I have a Fostex FD4 digital recorder which I bought in 1998. It came with a Syquest EZ‑flyer 230Mb cartridge drive, but I would like to be able to fit a large‑capacity IDE hard drive inside it (preferably between four and 10Gb). Is this possible? I would like to be able to fit it myself. Also, can the FD4 be used with a 2Gb Jaz drive or a SCSI CD burner?
Chris Thomas
Assistant Editor Debbie Poyser replies: I'm told by Winston Douglas, service specialist at Fostex's UK distributor SCV, that a 6Gb internal drive can be used inside the FD4. The specific model preferred is the Toshiba MK6015. However, as regards fitting it yourself, the special 9045 fixing kit is required, and SCV advise that a qualified service technician should be used for the job. The two companies SCV mentioned to me are Syncrotech (+44 (0)207 267939) and Everything Audio (+44 (0)208 324 2726), but I would imagine any good service company would be able to oblige.
As regards your Jaz and CD‑burner questions, it's yes to the Jaz one, as long as it's a SCSI model and not a USB one (you can also use a Zip 250), and no to the CD‑burner one. The FD4 doesn't have the power to burn CDs direct.