The Diety PR-4 is an Ultra-Compact, 6-Track Field Audio Recorder
Diety has announced the PR-4, which it calls the world’s smallest six-track field recorder and which it claims is the only field recorder under $6,000 to feature an internal backup SSD, AES3/AES42 support, and an internal battery.
“The PR-4 represents a shift in what creators should expect from compact audio recorders, this isn’t a handheld recorder being repurposed for video,” Andrew Jones, Global Marketing Manager at Deity Microphones, says. “The inspiration came from analog ENG-style field mixers where everything was compact and self-contained. We focused on the jobs people do every day; interviews, small crews, run-and-gun setups. And we built a recorder that fits naturally into those workflows.”
Diety says that the PR-4 is meant to give a single operator the ability to handle the majority of production scenarios faced today. The field recorder can capture a four-person setup, manage a combination of wired and wireless microphones, and integrate external audio sources such as a PA feed using the 6.3mm TRS input found within the XLR Combo jack.
The PR-4 features Diety’s new ReGain Preamp, which it says delivers up to 60 dB of gain with an equivalent input noise performance that “competes with the top leading recorders in the market.” The technology promises to be able to cleanly drive “even the most gain-hungry dynamic broadcast/podcast microphones without the need for inline boosters.”
Diety’s new field recorder can simultaneously record to its internal 64GB SSD as well as an SD card. The company also says that it is the first field recorder to natively transmit timecode wirelessly to a timecode box or slate, and act as the master clock to simplify sync.
The built-in battery promises more than 8.5 hours of runtime with a Diety NP-F550 battery and can be charged either via USB-C or a Hirose-compatible power port.
Diety says the layout of the PR-4 was designed with actual use in mind. The XLR connectors are placed on the right side, which mirrors the “ENG camera tradition of placing them on the ‘dumb side’ of a camera. Outputs are placed on the left side, so they align with the inputs of a camera, allowing you to keep your cable runs short and tidy.”
Diety says that this design has been largely lost in the compact recorder market despite how much sense it makes.
“What’s also awesome about our layout is the battery/SD card bay is accessible without having to dismount the unit from on top of a camera. We wanted to make sure we got all the little details right with the design,” Jones adds.
The Diety PR-4 field recorder will be available starting May 15 for $449.
Image credits: Diety
