With the debut of the R-26, Roland takes its multichannel field recorders in a completely different direction from its sibling R-44 and R-4 Pro units. A high-resolution (up to 24-bit/96 kHz) recorder in a compact handheld package, the R-26 can store up to six channels as WAV/BWF or MP3 files to removable SD/SDHC card media (up to 32 GB). The unit also can double as a stereo Mac/PC USB recording interface. Operation is via four AA batteries, an included AC adapter or USB bus powering when connected to a computer.
The R-26 records mono, stereo and four or six channels from its onboard omni and XY microphone pairs. It has an 1⁄8-inch stereo external mic jack (with plug-in power) and two XLR/TRS mic/line inputs with phantom power. The top panel features two large input level knobs, straightforward transport controls and a 2.25-inch backlit LCD touch screen that displays levels, system status and real-time counter. The touch screen also brings up useful tools such as varispeed playback (50% to 150%), track markers (including on-the-fly marking during recording), track naming/renaming and some simple edit functions.
The touch-screen interface is simple to navigate and provides fast, easy access to setup parameters. The recording modes determine how the selected input sources are recorded, storing up to three stereo track pairs from the omni and/or XY pairs (these also can be combined for a variable blend of the two) or the 1⁄8-inch stereo jack or the XLR/TRS pair. It's flexible, with the one limitation that the omni mics route to the same preamps as the 1⁄8-inch stereo jack, so those two pairs can't be used simultaneously.
Switchable limiting and 100/200/400 Hz bass roll-off are available on every input. Derived from Roland's high-end R-44 field recorder, the R-26 preamps deliver respectable audio, but do require careful attention to gain structure and sensitivity settings for peak performance. Sensitivity can be set manually or via an "Auto Sens" mode, and a dedicated button on the front panel brings the adjustment page up for quick changes. Speaking of sensitivity, the onboard mics are surprisingly good sounding and very sensitive to picking up sounds, including handling noise and bumps or touches from operating the unit itself. Also, the battery door clacks when touched, something easily remedied by opening the compartment and placing a bit of tissue or foam under the door. The R-26 can be handheld when recording with the built-in mics—there's also a threaded tripod mount—but the operator must pay careful attention to handling and use an extremely gentle touch when making any adjustments while recording to avoid any noise pickup. Obviously, this isn't an issue with the XLR/TRS or 1⁄8-inch inputs, but Roland would do well to offer some kind of shock-mount option for the R-26.
I found the R-26 useful in all sorts of field applications, whether recording from the internal mics, or feeding in signals from a prosumer wireless unit or shotgun into the 1⁄8-inch input, or routing pro mics or line-level inputs from an external mixer into the XLR/TRS jacks. The R-26 also provides onboard processing for a Mid-Side microphone pair, with a menu adjustment for image width and the result stored as a stereo signal.
After recording, tracks can be easily transferred to PC or Mac editing programs via the R-26's USB port or by simply putting the SD media into a card reader. Files are stored into individual ".PJT" project folders with mono WAV/BWF files for each channel and a text file listing details about the recording data. From there, I had no problem reading these directly from Pro Tools, Soundtrack Pro, Final Cut Pro, SONAR or Logic.
Handling noise issues aside, I like this recorder. It's solidly built, delivers great-sounding audio, is versatile and has a well-thought-out interface that's clear, fast and easy to use. The battery life (more than eight hours on four alkaline AA cells) was impressive. Estimated Street Price: $499.
Contact: Roland Systems Group, (800) 380-2580, www.rolandsystemsgroup.com.
top
1 Comment