[Carey Carlan]

I've been using the same bit-capture device for a decade or more. My old
Mackie SDR24/96 is just getting too unreliable to take to important gigs.

What's the simplest device I can get to accept 2 ADAT lightpipes (16
channels of sound)? I want a turn-it-on-and-punch-record machine.
Something like a Zoom box with lightpipes instead of microphones.

None of the processing is done in this device. I have excellent and good
outboard preamps and ADC. All I need is a place to store the bits coming
from 2 ADAT leads.

I want simple because I want fast setup. If it fits in 3RU all the better.

I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will interface with my
laptop. That adds another component (the computer) that doesn't fit in the
rack. Yes, it would work, but makes life that much tougher.

[Les Cargill[_4_]]

Carey Carlan wrote:
I've been using the same bit-capture device for a decade or more. My old
Mackie SDR24/96 is just getting too unreliable to take to important gigs.

What's the simplest device I can get to accept 2 ADAT lightpipes (16
channels of sound)? I want a turn-it-on-and-punch-record machine.
Something like a Zoom box with lightpipes instead of microphones.

None of the processing is done in this device. I have excellent and good
outboard preamps and ADC. All I need is a place to store the bits coming
from 2 ADAT leads.

I want simple because I want fast setup. If it fits in 3RU all the better.

I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will interface with my
laptop. That adds another component (the computer) that doesn't fit in the
rack. Yes, it would work, but makes life that much tougher.

(pretty sure Hank found this first)

http://www.joeco.co.uk/main/BBR_introduction.html

Uses USB drives... I am unsure how those might rack up...
might be a rack shelf and something to strap them to the rack shelf.
Might also enable you to offer the media to the customer if they're
interested.

It is menu driven, and I am not sure how you arm tracks. "Touch
sensitive" - might be from the front panel ( which would be very nice ).

--
Les Cargill

[Carey Carlan]

Les Cargill wrote in
:

Carey Carlan wrote:
I've been using the same bit-capture device for a decade or more. My
old Mackie SDR24/96 is just getting too unreliable to take to
important gigs.

What's the simplest device I can get to accept 2 ADAT lightpipes (16
channels of sound)? I want a turn-it-on-and-punch-record machine.
Something like a Zoom box with lightpipes instead of microphones.

None of the processing is done in this device. I have excellent and
good outboard preamps and ADC. All I need is a place to store the
bits coming from 2 ADAT leads.

I want simple because I want fast setup. If it fits in 3RU all the
better.

I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will interface with my
laptop. That adds another component (the computer) that doesn't fit
in the rack. Yes, it would work, but makes life that much tougher.

(pretty sure Hank found this first)

http://www.joeco.co.uk/main/BBR_introduction.html

Uses USB drives... I am unsure how those might rack up...
might be a rack shelf and something to strap them to the rack shelf.
Might also enable you to offer the media to the customer if they're
interested.

It is menu driven, and I am not sure how you arm tracks. "Touch
sensitive" - might be from the front panel ( which would be very nice
).

--
Les Cargill

My Gracious? $3400 for a bit-capture device?

Yes, it's exactly what I asked for, but why is it so expensive? All it
does is transfer bits from the lightpipe to the hard disk.

[hank alrich]

Carey Carlan wrote:

Les Cargill wrote in
:

Carey Carlan wrote:
I've been using the same bit-capture device for a decade or more. My
old Mackie SDR24/96 is just getting too unreliable to take to
important gigs.

What's the simplest device I can get to accept 2 ADAT lightpipes (16
channels of sound)? I want a turn-it-on-and-punch-record machine.
Something like a Zoom box with lightpipes instead of microphones.

None of the processing is done in this device. I have excellent and
good outboard preamps and ADC. All I need is a place to store the
bits coming from 2 ADAT leads.

I want simple because I want fast setup. If it fits in 3RU all the
better.

I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will interface with my
laptop. That adds another component (the computer) that doesn't fit
in the rack. Yes, it would work, but makes life that much tougher.

(pretty sure Hank found this first)

http://www.joeco.co.uk/main/BBR_introduction.html

Uses USB drives... I am unsure how those might rack up...
might be a rack shelf and something to strap them to the rack shelf.
Might also enable you to offer the media to the customer if they're
interested.

It is menu driven, and I am not sure how you arm tracks. "Touch
sensitive" - might be from the front panel ( which would be very nice
).

--
Les Cargill

My Gracious? $3400 for a bit-capture device?

Yes, it's exactly what I asked for, but why is it so expensive? All it
does is transfer bits from the lightpipe to the hard disk.

The company is in the UK so currency enxchange rates, presently not
favoring the US$, come into play.

It fits in a single rack space, aimed, as it was with the initial model,
at touring companies and groups seeking something compact and capable
of capturig 24 tracks/channels. It doesn't weigh much, and it also
houses full ADC and DAC. The Lightpipe descriptor is only about the
particular digital interface provided for that model.

In theory, it could replace both your HDR and your convertors.


General Specifications

Sample Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz
Bit depths: 16bit; 24bit
Disk interface: USB2
Format: FAT32
File type: Broadcast WAV (BWAV)
Media: USB2 hard disk,
USB2 flash drive,
SHDC (with suitable adapter)
Monitoring: 1 x 1/4" TRS jack socket,
headphone mix/solo
Physical: 19" rack mounted 1U
Dimensions: (425mm x 150mm x 44mm)
Weight: 2.4kg

Control and Synchronisation

MIDI: 1 x 5-pin DIN (open loop) - MIDI time
code (MTC) and MIDI machine control (MMC)
protocol
LTC: 1 x 1/4" TRS jack socket:
Frame rates supported: 30fps, 29.97drop fps,
29.97non-drop fps, 25fps, 24fps, 23.98fps
Machine control: 1 x 9-pin D, SONY PII protocol
Audio clock synchronisation: 2 x RCA sockets
AES3 / SPDIF Format, also used for
communications to slave units
Footswitch: momentary switch on ring of LTC
TRS socket
Keyboard: 1 x mini DIN PS2 connector,
Standard 102 key
Power: 9v - 16V dc ( 25W). 2.1mm dc inlet.
PSU supplied
--
shut up and play your guitar * http://hankalrich.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpqXcV9DYAc
http://www.sonicbids.com/HankandShai...withDougHarman

[[email protected]]

On 2011-04-19 (hankalrich) said:
big snip

I want simple because I want fast setup. If it fits in 3RU
snip again
http://www.joeco.co.uk/main/BBR_introduction.html
Uses USB drives... I am unsure how those might rack up...
The company is in the UK so currency enxchange rates, presently not
favoring the US$, come into play.
It fits in a single rack space, aimed, as it was with the initial
model, at touring companies and groups seeking something compact
and capable of capturig 24 tracks/channels. It doesn't weigh much,
and it also houses full ADC and DAC. The Lightpipe descriptor is
only about the particular digital interface provided for that model.
I wish it had been out when I was shopping for recorder for
remote truck, I would have told Alesis and their proprietary
file format to kiss where the sun never shines. ONe has
to play games with sata converters, and then there's the
caddy thing.
An hd-24 user active on their yahoo group devised some Sata
caddies for the thing but he's not going into the full blown
manufacturing business, and then there's still that crappy
proprietary file format garbage to deal with. YEah yeah
I've got hd24tools, but still it's a pita step in the
process of delivery of material to the client.
Small footprint, broadcast wav files on usb drive to deliver
directly to client, as long as it had controls the old blind
man could feel I'd really jump on it, but I haven't seen one
physically yet, with fingers or eyes.
Variou i/o configurations available as were noted, analog to
their converters or litepipe.
I don't want to fool with a laptop that's general purpose,
number uno screen readers and capture of multitrack audio
don't coexist well together, and I demand the reliability.
WE don't play solitaire, we don't word process or anything
else if we're a recorder, we arm tracks roll and print.

Regards,



Richard webb,

replace anything before at with elspider
ON site audio in the southland: see www.gatasound.com

[Trevor]

"hank alrich" wrote in message
...
It fits in a single rack space, aimed, as it was with the initial model,
at touring companies and groups seeking something compact and capable
of capturig 24 tracks/channels. It doesn't weigh much, and it also
houses full ADC and DAC. The Lightpipe descriptor is only about the
particular digital interface provided for that model.

In theory, it could replace both your HDR and your convertors.


General Specifications

Sample Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz
Bit depths: 16bit; 24bit
Disk interface: USB2
Format: FAT32
File type: Broadcast WAV (BWAV)
Media: USB2 hard disk,
USB2 flash drive,
SHDC (with suitable adapter)


But how does it handle 24 channels of 24/96 .wav's via USB2?

Trevor.

[Les Cargill[_4_]]

Trevor wrote:
"hank wrote in message
...
It fits in a single rack space, aimed, as it was with the initial model,
at touring companies and groups seeking something compact and capable
of capturig 24 tracks/channels. It doesn't weigh much, and it also
houses full ADC and DAC. The Lightpipe descriptor is only about the
particular digital interface provided for that model.

In theory, it could replace both your HDR and your convertors.


General Specifications

Sample Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz
Bit depths: 16bit; 24bit
Disk interface: USB2
Format: FAT32
File type: Broadcast WAV (BWAV)
Media: USB2 hard disk,
USB2 flash drive,
SHDC (with suitable adapter)


But how does it handle 24 channels of 24/96 .wav's via USB2?

Trevor.



So that's 55-56 mbit/second - 55,296,000 bit/sec.

I'd be interested in hearing from eyewitnesses, but for
a single pair of devices on a USB2 connection 240 Mbit
*shouldn't* be out of range - especially if it's
important to the people implementing the host side.

Especially for $3400...

--
Les Cargill

[hank alrich]

Trevor wrote:

"hank alrich" wrote in message
...
It fits in a single rack space, aimed, as it was with the initial model,
at touring companies and groups seeking something compact and capable
of capturig 24 tracks/channels. It doesn't weigh much, and it also
houses full ADC and DAC. The Lightpipe descriptor is only about the
particular digital interface provided for that model.

In theory, it could replace both your HDR and your convertors.


General Specifications

Sample Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz
Bit depths: 16bit; 24bit
Disk interface: USB2
Format: FAT32
File type: Broadcast WAV (BWAV)
Media: USB2 hard disk,
USB2 flash drive,
SHDC (with suitable adapter)


But how does it handle 24 channels of 24/96 .wav's via USB2?

Trevor.

How does "easily" sound? g There are a goodly number of reports of
success in the field with the Blackboxen.

http://www.joeco.co.uk/main/reviews.html

I think it's a pretty neat concept for touring aritsts/companies. The
price likely reflects build quality in this case.

--
shut up and play your guitar * http://hankalrich.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpqXcV9DYAc
http://www.sonicbids.com/HankandShai...withDougHarman

[Frank Stearns]

"Trevor" writes:

"hank alrich" wrote in message
...
It fits in a single rack space, aimed, as it was with the initial model,
at touring companies and groups seeking something compact and capable
of capturig 24 tracks/channels. It doesn't weigh much, and it also
houses full ADC and DAC. The Lightpipe descriptor is only about the
particular digital interface provided for that model.

In theory, it could replace both your HDR and your convertors.


General Specifications

Sample Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz
Bit depths: 16bit; 24bit
Disk interface: USB2
Format: FAT32
File type: Broadcast WAV (BWAV)
Media: USB2 hard disk,
USB2 flash drive,
SHDC (with suitable adapter)


But how does it handle 24 channels of 24/96 .wav's via USB2?

Yes, this is my question too -- at least how does it do so reliably.

Say what you will about the HD24(XR) file systems, they were devised to make 24
track/24bit /48K (12 track/96K) work on the slower drives of the early 2000s.

It is highly reliable, way more so (IMO) than any windows or mac file system, at
least for striping several datastreams to a disk a the same time, and not getting
hosed when those streams went into, say, a highly-fragmented windows file
system...

USB is another item that spooks me. I've had some inexplicably weird things happen
with large file/large total volume transfers via USB. It seems to lose its mind
every now and then, and I don't know what the USB spec calls for in the way of CRC
or other verfication.

I've never had any problems with similar high-volume transfers via firewire (and it,
oddly enough, is going/has gone away as an interface standard).

The only way in hell I'd consider striping multitrack to a general-purpose file
system is to do it the way RME does it. The data is interleaved to a SINGLE file
handle/single data stream. In the case of a windows file system, the OS and drive
then only needs to walk, not walk AND chew gum at the same time (times 12!).

After the recording is done, you have a re-save option to break out the individual
track data. Now if there's a "catch up" or other file system delay, for whatever
reason, the system can pause while everyone catches up, and you won't get clicks or
pop (or worse).

OTHO, I've feed 24+ tracks from an external USB2 drive to Protools for mixing, so I
guess it works. But if something goes wrong, you back up and try again.

If something hiccups in a live field recording, you're probably screwed.

My $0.02. (And I recently added a vanilla HD24 to stripe duplicate data from the
primary HD24XR. While still not 100% fool proof, it's several shades better than
relying on a 2-track capture of the monitor mix as a "backup.")

Frank
Mobile Audio

--

[Les Cargill[_4_]]

Carey Carlan wrote:
Les wrote in
:

Carey Carlan wrote:
I've been using the same bit-capture device for a decade or more. My
old Mackie SDR24/96 is just getting too unreliable to take to
important gigs.

What's the simplest device I can get to accept 2 ADAT lightpipes (16
channels of sound)? I want a turn-it-on-and-punch-record machine.
Something like a Zoom box with lightpipes instead of microphones.

None of the processing is done in this device. I have excellent and
good outboard preamps and ADC. All I need is a place to store the
bits coming from 2 ADAT leads.

I want simple because I want fast setup. If it fits in 3RU all the
better.

I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will interface with my
laptop. That adds another component (the computer) that doesn't fit
in the rack. Yes, it would work, but makes life that much tougher.

(pretty sure Hank found this first)

http://www.joeco.co.uk/main/BBR_introduction.html

Uses USB drives... I am unsure how those might rack up...
might be a rack shelf and something to strap them to the rack shelf.
Might also enable you to offer the media to the customer if they're
interested.

It is menu driven, and I am not sure how you arm tracks. "Touch
sensitive" - might be from the front panel ( which would be very nice
).

--
Les Cargill

My Gracious? $3400 for a bit-capture device?


Yep. there's also the Fostex LR16, but it's a
console form factor.

You might be able to cobble together a PC with
a Frontier Dakota. ZT systems still sells PCs with
2 PCI slots. Got mine at Sams, online. ZT Systems
2146l. I don't know where you put
the monitor, either.

Lightpipe has moved upmarket.

I don't think the price is out of line, FWIW. If
they sell 10,000 of them I would be amazed ( not
that it's not a great product, just that it's
pretty specialized ).

Yes, it's exactly what I asked for, but why is it so expensive? All it
does is transfer bits from the lightpipe to the hard disk.

The absence of internal drives is a feature, not a bug. Add drives,
and it's exactly your old SDR 24/96, yes? Only the
drives are now much more easily removable. And the drives
are available. I have a lifetime stash of 40 and 80 GB
EIDE drives for my aging Fostex VF16.

--
Les Cargill

[Les Cargill[_4_]]

Carey Carlan wrote:
I've been using the same bit-capture device for a decade or more. My old
Mackie SDR24/96 is just getting too unreliable to take to important gigs.

What's the simplest device I can get to accept 2 ADAT lightpipes (16
channels of sound)? I want a turn-it-on-and-punch-record machine.
Something like a Zoom box with lightpipes instead of microphones.

None of the processing is done in this device. I have excellent and good
outboard preamps and ADC. All I need is a place to store the bits coming
from 2 ADAT leads.

I want simple because I want fast setup. If it fits in 3RU all the better.

I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will interface with my
laptop. That adds another component (the computer) that doesn't fit in the
rack. Yes, it would work, but makes life that much tougher.

(pretty sure Hank found this first)

http://www.joeco.co.uk/main/BBR_introduction.html

Uses USB drives... I am unsure how those might rack up...
might be a rack shelf and something to strap them to the rack shelf.
Might also enable you to offer the media to the customer if they're
interested.

It is menu driven, and I am not sure how you arm tracks. "Touch
sensitive" - might be from the front panel ( which would be very nice ).

--
Les Cargill

[hank alrich]

Carey Carlan wrote:

I've been using the same bit-capture device for a decade or more. My old
Mackie SDR24/96 is just getting too unreliable to take to important gigs.

What's the simplest device I can get to accept 2 ADAT lightpipes (16
channels of sound)? I want a turn-it-on-and-punch-record machine.
Something like a Zoom box with lightpipes instead of microphones.

None of the processing is done in this device. I have excellent and good
outboard preamps and ADC. All I need is a place to store the bits coming
from 2 ADAT leads.

I want simple because I want fast setup. If it fits in 3RU all the better.

I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will interface with my
laptop. That adds another component (the computer) that doesn't fit in the
rack. Yes, it would work, but makes life that much tougher.

Aleisis HD24?

JoeCo Blackbox?
BBR1A with Lightpipe digital i/o
http://www.joeco.co.uk/main/BBR_models.html

--
shut up and play your guitar * http://hankalrich.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpqXcV9DYAc
http://www.sonicbids.com/HankandShai...withDougHarman

[RD Jones]

Carey Carlan wrote:
What's the simplest device I can get to accept 2 ADAT lightpipes (16 channels of sound)?

On Apr 18, 10:19 pm, (hank alrich) wrote:
Aleisis HD24?

Go ahead and get the HD24XR version and be done with it. ;-

I want a turn-it-on-and-punch-record machine.

It's not _quite_ that simple.
You have to arm each track individually.
If there's an "arm all" function I haven't found it yet.
RTFM ? I'm too busy arming tracks to read it...

RedDog

[Rick Ruskin]

On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:19:53 -0500, (hank alrich)
wrote:

Carey Carlan wrote:

I've been using the same bit-capture device for a decade or more. My old
Mackie SDR24/96 is just getting too unreliable to take to important gigs.

What's the simplest device I can get to accept 2 ADAT lightpipes (16
channels of sound)? I want a turn-it-on-and-punch-record machine.
Something like a Zoom box with lightpipes instead of microphones.

None of the processing is done in this device. I have excellent and good
outboard preamps and ADC. All I need is a place to store the bits coming
from 2 ADAT leads.

I want simple because I want fast setup. If it fits in 3RU all the better.

I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will interface with my
laptop. That adds another component (the computer) that doesn't fit in the
rack. Yes, it would work, but makes life that much tougher.

Aleisis HD24?

JoeCo Blackbox?
BBR1A with Lightpipe digital i/o
http://www.joeco.co.uk/main/BBR_models.html


I have an HD 24 and can't recommend it. It sounds fine and has been
reliable but it uses IDE drives that are becoming scarce and Alesis
has stopped supporting it. Even when they did, they sucked at it.
Rick Ruskin
Lion Dog Music - Seattle WA
http://www.liondogmusic.com

[RD Jones]

On Apr 18, 11:23*pm, Rick Ruskin wrote:

I have an HD 24 and can't recommend it. *It sounds fine and has been
reliable but it uses IDE drives that are becoming scarce and Alesis
has stopped supporting it. *Even when they did, they sucked at it. *
Rick Ruskin
Lion Dog Music - Seattle WAhttp://www.liondogmusic.com-

Really ?
I got my XR new just barely a year ago.
The Alesis site seems to suggest that it's still a current product.
If this is true it's deplorable, but not outside the realm of remote
possibilities. :-o

rd

[Rick Ruskin]

On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:38:32 -0700 (PDT), RD Jones
wrote:

On Apr 18, 11:23*pm, Rick Ruskin wrote:

I have an HD 24 and can't recommend it. *It sounds fine and has been
reliable but it uses IDE drives that are becoming scarce and Alesis
has stopped supporting it. *Even when they did, they sucked at it. *
Rick Ruskin
Lion Dog Music - Seattle WAhttp://www.liondogmusic.com-

Really ?
I got my XR new just barely a year ago.
The Alesis site seems to suggest that it's still a current product.
If this is true it's deplorable, but not outside the realm of remote
possibilities. :-o

rd

Since being bought by Numark, Alesis has been assembling, selling, and
servicing HD24's from existing parts. That stock is pretty much if
not totally gone now.

The little remote control is a joke and the old ADAT BRC, which is
supposed to be compatible, is the most inconvenient remote I've ever
encountered. Among other things, it is only stable @ 48khz and
settings must be kludged to do 44.1khz.

Just out of curiosity, how is your Mackie messing up on you?


Rick Ruskin
Lion Dog Music - Seattle WA
http://www.liondogmusic.com

[Carey Carlan]

Rick Ruskin wrote in
:

Since being bought by Numark, Alesis has been assembling, selling, and
servicing HD24's from existing parts. That stock is pretty much if
not totally gone now.

The little remote control is a joke and the old ADAT BRC, which is
supposed to be compatible, is the most inconvenient remote I've ever
encountered. Among other things, it is only stable @ 48khz and
settings must be kludged to do 44.1khz.

Just out of curiosity, how is your Mackie messing up on you?

It gives me a disk error about 30 seconds into a recording intermittently.
This happens on both external and internal drives. I've replaced hard
drives and carriers to no effect. And all those drives run just fine in
the computer.

After the error I have to unplug it (not turn it off) because it hangs.

Then I lose all my settings and have to once again tell it to read from the
lightpipe ports and clock from ADAT1.

The worst part is that it doesn't fail until the red light is on.

[Trevor]

"Rick Ruskin" wrote in message
...
I have an HD 24 and can't recommend it. It sounds fine and has been
reliable but it uses IDE drives that are becoming scarce

Have you tried using a cheap SATA to IDE interface?

and Alesis
has stopped supporting it. Even when they did, they sucked at it.

That's more of an issue unfortunately.

Trevor.

[Peter Larsen[_3_]]

Carey Carlan wrote:

I've been using the same bit-capture device for a decade or more. My
old Mackie SDR24/96 is just getting too unreliable to take to
important gigs.

What's the simplest device I can get to accept 2 ADAT lightpipes (16
channels of sound)? I want a turn-it-on-and-punch-record machine.
Something like a Zoom box with lightpipes instead of microphones.

HD24 (xr) or Joeco come to mind - I have yet to se use reports regarding the
Joeco. Join the HD24 mailing list.

None of the processing is done in this device. I have excellent and
good outboard preamps and ADC. All I need is a place to store the
bits coming from 2 ADAT leads.

So the XR is irrelevant, good for you, it appaers slightly less roadworthy
than the vanilla model because of an insufficiently sturdy fitting of the
expansion kit.

I want simple because I want fast setup. If it fits in 3RU all the
better.

Kind regards

Peter Larsen

I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will interface with my
laptop. That adds another component (the computer) that doesn't fit
in the rack. Yes, it would work, but makes life that much tougher.

[Arny Krueger]

"Carey Carlan" wrote in message


I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will
interface with my laptop. That adds another component
(the computer) that doesn't fit in the rack. Yes, it
would work, but makes life that much tougher.

Due to some unusual requirements, my last few festival recording sessions
involved:

A laptop
An external DVD burner
An Ikey Flash-based recorder
A Panasonic CD recorder
A SX 202 mic preamp
NT-4 Mic + 12' stand
Cables for power, mics and other equipment.

Seems to me that haluling and setting up *this much* gear would break your
back, Carey. ;-)

Pamper yourself much? ;-)

My take is that as long as I can haul it all in one load of my roll-around
carrier, it is pretty well all the same.

[Carey Carlan]

"Arny Krueger" wrote in
:

"Carey Carlan" wrote in message


I found the M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge which will
interface with my laptop. That adds another component
(the computer) that doesn't fit in the rack. Yes, it
would work, but makes life that much tougher.

Due to some unusual requirements, my last few festival recording
sessions involved:

A laptop
An external DVD burner
An Ikey Flash-based recorder
A Panasonic CD recorder
A SX 202 mic preamp
NT-4 Mic + 12' stand
Cables for power, mics and other equipment.

Seems to me that haluling and setting up *this much* gear would break
your back, Carey. ;-)

Pamper yourself much? ;-)

My take is that as long as I can haul it all in one load of my
roll-around carrier, it is pretty well all the same.

That may be the deciding factor, given the price and functionality of
the alternatives.