Topic: new marantz PMD 661

[ArchivalAudio]

My concert 661 arrived from Oade yesterday and I just tested it with internal batteries.  Got 4:43 of recording time powering a pair of Senn 8040s at 24/44.1 using a fully charged set of Sony 2500mA NiMH batteries.  A new file was created without any audible interruption at 4:11:57, and the second file was properly closed before the unit powered down.  Seems to be working fine with a PNY 16Gb SDHC chip.  These are pretty much the results I was hoping for.   

Really looking forward to using this rig in the field!

great report!

looking forward to hearing your field results!

[JohnnyAcey]

What SDHC cards specifically are folks using without issue?   I'm thinking about 4Gb, 8Gb & 16Gb.   I see the PNY 16Gb quoted below.
What class is that?
I've seen class 2 and I've also seen up class 6.

I've got a 661 on the way, but the first show I use it for will be important to me & I'd like to minimize any chance of a problem.

Do you recommend/use the class 6?   Can a card be "too fast"?

What specifically are you using that's really working for you.

Many thanks folks......

My concert 661 arrived from Oade yesterday and I just tested it with internal batteries.  ...  Seems to be working fine with a PNY 16Gb SDHC chip. 

I also found this.... (Answers the "class = speed question)


"Selecting a card is easy with standardized SD Speed Classes!

Until now, the various companies making SD cards have used their own way to indicate the data transfer on SD cards, and many times it wasn't possible to know if the card would meet those performance claims when used in an actual device.

This is why the SD Association created the "SD Speed Class" standard for data transfer speeds. In the future, the "SD Speed Class" will be indicated on compatible devices and cards, and it will be simple to select a card by the transfer speed. Now, three types of cards have been specified, Class 2, Class 4, and Class 6.

  Transfer speed is a minimum of 2MB/sec.
  Transfer speed is a minimum of 4MB/sec.
  Transfer speed is a minimum of 6MB/sec.

For example, when reading/writing with a Class 2 card, the transfer speed is over 2MB/sec. Class 4 is over 4MB/sec, Class 6 is over 6MB/sec. The transfer speed when reading/writing depends on the compatible device and card, and they belong to their own respective classes, and the class that the device or card belongs to is indicated by a mark on the product or the package.

The transfer speed is based on the result as measured under conditions regulated by the SD Association.

*Read and write speeds may vary depending on the read and write conditions, such as devices you use and file sizes you read and/or write. (For purposes of measuring write speed in this context, 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes)."

[skaggs]

Hey all, i got my Oade warm-mod a couple of weeks ago.  i went to great american taxi to check it out last weekend, and tried to run my m118 pre in front of it.  FYI, the unit is not designed to take unbalanced i puts and had a strange distorted quality to it.  unlistenable. so if you are planning on running an outboard pre, be warned you have to use the 1/8th in mini, which doug does not mod.  just wanted to let people know, it has been a while since i read this whole thread, and it might already be in there.

richard

[datbrad]

Hey all, i got my Oade warm-mod a couple of weeks ago.  i went to great american taxi to check it out last weekend, and tried to run my m118 pre in front of it.  FYI, the unit is not designed to take unbalanced i puts and had a strange distorted quality to it.  unlistenable. so if you are planning on running an outboard pre, be warned you have to use the 1/8th in mini, which doug does not mod.  just wanted to let people know, it has been a while since i read this whole thread, and it might already be in there.

richard

Did you mean Concert Mod, because there is no warm mod 661. I am puzzled how the line in could not handle unbalanced. I have never heard of a recorder with a balanced line in that had issues with an unbalanced input, as long as pin 1 and 3 are properly bridged in a male xlr connector with male RCA on the other end. However, some home build cables short the ground at the unbalanced end of the cable, which could allow RF interference. I think you should ask Doug for clarification.

[kbergend]

What SDHC cards specifically are folks using without issue?   I'm thinking about 4Gb, 8Gb & 16Gb.   I see the PNY 16Gb quoted below.
What class is that?

The card I've been testing with is a Class 4 PNY Optima 16Gb.  No field experience yet, but I've been using the card with the PMD620 for several months with no problems.

[skaggs]

There is a warm-mod, you have to ask him for it.  i have a warm p2 as well.  apparently Doug wasn't aware of the issue until i ran the the 118 into it.  i really bought it to be a bit bucket for boards out of my minime, and for stea..i mean low profile recording.  i might start running 118>minime>661, and use the p2 for boards, which i only do a few times a year.  i have never run the minime 24 bit, so looking forward to that, just hate those calpots and the screwdriver. 

i have to travel to nashville at the end of the month, and i am giong up to KY so see my folks, and the steep canyon rangers are playing my hometown.  i am thinking i will just run mk4's> warm 661 to see what it sounds like. 

[skaggs]

actually to be clear, there was not enough gain on the line in, and i ran mic in, phantom off to get enough gain, and i got the distortion.  either way an outboard pre has to go to the 1/8 in.  doug is sending me a cable to try it. 

[mepaca]

  i have never run the minime 24 bit, so looking forward to that, just hate those calpots and the screwdriver. 

Hello- you should not have to adjust the calpots everytime you go out. They are a set it and forget it type of thing. If anything set them a little low. it barely matters in 24 bit.

[datbrad]

actually to be clear, there was not enough gain on the line in, and i ran mic in, phantom off to get enough gain, and i got the distortion.  either way an outboard pre has to go to the 1/8 in.  doug is sending me a cable to try it. 

There are many preamps that have balanced line outputs, so it should be just fine with those. Also, the M118 has fixed gain like the M148, so I can see where you are limited if you are recording acoustic sources with mics that are not hot on the outputs.

 I think that your feeding line into the mic in was an impedance mis-match, and was the likely cause for the distortion. The XLR line in is designed for a +4 db pro line level, not -10 consumer line like the 1/8.

[Luminousoctaves]

If one of you guys with a PMD661 can tell me how much time the unit needs to go from OFF to RECORDING (approx, in seconds.) I will be very grateful.
(Taken that the right preset already is active.)

According to Marantz it's 4 secs. Just want to be sure.

(I'm a new member here. Live i Sweden. So if you want a ”arcticesque” review of the 661 I can probably come in handy. When/If I buy this unit.)

[kgreener]

sorry if this has been already asked, but have any pmd661 recordings been posted to date?  i'm anxious to hear what this box sounds like.

thanks.

[Luminousoctaves]

According to Marantz it's 4 secs. Just want to be sure.

I've just heard that it's more like 6 seconds (from another owner).
That's a lot IMO.

[TomR]

According to Marantz it's 4 secs. Just want to be sure.

I've just heard that it's more like 6 seconds (from another owner).
That's a lot IMO.

Mine is 4 seconds from switch on through pressing record to vu meter operating.

TomR

[dactylus]

According to Marantz it's 4 secs. Just want to be sure.

I've just heard that it's more like 6 seconds (from another owner).
That's a lot IMO.

Mine is 4 seconds from switch on through pressing record to vu meter operating.

TomR

4 to 6 seconds is a miniscule amount of time from powering on to "record able".  PLENTY of time to get ready to rock...  I'm sure that my sd722 is at least that much time too.

 

[Luminousoctaves]

4 to 6 seconds is a miniscule amount of time from powering on to "record able". PLENTY of time to get ready to rock...  I'm sure that my sd722 is at least that much time too.
 

I guess 4-6 secs is what to expect, but acceptable? Hmm... I can't see how a digital camera can be ready to shoot in 0,5 seconds and a digital audio recorder sometimes needs up to 15 secs (like the Microtracker 24/96) to record-mode. It's basically the same digital information being saved onto digital memory cards.

If you know what to record (like when taping concerts) 4-6 seconds is nothing. But when out on the streets/fields, trying to capture city/nature-sounds, timing is the key. It's a pretty big difference between 5 and 0,5 seconds when it comes to recording a passing train for instance.