Flash Card Recorder Question at DVinfo.net

James Campbell · May 1st, 2008, 09:34 PM

If a flash card recorder has internal and SD card recording capability, will it automatically begin taping on the SD card when the internal memory is full? I just purchased the Sony D50, and in the manual, it states that you "select the memory location where the recorded tracks will be saved." It gives the choice of "Built-in" vs "Memory Stick." I would assume that when the Built-in is full, it would automatically switch over to the memory card. Stupid assumption?

Jarrod Whaley · May 1st, 2008, 10:21 PM

I'd say it would only a "stupid" (hate to use that word) assumption if you were using the recorder in a critical situation without foreknowledge of what would happen when the internal memory was full, but then your asking this question demonstrates that you're not "stupid" enough to do that. :)

Maybe someone else with actual knowledge of the D50 will chime in, but wouldn't this be pretty easy to test out on your own? You could, say, render out a silent .wav file at roughly the size of the internal memory's capacity, copy it to the device's memory, and then see what happens when you record up to and beyond the capacity.

I realize you're looking for a quick answer from someone who might know, but I feel like it never hurts to try to figure things out on one's own--as long as one knows how one might try to do so. :)

The D50 looks like a really nice piece of gear, by the way. Here's hoping you have fun with it.

James Campbell · May 2nd, 2008, 04:44 AM

Jarrod, I knew someone was going to make me do that [he says with reluctant smile]! I figure that if no one has dealt with this with a D50 in particular, I can record a few hours of TV audio or something droning in the background, let it go beyond what the internal 4 GB can do, and then see if it stops or switches over. I was just hoping to save a little time, but you're right... I should try it out on my own anyways.

Steve House · May 2nd, 2008, 04:53 AM

As I read the manual it looks like it's either/or rather than first one then the other. But that's just an impression from reading - I look forward to hearing your experimental results.

Matthias Krause · May 2nd, 2008, 06:50 AM

How about asking Sony?

Wayne Brissette · May 2nd, 2008, 08:11 AM

While I can't tell what this particular recorder will do, I will confirm that you either need to either test it by just letting it run and seeing what happens, or contact Sony. One of the other things I do is write manuals, I have written several manuals without ever seeing the product (including one flash based recorder recently). Many times I have these questions and pose them to the company and never get any sort of answers back. Since I don't have the product, I can't test it myself, so I usually error on the side of safety and won't tell customers it will do X, but instead say like Steve mentioned either one or the other. If this is wrong, it is corrected later, but initially or until proven incorrect, the manual will error on the side of safety.

I do think this particular passage is a bit vague on the capabilities of what the recorder does, so I would definitely contact Sony to verify what it does and doesn't do.

Wayne

James Campbell · May 2nd, 2008, 08:48 AM

Okay, I went right to the source and spoke with Sony tech (after about 5 re-routings to different websites/phone numbers... actually not bad and it went pretty quick). The technician stated that it won't switch over automatically. So to switch over I'll need to stop recording, switch the menu setting, and begin again. The only time I'd run into trouble is if I set it to record at 96khz/24 bit and went over two hours. I haven't had a recorder that records that high of a quality before anyways, so I suppose I could set it back to 48khz/24 bit or 96khz/16 bit OR ensure that I have a break somewhere in the middle of a long show to make the switch. All in all, not that big of a deal I guess. Thanks for the encouragement to figure this out now... I have a 2 hour concert to tape at the end of May and I'll have to practice a bit with this unit before then. I know there's an intermission in the middle, though, so I should be all set.

Wayne Brissette · May 2nd, 2008, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Campbell

so I suppose I could set it back to 48khz/24 bit or 96khz/16 bit OR ensure that I have a break somewhere in the middle of a long show to make the switch.

Either stick with 24/48, or go with 24/96. You gain nothing in the 16/96 mode. Depending on the music style, 24/96 maybe overkill. Honestly even 24/48 depending on the recorder and A/D internally may not be really improving your sound. Before your big show, do some smaller tests.

Wayne

May 1st, 2008, 09:34 PM	#1
James Campbell Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cheshire, CT Posts: 110	Flash Card Recorder Question If a flash card recorder has internal and SD card recording capability, will it automatically begin taping on the SD card when the internal memory is full? I just purchased the Sony D50, and in the manual, it states that you "select the memory location where the recorded tracks will be saved." It gives the choice of "Built-in" vs "Memory Stick." I would assume that when the Built-in is full, it would automatically switch over to the memory card. Stupid assumption?

May 1st, 2008, 10:21 PM	#2
Jarrod Whaley Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: chattanooga, tn Posts: 721	I'd say it would only a "stupid" (hate to use that word) assumption if you were using the recorder in a critical situation without foreknowledge of what would happen when the internal memory was full, but then your asking this question demonstrates that you're not "stupid" enough to do that. :) Maybe someone else with actual knowledge of the D50 will chime in, but wouldn't this be pretty easy to test out on your own? You could, say, render out a silent .wav file at roughly the size of the internal memory's capacity, copy it to the device's memory, and then see what happens when you record up to and beyond the capacity. I realize you're looking for a quick answer from someone who might know, but I feel like it never hurts to try to figure things out on one's own--as long as one knows how one might try to do so. :) The D50 looks like a really nice piece of gear, by the way. Here's hoping you have fun with it. __________________ -->jarrod whaley. www.oakstreetfilms.com

May 2nd, 2008, 04:53 AM	#4
Steve House Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Posts: 5,742	As I read the manual it looks like it's either/or rather than first one then the other. But that's just an impression from reading - I look forward to hearing your experimental results. __________________ Good news, Cousins! This week's chocolate ration is 15 grams!

May 2nd, 2008, 08:11 AM	#6
Wayne Brissette Major Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 383	While I can't tell what this particular recorder will do, I will confirm that you either need to either test it by just letting it run and seeing what happens, or contact Sony. One of the other things I do is write manuals, I have written several manuals without ever seeing the product (including one flash based recorder recently). Many times I have these questions and pose them to the company and never get any sort of answers back. Since I don't have the product, I can't test it myself, so I usually error on the side of safety and won't tell customers it will do X, but instead say like Steve mentioned either one or the other. If this is wrong, it is corrected later, but initially or until proven incorrect, the manual will error on the side of safety. I do think this particular passage is a bit vague on the capabilities of what the recorder does, so I would definitely contact Sony to verify what it does and doesn't do. Wayne __________________ Mics: KMR 82 i, NTG-1, MKH418S, MKH8040, SR77, QTC1, QTC40, SR30 Recorder: Zaxcom Deva 5.8 & MIX-12. Wireless: TRX900 stereo, Lectro 411

May 2nd, 2008, 04:44 AM	#3
James Campbell Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cheshire, CT Posts: 110	Jarrod, I knew someone was going to make me do that [he says with reluctant smile]! I figure that if no one has dealt with this with a D50 in particular, I can record a few hours of TV audio or something droning in the background, let it go beyond what the internal 4 GB can do, and then see if it stops or switches over. I was just hoping to save a little time, but you're right... I should try it out on my own anyways.

May 2nd, 2008, 06:50 AM	#5
Matthias Krause Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 203	How about asking Sony?

May 2nd, 2008, 08:48 AM	#7
James Campbell Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cheshire, CT Posts: 110	Okay, I went right to the source and spoke with Sony tech (after about 5 re-routings to different websites/phone numbers... actually not bad and it went pretty quick). The technician stated that it won't switch over automatically. So to switch over I'll need to stop recording, switch the menu setting, and begin again. The only time I'd run into trouble is if I set it to record at 96khz/24 bit and went over two hours. I haven't had a recorder that records that high of a quality before anyways, so I suppose I could set it back to 48khz/24 bit or 96khz/16 bit OR ensure that I have a break somewhere in the middle of a long show to make the switch. All in all, not that big of a deal I guess. Thanks for the encouragement to figure this out now... I have a 2 hour concert to tape at the end of May and I'll have to practice a bit with this unit before then. I know there's an intermission in the middle, though, so I should be all set.