I recorded a 2-hr opera performance having had the FireStore FS-4 in my possession less than 12 hours and no practice. I found that I was able to get the unit up and going with hardly any fumbling around - the interface is intuitive enough to record without having to read through a lot of the manual.

Suggestion: the keys need to be lit as well as the screen. It's difficult to know which button to press in the dark and a little illumination through each of the keys would help. That said, the Record button is placed by itself so it is not too hard to locate by feel.

While I didn't have Retro Cache set, I managed to catch the start of a scene in which I was caught napping - I should have started rolling but was preoccupied and I definitely missed the first few seconds on tape. However, the FireStore immediately started recording and I could detect no truncation of the music.

Playing through the clips showed no problems and the 2GB chunks was actually great because I can archive off 2 pieces per DVD. During playback with Windows Media Player 10, the video occasionally hesitates on my dual Xeon system, but there was nothing wrong with the video itself.

The fan noise was slightly noticeable but not distracting.

I enjoyed shooting with this unit - it definitely beats swapping 60 minute tapes - I sweated a bit when I had one minute left on the tape as the scene ended. So far, I like what I see.

You mention the fan noise - if mounted fairly close to the camera, is it significant enough to get picked up by the mic?

<<<-- Originally posted by Andrew Petrie : You mention the fan noise - if mounted fairly close to the camera, is it significant enough to get picked up by the mic? -->>>

I will have to check different setups. If the unit were mounted on your camcorder and you were using the on-camera omni-directional microphone, the noise would definitely be there.

I would hazard a guess that the noise would be there if the unit were mounted alongside most any camera-mounted microphone in quiet situations. It seems the belt clip is going to be the place for it to mount in a mobile setup.

My unit was sitting on a table at the end of the 4-ft firewire cable while my microphone was mounted on a stand well away from the camcorder.

Hi all.

The thing has a fan?

Well, I'm with the cash in one hand and the phone on the other to order one FS4, but fan noise was'nt on my plans.

Could the people who used the unit attached to a camera and Matt from Focus, chime in to ched some light on this issue?

If the fan noise is loud enough to get picked up by my XL1-s onboard mic, I don't know if I want to have another cable from the camera to my belt. I was planning to attache the FS4 to the camera. I mean, that's one of the selling points.

Help would be appreciated, to clear this matter.

Best regards,
Arnaldo

Hi Arnaldo,

FS-4 does have a fan. this is required to keep the drive and processor in the unit cool. Both Dan Berube and Daniel Kohl have posted pictures of how they mount FS-4 to the XL1/XL1s/Xl2 elsewhere on this forum. Take a look at those examples.

Hope that helps,

Matt

Hi Matt.

Thank you for your answer.

My question does not regard the actual mounting of the FS4 in the camera, on that I'm clear.

The question is fan noise, wich could be picked up by the camera's onboard mic.

I read in another thread that the fan noise issue had been minimised through a firmware update. Is that true?

In my XL1-s, I use an isolator so that the camera does'nt pick noise from the tape transport or lens zoom motor in low background noise environments.

So, does the fan of a FS4, mounted on a XL1-s (on the mounting plate of a MA200), produce enough noise to be picked up by the onboard mic?

Best regards.
Arnaldo

Yesterday, I recorded a discussion between two panelists and the FS-4 was sitting on the table next to the tripod. During quiet sections of the dialogue, the fan noise was plainly audible. If my ears from over 2 feet away can pick it up, I'm sure the on-board omni-directional mic can hear it regardless of the FS-4 being mounted on-board or not.

Well, we do have the benefit of lowering/muting sound in post...

Perhaps the next incarnation of the FS4 could utilize a finned heatsink body... or use heatpipe(s). I'd suggest a sound-absorbing case or special foam used infront of the fan (also double as a dust filter)., but then you limit the cool air intake.

Perhaps the next incarnation of the FS4 could utilize a finned heatsink body...

Or maybe use the same fan that's in the Mac Mini ;) I can never hear that thing - then again my ears aint like they used to be!

Aaron