Sound Devices 788T 8-Channel Portable HD Recorder
The Sound Devices 788T Portable Digital Recorder builds on the success of the Sound Devices 7-series digital recorders. The 788T is a lightweight and compact professional recorder and features 8 digital recording tracks. An internal 160 GB SATA hard drive, CompactFlash media with UDMA support, external FireWire hard drive or DVD-RAM (with bus powering) all serve as compatible recordable media. Any or all of these options may be used to record audio simultaneously and the 788T serves as a mass storage device when connected to high-speed USB / FireWire ports on Windows and MAC OSX computers.
Eight microphone and line-level inputs are provided as four XLR and four TA3-male connections. The 788T has eight channels of balanced AES3 digital input and six channels of balanced AES3 output for simple integration with compatible AES3 digital cameras and mixers. All of the 7-series feature still apply; including 48V phantom, limiter, polarity reverse, high-pass, selectable delay and headphone monitoring on each input.
Note! Firmware revision 2.01 for the 788T is now available for download and installation. It is recommended that all 788T users and owners update now. Detailed instructions and changes are on the download page at: http://www.sounddevices.com/download/788t-firmware.htm
Compact and Durable
- 8-track portable hard disk/Compact Flash audio recorder with 160GB internal hard drive and full time code implementation
- Compact aluminum and stainless-steel chassis for exceptional durability and light weight, resistant to environmental extremes
Comprehensive Professional Connectivity
- Eight channels of improved microphone and line inputs with phantom power, limiting, and high-pass filters
- Three-channel, balanced mic/line level outputs on TA3 connectors
- Multi-pin AES3 I/O for complete compatibility with supported digital cameras, mixers, etc
- High speed FireWire and USB port for high-speed data transfer to computers for editing and backup
High-Resolution Recording and Synchronization
- 24-bit or 16-bit with or without dither, up to 96kHz sampling rates
- Input-to-track assignment with 256 possible routing combinations
- WAV or BWF format, mono or poly files, uncompressed PCM audio
- MP3 encode and decode, 32 to 320 kb/s stereo file
- Stable, reliable Ambient time code circuitry, tunable to <0.2 PPM accuracy with all relevant TC rates, full Word Clock I/O
Flexible Metering and Powering
- Programmable backlit, sunlight-viewable LED level metering; selectable, menu-driven metering ballistics
- Large backlit, adjustable LCD display; fully dedicated status and activity LED indicators, backlit controls
- Removable Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery, compatible with Sony M- and L-mount batteries
- 10-18VDC external input powers and charges on-board battery, 100-240V worldwide power supply
| Type | Portable 8-Channel Digital Hard Disk Recorder |
| Recording/Reading Methods |
Medium: ATA-5 2.5" EIDE, 4200-7200 RPM Hard Drive* Compact Flash Type I, II and Microdrive* File Format: WAV, BWF, MP3 *FAT32 Formatted |
| Recording Bit Rate | 16-bit, 24-bit |
| Sampling Frequency |
Internal: Up to 96kHz
External: 32-96.096kHz (Word Clock Input) |
| Number of Channels | 12 |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 40kHz, +0.1/-0.5dB (gain controls centered) |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Dynamic Range |
A/D: 114dB, A-weighted 110dB, 20Hz - 22kHz bandwidth D/A: 112dB, A-weighted 108dB, 20Hz - 22kHz bandwidth |
| Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) |
Mic: 0.004% max.(1kHz, 22Hz - 22kHz BW, gain control down, -15dBu input) Line: 0.004% max.(1kHz, 22Hz - 22kHz BW, gain control down, +16 dBu input |
| Inputs |
Mic/Line - Balanced 3-pin XLR x4
Mic/Line - Balanced TA3-male x4 AES3 - Multi-pin I/O Connector FireWire 800 FireWire 400 USB |
| Output |
Analog Balanced - TA3-male x4 Analog Unbalanced - Stereo L/R (5,6) 1/8" (3.5mm) Mini Balanced AES Out - TA3-male (1,2 / 3,4) x2 Timecode Output FireWire 800 FireWire 400 USB |
| Headphone Output |
1/4" Phone
1/8" (3.5mm) Mini |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 10.1 x 6.4 x 1.8" (256.54 x 163 x 44mm) |
| Weight | 3 lb 12 oz (1.7kg) (without battery) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 2 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 2 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-2
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Powerful
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Events
- Professional Recording
Comments about Sound Devices 788T 8-Channel Portable HD Recorder:
Pro.
I was always anxious with recording audio in the field. With only 10 minutes reading the manual, I understood I can be cool now with double recording on HD and CP. Nothing to do, it is just the normal way to record on it.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Low Distortion
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Performances
- Professional Recording
Comments about Sound Devices 788T 8-Channel Portable HD Recorder:
I record music on location, mostly live classical music. For such an application, the 788T may be too good. Not that I don’t appreciate the eight very good and quiet mic preamps, the redundant recording media and power sources, the small size and light weight. It’s just that I’ve never needed the extreme ruggedness of this unit, and I never used the time code. And since I believe, in general, the fewer mics the better maybe 8 mic pres are too many. On the other hand, it’s sure nice to be able to have 4 channels for the main mics (two Sennheiser MKH800 Twins) and a couple of channels for solo mics, with 2 more channels for a backup stereo pair in another location. Then to be able to pick and choose and mix the channels in post is great, even if the final mix only uses two of the 8 recorded channels. Even though I only record 24bits/48kHz, the 788T has recently been updated to be able to record 8 channels of up to 24bits/96kHz.The 788T has 8 inputs, but it can record up to 12 tracks. Each of the 12 tracks can be a mix of any combination of the 8 inputs. Even though you mix to a track, you don’t have to record that track. This can be helpful when you want to set up a monitor mix (that is not recorded) for mic placement, but you record the individual mics for post. Or they are shooting video and you can send them an audio mix.I love being able to haul in and haul out my gear in one trip; mics in one bag, recorder in another, and stands & cable in a backpack. One trip is much faster and much more secure. You can run off batteries for hours, and you can swap batteries without interrupting recording since the 788T has two power sources.[...] They respond to emails quickly and thoroughly answer your questions. They frequently update the 788T firmware and will incorporate customer suggested features.Is it perfect? No, there are a couple of minor changes I like to see in the 788T, but I’m hoping to see them in future firmware updates. But at this point, is there any better portable audio recorder?
Displaying reviews 1-2
Batteries & Power
- Price: $65.00
Cables
-
- Original: $14.95
- Save: $1.49
- Price: $13.46
Media
- Price: $24.95
Headphones
- Price: $59.99
Cases & Protection
- Price: $250.00
What's in the Box
- XL-WPH2 Power Supply
- XL-RJ - C. Link Cable
- CS-MAN Carrying Pouch
- Owner's Manual
- 1 Year Warranty
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