he hasnt committed himself yet, because its a fast developing market and he wants to make the right choice. "Im kind of hanging on, waiting to see which way people are going, he says.
An array of new technologies is challenging the supremacy of DATs, including hard disk recorders, DVD and Mini-Disc. But if DAT is on its way out, it's going out slowly. There are still plenty of DAT recorders on the market, ranging from the Sony TCD-D8 stereo DAT Walkman (street price about $600) to the Fostex PD4M field DAT recorder, a four-head Timecode-equipped unit with phantom power, a rechargeable battery pack and a three-channel mixer built-in (MSRP $7,995).
One of the new field recording contenders is the laptop computer. Equipped with a high-quality sound card and multitrack recording software, the laptop can be an economical solution, especially if you already own the laptop. Popular pro-level laptop sounds cards include those made by Digigram and Echo. Theres even a product that turns a PDA into a field audio recorder Core Sounds 24-bit PDAudio compact flash card interface.
Digigram's 24-bit/48k Vxpocket v2 ($509 MSRP) and VXpocket 440 ($659 MSRP) cards feature analog I/O with an XLR breakout cable, SPDIF I/O, and an LTC (SMPTE) time-code input. The VXpocket 440 has four balanced mic/line analog inputs and four balanced analog outputs, while the Vxpocket v2 has two balanced analog mono inputs at microphone or line level and two balanced analog outputs.