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With a location recording pedigree which includes the original portable timecode DAT machines (PD-2, PD-4), and more recently the innovative PD-6 DVD-RAM recorder, it was only natural that Fostex should develop the FR-2, the acclaimed professional CompactFlash-based field recorder.
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- Fostex should develop the FR-2, the acclaimed professional CompactFlash-based field recorder.See more technical details
By Thomas A. Tellesbo (Phoenix, Az)
I am not an audiophile...I am not a professional in the sound industry. That being said, I spent innumerable hours researching portable digital recorders and found that I was continually routed to the same three manufacturers. More research, and (of course) budget constraints led me to the easy decision to purchase the FR2LE. The sound recorded, to my untrained ear and the use of relatively inexpensive dynamic microphones, provides so much more than I am capable of asking of it at the present time...the menus seem intuitive, controls all simply placed, retrieval of recorded material to PC is quick and painless, the unit is small and light fitting very easily and handily in a smallish shoulder bag.
I have much to learn and am pleased that I chose this machine to facilitate that process.
By Chauncey Gardiner
I use my "fertooli" to record live music (with an external pair of microphones). It's well built and hasn't malfunctioned since I've owned it (1 year, purchased used). Although you should wait a second before hitting buttons/turning off AFTER recording, since I got it to freeze trying to turn it off immediately after stopping a recording.
My preamp is modded by the Oade Bros, but the stock one is considered to be of good quality. Potential buyers should determine if they need and prefer all the features (24 bit, built-in mics (which I haven't used and can't comment on), CF memory card storage). There are a few other great all-in-one type field recorders. If FR2LE specs suit your needs, then feel confident that these are well built. Also, look at the dimensions and weight before purchasing. It's not quite "hand-held."
If you don't think you'll utilize most of the FR2LE features, search for alternative (and cheaper) recorders that offer the features you need without extras you don't. That's my advice. The way people use these recorders is broad (live music, studio music, live speech, nature, with internal/external mics, needing various recording quality), so it's hard to "recommend" it to someone without knowing what they'll use it for.
It's a great product and I love mine.
By Nathan Moody (San Francisco, CA)
I'm a bit of a phonographer; I've been field recording for a few years now, using everything from laptops to DAT to MiniDisc and, most recently, a Zoom H2. While the H2 is my go-to, always-in-the-bag recorder, its mic preamp is so noisy as to be useless for more exacting recording using external microphones. But I'm a hobbyist field recordist, musician, and sound designer, so I couldn't spend huge sums on a more serious recorder.
Enter the Fostex FR2-LE. Its preamps are solid, and the audio quality is far and away the best for its price range...truly impressive for such a low-cost device. Lots of thought went into this unit, all the way down to using either AA batteries or inexpensive rechargeable RC/toy vehicle battery packs, the latter lasting 4-8 hours. Nice! It's small enough that it can fit into a fanny pack or small satchel (I modified a surplus army first-aid shoulder bag so I could route the cables out to the side)...it's about the size of a large-format hardbound novel.
Sure, the case feels plasticky and wouldn't withstand a drop onto concrete. The control layout is diffuse, and the side (well, top, when used in the bag) gain LED's are hard to see in bright daylight. But such are the compromises for bringing the cost of this unit down. The only real "no-excuse-for-it" flaw is its noisy headphone amp...rest assured, though, that the audio being recorded is insanely low-noise and clean.
I use this unit primarily for collecting samples for sound design and musical projects, using mics that include shotgun, contact, large-diaphragm condensers, and dynamic. This is a serious, just-shy-of-pro tool that can handle everything but harsh environments and timecode-based video sync. I've been supremely happy with it from a value standpoint, and (of course) the clarity and presence of the final audio result.
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