(Last updated 09/10/2007)Some folks have asked us about the lowest cost PDAudio system needed for
recording from a digital audio daisychain at a concert. For this kind
of recording you take a digital audio feed from someone else and don't
need mics or a mic pre-amp/A-to-D.
If you're recording in a chain with DAT and MD recorders, you'll usually
be recording at 16/44.1 ("CD quality").
A very compact system would be an HP iPAQ h2210/h2215 PDA (around $100
on eBay), PDAudio-CF ($199) and , Gidluck Mastering's Live2496 (around
$50). Total cost (without memory cards) would be be under $400 and
gives you the most compact high-resolution digital recorder available
today! This setup can be used for recording all the way to 24/96,
subject only to limitations in the size of the SD flash memory cards
currently available. A 4 GB SD card (around $50) will record at 16/44.1
for around 6 hours, 24/48 for 4 hours, or at 24/96 for 2 hours.
If you don't mind being the last recorder in the chain, all you need is
what we mentioned above. If you need to pass the digital audio signal
on to others, pick up an M-Audio CO2 and a 9 Volt battery cable for it
(both for under $90). The CO2 takes a digital audio signal and splits
it into two signals, one of which you can use and the other you can pass
on to others.
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