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Re: marantz pmd670 tune-up by Doug Oade

Subject: Re: marantz pmd670 tune-up by Doug Oade
From: Walter Knapp <>
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2004 13:09:31 -0400
From: "oryoki2000" <>

> 
> Some of you may remember Maurice Stith's "Bird" version of the Marantz
> cassette recorder.  Now concert taper guru Doug Oade is offering for
> sale a modified version of the Marantz PMD-670 compactflash recorder.
>  The purpose of the modification is to improve the signal to noise
> ratio of the mic pre-amp from the stock -65dBA (which is only somewhat
> better to the performance of the pre-amp in a Sony or Marantz cassette
> tape recorder) to a quieter -80dBA.
> 
> Cost of the modification is $125.  Read about it here, under
> "Specifications:"
> www.oade.com/digital_recorders/hard_disc_recorders/PMD-670.html
> I don't know if Doug will work on equipment purchased elsewhere.  Of
> course, Doug's work voids your Marantz warranty.
> 
> The S/N of the mod PMD-670 is pretty close to the Fostex FR-2 and
> portable DAT machines like the Sony TCD-M1, at about -87dBA.  Best S/N
> spec I've seen for field equipment is the HHB Portadisc's -125dBA.

It would seem to me like even with the mod you are not up to CD quality. 
And, of course, off the shelf you are buying a reworked cassette 
recorder without the tape by the sound of it. That's worse than I 
thought it was.

It's this sort of thing that keeps me telling folks that there is a lot 
more to a recorder than if it records compressed or not.

Note I'd be happy to see even better specs than the Portadisc's. I can 
push it to the limit with the MKH mics. I'd hate to be trying to get the 
most out of the MKH with the PMD-670, either version. I'd sure be using 
the Sound Devices MP2 with it a lot.

Walt




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