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FR2-LE or Tascam HD-P2
I recently bought a used fostex fr2-le online, and I thought I had worked out all my issues with it, until today, I was testing out the battery supply and it won’t power on, yet overheats the batteries immediately. Needless to say I’m sending it back, and now I’m on the market for a new field recorder.
I’m wondering whether I should try a brand new fr2-le, or go with the more expensive Tascam HD-P2. I’ve read great things about both, but having already bought and quickly sold an h4n, and now I’m returning a fr2-le, I am getting very frustrated with the seemingly easy task of getting a good, relatively inexpensive, field recorder. And I really want to just buy something I can finally use.
I don’t have the money for something like a SD 702, and I’m already saving up for a good mixer and a rode NTG-3, so I wouldn’t be able to afford something like that for a long time anyway…
Any suggestions? I’m pulling my hair out here.
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14 Replies
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I had a Tascam HDP2 and to be honest found it not great- it’s huge and feels fragile considering spec for spec it’s pretty similar to much more compact gear like the Zoom. So maybe the FR2-LE could be your thing.
Noah
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What problem did you have the H4n you sold? Just curious…
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You have to go into the menu and set the power setting for the proper battery power. RTFM.
Eric
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Also make sure the AA batterys are all facing the right direction for polarity.
Eric
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Unfortunately that’s not the problem, with all the proper settings, the recorder still will not turn on, and within seconds of connecting the battery supply, the batteries overheat, and begin to melt.
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well, I wasn’t happy with the preamps or the fact that you cannot adjust the xlr levels independently. I suppose that buying a decent mixer might have been a suitable workaround, but at the time, it seemed like selling the h4n, and buying the fr2-le for only a few hundered more, and waiting to save for a mixer made more sense.
I’m curious if going back to the h4n and adding an sd 302 would be a suitable solution. I need something that will deliver professional quality for both studio recording and field recording for video.
does anybody know if an h4n + 302 would be even in the same league as a 702 sans mixer or a fr2-le + 302/mixpre?
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If you get the latest firmware update, you can indeed set each XLR input to a different recording level. I run a three channel mixer into my H4n (boom on one input, and two lavs to the other, usually), and am pleased with the results. I’ve never worked with a SD 702, so I can’t speak to how the sound quality equates, though.
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hmm, yeah, I did hear that, unfortunately after I sold the thing..
I guess there are kind of 3 ways to go ultimately:
1. A lower end recorder like the h4n or sony m-10 + a mixer.
2. An all in one system like a FR-2, Korg 1000, or a SD702. (I understand all in one is a misnomer, but I mean sound quality more than mixish ability)
3. Some middle ground between the two like an fr2-le or hdp2 + a mixer.
Also, if I know I will never ever need 3 channels, is a mixpre comparable to a 302?
At this point I’m so confused, I just want the audio fairy to swoop in and tell me exactly what to buy.
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AFAIK, the Mix-Pre and 302 use the same pre-amps. However, if you think you’ll never need three channels, think again. I am happy with a three channel mixer, and will keep mine as long as it keeps working, but I know at some point I’m going to end up getting a five channel mixer as well. Inevitably, you’ll end up in a situation where you’ve run out of inputs, and start thinking about needing more.
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Not that it will solve the problem but if you have the external wall wart power supply, do you get the unit to power up when using the supply?
Eric
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