Specifications

Edirol/Roland R-09 Review
file:///D|/Sonicweb%20Dreamweaver%20Edition_Recent/r-09revw.htm[4/3/2010 12:50:30 PM]
signal reduction in one step. Therefore, there's 29 dB of REC level
adjustment range at the MIC and LINE inputs.
This R-09 has astonishing high voltage input signal ability, so users
can virtually forget about needing input attenuation using MIC or LINE
input regardless of MIC (up to +10 dBv) or analog LINE level (up to +16
dBv) inputs.
* NOTES: dBv = dBm = 0.775 volt RMS = 0 dB reference level.
For 0 dB VU For 0 dB VU
MIC
LOW
#1& #30
SETTINGS
-20 80 mv
+10 2.5 volts
HIGH -45 5 mv
-16 130 mv
LINE
N/A
#1& #30
SETTINGS
-13 190 mv
+16 4.9 volts
R-09 Record / Playback
controls allow easy single-
handed operation.
Buttons have designed-in
tactile feel with molded
pictographs. Buttons give a soft
felt click allowing ability to
manually operate deck sight-
unseen with phones monitoring.
Menu-selections do not wrap
(preferred by sightless
recordists), but single menu
button push either gives file
listing, or settings options
(maybe) depending on duration
of button press. This causes some
confusion and/or getting used to.
A VERY bright RED LED backlit bezel (see 7 at right) surrounds the REC
button. This flashes to indicate paused recording, and steadily lights when
recording. No more mistaking you're
recording when only still in pause
mode with this deck!
This REC indicator is barely visible
in bright daylight, and maybe for 100
foot distance in normal indoor lighting.
However, in near darkness, quite possible
to illuminate a person's entire
upper body(!) even if hidden from view
inside a protective case if anyone takes a
peak to check how things are going!
Can you say stealth recording
BUMMER!?
Originally not menu defeatable or
paintable as bezel seems pliable silicone
rubber, AND paint fluid would naturally
funnel down to freeze the REC button.
Thanks to Roland listening to
comments, previous v1.20 firmware
links REC/PEAK indicators to main display 'timed OFF' function so now all
three displays go dark at same user selected delay-time. However, some users
wish for the far less bright, but quite useful PEAK indicator to still function.
Also v1.20 givs menu choice for display to hold the PEAK level making VU more
useful for avoiding momentary signal overloads.
This deck boots in just a
couple seconds, and
operational controls are very
responsive.
Early R-09 firmware
was designed for using
just 2 GIG SD flash, but
v1.10 now allows 4-32 GIG
SDHC
type cards. AND with
v1.31 R-09 is now faultless
with at least 8 GIG size
cards.
While I very much like the high contrast OLED display showing plenty of details, it's
white letters on black background is only clearly visible indoors or outdoors at
nightfall. OLED is virtually invisible in daylight regardless of brightness setting or
working in the shade.
In any case, there's no hope to use this deck outdoors in daylight if needing to see the screen information
while recording. Not without some kind of viewing hood worked out. Something must be done for daylight
viewing ability.
TIP:(Next tip
) Make a folding viewing hood 'permanently' taped to the deck. Or maybe find a case with
folding viewing hood as the main feature? See recently found 'DAYLIGHT VIEW CASE' SOLUTION below.
Record button starts
and ends the recording
process.
A single SMALL RED
CLIP LED on the front
panel immediately indicates
overload.
R-09 DAYLIGHT VIEWCASE (Click for Viewcase users manual .PDF file)
Recently FOUND a
practical daylight
LCD viewing
solution for R-09 in
the form of a snug-
fitting molded clamshell
case. (Shown at right.)
The case not only
protects the deck
from bumps and
scrapes, there's a
very effective integral
viewing hood inside.
This viewing hood
provides the deep
shade needed to
keep the OLED from
Suggest (if having sufficient
memory capacity) recording
at 24 bit depth verses 16 bit
depth.
File size is ~30% larger
(~30% less flash card recording
time), but advantage is ability
to record more detailed audio
(resolution) information.
ALSO very useful for more
relaxed low (-20 to-12 dBvu)
REC VU recorded peak levels
while loosing little or NO audio
details compared to trying to
push VU peaks using shallow
16 bit depth.
24 bit advantage is increased
headroom against overloads most
welcome when monitoring VU/adjusting
REC level is less practical for keeping