Topic: PT: 3 - New Marantz PMD661

[aaronji]

I'm pretty sure the 661 has a 4 GB maximum file size.  Should be ~ 4 hours at 24/48.  I would have guessed that it was set at 24/96 (4 GB at a little over 2 hours), except that the file was only 1.94 GB.  Pretty strange.  Maybe try a different card?

[rastasean]

I'm pretty sure the 661 has a 4 GB maximum file size.  Should be ~ 4 hours at 24/48.  I would have guessed that it was set at 24/96 (4 GB at a little over 2 hours), except that the file was only 1.94 GB.  Pretty strange.  Maybe try a different card?

if it does have a 4GB file size limit, that is strange.

[Rockinman59]

I used the same 16gb Lexar SD card I've been using and it was formatted before I started last night.  I taped part of the opener until someone plowed my mic stand down but it was still recording until I hit stop.  Maybe it recorded 20 min of the set, that's about it.   I was recording in 24/48 as I always do and wound up getting 1.97gb for the dmb set for the first 2 hours and 8 sec then another 1.02gb for the remaining 1 hour and 4 minutes.   I hit record on the 661 today for over 2 hours in the Line mode just to see if it would switch to a new file again at 2 hours and it didn't. Not sure what caused it to switch, kinda weird.  It was like it thought it was the Microtrack II that I used to use lol 

[dallman]

I have to say I having always had FAT 16 machines that started a new file at 2gb, I didnt realize the PMD 661 can go to 4gb but the manual says it can. I have mine set at 2gb, and so my answer is decidedly unhelpful. Without really knowing what happened, I am at a loss. Maybe the card. I assume it was formatted in the deck and not on a computer, which is Fat 16 not 32. Do you use your presets? Is it possible you had it set to a preset that still had the 2gb split? Or maybe when you got plowed whatever button manually splits the files got hit?

[Rockinman59]

Hey dallman,

My stand got plowed during the opener not the dmb set where the split occured after 1.97gb and I had plenty of 24/48 room left on the SD card.   Is there a manual button on the 661 that could switch to a new file if it was hit?   Also, I didn't change any presets and I'm not sure which preset changes the gb limit to switch over to a new file, I only know the Auto Track can be set to 2 hours (and other times) and it's always set to off.

I guess I'll see what happens this Friday in Brooklyn.  I'll report back whether it happened again or not.  Probably will tape the same opener The Lumineers again

Thanks for everyone's input


Tom

[aaronji]

I'm pretty sure the 661 has a 4 GB maximum file size.  Should be ~ 4 hours at 24/48.  I would have guessed that it was set at 24/96 (4 GB at a little over 2 hours), except that the file was only 1.94 GB.  Pretty strange.  Maybe try a different card?

if it does have a 4GB file size limit, that is strange.

Not so strange.  Several other Marantz recorders also have 4 GB limits, as do the Sound Devices boxes and the FR2-LE.  Probably not the only ones, either...

[rastasean]

cool

[datbrad]

"The maximum number of clusters that Windows can mount on a FAT32 volume is 4,177,918"

Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc938937.aspx

Do any recorders use NTFS volumes? I'm not aware of any in the prosumer class.

[Rockinman59]

Update on the issue with files splitting when I don't have Auto Track on the 661 unit.  I taped DMB in Brooklyn last night with an empty & formatted 8gb SD card I've not used in a while, got only ONE file of 3.14gb for a 3:09 show time so everything's back to normal.   Must have been a glitch in the 16gb card or something.   I'll try that card tonight and see if I get one file again, then I'll know it was just a one time thing

[dallman]

Anybody ever go with the 1/8 inch Line 2 input jack?

My question is...

When using the XLR inputs, the deck is set to -18db, so if using the Line 2, 1/8 in jacks, which does not have plug in power of any type, would you keep the deck at -18db and use a battery box, or would you set it to 0db and use a set of mics with 1/8 jacks straight in like church CAFS, or CA11, or CA14's or AT853's etc.?? (or -6db or -12db which are the other 2 settings possible)

[DigiGal]

Anybody ever go with the 1/8 inch Line 2 input jack?

My question is...

When using the XLR inputs, the deck is set to -18db, so if using the Line 2, 1/8 in jacks, which does not have plug in power of any type, would you keep the deck at -18db and use a battery box, or would you set it to 0db and use a set of mics with 1/8 jacks straight in like church CAFS, or CA11, or CA14's or AT853's etc.?? (or -6db or -12db which are the other 2 settings possible)

I don't believe the 3.5 mm - 1/8" Line 2 input level changes by adjusting the input attenuation setting. The input attenuation is only for the XLR inputs. So for the 3.5 mm - 1/8" Line 2 input it doesn't matter where you set the attenuation and you'll need an external Pre to feed mics to it. I've only used Line 2 input a few times to record from my DAC or for situations when using the 661 as a backup recording where primary feed from my MixPre-D is going to a different recording device.

[dallman]

Anybody ever go with the 1/8 inch Line 2 input jack?

My question is...

When using the XLR inputs, the deck is set to -18db, so if using the Line 2, 1/8 in jacks, which does not have plug in power of any type, would you keep the deck at -18db and use a battery box, or would you set it to 0db and use a set of mics with 1/8 jacks straight in like church CAFS, or CA11, or CA14's or AT853's etc.?? (or -6db or -12db which are the other 2 settings possible)

I don't believe the 3.5 mm - 1/8" Line 2 input level changes by adjusting the input attenuation setting. The input attenuation is only for the XLR inputs. So for the 3.5 mm - 1/8" Line 2 input it doesn't matter where you set the attenuation and you'll need an external Pre to feed mics to it. I've only used Line 2 input a few times to record from my DAC or for situations when using the 661 as a backup recording where primary feed from my MixPre-D is going to a different recording device.

Thanks! that makes sense.

One thing that threw me, is when you use the presets, it would be nice if picking an input would allow the rest of the preset choices for that particular preset to be determined by that input choice, but that is not the case. I have 3 presets named and set as: s/pdif, XLR in, and 1/8 in. I really like having those choices set and ready to go.

So of course I now wonder...if I were to convert 1/8 to XLR, would I need a preamp or battery box, or would the extra boost to attenuation be enough? (as a maze of converter cables runs through my mind...)

[taosmay]

bump...If someone can suggest what I am doing wrong trying to update my f/w , I would really appreciate it. Thanks

Below is a copy/paste from what I posted in Team PMD661 yesterday. Seems like this section gets more attention now. On further reading, if this helps, I am using a SanDisk 8GB, class 4 SDHC card. After formatting in the 661, I used a Kodak R131 Reader for SD Cards. So, it doesn't say for SDHC cards... I am also running a Mac Mini OS X v.10.4.11, w/ a 1.5 GHz PowerPC G4 processor.

Hi Folks ~ It's been awhile since I checked in here. I know it's been a bit since this topic has been posted in, but I am having trouble updating the firmware version on my pmd 661. A friend sent me a link to D&M Pro website where I registered and downloaded the f/w update for the 661. The update guide directions say to copy the "pmd661up.bin" to the root of a SD card. I am not sure what that means... What I did was copied that .bin to the MPLANG1 folder of a formatted SD card. I then inserted that card into my 661 w/ the a/c cord attached and powered the unit on. "update Axxx?" did not display like it was suppose to. When I checked the f/w version via the menu, it has A1.14. What am I doing wrong? Thanks

Harold

[DigiGal]

Just noticed Marantz has a new but undated firmware version (v2.04) for PMD661 (linked here).  I'm running the previous version (v2.03) which was dated 6/17/2011.  Last time I remember checking was November 2012 and (v2.03) was still the most current.

Has anyone updated to (v2.04), any issues?  I'm not having any issues myself so I'm hesitant to update. 


PMD661 Firmware Details Version 2.04  Undated
Resolved issues below:
1. Fixed bug where the unit sometimes would not power on.
Previously fixed issues:
1. Expanded SD and SDHC card compatibility.
2. Fixed unit locking up when using pitch control on 24 bit 96 kHz files.
3. Resolved issue where setting EDL marks may corrupt the ‘Date Created’ in the file
properties.
4. Fixed formatting issue when the SD card is formatted in a different device.

[borjam]

I downloaded the file out of curiosity, and both the firmware details and the firmware itself have a timestamp of 10th Oct 2012. So that seems to be the build date.

Maybe they are just backporting some bug fixes from the Mk2 which uses, it seems, firmware versions 3.xx.

Just a guess of course.