recommend a MP3 player for me...

[dboy]

I'm looking for a mp3 player to use primarily as a recording device for live performances (low budget videography

So, it must have a stereo line input that I can hook a pair of mics through a mixer to for recording. Obviously it needs to do high bit rate encoding (none of this 32-64 stuff that the voice only ones use)

I'd prefer flash memory (for size and price reasons), and a SD slot would be nice. I'm looking for <$150 preferably, and 128 meg is enough, especially if there's a SD slot.

Given all that, what do you recommend?

 

[constable]

iRiver makes nice flash players with line-in recording. check out some reviews on www.cnet.com

The only MP3 player I know of with a sd slot is the soniquecast aireo - a crappy, outdated and oversized 1.5gb HD player. I dont think it has line-in recording.

 

[dboy]

I've been taking a look at the irivers. However, no where that I see talks about encoding quality in reviews. Anyone have experience in how the recording sound is on any of these? Or are they (the iRivers at least) the same in recording?

 

[chilled]

FYI, All Rio flash MP3 players have a SD/MMC expansion slot.

 

[pax2179]

get a NEUROS!!! it has everything, i love it! it has a built in mic, and a line in port, as well as headphone and RF port for FM boosting. it has an fm transmitter built in for playing your stuff over FM waves

 

[phisrow]

I know that I've been very happy with the Iriver line of hard drive based players, which are quite good for recording. Optical and analog in, wave or mp3 recording at user selectable bitrates, ample capacity, clean sound and so forth. I've not tried the flash based players; but offhand I would be rather sceptical of their ability to do what you want. The (relatively few) Iriver models whose datasheets I've parsed don't look so good in that department. They just don't have enough storage for a .wav mode to make sense and while .mp3 is very nice for lo-fi applications it isn't a very elegant choice for situations requiring any editing(even at 320kbps). The various random brand flash players that occupy the same niche tend to have the same problems(and often a few others as well) and tend to be a pretty decent value for music; but worthless for any serious recording.
While I realise that you want a flash based system, I think you may well be much happier with one of the hard drive based players. An IHP-120 would be just the ticket, if you can stretch the budget that far.

 

[CSMR]

You can record uncompressed wav if you want on the irivers or the NJB3, probably on any recording HD player.