Topic: Newbie Alert--PCM-D50 or M10?

[dazed]

I play in a loud rock band and want quality recordings of both our shows and rehearsals.  I am thinking of these two recorders--I love the portability and design of the M10 (along with the fact it will take memory cards other than Sony proprietary) but hear amazing things about the internal mics on the D50. 

My question is this--is it possible to get equal or better quality rehearsal recordings (than the D50) by using external mics on the M10?  Stealth is not needed (for now--never say never).  Our situation is typical for a 5 piece loud-ish band (not 'metal-loud', but not quiet by any means)--we are essentially standing around a circle--all pointed at each other.  My budget for this 'project' is $1000--should I go D50 alone, M10 with one or a couple of mics (suggestions?) or M10 alone and keep my money...

Thanks in advance for the help and I apologize in advance for my ignorance. 

[rastasean]

whichever recorder you get, plan on getting external mics. people will say you can use the recorder without external mics, and that is true but if you have a grand to spend, I vote for the m10 and rest on pre-amp, mics, cables.

[dazed]

Thanks for the reply!  I lurked around here for awhile and I figured that no one here would be satisfied with any mic that is "internal" LOL.  Obviously, the 'return on investment' factor comes in--what 'level' and type of mic/mics and pre-amp should I be looking at if I want a significant improvement on what the internal mic will give me? 

Thanks again...

[MikeMannZ]

If you're looking to record your band then get a breakout unit for a notebook...something like the motu 8pre or firestudio.  I use the m10 for rehearsals and the internals are just dandy.  keep in mind it's just a scratch pad...but a damm good one.

[Belexes]

I own both. For rehearsals, you might get by with the internals.  With your budget, consider the D50 + check out Church Audio in the retail section of their board. He sells some nice mics + pre-amp packages.

[earmonger]

I've gotten good loud rehearsal recordings with the PCM-M10 internals.  They're near-mono, but clear.

If you'll ever want stealth, the PCM-M10 is much better--the size of an iPhone (but thicker), no protruding mics--and you could spend the $200 you'd save over the D50 on some serious high-quality mics.