best portable audio recorder for live recording?

[ummagumma]

 Hi guys, I am looking to either replace my HP120 or get a new HD for it, it has started skipping a lot during records, even after deleting all data & defragging etc so I think it's on the way out

 what is out there nowadays that offers the best audio quality? been a couple years since I poked my head in here


 thx!!

[Chronon]

I might have a spare HD kicking around.

[petur]

Another option is to put a CF card in your h120 and never worry again Lookup CFModguide in the wiki

[Serenity]

The H-series are very much worth repairing.  You can't beat 'em for live recording.  If all it needs is a new HD (or, as petur suggested, a slick CF mod), do it.  Love your H.   

[nofish]

The H-series are very much worth repairing.  You can't beat 'em for live recording. 

Agree 100%.
I have a h120 with Sound Professional Mics and I get very good results.
Thanks Rockbox for making proper recording possible (the original h120 firmware is just a joke).

[klaberte]

Where to buy these great little devices?

Ken

[AlexP]

ebay.  They've been discontinued for years now.

[Datman]

For hi-quality recordings I use an external A/D converter (the Behringer DEQ2496: it's ALSO an A/D converter...) via optical input.

[peteswensson]

I love my iriver H300s.  I got them mainly for their recording ability, but have come to love them for their quality as players too.  I use my hard drive ones for players and for recording concerts off the sound engineer's mixing board, and I use my CF-modded ones for field recording of guitar lessons.  The hard drive noise requires you to use a remote microphone to record, but you can use the built-in microphone when you replace the hard drive with CF - much easier for impromptu recording. 

Datman has a pretty slick approach, for which you need the optical input unique to the H120 and H140.  The H300 series is using an analog input, but it does pretty well with it, at full CD resolution.

[paulheu]

Yeah, the H300 is a great little tool. Have had mine for years and I just recently switched to using my netbook for recording. If a decent offer came around I might be willing to part with the H300.. but it had to be real good.. 

[Datman]

As I said I have a H120, but if I'd have to buy a new recorder I think I'd buy a Zoom...

[Recording Guy]

The new Tascam DR05 seems to be good (two omni mics)

The Zoom H1 (two cardioid mics)

The Sony PCM M10 has the most flexible preamp (two omni mics)

Then the prices start to shoot up with the Nagras and the Olympus LS10/11
and of course Sound Devices machines.

But if you like soldering and building your own preamp there are options that will match or better
all of the above with the Irivers if you are happy with 16 bit! (Even though some are capable of 24 bit).

Then we come to microphones...

[Chronon]

Just a reminder: These are Rockbox forums, not general recording forums.