I can't find any detailed info about recording with this unit, and I
have questions. What bit/sample PCM? Is there auto and manual level
control for mic and line-in? Will it record with a reactivesounds
stealth mic plugged right in? How's the recording quality? Can it
record an hour or so non-stop without problems or dead battery? Is
there a DC-in jack? If so, how many volts? How does it upload to Mac
OSX? Where can I hear samples? Thanks.

schrieb:
I can't find any detailed info about recording with this unit, and I
have questions. What bit/sample PCM?

I use the Gmini 400 for recording WAV/uncompressed PCM at 16/44.1; it
does 16/48, too.

Is there auto and manual level
control for mic and line-in?

There is a line input via an included adapter; it uses manual level
control only. You can adjust the level while recording from the line
input. (I'm planning to butcher an Archos remote control to completely
avoid miniplugs by soldering XLR plugs to the remote cable...)

There is also a built-in mono mic; it uses auto level control only. It
is of limited use for music since it also acoustically picks up the
noise the harddisk makes when it spins up.

Will it record with a reactivesounds
stealth mic plugged right in?

I would think no, unless that mic has a built-in preamp (I don't know
reactivesounds). Since there is no "mic" input on the Gmini, you need an
external mic preamp to record from a mic level source. Archos sells a
_really_ simple one (bundled with a cheap miniature stereo microphone)
which provides enough gain for a loud sound source. The mic should not
be too close to the Gmini, since it would pick up the sound of the
harddisk which spins up about every half minute while recording.

How's the recording quality?

I think it's excellent. I analyzed a fairly long recording and was
unable to find any evidence of dropped samples, glitches or harddisk
noise being picked up electronically. Of course it all really depends on
the source you feed it with. I have great musicians , a nice hall and
condenser mics connected to a good preamp, and I never found a problem
with the recording quality of the Gmini. The s/n ratio of the line input
is about 86 dB.

Can it
record an hour or so non-stop without problems or dead battery?

No problems. The longest concert I've recorded was about two hours.
There is an energy saver control panel similar to that on the Mac. I set
the screen backlight to turn off and the hard to spin down after 30
seconds. If I need to see the level meters, I press a button and they
light up.

Is
there a DC-in jack? If so, how many volts?

There is a DC-in jack rated at 5 volts. I built a battery pack with 4
rechargables at 1.2 V each. When it is connected, it is recognized as a
charger, and you need to set up the energy options accordingly. With the
battery pack, I can record a practice session and play it back to the
musicians without getting nervous about battery juice for the concert.

How does it upload to Mac
OSX?

It connects by USB cable and appears as an external drive on the
desktop. No drive installation necessary. If your Mac has a USB 2.0
input, the data transfer speed is about 15 MB/sec.

Where can I hear samples? Thanks.


Just send me an e-mail and I will be glad to provide you with a sample
of my own recordings.

Peter

P.S. The manual for the Gmini 400 is available online at:

http://www.archos.com/download/manua...Manual_V11.pdf

Thanks. These are the exact answers I was looking for and the link to
the manual is a big plus. The Archos looks like it'll do the tasks I
need. Somewhat disappointed on the external mic situation. But I would
certainly consider buying the $50 accessory, which appears in the
picture to be a small preamp with a 1/8" plug on the mic side. Maybe
other mics will work.

Peter Schneider wrote:

"Peter Schneider" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
schrieb:
I can't find any detailed info about recording with this unit, and I
have questions. What bit/sample PCM?

I use the Gmini 400 for recording WAV/uncompressed PCM at 16/44.1; it does
16/48, too.

Is there auto and manual level
control for mic and line-in?

There is a line input via an included adapter; it uses manual level
control only. You can adjust the level while recording from the line
input.

Wow, this is great news. I've been waiting for something like this.