Sorry, has I'm reading back over your post I failed to answer your question regarding the Audio Upgrades mod on the Tascam DV-RA 1000HD.

Unfortunately, I had the recorder shipped new in its box directly to Jim from the retailer. From the way Jim explained it to me, the converter chips in the Tascam, while being VERY good are not at the level of clarity of the Acoustic Devices A/D D/A chips that he uses. I asked him if this would be noticeable and he said most definitely. I thought for only the extra $250 it was well worth it. I trust Jim, no matter what one says about his sometimes aggressive and gruff demeanor on the internet, I've known him for over 20 years and he's a man of very high integrity.

On the other hand, the famous LA engineer Alan Sides, uses the stock Tascam converters to demo a lot of his high end speakers. I think there's a short interview with him on Tascam's website.

Dave, If you're happy with micing under the lid, then the room will have less of an impact. Besides, you're using a cardiod pattern mic so you might get by. If you plan to use more bass traps, get the 4in thick kind, the 2in stuff won't cut it. Don't forget to treat the corners and crest of the A-frame areas of your ceiling.

Hey, good thing you didn't get a Fazioli. I know of cases where the Fazioli pin block has delaminated in 10years - ZOINKS! They're no where near the quality of Steinway D Either NYC or Hamburg. Yes, Steinways are like wine, their tone improves with time. Mine still continues to improve, that's why I hesitate at times whether or not I should go with a D or keep my B?... I won't get a D until I find one that will trounce it in terms of tonal quality across the entire range. A great used D is an oxymoron, as most are beat up, unless you're lucky. But new, they're asking a king's ransom! I'll have to see what I could get as a trade-in for the B?

Thanks for the info on Jim. I've come across his threads on Gearlutz. I just e-mailed Jim on Gearlutz, and see if I can reach him that way. If I am unable to upgrade the converters, I may get a Mytek or Lavry A/D converter. Either way, the Tascam will be a definite upgrade itself over my current Yamaha CDR1000 which is 20bit A/D with built in Apogee UV22 dithering to 16bit CD. However, the A/D converter has the least impact on the recording chain.

Let me know if you have any questions. Keep up the great composing!

George

George-

I would call Jim on the phone. He's never returned any of my emails or PMs on the GS site.
He almost always picks up the phone during normal hours of the day (Pacific time zone).
You can reach him by the # listed on his site.
http://www.audioupgrades.com/

One other piece of not so great info--- I had driven both my Soundcraft Delta console ( he was doing a routine check of the board and rebuilt the Power supply for me) and Tascam down to his place in Carlsbad on MLK Day 3 weeks ago. The Tascam was making a "clock" whine type noise on the right input channel. Jim thought it was either a loose or defective chip he installed. I spoke with him yesterday and he informed me that the company that manufactures the chips, Acoustic Devices are only manufacturing on a limited basis right now so my chips won't be shipped till March 5th
He's very upset about this but nothing he can do. So basically by the time I drive back down there to get it, I will have been without a recorder for probably close to 8 weeks.

If you do spend the dough on the external A/D, you might want to check out the Forssell MADC-2
http://www.forsselltech.com/products/madcpreamp.html
A few folks that do Acoustic music recording on GS give it rave reviews. One piano player I was in contact with bought both the Forssell SMP-2 pre and MADC-2. He liked the sound better than the newer Nagra VI recorder. You can also call up Fred and talk to him on the phone. Very nice guy. I think he has a 7 day trial period but he said no one has ever returned anything. This is one route I'm also considering myself except it's pricey, 5K for a 2 channel pre and 2 channel converter. I think for the time being I'll wait to see how much the upraded PS on the Delta helps matters.

That's one great thing about Jim's stuff. The prices are VERY reasonable for the quality you are getting.

Hi Dave, I finally called Jim and he said that he's waiting for parts, so I'll contact him again in March to have the unit upgraded. It's too bad you have to wait all this time for your recorder.

Oh yes, the Forssell SMP2 is a fantastic preamp. It's everything what the DAV does, but goes further with a even more definition and clarity. I am not so sure about the Forssell A/D converter, but I'll have to listen to it again because I was trying to tell it apart from the Lavry and Mytek at one point.

By the way, if you want an inexpensive and excellent recorder, the M-Audio Microtrack II has very good A/D converters of all the portables, and has full 48V phantom power for your condenser mics. Its S/N range is well over 100dB. For $300 it's a steal! I use it to record my parent's LPs and store it on HD or DVD-A.

Hi Dave,

Nice to read from you here! What a terrific test that you are planning here! Of course, I WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SAMPLES!

Really great tip! Definetly going to implement some of these things.

Since there seems to be interest in this thread or topic, I'll share my opinions by re-posting any good recording questions that come up from other PS members in other locations within the forum...

Question: I was wondering if a pair of good 'ol SM57s would work to start out with. They are a very versatile mic that sees a lot of use on guitar amps and things.[b]

[b]Answer: Anything will work when starting out. However, You won't be happy with a SM57 in the long run - it's not as sensitive, it has frequency peaks in the mids, and lacks air in the highs, and is deficient in the bass. The SM57 is a dynamic mic. You really should have condenser mics in your arsenal.

Dynamic and condenser mics differ in how they produce an electrical signals going into your recorder:

Dynamic mics use a diaphragm attached to a moving-coil in a magnetic field to generate a signal in the presence of sound vibration, just like a speaker working in reverse. The mass of the moving coil results in a relatively poor transient response and less sensitivity than a condenser mic. They are better suited for louder sources like in guitar amps or drums where they don't distort as much as condensers in high SPL situations.

Condenser mics have a very thin plastic diaphragm coated with gold/nickel, mounted very close to a conductive back plate, which forms a collective unit called a capacitor or condenser. A polarizing voltage feeds through the capacitor by an external power supply, e.g. Microtrack II's 48V "phantom power." Sound causes the diaphragm to vibrate: as the diaphragm moves closer to the back plate, there is an increase capacitance which results in a discharge of current, when the diaphragm moves away from the back plate, there is a decrease in the capacitance which results in a discharge of current. This cycle produces an electrical signal going to the recorder. Condensers are better suited to capture nuances, wider frequency response, and transients due to their increased sensitivity over dynamic mics.

Avoid the temptation with less expensive Chinese mics (Studio Projects, Samson, Rode, MXL, etc.). I find them to sound brittle, harsh, lack a full body bass, and are not as reliable. You don't need Neumann either. I'd save up for the U.S. made Shure KSM141. At $800, you're essentially getting a pair of omni and cardiod mics all in one package. I've looked all over... It's going to be difficult to find a pair of quality condensers that are as neutral or as classy in sound as the Shure for that price. Like I previously mentioned, these are Schoeps clones, which are standard in high end classical piano recording studios. The Schoeps omni and cardiod capsules with the amplifier body will cost $5525.

Still waiting (impatiently) on my Tascam DV-RA 1000 HD.

It's been 6 weeks since I dropped my stuff at Jim's home in Carlsbad.

In my frustration about 10 days ago I almost popped for the Sound Devices 702 recorder. I just had to tell myself---save your money, be patient, just go practice, you have a nice piano

Sabra-Som ST-2 and ST-4 Universal Mic Bar:

Here's a simple and inexpensive way of eliminating an extra mic stand by setting up a spaced pair of mics on one stand. It also enables one to make a recording with various mic pairs from the same location. The double mic bar costs $34.49 and the quad mic bar is $43.49. Pictured is the St-4 Quad Mic Bar with a large condenser mic and a cardiod small condensers in ORTF configuration. The mic connectors allow the spigot to move along the 12" bar and tighten down to fix their position. The AKG C414-XLS mics have a shock mount which allows it to swing out 3in on each side, so I effectively have an extended 18" spaced pair configuration.

OPTIONAL: In order to extend the mic spacing beyond 12", I bought another 3/8" 36-in aluminum hexagonal rod from Amazon.com which I'll anodize black to match the paint. http://www.amazon.com/Aluminum-6061-T6- ... B000FN1556

A similar 30" Spaced Mic bar from Grace, Schoeps, or Manfrotto, costs $500-900. The Quad mic bar cost me less than $44 total.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2 ... phone.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2 ... phone.html