Digital recording device in the field

[Martin Naef]

Hi Bar,

Yes, I still exist, although music is mostly a passive affair these 
days. Passive in the sense that I don't play much, but I record Ilona's 
gigs.

I am currently looking for a portable digital recorder that makes 
recording chamber music live gigs simple for me. In the past, my 
recording setup consisted of the following:

1) A stereo pair of small condenser mics
2) TC Goldchannel Pre-amp and A/D
3) S/PDIF output into a USB soundcard plugged into the laptop running 
Sonar LE

I have been using my work laptop, but that is crippled with remote admin 
software, virus scanner etc., so I don't really trust it for real-time 
stuff. I've recently replaced the machine but haven't bothered to 
install any recording software on it. So it's 3) that I need a 
replacement for.

I am contemplating two options that I need advice on:

Option A)
A simple 2-channel solid state recording device that takes the digital 
stream and records it on a memory card. I have found a lot of recorders 
for analog input signals, with or without microphones (I have a Zoom H2n 
already), but nothing with a digital input. Any advice? This option 
should be cheapish, otherwise I'd rather go for option B)

Option B)
Occasionally, I'd like to add an additional mic or two to the mix. 
Actually, the next project is exactly that: The stereo pair above for 
the orchestra, plus two large condensers for the flutes.
In the past, I had access to a Roland R4pro. I was pretty happy with the 
results. The only current option that I see at the usual online dealers 
is the Tascam DR680. Any opinions on this? Alternatives? I don't want to 
spend above €1000.

Martin