Topic: Sony PCM-M10 (Part 7)

[willndmb]

has/does anyone use the headphone out??
is it noisy as hell or is it just me?
i plugged mine into my camcorder last week and the results are total trash
i did home tests today and line out is clear as day but headphone out is overpowered by static
volume level set at 4 and levels peaking at -8
tia for any tips/help

[gmm6797]

I tried it once and it was too hot, too noisy and too garbled, I never tried it again.... not sure, but even playback in the car never sounds great.... maybe they just built it to record and didnt care about device output
Anyone know if Sony ever puts out a firmware upgrade?  Edirol used to for their recorders, usually only 1 or 2 per device.

[earmonger]

I don't get garbles or static from headphone out. It's not very powerful but it's not distorted. Line out is louder, but with no volume control.

Sony generally doesn't do firmware upgrades.

[yates7592]

Headphone out is generally acknowledged as being not the best. Line out to an amp however is really very good. That's how I always use mine in portable listening device mode.

[Phil Zone]

Mine sound pretty good. No complaints. Sometimes with camcorders the static happens like that,move had it happen before.

[dogmusic]

Has anyone used the BeachTek DXA-6A phantom power adapter into the line- or mic-in of the M10?

They're used for video cameras, but I'm wondering if it would work to connect XLR phantom powered mics into the M10 without an external preamp.

Would the BeachTek DXA-6A be noisy, or because it is passive, fairly transparent?

[yates7592]

DXA-6A looks similar to XLR-1, so yes, I would think that it would work fine, and pretty transparent as it is passive like the XLR-1.

[dogmusic]

DXA-6A looks similar to XLR-1, so yes, I would think that it would work fine, and pretty transparent as it is passive like the XLR-1.

Thanks for your reply. I have used a small battery box (SP-SPSB-8) in front of the M10 with SP-CMC-4 mics and been very happy with the M10's preamps. So it would be interesting to try my Beyer MC930's with an XLR adapter like the DXA-6A.

Do you go line-in or mic-in to your M10 from your XLR-1?

Also, have you tried the XLR-1 with your D100?

[yates7592]

^^^^ I have the -15dB pad on my Beyers which lowers the sensitivity dramatically, so I have gone mic-in ok, but normally I would say line-in for most mics and loud stuff. Yes, the XLR-1 works and attaches perfectly with the D100. Wondering about that camera mount screw on the Beachtek in your photo, maybe it would fit to the Sony PCM recorders ok?

[dogmusic]

Wondering about that camera mount screw on the Beachtek in your photo, maybe it would fit to the Sony PCM recorders ok?

It looks like it might, actually. That would be really handy.

The one aspect of the DXA-6A that could affect its transparency is that it has gain knobs, whereas the XLR-1 is simply in/out.

[yates7592]

Reading the blurb I understood that the knob was only for attenuation so if you left it at unity its no change. I could well be wrong because Ive never used one.

[dogmusic]

Reading the blurb I understood that the knob was only for attenuation so if you left it at unity its no change. I could well be wrong because Ive never used one.

Good to know. Thanks.

[yltfan]

I give up. Can someone direct to the m10 FAQ? I looked all over...

Maiden voyage tonight. Trying to find a quick overview of standard settings, unity gain.

[dogmusic]

I give up. Can someone direct to the m10 FAQ? I looked all over...

Maiden voyage tonight. Trying to find a quick overview of standard settings, unity gain.

I think it's generally agreed that unity gain is about 4.0 on the level control.

[yltfan]

Thanks, dogmusic. But I'm still looking for the FAQ someone mentioned. I have some questions about this unit, and don't really want to try to read thru all 847 pages.

Maiden voyage last night--I'm underwhelmed. Maybe I just prefer the cheaper stuff, or maybe I just like being a non-comformist, but I like my Dr-680 more than the R-44, so far I like the R-05 more than the M10, and I prefer my AT's to the Neumann's. But maybe if I figure out this damn gain knob, I'll learn to love the M10 the way I'm supposed to.