If you have been using (or have witnessed the use of) the 788T digital recorder, it might have dawned into you how impressive that piece of machinery is. Bearing 8 microphone inputs for its 12-track recording capability and a massive hard drive that will surely beat the life out of some 8-track recorders that only sport 2 mic inputs, it sure has a lot to offer in a mystery-novel-sized package. Despite having all that power, Sound Devices thought it could have more than just that. The successor to the 788T springs to life at IBC 2009 in the form of the Sound Devices 788T-SSD.

Given that it owes inspiration from the 788T, what's so new about the 788T-SSD anyway? Compared to its predecessor, it now has a meatier 256-GB hard drive compared to the already massive but smaller 160-GB drive on the 788T. And you all know what more storage means when you're on the field: more recording time. The road worthiness of the 788T-SSD is better with durability that's nearly impervious to shock as well as faster data transfer speed, with its 256-GB solid-state hard drive having significantly faster read/write speed compared to its 160-GB predecessor.

Besides the new features, the Sound Devices 788T-SSD retains the stainless steel and aluminum chassis, and eight microphone inputs as well as numerous I/O connections along with other features from the 788T. Pricing is at 6,495.00 USD from various retailers.