Topic: Olympus LS-3, microtrack, Marants PMD660 audio quality comparable?

[joljols]

Hello,
I have specific needs for my audio recorder and am therefore trying to compare different recorders. Since the recording world is relatively new to me I don't really know how to be able to compare audio recording quality of different devices. I currently have the Marantz PMD660 but the much cheaper Olympus LS-3 has better options for certain recordings I want to do. How does the recording quality compare between the two devices? And what should I look for when comparing? I understood XLR does not really have better audio quality than a normal microphone jack. Thanks for your advice.

[TimeBandit]

When you're using external pre / mics only it doesn' t really matters what recorder you use as a "data sucker". Maybe it only depents on the type of interconnect you need.

What recordings are you doing? Audience, Soundboard, Nature do you need Multichannel features or not? Whats your budget?

Typical TS Advice - You've guessed it: get an M10 and be happy.

[joljols]

I am a scientist studying a number of topics related to bird vocalisations and need the most natural/unflawed sound recording as possible. I currently have a Marantz PMD660 which is the standard for a lot of scientific research, however to me it is unclear why that is and if cheaper recorders like the olympus or microtrack have the same natural recording and output as the marantz.

[aaronji]

When you're using external pre / mics only it doesn' t really matters what recorder you use as a "data sucker".

That's not really true...What about the ADC, for example?

[ScoobieKW]

The Marantz is a higher quality piece of gear.
It has P48 phantom power with balanced XLR connectors to use with external mics.
For nature recording, you will want the quitest preamp you can find.

The LS-3 is smaller, cheaper, doesn't provide phantom power to the mics, and has an unbalanced input.

However both units are behind the state of the art as far as recording formats. The extended dynamic range of 24 bit recording is a huge advantage. The newer Marantz PMD661 has the ability to capture at 24bit, all of the features of the 660, and also will take a digital signal in. This is an advantage when you decide to add in a quality external pre-amp.

For a small recorder similar but better than the LS-3, I'm a fan of the aforementioned Sony PCM-M10.

[flintstone]

It's difficult to give advice because we don't know enough about how you plan to use the recorder.  For example, what microphones are you planning to use?  Will they be placed a distance from the recorder (making a balanced mic circuit more important)?   Is your subject generally loud (say, many primates, amphibians) or quiet (most birds).  How important is portability and battery life?  Is water resistance an issue?  And so on.

Here are some general comments.  According to tests on this web page ( http://www.avisoft.com/recordertests.htm ), the Fostex FR-2LE offers the quietest preamp performance (-129 dBu) of recorders with XLR inputs, and price below $600.  The Marantz PMD-661, at -125 dBu, is good, but you'll be able to hear that extra preamp noise in quiet recordings made with good mics.  The older Marantz PMD-660, at -120 dBu, is another step down in preamp quality.

I've used all three of these recorders, and would agree with this ranking of preamp quality.  The FR-2LE has its quirks, but it's a proven performer in field settings.

These three recorders are relatively large.  Today's smaller handheld recorders offer decent performance at cheaper prices.  But you give up the balanced inputs and locking connectors provided by the machines with XLR style connectors.  For example, the new Roland R-26 has relatively quiet preamp (-124 dBu), but the XLR inputs are unbalanced and lack the locking feature.  The Roland D-40 has locking connectors, but lacks balanced inputs.  And, worst of all for nature recording, its preamp is noisy (-107 dBu).

The built-in mics in any of these recorders leaves a lot to be desired.  So a handheld recorder is often paired with a pair of external mics.  The small recorders can't provide the same sort of battery power to the mics, so you often have to use a separate battery box to power the mics.

Tell us more about your needs, and we can make better suggestions.

Flintstone

[F.O.Bean]

If youre using external mics/preamps, then I would suggestr, you guessed it, a Sony PCM-M10