Previewed at Musikmesse:

Now that seems interesting...

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Imagination is more important than knowledge - A. Einstein

Any links to info?

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

How good is your German?


For those who (like me) don't read German well enough to get anything more than the general idea of what that says, the following is a very rough and ready translation that I got from a friend who does speak German (but is totally non audio/computer literate!). With a bit of luck John (or someone else) will be able to correct it if it's wrong.

"At Musikmesse, Fostex presented the successor of the successful FR2 field recorder - the FR-2LE. The new model records in stereo or mono on a CF card or Micro Drive using PC standard BWF files in FAT32 format. It supports both linear recording to 24 Bit/96 kHz and compressed recording formats such as MP3. The recorded files are automatically timestamped and can be transferred to PC via a USB interface. The FR-2LE is available from July for 700 Euro."



Also relatively recently announced are two new recorders (702 and 702t) from Sound Devices. These are based upon the rather nice 722 stereo machine. Both offer CF recording only (losing the internal hard drive of the 722). The 702t adds timecode facilities to the spec of the 702. Pricing is around £1500+VAT (street price) for the 702 and £1900+VAT for the 702t.

Quote 0VU:

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With a bit of luck John (or someone else) will be able to correct it if it's wrong.

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There's no need for any corrections, the translation you posted is correct

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Imagination is more important than knowledge - A. Einstein

Looks seriously useful.
The Euro price works out around £460 in UK Pounds. Cynical me thinks that will be £499.95.

Anyone know if it has a Digital input?

Quote smuff:

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Anyone know if it has a Digital input?

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This is not known at the moment.

I should be getting a review sample from the first batch, so I'll let you know in three months.

Not yet mentioned:-

• It will have a record buffer like the original.
• Improved mic. pres.
• Swtchable ALC - ALC/Limiter/Off
• Wired remote control as standard
• Editing functions
• Internal mics
• Read after write monitoring
• 4h battery life on an inexpensive rechargeable pack as well as AA cells.

I want one

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

First batch are due in the UK in "August" and I'm on the list for a review sample from the first batch - I'll let you know...................

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

About [ ****** ] time....

Hell, I've been after a FR-2 for yonks.
They are as easy to find as Paris Hilton's IQ.

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Samplecraze
Stretch That Note

John, you might want to get youself on the review list for this too.



It's expensive and not available yet but you just know it'll be good

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It's expensive and not available yet but you just know it'll be good

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Noooooooo.................... !

Sonosax is always superb and ten times the price I can afford

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

Quote John Willett:

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I want one

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Me too!

Anybody know the dimensions of the new Fostex?

Quote Jorge:

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Anybody know the dimensions of the new Fostex?

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No, but I did ask.

It's about 35% smaller than the FR-2 and a tad larger than the Sound Devices.

Projected retail price is under £500 including VAT.

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

Launch time is getting closer.............

It looks like it will be September before it starts shipping properly, though.

It also seems that this thread is the only place on the internet that has any information - despite my looking around.

If I find any more info I will post links.

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

I asked SCV about this last week, and they said they were expecting some units sometime in July (which may, for all I know, really mean September).

But anyway, I'm waiting for your review of it, John.

The message I got from Japan said: "We plan to ship this product in September in quantities." - so, I guess, there may be smaller shipments before then to get out demo / review units and maybe a few extra; but the bulk shipping in September.

That's my reading of the situation, anyway, I may be wrong.

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

Update...............

• I understand the LE will not have a digital in/out like the original FR-2. One of the compromises in making it smaller and cheaper.
• The original FR-2 is not being discontinued, but will continue to run.
• The rechargeable battery pack for the LE will aslo work on the FR-2.

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

I have just discovered some new photos on the FR-2LE



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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

FWIW mentioned on the HHB site:

http://www.hhb.co.uk/hhb/uk/products/detail.asp?ID=2412

Recon I can read slightly more of the legends on the hi-res image ;-)

Thanks Chris.,

Yup - it's definately more readable on the hi-res.

Interesting how they link to Fostex, but the only info is on the Japanese site only, in Japanese (where I got the original pictures from).

First batch is supposed to be in the UK next month and I have been promised one - I can't wait.....

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

I still haven't got clear on whether these really do have internal mics.

Also, I saw on a Fostex forum:

>I was just informed by a Fostex representative that there is a chip problem so, there will be a delay until December or so.

And I note that some US web shops are now saying December. (I also note that they're saying $499).

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it's definately more readable on the hi-res.

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Including the novel STANBY button next to record. I wonder what it does?

Quote E P Gumby:

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I still haven't got clear on whether these really do have internal mics.

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My understanding is that they do - if you look at the hi-res pictures you will see them.

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

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Including the novel STANBY button next to record. I wonder what it does?

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Simple, it starts the machine in pre-record so it is continually recording into the volatile memory.

It only goes into record proper when you press the Record button - but the actual recording starts 10s (or whatever you set) before you pressed record.

So you need never miss the start of a recording.

The original FR-2 works in exactly the same way.

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

I thought that was StanDby mode not Stanby.

Quote 0VU:

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I thought that was StanDby mode not Stanby.

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Oh yes - I missed that.

You see what you expect to see.

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

Update.....

I now understand the LE will be available in January '07.

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

I guess this is supposed to keep us from buying a product that actually exists, such as the Tascam flash recorder? Would this be the third delay announcement from Fostex? And how many delay announcements were made by Apogee (re:Ensemble)? (Well, they did finally get their product to market.)

These products from folks like Fostex and Apogee should be completely ignored until they're actually launched-and determined that both software and hardware actually do what is promised.

Make a statement. Buy products that exist and work! (And I believe there were a few software hitches when the FR2 was released.)

These firms get terrific and free PR, simply by releasing "new" news that the product is delayed, which is then dutifully reported by the media, usually along with a brief mention of the features. Publicity like that can't be bought.

Quote Jeraldo:

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Would this be the third delay announcement from Fostex?

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No, not an announcement at all.

Just a personal conversation between myself and someone from Fostex who explained what was happening and when it would come out.

Any manufacturer can hit unexpected hitches in design that result in a delay. Better delayed than a faulty product.

The LE was shown at Frankfurt early this year with a hoped for release of August. Any updates posted here have not been announcements at all but people talking to peaople in the know in the trade and passed on.

As far as I know, Fostex have not made any official announcements after Frankfurt.

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

Quote John Willett:

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Quote Jeraldo:

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Would this be the third delay announcement from Fostex?

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No, not an announcement at all.

Just a personal conversation between myself and someone from Fostex who explained what was happening and when it would come out.

Any manufacturer can hit unexpected hitches in design that result in a delay. Better delayed than a faulty product.

The LE was shown at Frankfurt early this year with a hoped for release of August. Any updates posted here have not been announcements at all but people talking to peaople in the know in the trade and passed on.

As far as I know, Fostex have not made any official announcements after Frankfurt.

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We've had three distinct "waves" of PR here. A novel idea: Why don't manufacturers just wait until they've developed and tested the product, and manufactured said product and assured it availability for purchase, before mentioning it?

It's free PR, and it just keeps people from buying products that are actually available and work. Of course, it feeds the whole PR/Magazine thing (thankfully, SOS doesn't publish a PR item every time a hardware exec takes a restroom break!).

As to "better delayed than a faulty product," I would say a faulty product is a product that doesn't exist. I long for the day when a manufacturer would say to the world, "Our product is faulty. We will fix it before we offer it for sale. Since we don't really know when it can be fixed or even manufactured because of elements beyond our control, we are not going to offer a guess about when the thing might come into being and be distributed. Because we really don't know when we'll have the parts, chips, tests, and units manufactured, we suggest that if you need a product in the very near future, you should consider products actually on the market from our competitors-say Tascam, for example."

That would be impressive!

Quote Jeraldo:

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Why don't manufacturers just wait until they've developed and tested the product, and manufactured said product and assured it availability for purchase, before mentioning it?

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Because they don't want the market to head off and buy someone else's product in the mean time. It's a fine juggling act between providing enough advanced notice of a product to alert potential buyers and thus maximise their potential maraket, against boasting too early and annoying the potential purchasers.

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It's free PR, and it just keeps people from buying products that are actually available and work.

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Yep. And if you were the manufacturer of the impending product, you'd think was a useful business outcome too. Frustrating and annoying it may well be to many of us, but from a business point of view it does make some practical sense -- provided the original an announcement isn't too far in advance of the release.

Quote:

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As to "better delayed than a faulty product," I would say a faulty product is a product that doesn't exist.

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It's never that simple. A software glitch might only affect one small aspect of a machine that only affects a small proportion of its users. For the rest, the machine is perfectly serviceable, and the income from their investment in the product helps to further it's development.

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That would be impressive!

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That would be cloud-cuckoo land!

hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

Quote Hugh Robjohns:

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That would be cloud-cuckoo land!

hugh

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True, but it would still be impressive, and once the medication kicked in you'd be a happy camper.