Topic: TEAM Marantz PMD 660 (Part II)

[Corbin]

Thanks for the info...

I wonder why Doug has being saying that they won't take 8 GB cards all this time.

[NOLAfishwater]

I am going to BestBuy tonight to purchase a Lexar card. Going to try it out and see if it has any issues. Hell, I might even buy a couple more and test them all to see which ones are producing noise and report back tomorrow.

[NOLAfishwater]

So I went to Bestbuy and purchased two new CF cards to test. the first was a PNY Optima 66x speed and the ticking was extremely faint. The next was a Lexar Professional 133x and it performed better than the PNY. The noise was only noticeable attenuation was set to zero (no pad) and the gain was turned all the way up. Finally I put the original Lexar 256kb card that came with it, and there was no noise at any level. That confirms that the best card out there is the Lexar. I think that the higher the speed, the more noise is introduced. I was going to try out the Lexar Platinum 80x card but that would involve me actually ordering it from online. My guess is that it will perform the best of all cards. I am returning both the cards tomorrow. Just wanted to really know what the real problem was.

[tfs8271]

Just wanted to ask everyone with the ticking problem. Does it happen when you're listening to the 660 through the headphone or out jack or only when downloaded to your computer and then listening through the computer? Just a wondering.

[intpseeker]

First, I had a Lexar 80x pro 2 gb card in when it happened, and I just listened and I can hear it on playback through the 660.

I saw it initially when I opened it in audacity. Very clear cut spikes that correspond to the time it took me to increase the volume. (It was a really quiet beginning and I ended up cranking the volume at the start of the first set.) The clicking ended after 2 minutes and never returned.

[intpseeker]

Have any of y'all noticed that this taping business is a bit addictive? 

I woke up thinking about the ticking, and I remembered that when the first set started, it was so quiet that the meter was down at 40.  I increased the volume and that didn't do anything so I began going through the menus for that preset, canceled the 20db pad that I always run, and watched the meter get up tp 12..still lower than I usually record, but better. This is the only time I have gone through the menu choices on the fly while recording. The most I've ever done in the past is increase or decrease the gain settings.

Could the ticking be related to pushing the various keys to make the adjustment?  It isn't 'handling ' noise, and the mics that were 6 feet away certainly couldn't have picked it up, but once the adjustment was made, the ticking went away and never came back.

I'll play with this tonight and see if I can duplicate it.

[bdasilva]

Have any of y'all noticed that this taping business is a bit addictive? 
 
  Nah... Never Noticed

[rockthing]

I'm hearing the ticking when I play the wav files from my computer, and using headphones in the 660.
I didn't make any adjustments to any buttons or dials once the recording started.
I'm using Lexar 4g 60x, after previously using Sandisk Extreme IV 2g
I would say that the ticking is far less noticeable with the Lexar.
Though I can't say it's absent.

Again, I must do something scientific to confirm and contrast the issues.
So far that hasn't happened, so I can only post my experiences in uncontrolled situations so far.
I'll post again once I've done my homework, until then, I just wanted to confirm the situations where I was experiencing the ticking so far and reply to the two posts below.

Have any of y'all noticed that this taping business is a bit addictive? 

I woke up thinking about the ticking,

...

I'll play with this tonight and see if I can duplicate it.

  Ha! You woke up thinking about the ticking?! That's dedication
You're certainly more diligent than I. Never did that test I said I was going to do.

Just got off the phone with Marantz tech support and they verified the ticking issue. He said that the Lexar 4GB Platinum II 80x speed card should work with no problems. In addition, he said that he has seen issues with most other cards. He recommended the following CF cards: Lexar, Viking, Hitachi, IBM, and PNY. Of all of them, he preferred the Lexar and that I should not have any problems with them. If you are having problems even after using the Lexar card, you should call them directly at: 866-405-2154. I also asked him about running an 8GB card and he said it was no problem. The only thing is that you must start a new track after 4GB and that it may not recognize the full capacity of the card when you insert it. So in other words, it might just show 4GB avaialable, and once you use that up, it will recognize another 4GB. I would probably just get two 4GB cards instead.

Nice one. I'll keep that number handy. I ordered mine here in Japan, though, so I'll have to check my documentation to see if there is a local number I can contact (hopefully with some English support! ... wishful thinking )

[NOLAfishwater]

I just sold my 660. Going to miss it. Hope you guys continue to pull excellent recordings with them.

[bdasilva]

HI guys... I ran my first show with the Bussman PMD660 last night... Delta Nove At Plush in Tucson. I reviewed the settings and made sure the 20bd pad was on and the ALC limiting was not. I ran the TLs from back in front of the of the soundboard. As I ran the the show I watched the meters and all the green leds stayed lit. I ran it so mostly the first orange leds were always lit.. 2nd orange leds blinked.. third orange leds came on here and there and only a few times during the show did I ever see the red blink on. It sounded great thru the headphones. When I dumped it to the computer and brought it up in Audition , it  looked wall to wall tall and the tops of waveforms were squared like there was limiting. Sounds like you would expect.. distorted. What did I do wrong? Did I run it too hot?

[bobbygeeWOW]

Yeah, probly too hot - I run mine all green with very occasional single orange peaks..

[danlynch]

Yeah, probly too hot - I run mine all green with very occasional single orange peaks..

Same here.  You can always boost in post-production.  You can't undo saturation.

I've really been giving my 660 a workout lately, and its really holding up well.  I've recorded 6 bands in the last 9 nights, all with excellent results.

[tfs8271]

^ Doesn't sound right............but I don't have a Busman........I'm always pushing the reds.

[dennisrtyler]

^ Doesn't sound right............but I don't have a Busman........I'm always pushing the reds.

yeah i always ran full orange occasional red but that was an oade box

[Corbin]

^ Doesn't sound right............but I don't have a Busman........I'm always pushing the reds.

yeah i always ran full orange occasional red but that was an oade box

Same