Topic: Sony PCM-A10 (Part 2)

[Chilly Brioschi]

Feeling like taking a trip to Tokyo soon...

"
Dear Customer
We did not forget about you!

You are receiving this message because you asked to be notified when the Sony PCM-A10 High-Resolution Audio Recorder (B&H # SOPCMA10) becomes available. We advised you then that we would send you interim updates. We regret the item remains unavailable "

[Ozpeter]

Well, record both mics pointing forward - that too is an option.

[guitard]

Feeling like taking a trip to Tokyo soon...

Akihabara?

[checht]

Feeling like taking a trip to Tokyo soon...

Akihabara?

That's how we got our first DAT field recorder. A friend's dad worked for Delta, so he flew for us...

[guitard]

Feeling like taking a trip to Tokyo soon...

Akihabara?

That's how we got our first DAT field recorder. A friend's dad worked for Delta, so he flew for us...

I lived/worked in Tokyo for three years back in the '90s and spent a lot of time at Akihabara.

[Chilly Brioschi]

Feeling like taking a trip to Tokyo soon...

Akihabara?

Is Team nVidia there?

[roffels]

I was open taping Belle & Sebastian FOB last night with my primary rig being nakamichi cm-300s, and figured I'd run the a10 internals in wide mode just for the hell of it.

Acoustics were pretty bad where I was at, probably my least favorite pull in the past couple years, but thought maybe the comparison may be of value to someone.

A10:
https://soundcloud.com/roffels/a10?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Nakamichi:
https://soundcloud.com/roffels/nakamichi?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

[Chilly Brioschi]

^ Thanks for the chance to listen to it.
Clearly liking the CM-300s for rejection and slight mid-boost
Which may be in part from all those years of listening to Nak recordings

BTW...
Does anyone know if the imports from China, Singapore, and the Philippines are legit Sony product ?

[Ozpeter]

Interesting comparison - in terms of stereo image I think the A10 internals seem more focussed in the centre while retaining full width for audience sounds - the nakamichi cm-300s sound slightly undefined in the centre - always hard to turn sounds into words of course!  I'd say you have omni capsules on the CM-300s  rather than cardioid?   Overall, I'd rate the A10 internals, in this example, as "no disaster".

[roffels]

Interesting comparison - in terms of stereo image I think the A10 internals seem more focussed in the centre while retaining full width for audience sounds - the nakamichi cm-300s sound slightly undefined in the centre - always hard to turn sounds into words of course!  I'd say you have omni capsules on the CM-300s  rather than cardioid?   Overall, I'd rate the A10 internals, in this example, as "no disaster".

The naks were cards. I'm not happy with either set, curious to hear how the a10 performs in a better location.

[DavidPuddy]

Interesting comparison - in terms of stereo image I think the A10 internals seem more focussed in the centre while retaining full width for audience sounds - the nakamichi cm-300s sound slightly undefined in the centre - always hard to turn sounds into words of course!  I'd say you have omni capsules on the CM-300s  rather than cardioid?   Overall, I'd rate the A10 internals, in this example, as "no disaster".

The naks were cards. I'm not happy with either set, curious to hear how the a10 performs in a better location.

I posted this a few months ago, but I'm pretty pleased with the A10's internal mic performance in the limited use I've had with it. I threw it up on the edge of the balcony and this was the result (mics pointed out, away from each other):

https://archive.org/details/billystrings2022-03-27

It's a little tinny sounding to me, but surprisingly good IMO.

[roffels]

Interesting comparison - in terms of stereo image I think the A10 internals seem more focussed in the centre while retaining full width for audience sounds - the nakamichi cm-300s sound slightly undefined in the centre - always hard to turn sounds into words of course!  I'd say you have omni capsules on the CM-300s  rather than cardioid?   Overall, I'd rate the A10 internals, in this example, as "no disaster".

The naks were cards. I'm not happy with either set, curious to hear how the a10 performs in a better location.

I posted this a few months ago, but I'm pretty pleased with the A10's internal mic performance in the limited use I've had with it. I threw it up on the edge of the balcony and this was the result (mics pointed out, away from each other):

https://archive.org/details/billystrings2022-03-27

It's a little tinny sounding to me, but surprisingly good IMO.

Yeah, that's a good sounding tape. I'm curious how easy it is to distort the mics on these.

[RyanJ]

Yeah, that's a good sounding tape. I'm curious how easy it is to distort the mics on these.

I got some additions to the NIN Live Archive that were done with the internals of an A10. I honestly was going to shrug them off and just thought they'd be like every other internal mic recording I've heard from other recorders. Just blown out and unlistenable. I used to have this mentality that if you're gonna tape, at least go all out and get some external mics. I was wrong. I even told the taper that and I am VERY surprised how well the internals on the A10 are. They handle SPLs really good. The first link they recorded from the middle of the pit which was very small and very close to the sound source. The bass was intense that close at the show and the A10s mics handled them very well. Way better than my Schoeps, IMO. The other shows below the sound was just as loud, if not louder and I believe the taper was near the board for all the rest. Links provided have 2 minute sample with the source.

In conclusion, big fan of the A10 internals. Maybe just as good as the Sony ECM-717 mic.

Source 4: https://ninlive.com/shows/2022/20220428.html
Source 5: https://ninlive.com/shows/2022/20220430.html
Source 4: https://ninlive.com/shows/2022/20220501.html
Source 3: https://ninlive.com/shows/2022/20220522.html

[Ozpeter]

The bass on the BillyStrings recording has plenty of bottom end to my ear.  Overall, a perfectly good recording imho. You'd probably have to go to some lengths to have improved on that.  And you're always at the mercy of the PA quality, which can stuff up the sound long before it reaches your internal or external mics!

The samples posted by RyanJ were (once I'd worked out which link to play - I'm getting gaga with old age) were to me a bit less impressive because there was very little stereo image happening, I thought - I doubt whether the mics were in the wide-apart position - but the frequency response was wider than you would somehow expect.

[voodoostrat]

A10’s back in stock at B&H. Better hurry.