Topic: PT: 3 - New Marantz PMD661

[tedyun]

I think it's fine to run anywhere between 6-12V. I had to send my Mytek in for a bad connection with the DC in. I spoke to them about the flashing battery at 6V and they confirmed that it operates fine despite the Lo Battery flashing. Michal said that it just needed to be recalibrated. I sent my Tekkeon battery along with the unit, and they were able to adjust it so that the "Lo Battery" wouldn't flash when it was being supplied with 6V.

Cool thanks guys. That's helpful to know. It's just that flashing Lo Battery light makes me nervous.....

^^Hey Ted......  I believe Mytek recommends using the lowest voltage possible in order to maximize battery efficiency.  But you can use any voltage that's between the printed specs.  A 9v wally world DVD battery works great!

Like dactylus said...........   the low battery light ALWAYS blinks when an external battery is used.  As you probably know too, the Power switch is also disabled when an external battery is used.  Nothing to worry about.

I was just reading this, and I do not have the light flashing but I was running my Mytek at 12V. I did that, because at that voltage, there was not low battery light flashing. That said, it is good to know I can run at a lower level. I have used the Mytek about 5 times now and always at 12v, always without the low power light flashing. I don't see it getting particularly hot at all, but I assume I'd get a longer run time at a lower voltage. So at 12v the low battery light does not flash for me. Has anyone else tried this?

[DigiGal]

This cable works with AES > S/PDIF compatibility of MixPre-D to PMD661 at 24/96. 

I used Canare LV-61S flexible coax video cable for the AES to SPDIF cable, it converts the 110 ohm AES source into a 75 ohm load impedance with 237 ohms of resistance across pins 2 and 3 within the cables AES's XLR-F connector, the center conductor of coax to pin 2 and shield to pin 1. Terminated the other end of the coax with a 75 ohm RCA connector to match PMD661's S/PDIF input. 

edit for update including pictures of my new build using Neutrik XCC connector.

[ianmacd]

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I'm the proud owner of a new Oade concert mod PMD-661 and a pair of Schoeps CCM 41V mics. I have no experience with either.

I'm looking to take this rig out for the first time in the next week or so and I was wondering which of the default external mic settings to change. I'm turned the speaker mute on; that was obvious.

Less obvious is the mic attenuation, which defaults to -18 dB. Since both the recorder and mics are new to me, I'm tempted to change this to 0 dB for my first recording. If there's a support band, I'll be able to experiment on them a little, but it's even better to get the experience of people with similar rigs beforehand, so do you guys typically run with the attenuation off (0 dB) or not?

A spoken word test at the kitchen table suggests that the input from the CCM 41Vs is very high, so I suspect I'll need that attenuation. I suppose there's probably a good reason Marantz chose -18 dB for the default.

Anyway, any advice in general on which defaults to change would be appreciated, and on this setting in particular.

Cheers,

Ian

[jibooer]

congrats on your new rig!

IIRC, unless your are recording acoustic stuff from a distance, or real quiet ambient stuff, stick to the -18db setting.

As far as settings go, the file split size is pretty important.

HAVE FUN AND SHARE YOUR PULLS WITH US!

[ianmacd]

IIRC, unless your are recording acoustic stuff from a distance, or real quiet ambient stuff, stick to the -18db setting.

As far as settings go, the file split size is pretty important.

HAVE FUN AND SHARE YOUR PULLS WITH US!

Thanks for the advice and don't worry; I already share everything I record on DIME and, occasionally, The Traders' Den.

[jazzgtrl4]

I'm still waiting to hear back from Sound Devices regarding AES > S/PDIF compatibility of MixPre-D with PMD661. 

In the meantime I conducted a test by borrowing an AES3 source.  I successfully recorded from AES3 source > S/PDIF PMD661 at both 24/48 and 16/48.  Unfortunately 24/48 was the highest available setting for the borrowed AES3 source.  The PMD661 recorded files then loaded into my DAW without any problems or copy inhibit flags and I was able to process them and burn CD's of the files.  This is encouraging.

For this test I used a simple AES to SPDIF cable that I made a while back using a quality 75 ohm coax video cable (Belden 1505A), converted the 110 ohm AES source into a 75 ohm load impedance by installing 237 ohms of resistance across pins 2 and 3 within the cables AES's XLR-F connector with the center conductor of coax to pin 2 and shield to pin 1. Terminated the other end of the coax with a 75 ohm RCA connector to match PMD661's S/PDIF input. 

Wow that is cool. every time i tried that with a short AES>Spidif out of my Minime i have a problem. it would lock then lose the D. IN...or keeps saying "can not"...so i bought one of those little small AES to spidif converter boxs...but if i could eliminate the box and just go directly it would be nice..

[yug du nord]

^The "can not" message just means that the front level dial is being moved while using the digital input.  Nothing to worry bout there...  just secure the dial and you shouldn't get that message. 

[DigiGal]

Wow that is cool. every time i tried that with a short AES>Spidif out of my Minime i have a problem. it would lock then lose the D. IN...or keeps saying "can not"...so i bought one of those little small AES to spidif converter boxs...but if i could eliminate the box and just go directly it would be nice..

It will display [D. IN] if the sample rate of the recorder is not set the same as the source, the sample rate settings have to match.

[jazzgtrl4]

^The "can not" message just means that the front level dial is being moved while using the digital input.  Nothing to worry bout there...  just secure the dial and you shouldn't get that message.

Actually it was never moved. it was sitting flat and never touched and i was getting alot of "can nots" talked to Marantz tech and they said it was from the AES>Spidif with wrong ohms or something.

[jb63]

Quick 661 question!

Does the latest firmware make it impossible to turn off the red recording light while recording?

Is this buried somewhere I can't find?

Thanks!

[aaronji]

^^^  Try "LED > Off" in the display menu.  Not sure about the 661, but that works on the PMD620...

[DigiGal]

Quick 661 question!

Does the latest firmware make it impossible to turn off the red recording light while recording?

Is this buried somewhere I can't find?

Thanks!

^^^  Try "LED > Off" in the display menu.  Not sure about the 661, but that works on the PMD620...

Yes, confirmed...

Menu > 2 Display > 03 LED (ON/OFF)

Turns off both the LED meters and record button LED

[DigiGal]

Okay, I can confirm the MixPre-D AES output connected to the PMD661 S/PDIF input is compatible up to 24/96.  The MixPre-D is an ideal pairing with PMD 661 and the fabulous headphone amp in MixPre-D is a very welcome bonus.  The MixPre-D provides direct headphone monitoring as well as return (record confidence) monitoring and playback monitoring of the PMD661 if not using 3 & 4 as additional inputs.  The PMD661 alone has a very poor headphone amp.

Have no fears if you've been considering using a MixPre-D with the PMD661.

[skaggs]

Is there some sort of built in limiter on this deck, even with the high and low pass on off?  thanks 

[jb63]

Next "world's most ridiculous error" in the  picky Marantz 661:

Made a recording, played it back on the machine and it's fine, but it won't show up on the card when read by a card reader OR through the USB connection?

All I have is a blank card and an empty machine, according to every Mac operating system I have. The card SEEMS to have the recording on it, that is, it has the space missing, but it is a blank card. I can't find any files on it at all, even in the trash.

But when I push play on the deck, it plays the whole recording.

W T F?!