Message Board

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:03 am

So, iZ completely rocks. As if the RADAR isn't a badass-enough piece of gear, I was on the phone with them yesterday afternoon and ordered v3.37 software for my lovely new acquisition. Dale at iZ told me that he would get the software out today (from Canada) and overnight it, so that I would have it delivered tomorrow (Wednesday). I was ecstatic.

When I woke up this morning, I checked email and found an invoice emailed to me from iZ. I opened my front door and there was a note that Fedex had made a delivery attempt (I guess they didn't knock loud enough. I couldn't figure out what that would be--the only thing coming today was from UPS). When I went back and checked my tracking number from iZ, I found out that a delivery attempt had been made.

So iZ got me this software before I knew it had left the factory!

Gotta love stuff like that. These guys have been so great to me.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

analogcabin · Post by **analogcabin** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:09 pm

Hey Chris.....
I agree 101%. I bought a Radar II some years back and it's still puffing along great. Best single studio gear decision I ever made. The sound of their converters (and clock) is very thick and in no way harsh. The dudes at iZ always pick up the phone and can answer any question because they build the stuff! A rarity in this day and age. I often do my two mix of the console back into the Radar and transfer it via TDIF to Peak.

Viva Radar!

tubemonkey35 · Post by **tubemonkey35** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 4:13 pm

Yes iZ Rocks and so does Dale!!!

bradb · Post by **bradb** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 6:44 am

Tell them to hurry up and develop some awesome new products so their older stuff will flood the used market at low prices!

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 6:51 am

bradb wrote:Tell them to hurry up and develop some awesome new products so their older stuff will flood the used market at low prices!

It's actually ben happening already. I paid a stupid amount of money for a Nyquist setup. There have been plenty of Classic systems available recently as well. Their support on these is excellent, by the way.

If you didn't have any plans for software upgrades and didn't need features like gain change or Broadcast wav import/export, you can pick up an Otari unit REALLY CHEAP.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:43 am

That whole company is great.

Don't expect to buy used RADARs for the price of PT mix systems though...

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:27 am

So, I did the software upgrade yesterday, which went off without a hitch. Well, there was one, but again, iZ to the rescue! After installing the software CD, you're supposed to enter the serial number of your unit. I didn't have mine with me at the studio, so I called iZ. The girl who answered the phone was the one who had sent me my invoice and she was able to look it up for me and save the day. (She was excited because it was her first "tech call.") What great service!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:48 am

Chris, can you talk more about Radar in general? One of these days my little 16-track portathing will die, and who knows, if I'm flush, I might well go in that direction. What are the advantages to it? What should one expect to pay for a basic Classic system?

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:12 pm

What aren't the advatages of it? It's a great-sounding system that's flexible, easy to use, doesn't crash, and pretty much has no BS involved. It's a stand-alone recording box, designed to record audio, not type terms papers, process insurance claims, or download porn, that's been in constant development for more than 10 years. I've been using RADAR almost exclusively for the last four years. It was two years into that before I ever opened the manual.

For anyone used to working with an analog signal path or outside-the-box setups, it's an incredibly easy system to use. And with broadcast wav compatibility, I've been able to mix numerous projects for people tracked at home or in other studios on different systems. Now that I've got the combo drive and v3.37 in mine, transfers should be much easier than the ftp setup, which wasn't much of a pain anyway.

Lately, I've seen Classic systems all over the place. They were going for around $5k a while back, then (of course) when I was looking for mine, seemed to be about $6500. Now, there rare a few around for less than that. If you get one, you want the session controller. You probably want the meter bridge, too, although the meters appear on the VGA monitor, as well. As long as it's an iZ machine, upgrades to make it completely up-to-date and badass shouldn't be more than $1000. The folks at iZ are super-cool on the phone, even if you're asking questions about a machine you didn't buy from them.

The Nyquists at 48k and the Classics do sounds different. Both are cool. The Nyquists are a little more hi-fi. I prefer the Nyquists, but that's just me. According to iZ, there are guys like Mark Howard who actually prefer the sound of the Classic units. If you've heard any of those late-nineties Lanois records, you've probably heard the Classics.

If you have any specific questions, let me know.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

tubemonkey35 · Post by **tubemonkey35** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:20 pm

A classic system is about $7.5-8k new, well worth the money.

I just could not bring myself to spend 12-15k on a PT setup and not have enough D/A's; plus I can't stand the sound of PT.

For me it was a no brainer considering the albums that I dig were done with RADAR.

I got a great sound, a rock solid platform (no crashing), 24 A/D-D/A's and I can use what ever DAW I want.

We have everything miced up all the time, we come in hit record and play. I can do basic editing for arrangement right on the RADAR too.

One more great thing is that my computer monitor now sits off to the side away from the console, where it should be. Creativity without the B.S. computer crap makes sense in my studio.

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 5:32 pm

Cool, thanks Chris! I'll keep it all filed away for future reference...

BTW did you get that Popes track I emailed you? The board went down like the next day...

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:58 pm

inverseroom wrote:Cool, thanks Chris! I'll keep it all filed away for future reference...

BTW did you get that Popes track I emailed you? The board went down like the next day...

\

No, but I just did a session with Plymale like two months ago. Apparently, there's an entire record finished that never came out, done with the same crew--Plymale and Gronback. Great songs, some of which came out later on some of the demo compilations. It's a real drag that's it's sort of unobtainable. The one guy who has it isn't letting it go anywhere. I offered him big bucks for a copy of it.

Send it to me again, man. I'd love to hear it!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:05 pm

inverseroom wrote:Chris, can you talk more about Radar in general? One of these days my little 16-track portathing will die, and who knows, if I'm flush, I might well go in that direction. What are the advantages to it? What should one expect to pay for a basic Classic system?

i use a RADAR too. If you use a tape deck, the change over to the RADAR would be, plug it in and go. it's a totally complicated machine that will never let you know its complicated.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:16 pm

drumsound wrote:it's a totally complicated machine that will never let you know its complicated.

I like that. It's really accurate.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:51 am

Well, I am very outside the box. I've never used the effects on my standalone, except for EQ cutting...

That said, are there rudimentary plugins for Radar, like EQ? Or is it strictly like a tape machine?

iZ

iZ

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