HHB PORTADRIVE

Location audio acquisition in the 21st Century is about much more than just 2-channel recording. The modern sound recordist must be able to capture pristine sound from multiple microphone sources onto a durable, high-capacity medium, and produce those recordings on demand in a post-friendly format. And with a director's mix to organise and daily rushes to provide, the demands placed upon the sound recordist have never been greater.

That's why location sound specialists HHB developed the PORTADRIVE PDR 2000, a 'next generation' location recorder which combines 24-bit/96kHz multichannel recording on a rugged, removable HDD with simultaneous recording to an external device such as the optional PDRDVDBU DVD-RAM back-up unit, and all the features and facilities required to enable the sound recordist to work efficiently and effectively in even the most demanding conditions. And because audio is recorded in either AES31-3 or Pro Tools V5 session formats (using BWF or SDII audio files respectively) it's easy to transfer recorded data directly to Mac or PC workstations.

INTUITIVE OPERATION IN THE FIELD

Simultaneous recording from analog and digital sources is easy, with comprehensive internal routing giving the user complete flexibility. Developed in consultation with leading sound recordists, all the PORTADRIVE's front panel controls are arranged to give immediate and intuitive access to the most frequently required functions. Using a 5-position rotary transport control to initiate recording, a Lock mode prevents accidental changes to settings during recording. Similarly, a Stop Lock prevents unwanted changes to existing settings while on the move. A Review function allows the user to check the last audio take and a Mark button enables the easy identification of points within a session.

Four front-panel Primary Mode (PMODE) buttons allow rapid access to the control, metering and monitoring of all audio signals. Six rotary encoders operate in conjunction with a large, transreflective LCD for the easy adjustment of any displayed parameter, and Undo, Jam TC, Slate, Tone and Group function buttons are protected from accidental use with an Enable button.

PORTADRIVE WORKS THE WAY YOU WORK

The facilities on the top panel of the PORTADRIVE have been arranged into a highly intuitive, hierarchical navigation system, allowing the user to set every system parameter. Although this dictates a considerable number of pages, menus nested within menus have been avoided so the user can quickly locate and adjust any function. Input, Busmix, Track and Output function buttons parallel the front panel Primary Modes and additional Disk, Session, TC and Setup functions allow the operator to configure their recording sessions to suit their workflow, and also to name, store and recall entire system configurations. Pressing any of these 8 menu buttons causes an associated menu to be displayed on the large top panel transreflective LCD (with wide viewing angle). The user can navigate and alter information displayed on this graphical LCD using cursor keys and the large data wheel. Further pages within the selected menu are listed along the bottom of the LCD and are easily accessed through the row of function buttons immediately below the screen.

Large transport controls on the top panel allow convenient operation of the PORTADRIVE's Locate and Playback functions. As well as the usual Play, Stop and Cue functions, the Locate button can be used to access audio by whatever means is most suitable to the user - take, marker or timecode value.

KEY FEATURES

• Rugged, all in one, portable 8-channel harddisk (HD) audio recorder
• 3 comprehensively equipped 6-into-2 digital mixers built-in
• Session based recording using either AES31-3 ADL or Pro Tools V5 formats, simplifying production workflow
• Over 4 hours of uncompressed 8-channel 24-bit/96kHz or around 20 hours of 4-channel 24-bit/48kHz recording on removable 40GB HD
• Simultaneous recording of mono or stereo rushes to external DVD-RAM drive or other storage device
• 6 high gain, very low noise microphone balanced XLR-3 inputs with individual phantom powering, 'gangable' limiters, input pads, high pass filter (HPF), and phase reverse
• Mic inputs also feature adjustable delays to correct microphone time alignment
• 8 balanced line inputs
• Dual analog balanced stereo outputs
• 8-channel AES input and output, stereo SPDIF input and output
• M/S decoding available on inputs and outputs
• Advanced power management
• Built-in battery charging circuitry
• 8-channel metering with clip and limiting indicators
• Built-in slate mic and tone generator
• Extensive headphone monitoring capability including designated 6-into-2 mixer
• 6 multi-function rotary encoders
• 10 second pre-record buffer
• Top and front panel LCD and control interfaces
• Comprehensive timecode and synchronization capability
• Supports tri-level synchronization for compatibility with HDTV technology
• 2.5" HDD in robust removable caddy ensures extremely reliable recording
• HD compatible with both PC and Mac platforms (FAT32, HFS)
• Records in industry-standard BWF or SDII audio formats
• Metadata (scene, take, comments) can be stored and transferred with audio files
• SCSI interface
• USB2.0 (USB1 compatible) port for high speed data transfer between the PORTADRIVE and a computer
• Ethernet port for file transfer and upgrades
• Comprehensive remote control via RS422 (Sony P2) and parallel remote socket
• PS2 for connecting keyboard to ease logging / labelling
• Optional 5.25" PDRDS Docking Station allows removable HD caddy to be plugged directly into a computer drive bay or external drive enclosure
• Optional DC-powered PDRDVDBU DVD-RAM back-up unit for recording or backing up on location