Topic: new marantz PMD 661

[Krispy D]

I'll have to recheck.  I coulda swore mine didn't...

[newplanet7]

I'll have to recheck.  I coulda swore mine didn't...

Mine didn't last night 
My external batts export pin broke.
Trying a recovery program right now for it.
Got all of the first set MMW acoustic NYC and that came out absolutely heat.
It has the file on it but with 0 bytes.

[datbrad]

Hmm....I need to run more tests.  In my initial test at home and  I swear I remember the files not being there once the batteries died.  I was focusing more so on the amount of recording I was getting, though. 

...will report back soon.

The easiest test would be to simply pop out the internal batteries while it's recording, same difference. If it's made like the 670 and 671, it should close the file right at the point the batteries were removed every time.

[Javier Cinakowski]

The easiest test would be to simply pop out the internal batteries while it's recording, same difference. If it's made like the 670 and 671, it should close the file right at the point the batteries were removed every time.

That test isn't going to cut it on the 660 series.    The 660 starts the file saving process when the battery meter gets to a certain point.  It leaves just enough room on the battery to safely save the file.  If you just rip the batteries out than it certainly won't have any power to save the file. 

Also, to the person that has a saved file with zero byte, it might just be the wav header that is damaged.  Try a wave header repair utility directly to the file on the original memory card....

[su6oxone]

Seems like a few tapers have their hands on the 661... wondering when we'll start to see recordings up on LMA, BT, etc. 

[datbrad]

The easiest test would be to simply pop out the internal batteries while it's recording, same difference. If it's made like the 670 and 671, it should close the file right at the point the batteries were removed every time.

That test isn't going to cut it on the 660 series.    The 660 starts the file saving process when the battery meter gets to a certain point.  It leaves just enough room on the battery to safely save the file.  If you just rip the batteries out than it certainly won't have any power to save the file. 

Also, to the person that has a saved file with zero byte, it might just be the wav header that is damaged.  Try a wave header repair utility directly to the file on the original memory card....

I know the 670/671 series does this also, but the strange thing is I have pulled the battery sled right out of my 670 while recording which abruptly killed all power to the unit, and the file was still written and closed properly. I wonder if and external being disconnected by accident without batteries will result in a file that is not closed. That would make me steer towards only using internals. If you can get 5 hours with a set of 4 AAs, I don't see the value with an external battery. It's just one more box to lug around.

[Mike R.]

FYI,

There's a post on the Yahoo Nature Recordists group doing the "Tic Toc" test comparing the 661, LS-10, and the MZ-RH1.

""I don't think a lot can be deduced from this until the levels have
been equalised. However, the Marantz 661 seems to be good.""

[audBall]

I'm running more tests at home right now.  I want to confirm the file-saving/powering-down discrepancy.  I also received a PP-99 in the mail today.  It's currently charging but I hope to have some info on run-times with it as well (vs. internals) here soon.  The PP-99 is 4000mah, btw.

I stated before that the unit will not power down during REC PAUSE.  The same goes for RECording as well. 

[audBall]

Ok, so I ran the rest of the life out of the alkalines I had from Saturday night.  The file saved successfully and shows as 726mb, not 0mb. 



edit-
I also noticed that, when creating a new track while recording, the transition to the new file is audibly seamless (no pops/clicks/silence).

[datbrad]

Great!  Thanks for confirming this for everyone.

[timP]

not sure, just guess, but if the unit has internal battery meter that shows life left on the display, like my fostex has, then the unit knows it is about to shut off and saves the file?

if it is being power externally and the power dies suddenly, will it save a file?
Just a thought if using and external source to power it

[newplanet7]

if it is being power externally and the power dies suddenly, will it save a file?
Just a thought if using and external source to power it

This is what I was referring to above with my 660.
It didn't save the file because it was externally powered.
The deck wouldn't have known my external was about to cut out.
Hope that's not the case with the 661.

[audBall]

The power cuts abruptly when the external power is pulled.  I highly doubt the file is saved, but have not confirmed this yet.  I'll try it out tonight or this weekend.

[JasonSobel]

it's too bad that Marantz hasn't implemented something like the Tascam HD-P2 feature, where the recorded file is continously saved/closed/re-opened every 1.5 seconds.  So if power (external or internal) suddenly cuts out, you'll never lose more than 1.5 seconds worth of the recording.  It seems to me that that would be a better implementation rather than just saving the file when the internal battery power gets low.

[newplanet7]

The power cuts abruptly when the external power is pulled.  I highly doubt the file is saved, but have not confirmed this yet.  I'll try it out tonight or this weekend.

Excellent.
Thanks mang!
I will probably get one of these once more questions and anwers come about.