Need Comments on Sound Devices 744T
 

I am seriously considering the purchase of a Sound Devices 744T 4-track hard disk and compact flash recorder.

I am very pleased with my a Sound Devices 302 mixer. I assume that the 744T is of similar high quality.

I am looking for any comments, pro or con, concerning the 744T.

Recommendations toward the purchase of other devices are also welcome.

I wish the 744t had 4 mic pre's instead of just two.

I am also considering the TASCAM HD-P2, but I really want a four channel recorder. Any comparisons are welcome.

You could send your 302's stereo output to the recorder's channel 3&4 while using the mic inputs on 1&2. Or trade the 302 iun on a 442 and use the mixer to send 4 line level channels to the recorder.

The 744 is awesome. I don't have one but a sound guy brought his to a recent 10-day shoot, all I can say is "wow". Sound Devices makes good stuff, the 744T is great.

My post-production chain wasn't as straightforward for .bwf as I thought it would be, you should check into how you'll pull in the sound. His post with pro-tools works fine. I had to use BWF Manager to split from polyphonic bwf to individual channel bwfs.

I purchased a HD-P2 on thursday and will be exchanging it on monday for a 744t. Originally I wanted the 744t to pair up with my 422 but figured that I could save some money with the HD-P2.

My biggest gripes with the HD-P2 are:
-Build quality
-No line in through xlr
-Doesn't have bag/over shoulder friendly button placement

very limiting recorder for serius work ( i have on for almost a year)
but it cheap ( not so if you compare it with good mixer in front and stand allone burner=at least 7-7.5 k)
if you have more money to spend - the deva is much better product
if you dont really need 4 channels - look for tascam as cheap option

Guys, you are really comparing apples to oranges here. I just bought the Tascam P2 and it is amazing at this price point. If I wanted to spend $4000 rather than $999 on a recorder, I would have probably gotten the SD744T, too! This is not a fair comparison, in my opinion.

The Tascam is great and alone at it's price point. I think the Marantz is close, but still a few hundered dollars more.

It's definitely built more prosumer than pro, but after only one application, I love it. I think you guys are being a little hard on a sub-$1000 recorder that has timecode functionality!

It's a great little unit. Perhaps not as professional as others, but 1/4 the price. It does a lot for the money.

Just my $.02.

KW

By the way, Dan. After your generous offer last week, let me know if there are any questions or test I can run for you. Also, if you're in this area, stop by and borrow it so you can test it yourself!

Your right they are aimed at different segments of the market, but the OP was asking for a comparisson of the two. For the money the HD-P2 is a pretty well rounded package.

Sorry for the delay in responding. I have been sick with a bad cold or flu.

I think the TASCAM HD-P2 is a wonderful device. However, I wanted a minimum of four channels.

Based on advice from this thread, I also researched the DEVA recorders. At over $10,000, these are definitely out of my price range.

It would be interesting to perform side by side tests of the HD-P2 and the 744T.

I also agree that it really isn't fair to compare a $1000 device to a $4000 device.

Kevin, thanks for the offer. I will visit the next time I am in your area. I will be willing to assist in any of your future projects.

One of our professors here purchased a 744 and she had a hard time
getting it set up and working so I went over to help.

The 744 is a great device, but I would not say it is for the casual user.
There are TONS of menu choices to be made and set. That interface
is NOT the best I have seen, but with some head scratching and some
calls to their tech support one does finally 'get it', but the interface is
not very intuitive.

I hope to take it out in the field this spring and see how it compares
to the complex mobile rig I normally haul out to record bird songs.

I just finished reviewing it for two magazines. A very good sounding box with remarkable feature set.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Ty, which "it" were you speaking of? The original 744T post heading or the HD-P2 which we spoke of in recent posts?

Thanks. Look forward to reading your reviews...either one.

KW

sorry. I reviewed the 744T.

Ty

Dear Ty,

Thanks for the great news. I look forward to reading your reviews on the 744T.

I am currently attempting to determine if the 744T allows for playback while simultaneously recording. Based on a quick glance at the manual, I do not believe this is supported.

I would use this feature, if it were available, for re-recording dialog (ADR).

Ty, I would be interested if you considered this feature to be important. Or, if there are better ways to do this.

It wasn't designed to do ADR. It's a field recorder, and a very good one. You could use it to do additional wild tracks, obviously.

ADR is normally done in a recording studio.



Ty Ford

Dear Ty,

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Based on Oleg's earlier comments, I was briefly looking into the Deva's, (much more expensive), which had this feature.

Thanks again.

While not a 744t, I do have a 722. I personally think it is an amazing unit. It does what it does extremely well. The only complaint I've had with it is that it isn't a 744t.