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Re: [gear] Marantz PMD620 first impressions (long msg)

Subject: Re: [gear] Marantz PMD620 first impressions (long msg)
From: "Rob Danielson" danielson_rob
Date: Wed Nov 21, 2007 9:36 pm ((PST))
At 1:34 AM +0000 11/21/07, oryoki2000 wrote:
>The postman brought a surprise today: The new Marantz PMD620
>recorder. Here is my review.
>--oryoki
>
>Marantz PMD620 first impressions
>
>The PMD620 is a departure from the traditional Marantz designs. The
>PMD620 has an attractive, almost stylish appearance. The PMD620 is
>built of black plastic, with grey metal covering the front. The
>effect is rather elegant and professional. No one will mistake this
>new machine for a cassette tape recorder!
>
>The PMD620 is a small hand-held recorder. Two useful mics are built
>into the top of the PMD620, and a 1/8-inch jack is available for an
>external pair of mics. "Plug-in" power is available for external mics
>that use it. This $400 model records 24/48 WAV or MP3 files to SDHC
>flash cards.
>
>Hearing that the PMD620 is small doesn't prepare you for its size. It
>is literally 1/6 the volume and weight of the next largest Marantz,
>the PMD660. The PMD620 is almost identical in size to the current
>Apple iPod "Classic", except that the PMD620 is one inch (25mm) thick
>to make room for two AA batteries. The PMD620 weighs about 6 oz (170
>g) ready to record. The recorder slides easily into a trouser or
>jacket pocket, or attaches to your belt like a cell phone using the
>supplied clip.
>
>Like the iPod, the PMD620 is designed for one-hand operation.
>Recording is started with one push of an oversize button. A large
>OLED display keeps you informed about the recording. The display is
>easy to read indoors, difficult outside in shade, and completely
>illegible in direct sun. Selecting the larger font size makes the
>display easier to read.
>
>Slide the power switch, and the machine is ready to record in less
>than 3 seconds. Press the large Record button and recording starts.
>Press the Record/Pause button instead, and the LED screen shows the
>metering system in action. The headphone jack lets you monitor the
>recording in progress. Record Stop and Shut down are almost
>instantaneous.
>
>Marantz claims the 2 AA cells can power the PMD620 for about 5 hours
>of recording. The plastic door covering the battery compartment seems
>flimsy for a part that will see regular manipulation. The PMD620 can
>also run on 6V DC power from an external source.
>
>The preamp specifications Marantz publishes for the PMD620 are similar
>to the specs of the PMD660 recorder. This is not a good sign, because
>the PMD660 is (correctly) criticized as having relatively high
>self-noise and poor performance when recording loud material.
>
>However, in my brief tests the PMD620 sounded better than the specs
>might suggest.
>
>The built-in mics are adequate. They have a somewhat better sound
>when you point the top of the mic at the subject, holding the recorder
>as if it were a TV remote control. The sound is thinner and brighter
>when you point the front or back of the recorder at the subject (this
>points the top of the recorder and the mics at the ceiling). The belt
>clip includes a tripod socket, which enables you to properly orient
>the recorder on a stand of some sort.
>
>Handling noise is evident in the recording when the internal mics are
>used, as one might expect when the mics are less than 2 inches (50 mm)
>away from the controls. Less expected is a pronounced "click" added
>to the recording when the control button for mic gain is pressed.
>This is true with internal or external mics. Disappointing!
>
>When recording with the built-in mics and volume set to maximum, a
>broad-spectrum hissy background sound is noticeable. After plugging
>in external mics, the preamp becomes much quieter. At a gain setting
>just lower than maximum, the recordings I made with a Sennheiser
>ME20/K6 mic were very clear and sounded natural.
>
>Compared to my Oade-modified PMD660, the PMD620 was a bit noisier, but
>sounded very good as long as the preamp gain was held a little below
>maximum. Overall, I'd say the PMD620's preamp is better than the
>stock PMD660, and similar to the well-regarded Sony Hi-MD minidisc
>recorder.
>
>The PMD620 menu system allows you to configure many parameters for
>your recording session:
>Input select (auto or manual select of internal or external mic)
>Record format (low, medium or high bit rate MP3, plus 16 or 24 bit WAV)
>Stereo or Mono
>WAV sample rate (44.1 or 48 thousand samples per second)
>Ability to manually split tracks
>Silent Skip
>Auto level control
>Mic attenuation (0, -12, -24)
>Low cut filter
>dB level of warning LED (-6dB, -12dB, -20dB, -38dB and -54dB)
>Skip Back duration (1 to 60 seconds)
>File sort (by date/time file was created, or by name)
>Date format (M/D/Y or D/M/Y)
>LED font size (large or small)
>Auto Power Down (on or off)
>Battery type (Alkaline or NiMH rechargeable)
>Key Lock (all keys or partial
>main LED display on or off
>LED brightness
>Machine ID (a 7 character name for the machine)
>
>Fortunately, the PMD620 remembers up to three sets of parameters,
>making it easy to switch between setups without checking all the above
>choices. You can save a preset to the flash memory card and copy it
>to a second PMD620, ensuring the two recorders are set up the same.
>
>The PMD620 package includes a 512MB SD card, which is enough space for
>half an hour or more of recording. The PMD620 can record in monaural
>mode as well as stereo. This is useful if you're using a single mic
>and need to save space on the flash memory card.
>
>Marantz claims that the PMD620 will continue to record as long as
>there is file space. There is no 2GB limit to file size. I'll try
>to verify this is correct.
>
>Now that the stylish PMD620 has arrived, is there a reason to consider
>the larger PMD660? I think so. The $475 PMD660 has XLR inputs and
>phantom power for pro mics, and its design makes it easy to operate
>while it hangs from your shoulder. The PMD660 has large, easy to use
>controls, individual gain controls for each input channel, and better
>metering than the PMD620 has.
>
>The PMD620's main competition are the Edirol R-09 ($375), the M-Audio
>Microtrack II ($300), and the Zoom H2 ($200). All three are about the
>same size as the PMD620.
>
>The R-09 is very similar, with two built-in mics and AA power. I
>don't have an R-09 for side-by-side comparison, but I'd say the R-09's
>mic preamps sound very similar to the PMD620's preamps. And adjusting
>the preamp gain does not add "click" sounds to the recording.
>
>However, the R-09 is notorious for failures of its 1/8-inch input
>jacks. They are poorly soldered and develop problems even with the
>most careful handling. It's too early to say if the PMD620 will be
>more reliable, but Marantz has a good reputation for building solid
>equipment.
>
>The Microtrack lacks the built-in mics and field-replaceable
>batteries, but offers 24/96 digitization, and SPDIF digital input.
>There have been far fewer input jack failures reported by Microtrack
>owners. The Microtrack uses Compactflash cards.
>
>The Zoom H2 offers two and four channel recording options using its
>built-in mic array. Recordings via the external mic jack can have
>high noise levels. The circuits supporting the built-in mics and line
>input are quieter. The H2 is a little larger and heavier than the
>others mentioned here, and the preamp is a little noisier. At half
>the price of the others mentioned above, many buyers are willing to
>overlook the H2's shortcomings.
>
>The PMD620 joins the R-09 and Zoom H2 as good choices for a "point and
>shoot" recorder that is small enough to be carried discretely
>anywhere, and able to capture those serendipitous recording moments.
>With external mics, the PMD620 is capable of excellent performance.
>

Thanks for the useful run-down, Oryoki. Your analogy of a "point and 
shoot" recorder is a good one.

For those who appreciate the advantages of low-noise mics, the most 
important development in recorders might be the lowering of the 
price-point of recorders with phantom powering and low-noise/high 
gain mic preamps like the Fostex FR-2LE. For only $90USD more than a 
PMD620, one can invest in a recorder that can excel in the most 
demanding situations. While miniaturization, itself, can be amazing, 
the FR-2LE is still small enough to slip into a large coat pocket, 
fanny pack or small camera case. Rob D.
-- 





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