Gear Review: Sound Devices 744T location sound recorder

     I'm a little late to the party here as, now, the 744T has been around for quite a number of years now and has effectively been superseded by newer and more feature rich recorder/mixers like Sound Devices own 664 and 633 and Zaxcom's Nomad. However, as I was in the market for an improved recording experience over my Roland R26, the 744T presented itself, through the 2nd hand market, as a very affordable upgrade path to reaching a professional grade recorder with Timecode syncing capabilities. That combined with my collection of Sennheiser MKH mics, fulfills my goal of attaining the most transparent audio recordings I've yet been able to make.

Features
The 744T has a very long list of features so here's the basics:

   - 4x Analogue inputs: 2x Mic / 2x Line
   - 4x Digital inputs: via the 2x XLR inputs or 2x AES connectors
   - 2x Analogue line outs
   - 4x Digital line outs
   - 1x Headphone out
   - 4 Track recording
   - Timecode and Wordclock sync I/O
   - Comprehensive routing options
   - Track, Scene, Slate, Take naming
   - Simultaneous recording to various media
   - Built in HDD (upgradable)
   - Compact Flash

That really is just scratching the surface...


Input
    The twin XLR inputs are switchable between line / mic and AES inputs types, allowing great flexibility through just these two sockets. The two adjacent TA3M connectors are the two dedicated balanced line inputs. Then on the other side are the digital inputs. BNC connectors for two sets of dedicated AES inputs aswell as WordClock and TimeCode I/O.

    Lets start where this unit makes most of it's money back; the two XLR mic inputs. Sound Devices have, for many years, produced really top grade mic preamps to rival even the best studio grade amps. They are a transistor balanced output mic pre with an amazingly low noise floor (114dB SNR), which is barely noticeable on all but the very quietest of sources. They have a character of extreme transparency coupled with an excellent transient response. These are microphone preamps of the very highest standard.
    The twin line inputs are of equally high merit. They are clear and clean when fed by a high quality signal from a professional mixer (ideally something with closely matching pre's). My old SQN 4S series II sounds wonderfully clear through them, transparency of the highest order, as if I was listening directly from it's own headphone amp. These two line inputs also have adjustable gain with 18dB available to boost weaker signals from sources such as some wireless radio packs that don't have true line level outputs.
    I've yet to use the AES functionality as I'm not fortunate enough to have any AES capable mics, nor have I had need to run any additional AES equipment thought the recorder. Booms and radio mics tend to make up most of my work these days.


Output
    The outputs are equally comprehensive. next to the two line inputs on the TA3 connectors are also the two TA3 connectors for Output 1 L and R. Allowing analogue output to any camera, providing a wide variety of I/O routings to either connector. Sadly there are not any further analogue outputs except for the headphone connector, which could conceivably be configured as another (unbalanced) output to allow full 4 x 4 analogue matrix routing, at the expense of simple monitoring functionality through the recorder
    Talking of monitoring, the headphone amplifier and monitor matrix is incredibly well implemented, allowing solo monitoring of each input and what is going down to disk. Also implemented is MS matrixing for each pair of inputs, allowing proper stereo field monitoring of MS configured mics, such as my Sennheiser MKH30 and MKH40 pair which make for a lovely couple for capturing stereo ambience.


It's Pro!!
    Up until this point I've pointed out what's good about it, and it shouldn't be surprising that any of those features are perfectly executed, brilliantly implemented and well thought out as if they'd been designed by people who use these features on set every day. Considering the price of the unit when it was new the great mic pres and excellent routing come as a given.
    This is a professional level box of tricks. It's ruggedized for everyday use in harsh environments that film crews find themselves in fairly regularly. It's got pro level connections and deep menus to configure every last digital controller on the main board. That said the menus aren't the simplest. If you're given a unit that has't been reset to typical usage scenarios in your country then it can be a pain to set it up from scratch. You have to know your stuff before you can just delve into the menus, otherwise things can get messy.
    It also has features like Timecode, which means that files generated by the recorder can fit into a production workflow with two or more cameras without the need to slate. The timecode implementation on the 744T is truely a complete solution. It contains parts developed by Ambient who make some of the finest and most accurate timecode equipment on the planet. That means that it operates within the tolerances of Ambients own solutions, so combining the 744T with Ambient Lockit boxes or slates is a no brainer. The 744T can be the master timecode generator or can be jammed to any other timecode sync source.


How Do I Use It?
    My personal usage scenario is quite simple. I typically go out as a solo run and gun recordist. I operate boom, and usually run one or two radios (I don't sell myself with this kit as a mixer and I think as a recordist that is a complement of kit that I think is not unreasonable to run as a solo engineer). With the 744T I try to keep sources as matched as possible so I try to save the pre's for my boom mics and the line inputs for my radios. I can add my SQN into the mix if I need more preamps, but that does tend to make my bag significantly heavier. A more efficeint solution for preamps would be something like Kortwich's VCP M2 two channel preamp model, or even Sound Devices USB Pre 2, which works in standalone mode from a USB power source like those USB battery chargers.
    With my old setup, of a Roland R26 with the SQN sitting on the front end, I did manage to get good sound recordings but the rig to take that setup to a higher level of versatility was less than elegant and a long way from ergonomic. Now I have 4 discreet channels, all covered by balanced connections, and all easily accessible; both physically and through the menus. I also get timecode functionality too, so can sync up with cameras to make the job of the editors that little bit easier.


To Sum Up...
    Needless to say this is a vast upgrade from my old way... This upgrade was the only way to go and I'm just a little bit proud to finally feel a little bit less of an imposter in this world of sound recording. Ownership of a recorder like this makes me feel like I can do my job better, with more flexibility and with a better sound; which at the end of the day puts me in a more comfortable position when it comes to delivering on my promise of delivering the best audio quality possible.
     It's only downside; it's not a mixer too. The matrix outputs are useful for sending camera sync of a selection of your input mics, but the lack of true panning puts this device just shy of the functionality of a unit like the newer 633 or 664 recorder mixers. That being said the price per square inch of recording awesomeness on a second hand 744T has dropped fantastically since the 633 was released, as the features of the 744T have been matched and evolved quite significantly with the 633.

    If you are a recordist, looking to make the switch up to a timecode capable device with a set of really good preamps (I'm not sure that I can emphasise their quality highly enough), then it seems like a good choice would be a 744T. It's a great device and is available relatively easily and cheaply, due to being out of favour with many owners.