+t to Arni for all the valuable information on this unit!
I used my PMD620 last night for the first time at a solo acoustic show by Tift Merritt at Union Hall in Brooklyn. These samples were recorded with AT943 cards straight into the recorder's mic-in jack at 24/44.1 with no attenuation. (you'll probably want to download these rather than trying to stream them)
This was recorded about 8 feet away from the performer a little right of center. It's unedited except for MBIT+ dithering to 16 bits.
http://keithfromny.org/downloads/tift_pmd620a.wavShe surprised us all by standing on the very edge of the stage in front of her mic stand and doing this song unplugged about 5 feet away from me. I didn't have a chance to adjust the levels, so this track is after an 8dB boost in post with the applause limited:
http://keithfromny.org/downloads/tift_pmd620b.wavSome discernible noise, but
way better than analog recordings without an external pre on the MT1 (which sound like Niagara Falls in the background after this much gain).
In terms of operation, this unit really looks and feels light years more professional than the MT (which is about the same size). It powers up and down almost instantly. Once you've mastered the presets it is simple to operate, and the controls have a very solid feel. The meters are easy to read, and the green level LED is adjustable. As for battery life, with 2 rechargeable 1230mAh Ni-MH I had it recording for almost 2 hours with 5V supplied to the mics, listened to the show on the ride home, had it hooked up to my PC via USB all night, and the charge indicator still says full! If you're looking for a compact analog recorder, IMO you're definitely better off spending a little more for this vs. the MT II. I only wish it had digital in.
As a plug for my girl Tift (who recently moved to NYC), she played a bunch of new songs last night and I think her forthcoming album will be killer! I'm looking forward to trying this unit out at a much louder show in the near future.