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Hi, I'm thinking abut buying my own portable recording equipment, pretty clear on which mics I'm gonna need but when it comes to the recorder...

(Field recording, maybe production audio, I'm looking for versatility)

I really like the 722 its got great storage, quality and size, but is just too expensive.

Anyone knows any good alternatives for it?

Thanks.

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  • What will you be using it for mostly?
    – Andrew Spitz
    Nov 3, 2011 at 6:31
  • Field recording, maybe production audio, I'm looking for versatility i guess
    – Pepe Gales
    Nov 3, 2011 at 6:34

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Are you looking at the Sound Devices 722 for a specific reason rather than the Sound Devices 702? You REALLY don't need that kind of storage. An 8GB CF card will last you for at least a day for sure, even several. Plus, do you really want to have all your sounds on a huge drive, ready to get corrupt from running around chasing sounds or stollen from being in sonically awesome places but maybe not so safe? Better to have solid state (like a CF card), and backup everyday.

Now the other main thing about a 722, is that it has timecode. You say you mostly want it for field recording and maybe some production audio, so chances are you don't need timecode.

The cool thing about the 7 series, is that you can lock several machines together, so they're all in sync. If you want to turn your setup into a four channel, then just buy another machine and link them :-) That's what I did. Got two 702s, and if I need to have four tracks then I connect them and if I need to have them separated (SFX or line feed or a second recordist), then I can. Obviously you can get a mixer as well...

Does $1,800 (702) seem better as a price tag than $2,500 (722)? If not, then there are a ton of other options out there, and we can cross that bridge later on.

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    Theres no redundancy with a 702 - most production sound recordists I know record to CF and hard drive.... CF goes to dailies/rushes (clone & cycle multiple CF cards) & you keep a safety copy on the hard drive...
    – user49
    Nov 3, 2011 at 8:50
  • @Tim super valid point, for sure. But based on his context, I don't think his needs and budget are requiring redundancies.
    – Andrew Spitz
    Nov 3, 2011 at 9:18
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    Firewire card reader and FW cable will allow a 702 to write to both simultaneously. No backup out of the box, but it's possible.
    – NoiseJockey
    Nov 3, 2011 at 15:42
  • @Noisejockey, I didn't know. That's really good info... Thanks.
    – Andrew Spitz
    Nov 3, 2011 at 16:40
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    The 722 recorder does not support TC jamming for production sound. The 702T handles TC, but the only difference between the 702 and the 722 is the ability to dual record to CF and internal HD.
    – Paul Fonarev
    Nov 3, 2011 at 22:16
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The Marantz PMD661 is nice. The preamps are quite good (although not quite as good as the Sound Devices), but for a fraction of the price. XLR and 1/4" headphone output. It may or may not suit your needs. It's hard to tell from the original post.

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If you don't need the timecode and are on a budget, why not look at the Fostex FR2LE?

judging by this chart, http://www.avisoft.com/recordertests.htm The mic input noise is not far off sound devices and its way cheaper.

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