Interesting new product from M-Audio

[insomniac]

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000840051727/

Ok, this isn't a portable player. It's actually a recorder. And it doesn't sport any internal storage, let alone a hard drive. It's CompactFlash based. However, it does have playback features and RCA line out and s/pdif out. Add a MicroDrive and you could put together an interesting (albeit way expensive) little setup.

EDIT: My mistake. This does NOT have an s/pdif out. Only s/pdif in. Had envisioned it being teamed with the MicroDAC.

 

[blessingx]

Very interesting.

 

[insomniac]

This will never happen I'm sure, but if only M-Audio would modify it a bit and release a player version of the unit. To the RCA line out they could add s/pdif out and USB audio out. Then add an iPod-sized hard drive. Now THAT would get a whole lot of attention here at head-fi. Although not much anywhere else I suppose. In fact, head-fi'ers might account for all sales of that product!

 

[Veniogenesis]

lol it seems like I posted 5 minutes before you did.

Yep, interesting stuff indeed.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Very cool. Bootleggers everywhere are rejoicing. Imagine: a digital soundboard recording (assuming the soundboard has an appropriate digital out).

 

[SimpJee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by insomniac This will never happen I'm sure, but if only M-Audio would modify it a bit and release a player version of the unit. To the RCA line out they could add s/pdif out and USB audio out. Then add an iPod-sized hard drive. Now THAT would get a whole lot of attention here at head-fi. Although not much anywhere else I suppose. In fact, head-fi'ers might account for all sales of that product!

I'd certainly buy one. Maybe we should suggest that?

 

[grawk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk Very cool. Bootleggers everywhere are rejoicing. Imagine: a digital soundboard recording (assuming the soundboard has an appropriate digital out).

I assure you that this device won't be the advent of digital live recording. Portable DAT recorders have been around for quite some time. Recording to CF media in 24/96 format is even a few years old at this point. The big deal with this is it's small, has spdif, and is purpose built for recording.

As someone who has recorded his share of concerts, I emphatically state that the best recordings aren't soundboards, but properly done audience recordings using high quality microphones, preamps, and analog to digital converters. I never realized just how good some of my recordings actually turned out until I got into head-fi recently. It's ALMOST enough to make me grab one of these little boxes, an apogee mini-me, and some dpa microphones. Then I realize I'm in alaska, and the bears don't need to be recorded that well.