Tech: Marantz PMD620 recorder

Subject: Tech: Marantz PMD620 recorder
From: MMario
Date: 14 May 10 - 12:35 PM

Anyone use one? Opinions?

Subject: RE: Tech: Marantz PMD620 recorder
From: MMario
Date: 18 May 10 - 03:56 PM

No one?

Subject: RE: Tech: Marantz PMD620 recorder
From: treewind
Date: 18 May 10 - 05:21 PM

I've never used one.
But Marantz have made some very well-regarded higher end portable recorders and I'd expect the PDM620 to be a good piece of kit.
The controls look nice and ergonomic, and I'm sure the sound is as good as any portable recorder of that sort, and they are all pretty good.

Compare with offerings from Olympus, Sony and others in the same price range. Solid State sound seems a good site for examining the competition.

Subject: RE: Tech: Marantz PMD620 recorder
From: Bernard
Date: 18 May 10 - 06:48 PM

I have a PMD660... excellent, although the user interface is less than intuitive!! Whilst you can usually guess your way through eventually, you really need to read the manual. For example, if you want to dump the card contents via USB, you need to power off, and hold down the USB button when powering on again. Changing the recording settings is also rather quirky.

If you do read the manual, it suggests you are limited to 4Gb CF cards as a maximum, which isn't strictly true. As the file system is FAT32, the largest file it can write is 4Gb, but that's the limitation of the file system, not the recorder. I use an 8Gb card with mine, without any problem... I've never needed to record 4Gbs worth of audio in one lump!

My real gripe is the plasticky construction that makes using the internal microphones almost impossible - unless you can place the thing on a rubber mat on a table and ensure nobody touches it during recording, as every slightest sound is transmitted through the case to the microphones.

As it has XLRs with phantom available, I tend to use a pair of AKG C1000 mics when doing broadside outcasts. At least the Phantom switch is mechanical!

Ted Edwards' musical 'Peterloo' for braodcast on Oldham Community Radio last year was entirely recorded on it - apart from some sound effects I downloaded!

Subject: RE: Tech: Marantz PMD620 recorder
From: open mike
Date: 19 May 10 - 01:33 AM

I got the Marantz (Superscope) MARANTZ CDR-300 some years ago because at the time it was one of the most compact devices i could find. It has battery packs for remote recording. A similar unit, (the next grade up..and the next price up) had/has 2 c.d. trays so can dub from
one to the other. (but required 110 v power source)
The model that was a step up from the one i got also had a couple of
great features...you could alter the speed of the recording with out changing the pitch, or you could change the pitch (an octave in either directions as i recall) without changing the speed...also for practicing a phrase of music you could "capture" a portion and repeat
it...i wonder if anyone used this feature for a looping program?

your model looks a lot more compact, and also uses memory chips..does
it have a hard drive for data storage, also?

musician's friend has 8marantz items in their catalog.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?q=marantz%60pmd

Subject: RE: Tech: Marantz PMD620 recorder
From: open mike
Date: 19 May 10 - 01:39 AM

the portable digital recorder i have heard the best reviews on is Roland