Raimund Specht wrote:
> > There has always been a irrational paranoia
> > regarding the preamplifier noise issues...
and Oryoki wrote:
> Using the PMD670, the "tape hiss" added by the preamp
> is distracting, to the point that the recordings are marginal
> for publication on CD. With the 722, the recordings
> are much quieter, and unquestionably are good enough for
> commercial publication. (This is one case where the extra
> money spent for the 722 does buy happiness.)
I would agree that the 722 might be a great step upward - and likely
worth the price.
I have used the PMD670 plenty. I was very new to recording back when I
bought it, and even then I thought the S/N listed in the spec sheet,
"MIC 65dB," seemed kind of low. But Marantz's marketing back then
promoted this as a high quality "professional" recorder, and since
Marantz as far as I knew had a great reputation for quality, I fell
for it. After using the 670 a while and learning its limitations - I
began to feel like a sucker.
I have made some nice recordings with the PMD670, and some certainly
good enough for commercial publication. However limitations of the 670
have limited my chances for getting great recordings.
First there is the preamp noise that many have pointed out. Someone
else pointed out the noise is inconsistent between channels: the right
channel always has more noise than the left.
Then there is a headroom issue. It is very difficult to record sounds
with wide dynamic range - for instance closeup sounds of flowing
water. This is due to a combination of low gain (about 45dB) and
level controls of marginal quality. While the numbers for the control
knobs go from 0 to 10 anything below 3 is dicey. At 2 the relative
levels between channels become noticeably inconsistent and one channel
cuts out completely at >1. This combination of limitations cripples
the usable dynamic range of the recorder.
Anyway, these limitations have led me to believe Marantz traded their
commitment to quality for flashy advertising to the consumer market.
Even if PMD671 is touted to be an improvement, through cutting corners
on the 670 they have severed my trust in their company.
John Hartog
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