Just in time for the holidays, Sony and Marantz have begun shipping their new digital audio recorders. I’m already starting to hear reports that customers who pre-ordered Marantz PMD620 units have begun to receive them. I pre-ordered a Sony PCM-D50 back in October, and after several delays, retailers are starting to get these units in stock as well. But only in small quantities. I contacted the store I ordered from and found out that they had placed an order for 45 units and have only received 5 so far. I was number six on the list, so my recorder probably won’t arrive until the second week in December. Expect a full review sometime around then.
The M-Audio Microtrack II is also scheduled to begin shipping soon, but haven’t verified that anyone actually has it in stock yet.
I’ve had several people ask me recently which recorder I recommend. It all depends on your needs. I’ve decided that the popular Zoom H2 isn’t right for me, primarily because I already have a Zoom H4 with most of the same features.
The Marantz PMD620 looks like a step up from the H2, in that it’s a handheld recorder at twice the price from a company with a solid track record in this space. It lacks XLR inputs, but I’d be willing to wager that its mic preamps are better than those on the H2, resulting in a cleaner sound. That said, the PMD620 lacks the H2’s 4 mic capsules and ability to act as a USB audio interface for a computer.
If you want good, but not great sound quality at a budget, I’d say go for the H2. If you want an easy to use recorder with a more solid casing, the PMD620 might be the way to go. I’ll be curious to see if the sound quality with the internal mics is any better than the H2, and how the PMD620 sounds with external microphones.
If you need an XLR input, you’ll probably want to shell out a few extra bucks and get a Marantz PMD660, PMD670, or Fostex FR2-LE. If you’ve got even more money to spare, check out the Tascam HD-P2, which sells for about $1000 or the Sound Devices 702, which is about twice that price. Both sound amazing compared with the sub-$600 recorders.
I’ve opted for the Sony PCM-D50 because it kind of blew me away when I tried it at AES. The sound quality with the built-in mics was excellent, sounding at least as good as my Zoom H4, but without the mic handling noise I get when I jiggle the case on the H4. Even though the PCM-D50 lacks XLR inputs, I was able to record an extraordinarily loud sample using an external dynamic microphone. And the hardware volume knob is a nice touch. On top of that, the PCM-D50 includes an advanced limiter feature that virtually guarantees your audio won’t clip, and a pre-record buffer so that you’ll almost never miss a recording. Oh yeah, and the ability to mark tracks on the fly.
At $500, I understand that the PCM-D50 might not be for everyone. And I have yet to test it in a quiet room, so I can’t vouch for the quality of its recordings yet. But in my mind, it’s definitely worth a bit more than the Marantz PMD620. But if you need phantom power for an external condenser mic or just like the heavy-duty feel of XLR inputs, you’re probably better off going with the Fostex or higher end Marantz recorders.
Update: Reader Eric Diamond reports that his PCM-D50 has arrived, and he’s impressed with the build quality and the sound quality. I’m a bit disappointed to hear that the unit is susceptible to handling noise, since I didn’t detect any during my initial test (in an admittedly noisy room). But if you use an external mic, you won’t get any handling noise, and you won’t hear any sound when pressing the track mark button. And Diamond says the preamps are much cleaner and better suited for external mics than those on most low cost digital audio recorders.
You can read the rest of Diamond’s impressions in the comments section of this post. If anyone else has received a PCM-D50, PMD620, Microtrack II or other new flash audio recorder, please let us know!
Related Posts:
I just received my PCM D50. Here are some first impressions:
The preamps are amazing. Quietest I’ve used so far on a portable recorder (I’ve had the Marantz PMD 660, the MicroTrack 24/96 and the Edirol R-09). The internal mics are sensitive as hell. Even with the metal body, prepare yourself for handling noise. It’s not terrible, but it requires some good mic technique. It is very sensitive to pops and air movement. Buy the windscreen. You’ll definitely want it.
You can divide tracks on the fly but you will hear the button press in the recording as a faint click. One sore point: The door holding the memory stick rattles. I don’t know what they were smoking when they designed it. You could remove it I suppose, but I made a shim out of a thick piece of vinyl. Do you have a security badge attached to a tether? One of those has vinyl (next to the snap) the perfect thickness to slip behind the memory stick door as a shim. You can easily slip it out too, if you need to get access to the stick.
One other caution…it is sensitive to electric fields. Near my computer I got some crackly static and hum which went away as I got more than 4 feet away.
Sound quality was great, levels are great, the lowpass filter lets you filter out 75 or 150 MHz. I tested it with an external Beyerdynamics M58 and it sounds really nice.
Accessibility: The unit takes about 10 seconds to boot up, compared to the Edirol’s 3 second start time. Not so great for grab and go, but the battery life should allow you to turn it on and get you through an event. The batteries are on a slide-out sled so battery changes aren’t as quick as they could be, but the recorder is protected from a bad battery leaking and ruining the unit. I wonder if they will sell rechargeable LiON battery or extra sleds. That would make a reporter’s life a little easier.
This recorder is at least $100 more than Edirol or Marantz PMD 620 but I’d say the build quality alone makes it worth the extra money. When you factor in the quiet pre’s and the ability to prerecord, it’s a no-brainer. If you’re a pro, this is your professional tool. If you’re a podcaster, it might be overkill unless, like me you are obsessed with sound quality. I’m a happy camper.
Wow, thanks for the in-depth comment! I was hoping to get my PCM-D50 in the first shipment so I could try it out for myself, but your writeup definitely make me think I made the right choice. Although I will have to think about throwing in a few bucks for the overpriced wind screen. 🙂
hi,
you’ll find a review of the new marantz 620 here:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/message/30684
Chris-France-
Brad-I am seriously considering the Sony PCM-50, and have already made a shockmount for it!
I made an excellent furry windscreen for my Zoom H2, with fake fur from Walmart, for under $5.00, which I will duplicate and size for the Sony when I get it. Make a small hat with the fur inside out, staple or sew it and turn back over for a cute and functional kitten!
Roger Barnes
Brad-I am seriously considering the Sony PCM-50, and have already made a shockmount for it!
I made an excellent furry windscreen for my Zoom H2, with fake fur from Walmart, for under $5.00, which I will duplicate and size for the Sony when I get it. Make a small hat with the fur inside out, staple or sew it and turn back over for a cute and functional kitten!
Roger Barnes