Topic: PT: 2 - New Marantz PMD661

[datbrad]

Checking in after taping first show with the WMOD 661, Friday 4-3, The Bridge in Richmond. Went XLR line in with AKG 461s running into a pair of SD MP-1 mono preamps. The recording sounds great, and the deck was very easy to work with during the show.

I did not do a controlled battery test, but I can report that after recording a 2 hour show, transferring the file off the unit to a PC, and using it for a few minutes of ambient recording a couple of times over the weekend, the battery indicator still shows a full charge on Duracell 2650 rechargables.

Based on this, I would say that if you are running a 661 XLR line in, you can expect battery life will be substantially longer than the 3:52 Jason found with the 2650 rechargables running mic in with phantom.

[travelinbeat]

Wondering about the stealthability of this device... I'm looking to upgrade from the iRiver, but I still tape mostly stealth shows.  I've read every post about the device so far and it sounds great, but how does it look and feel for stealth?  Any stealth-action being seen by the PMD661?  How are those "levels" knobs on the bottom?  They look like they might be easy to twist on accident.  Thanks for everything!

[GDfan]

Wondering about the stealthability of this device... I'm looking to upgrade from the iRiver, but I still tape mostly stealth shows.  I've read every post about the device so far and it sounds great, but how does it look and feel for stealth?  Any stealth-action being seen by the PMD661?  How are those "levels" knobs on the bottom?  They look like they might be easy to twist on accident.  Thanks for everything!

Have you considered the PMD620? its very small and can be modded by Oade Brothers.
the knobs could be bumped, nothing a little tape couldn't solve.


Edit: I am sure its stealthy, people have used the PMD660 for stealth purposes and this is smaller then the 660 by a bit.

[travelinbeat]

Have you considered the PMD620?

Main thing I like about the 661 over the 620 is the XLR in.  Though I mostly do stealth shows (using exclusively 3.5mm connections), I do run my stealth gear as an open rig occasionally as well.  I will soon be purchasing my first "open rig mics"-- AT4041's.  I think that if I'm able to make this 661 work as a stealthable device for my stealth rig (CA14's / CAFS's & CA 9100), I might be able to save money buying the power supply and A/D that I'd need for the AT4041's if I were instead to purchase the R-09HR, as I had originally been planning, or the PMD620 you mention.  (Jeez... did that make sense???)

[su6oxone]

I think that if I'm able to make this 661 work as a stealthable device for my stealth rig (CA14's / CAFS's & CA 9100), I might be able to save money buying the power supply and A/D that I'd need for the AT4041's if I were instead to purchase the R-09HR, as I had originally been planning, or the PMD620 you mention.

R-09HR + power supply ought to be cheaper than the 661, especially if you are getting it with Oade mods.  But the convenience of an all-in-one box will be nice.

[audBall]

The gain knobs on the 661 are very tight and require a little umph to turn them.  I can't imagine a slight bump affecting your levels on this device. 

As for stealthability, that's entirely subjective.  The two protective metal loops on the left/right sides of the gain knobs and headphone jack work well for attaching a strap. 

From there, improv is key!

[travelinbeat]

I created a markup PMD661 so that I could actually hold it and see exactly what these measurements mean.  I was curious to see if it could be stealthed.  I constructed it in photoshop by combining the device's published dimensions and photos of the device.  My final opinion is that it would be slightly difficult to stealth.  Not impossible, but certainly not as easy as my h120 or the R-09HR I'm considering.  I've saved it as a pdf and attached it below so that future people considering the device as a stealth device may print this out and hold one for themselves =)

[JasonSobel]

in regards to stealth, it all depends what type of shows.  It's certainly not as small as the PMD-620 or R09HR, but it's still a small deck.  On the occasions where I need to be discrete, I'll have no trouble getting in with this deck...  but then, I'm not going to shows with major patdowns or metal detectors or whatnot...

[Arni99]

I am thinking of my "ultimate" rig consisting of DPA 4022 mics + Marantz PMD661 or Tascam DR-100.
Lotsa bucks though..especially for the 4022...gotta sleep over it HAHA.
I do stealth 95% but I know some clubs here in Vienna without securities...

[Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan]

Checking in after taping first show with the WMOD 661, Friday 4-3, The Bridge in Richmond. Went XLR line in with AKG 461s running into a pair of SD MP-1 mono preamps. The recording sounds great, and the deck was very easy to work with during the show.

When are you going to try out the W-mod? I haven't heard any feedback on one yet.

[datbrad]

Checking in after taping first show with the WMOD 661, Friday 4-3, The Bridge in Richmond. Went XLR line in with AKG 461s running into a pair of SD MP-1 mono preamps. The recording sounds great, and the deck was very easy to work with during the show.

When are you going to try out the W-mod? I haven't heard any feedback on one yet.

Each of the 3 types of modifications Doug Oade does on the 661 upgrades the entire XLR analog input path, which covers both mic and line inputs. Only the 1/8" line 2 input is not modded. I did some home tests when I got the unit by recording studio CDs on my home system cranked to near concert levels. Sonically, I could hear little or no difference between the two methods and the values on the EQ graphs for each frequency were within +/-1 db of each other between the two methods, confirming the warm mod is always in play. However, I noticed that running the outboard preamps, I had significantly more headroom remaining, and about half the battery drain.

Since running the unit with mics directly in really calls for adding outboard power supply, I figure carrying the extra boxes for the preamps and not needing external power on the 661, as wells as getting more headroom overall is enough of a benefit to keep using the preamps in front. But, if I was in a pinch and had to run mic in, I also know it sounds fine that way too.

Besides matching best with AKGs, one of the other reasons I chose the warm mod was that Doug said it would be better for SBD feeds than the concert mod, since SBD sources can often be dry and too bright, lacking body in the mid range.

I would say based on my short time with this unit, and listening to sources using the concert mod, that Doug's original comparison in sound with the warm mod sounding like the M148 preamp, and the concert mod sounding like the M248 is a valid one.

[Dede2002]

I created a markup PMD661 so that I could actually hold it and see exactly what these measurements mean.  I was curious to see if it could be stealthed.  I constructed it in photoshop by combining the device's published dimensions and photos of the device.  My final opinion is that it would be slightly difficult to stealth.  Not impossible, but certainly not as easy as my h120 or the R-09HR I'm considering.  I've saved it as a pdf and attached it below so that future people considering the device as a stealth device may print this out and hold one for themselves =)

Agreed 

[Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan]

Checking in after taping first show with the WMOD 661, Friday 4-3, The Bridge in Richmond. Went XLR line in with AKG 461s running into a pair of SD MP-1 mono preamps. The recording sounds great, and the deck was very easy to work with during the show.

When are you going to try out the W-mod? I haven't heard any feedback on one yet.

Each of the 3 types of modifications Doug Oade does on the 661 upgrades the entire XLR analog input path, which covers both mic and line inputs.

Thanks for the info, I didn't know that.

I'm just making an assumption, but I'm guessing that if the mod upgrades all of the XLR input path, the XLR line-in is essentially a padded mic in much similar to the way the r4 is made. Basically there is no true line in via XLR and that it would pass through the pre-amp stage. It might be slightly noisier than a true line-in, but Dougs mods clean it up quite a bit, with also gaining the ability to add some flavor line in.

I was going to order the ACM when I got my tax return, but he didn't have the WMOD last time I looked on his page.

I'm wondering if Doug has any plans on putting up some ACM/WMOD samples on his site, I'd like to hear them both.

[GDfan]

Another battery test:
Neumann 184 > PMD661(48v on) with energizer lithium - 6.5 hours.
from the Neumann website they draw 3.2mA

[JasonSobel]

Another battery test:
Neumann 184 > PMD661(48v on) with energizer lithium - 6.5 hours.
from the Neumann website they draw 3.2mA

I just updated the "master" battery test list with this info (back on page 3 of this thread).  Thanks.
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,119213.msg1597270.html#msg1597270

I'm wondering if Doug has any plans on putting up some ACM/WMOD samples on his site, I'd like to hear them both.

Last I spoke with Doug (a couple of weeks ago), he was thinking about posting some samples on his site, and asked me if I thought it would be worthwhile.  I told him I did, but it certainly couldn't hurt to email Doug directly and ask for samples.  He should have samples of the Concert Mod, and I'd be surprised if he didn't also have samples of the warm mod.