Marantz PMD660
From SPARK
Contents |
Description
- • A lightweight, and fairly compact digital recorder, weighing 1.1 lbs. (0.5 kg).
- • Built-in menu system with an LCD display; two rows of LED lights to monitor recording levels (indicating from -60 to 0, plus “over”), and a light to indicate when you are recording.
- • Optional wired remote control with peak indicator, allowing you to start and stop recordings and mark new track-starts on the fly.
Considerations
- Advantages
- • A good balance of price and features. May be a good choice for field or office use.
- • Well built and reasonably rugged, and should withstand most field/village handling. (But see the comment under "Disadvantages.")
- • Controls in fairly convenient locations, meters easy to read (except in very bright sun), the mic inputs conveniently on the bottom.
- • No proprietary software needed to download recordings.
- Disadvantages
- • The menu system may be confusing to some. (Most options seem buried in menus.)
- • Internal mics are poor (having a tinny sound and easily picking up hand movements during use).
- • Like most of the smaller digital recorders, it's plastic and can break. The cover over the card slot seems a little flimsy. An optional soft sided carry case may help.
Evaluation
PART 1 - General Features
- Input / Output
- • Built in stereo condenser mics.
- • Two XLR microphone connectors (recording either stereo, or mono with the left connection); +48v phantom power is available, if needed. (Can use adaptors for mics that have 1/4” or 1/8” jacks, if properly configured.)
- • Stereo line in and out connections, analog only (no digital line I/O). You need to switch between internal mics, external mics, and line in, using the menu system.
- • Sound levels are easy to adjust while recording (or in record/pause); the left and right inputs can be adjusted separately.
- • Headphone (1/8" mini jack) and speaker.
- Data type
- • .wav files, 16 bit PCM, stereo or mono.
- • .mp3 files, 128 kbps stereo or 64 kbps mono.
- • Sampling frequency: 44.1, 48 kHz.
- Recording Mode
- • Stereo or mono. Mono mode recording in is in one channel, and will give you twice the amount of recording time. (Will be heard in both channels in headphones.)
- • Recording options are often buried in menus, but three presets are available for you to store your favorite settings.
- • Marks, or cues, can be input during recording. You can later locate that marked point in your audio file, or jump from one mark to another, by two buttons.
- • Can delete individual tracks, but cannot undo if you make a mistake.
- Data Storage / Transfer
- • Records to a Compact Flash digital card (64Mb card included; can use up to 2Gb cards). Also can use a Microdrive (but avoid if the unit is constantly moving or subject to vibration).
- • There are preferential brands of cards, which Marantz lists. [Typically standard cards with faster read/write speeds are best. Avoid anything else other than standard.]
- • A 1 Gb card will give about 90 minutes of stereo recording (or three hours of mono), when recording uncompressed 16-bit 44.1 kHz sample rate .wav files. (The supplied 64mb card gives only 6 minutes, stereo .wav file.) You can get over 36 hours of mono, compressed audio (.mp3).
- • Download via USB connection (USB-1 only) or external CF card reader (faster if you have a USB-2 reader). You must power-off then power-on the recorder (following the instructions), for a direct USB transfer between the unit and the computer.
- Power Source
- • Runs on 4 AA batteries or rechargeable NiMH batteries. (Battery life 4 or more hours with AA batteries, less if phantom power is used.) The battery icon says it's low long before it actually dies; a 15-second warning will tell you when it is turning off.
- • AC Adaptor (100 – 240 VAC) can also be used.
- For more about the features and technical data, see the Marantz PMD660 website
PART 2 - Sound Quality
- Internal Mics
- • The internal mics have an echo or tinny sound that greatly limits their value. Probably OK for dictation-level recording.
- • Any hand movement on the case translates to very loud scraping sounds, so you may need to set the unit on a piece of foam or cloth to absorb any sound transfer.
- External Mics
- • Can provide very clear and clean recordings.
- • Dynamic mics will work, but are not ideal; condenser mics work best. (The unit will provide phantom power, if needed.)
- • Some mics may be too sensitive, and cause clipping of wave files. But you can use the 20dB attenuator pad (through the menu) or an external hardwire 10dB pad, to reduce the input gain.
- Line Input / Output (analog only)
- • Reported to give very clear and clean recordings, even when the source is a cassette.
- Headphones
- • Monitoring with headphones while recording is very clear; can switch from record to play, to check the files.
- Preamps
- • Fairly clean when used with condenser mics (and the 10-20dB padding, if needed). There is a very low hiss, but it is not too noticeable unless you are using a dynamic omni mic.
- Gain (Manual or AGC)
- • Adequate for condenser mics, but doesn't provide enough gain for a dynamic mic, unless you yell into it.
- • Automatic Gain Control is fairly typical, with the usual problems that normally come with AGC – sound pumping or clipping, if large volume changes occur too fast.
Where to Obtain
Order From
- • Vernacular Media Services (VMS).
- • Internet; typical market price (November 2007) is around $500 USD.
By: SPARK Volunteer 1; information from VMS evaluation and other sources
Date entered: 4 November 2007
