Topic: Sony PCM-M10 vs Edirol R-09HR

[Cheesecadet]

So after perusing many pages of data, graphs, opinions...I am curios if there are folks out there that have used both recorders.

I am primarily interested in running my DPA 4061's > CA-9100 > Recorder???

Anyone in the know compare these two recorders in relation to the mics and preamp listed above?

Also, has anyone heard of anything new on the horizon...next few months?

Curious still...

[rastasean]

Don't got those mics but I do mics > 9100 > 09HR and don't have any issues with it.

I think you're either a sony fanboy or an Edirol fanboy. Both work well and do well. get both and return your least favorite.

[pafnuzzi]

Had the R-09HR and now run the sony. The sony is a bit smaller and the mic in is even more quiet regarding self noise than the edirol. Beside battery life is the great advantage of the sony!!!!! Won´t be so important for you but also the internal mics are a bit better on the sony  and you have internal memory of 4GB...

I would recommend the sony even if the edi was a very good recorder too.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

I'm not aware that anyone has shared a good m10 comp m10 that involves a high quality external pre-amp and complex source.

At this point the r09 and r09hr are very well understood.  I don't think the m10 has been "shaken down" that well yet.

[OOK]

I'm not aware that anyone has shared a good m10 comp m10 that involves a high quality external pre-amp and complex source.

At this point the r09 and r09hr are very well understood.  I don't think the m10 has been "shaken down" that well yet.

agreed..... The sony seems promising..... as well as the new tascam stuff... competion will only make the products better and possibly cheaper......

OOK

[swordfish]

Got to say that I run DPA 4061 --CA 9100 - Edirol R09-HR.  The Edirol set to 40(zero gain is what I read in the forum) and looked the CA 9100 set to + 20 DB and I am adjusting  the 9100 in the beginning of the recording...Most of the times you know either the venue or the band and you are able to preset your recording equipment.

I had a Korg MR 1 before and I am realy happy with the Edirol...Since it is very reliable.  When I leave the venue in 99% percent of the time I know I have a recording to take home...with the Korg I think I had about 50% of a chance ...

I had the Korg sent to the KorG maintenance and explained my problems the Korg killing my battery boxes and static and noise etc...

Korg couldn't find athing and the next recording showed the same static...ditched it..

So for now I am happy with the gear...showing interest in the naiant battery box...but I think that might to hard to handle with stealth recordings and toggle switches...

My 2 Cents

[johnw]

I owned an R09HR and D50 but sold both and now have an M10. I didn't like the R09HR, thought the D50 was pretty good but a little big and think the M10 is the best recorder of its size on the market currently. That is based more on size and features than sound or scientific testing.

With the M10, I thought the metering is better than the R09HR and all lights can be turned off for stealth just like the R09HR. It is slimmer than the R09HR which makes it easier to get into shows and kind of looks like a cell phone if you act like your talking into it. It has built in memory but also takes microSD cards or Memory Sticks. No noise if you have to adjust gain (which is a big flaw with the R09HR), but I keep it at unity (6) anyway. Battery life is incredible - like 24 hours at 24/48 going line in. It has 5 seconds of pre-record like the D50. The hold button is easy to use, but doesn't lock out the gain knob which is the only flaw IMO. As far as sound quality goes, it doesn't sound as good as my 722, but it does fine at loud rock concerts and handles clipping really well without any significant audible distortion. I could care less about the built in mics or preamp since I will never use them.

[Craig T]

I've been using the M10 since 10/31/09 without any problems and am very satisfied with the sound quality and functionality.  At this point I consider it field tested and taper approved.

[Idle Wind]

I just got my M10 from B&H Photo.  Currently $274.00, plus they throw in the Sony case for it - usually $29.99.  no tax no shipping to MA.  looks sweet.  and imo, the gain knob / hold issue isn't going to be a problem, and I'd probably actually prefer it that way.

It'd be nice if the remote at least had a clipping light on it though.

anyone interested in a CF-Modded Rockboxed IRiver cheap?   

[Belexes]

Anyone else besides johnw that had the HR and switched to the M10?

Thinking if it would be good for me to switch or not. Johnw makes some very good points.

[chrise]

The hold button is easy to use, but doesn't lock out the gain knob which is the only flaw IMO.

Hmm, not IMO.  The PCM-M10 gain knob is quite stiff, AND physically protected by the casing.  So I can't see how it could realistically be moved by accident...

Are there other recorders where the hold button locks the gain ?  If so, are they recorders with an inferior "digital gain control" ?  The hold switch on most recorders I've used (including PCM-M10) is purely software, so I don't see how this could easily lock a proper analog gain control, like what you get on the PCM-M10.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

The hold switch on most recorders I've used (including PCM-M10) is purely software, so I don't see how this could easily lock a proper analog gain control, like what you get on the PCM-M10.

It's easy to do - the pot can be switched out of the circuit.

And just because the gain control is a knob does not necessarily mean it is analog.  Ideally the gain control is changing the amount of amplification, not attenuating.  And in terms of digital gain, we may not like the thought of it, but it isn't the end of the world.  The 7xx sounds very good, and digital gain is a part of that topology.  When you turn the gain knob on the 7xx, it displays the amount of gain in dB (does the m10 do that?).  I tend to always run my recorder at the lowest gain possible and add all gain with my pre-amp.  So it is rare that I need to adjust at the recorder.

In some situations I prefer button based gain.  That way I can release the hold, click the gain button some number of clicks, all without removing the recorder from my pocket.  It also lets me set the gain at a specific level.  I can remember running the variable pots on the minime.  It was a pain to take notes like "1:00 o'clock gain".  With the v3, aerco, 7xx and r09, I know exactly how much gain I run.  I like the stepped gain pots on the v3 and aerco.

[chrise]

It's easy to do - the pot can be switched out of the circuit.

Wouldn't switching the pot out of the circuit change the level from whatever you've just selected using the pot ?

When you turn the gain knob on the 7xx, it displays the amount of gain in dB (does the m10 do that?).

No - there's nothing on the display.  If you need to know the absolute value, you have to look at the knob itself (not hugely easy in the dark!)

I'm not using an external pre, and hence it presumably makes sense to have a gain control acting on the analog signal before it hits the built-in pre.

I imagine in expensive units, this gain control could be digitally controlled.  But I fear in some cheap units, the gain into the internal pre may be fixed, with the gain "control" adjusting the signal in the digital domain, after the pre and A/D stages.  Not so good.

Again, I'm talking about using internal pre.  I agree things are different with external pre.

 

[page]

It's easy to do - the pot can be switched out of the circuit.

Wouldn't switching the pot out of the circuit change the level from whatever you've just selected using the pot ?

Depends, is there an end where you can turn it anymore? If so, then the values at a given possition might corelate to a specific value. If it's a free spinning wheel (e.g. you get to max gain and the wheel can keep trying to increase the gain regardless of what happens), then it's unlikely that this mapping occurs and instead the recorder is measuring change in volume requests and not an absolute gain request.

(I don't have one, I'm meerly interested in it is why I read these threads)

edit: realized that you were answering a question, not contradicting a statement. my bad.

[M]

The value from the pot could be stored and the pot could be switched out.