My loaner is arriving next week for doing a tech review. Got a good feeling about this model for no known reason.
Any updates?
A detailed review could help us very much!
I have received a loaner PMD-620 two days ago, started some testing, and written a start of the review that's not yet ready for first view.
This review wil
eventually be posted at:
www.sonicstudos.com/pmd620rv.htmHere is a preview of starting general text and some bench tests.
Introduction:
The PMD-620 model is MARANTZ's latest digital portable recording deck model. The PMD-620 is unique for a Marantz portable for being quite small, stylish, moderate priced, and easy to operate only after some practice with extensive preset menus having two different non-intuitive select buttons.
MOST Unique to portables is having three identical preset menus each with two dozen setup categories to customize. In opposition to a Sony MD deck forgetting settings when turned off, the PMD-620 remembers everything! These presets are both deck stored, and on the flash card! Presettings are flash-card transferable to ANY OTHER PMD-620 using the PRESET SAVE/LOAD menu functions. This unique feature is most welcome to media departments dispensing many identical field recorders to casual recordists needing to successfully operate the recorder with little or no prior experience.
PMD-620 features include 4x2.4x1" shirt-pocket-size, 2 AA disposable alkaline/NiMH rechargeable battery giving ~ 5 hours portable power, 2 sec fast boot-up, near instant shutdown. Also small size, but easy to read OLED display similar to Roland R-09. Some low-noise, and some audible tactile 'transport' and control buttons are mostly recessed type so less chance of actuation while pocketed, but I found somewhat hard to find without looking. Record/pause/stop deck response is very quick.
Shipped with firmware A1.00 installed, there are no firmware updates as yet, or seem needed as PMD-620 tests out to be fully functional for up to 192 MP3, and 24 bit, 44.1/48K wav resolution recordings. Preset Menu on/off controlled 4.4 volt MIC powering works for most electrets using direct connected 'plug-in-powering' input feature.
PMD-620 LINE input connects directly to more featured, higher performance external MIC preamps with up to +16 dBu (= +13.8 dBV = 4.89 Vrms) maximum output.
User MENU process is fast responding wrapping type, but a bit UN-intuitive to understand at first.
The three identical Preset lists seem way too tedious with 24 categories to make operating choices, at least at first. And learning the appropriate choice of two push-for-select function buttons is at first confusing. Preset selection process needs practice, and seems quickest with TWO HANDED THUMB operation.
------end of text preview-----
Recording level
working adjustment range is limited to -25 dB to 0 dB with all MIC input modes, and -21 dB to 0 dB in LINE input mode. Going to <-25 dB MIC, and <-21 in LINE modes to reduce VU levels may result in deck input clipping distortion.
Below are some of the test graphs and model views:
Let me say the above graphs at least show me, as compared to other flash decks tested/reviewed, the PMD-620 is a VERY GOOD adequately low noise deck for its size and cost. More testing to verify frequency response and other matters to appear in the full review.
NOTE: There is NO usual H/M/L switch setting for changing the MIC/LINE input sensitivity, instead these functions are INSIDE the presetting menu as
ATTENUATION SETTINGS (highest sensitivity mic input gain) 0dB,
(M) -12dB, and
(lowest sensitivity input gain) -24db selections. And yes, this
is a bit confusing at first.