Topic: Sony PCM-A10 (Part 2)

[dallman]

Previous Thread:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=188246.0

[fobstl]

Ran a friend's brand new A10 for Dylan last week. The thing really is even smaller than I thought it would be. I was right on the center aisle so didn't want to take the recorder out of my pocket to set levels, it was great to be able to start the recording and set levels with the app! Recording turned out great.

Bob Dylan 2019-10-22 Stifel Theater, St. Louis, MO
Schoeps MK41>BabyNBox>A10
https://we.tl/t-6xMpWvVSzc

[dactylus]

Ran a friend's brand new A10 for Dylan last week. The thing really is even smaller than I thought it would be. I was right on the center aisle so didn't want to take the recorder out of my pocket to set levels, it was great to be able to start the recording and set levels with the app! Recording turned out great.

Bob Dylan 2019-10-22 Stifel Theater, St. Louis, MO
Schoeps MK41>BabyNBox>A10
https://we.tl/t-6xMpWvVSzc

^
Thank you!

[Popmarter]

After 14 gigs with the A10 in combi with the AT853's and Naiant IPA (gain 0/+9/+18) its fair to pin down somw experience.

- If you do stealth, use this.

That's it.

Really,
- No recording unit is smaller.
- For taping: Hook it up. Put it on. Press ok for Audio in. Hit record. Set to hold. Adjust recordlevel with the app.
- The app is very stable to me (Huawei phone)
- Bit hot maybe (with the Naiant pre i can do without extra gain, but this depends on your mics)
- Battery lasts forever

Sure, you can use a ton of options/extra but for recording not that important.

[nulldogmas]

- If you do stealth, use this.

Okay, I'm sold.

Expect an M10 to show up in the Yard Sale soon if all goes well...

[adrianb]

- If you do stealth, use this.

That's it.

Really,
- No recording unit is smaller.
- For taping: Hook it up. Put it on. Press ok for Audio in. Hit record. Set to hold. Adjust recordlevel with the app.
- The app is very stable to me (Huawei phone)
- Bit hot maybe (with the Naiant pre i can do without extra gain, but this depends on your mics)
- Battery lasts forever

I'm a Sony man through and through, and have owned every portable recorder since the PCM-D1 through to the disappointing PCM-D10. But I am yet to buy the PCM-A10 because I own the Roland R-07 and I have pulled some of the best recordings I have made recently.

The Bluetooth on the R-07 is unreliable, but the safety track means I'm not checking levels at all. I just set and forget. For stealth, until 32-bit float becomes available in a portable the safety track is perfect. Also, even though the A10 is tiny it does look like a recorder, whilst the M10 and R-07 could be MP3 players.

It's just a matter of time before I buy the A10 though.

[Cheesecadet]

Are the internal batteries easily replaceable?  Has anyone opened on up yet?

[guitard]

Agree about the app; love the fact that it's SO easy to use.  My buddy doesn't see the point why I love it since it's not that hard to pull out an M10 and look but I love the fact that I'm simply "looking at my phone."

This is actually from the previous thread, so I can't directly quote it.

To me, the greatest thing about not having to pull out the recorder to check things - even if it is easy to do - is that you don't take a chance of jostling it around and disturbing the recording.  I keep my recorder in a butt pack that rests on the front of my waist, and never have any problems with digi-glitch from the mics/recorder get jostled.

[ol' dirty taper]

This is from the last thread.

Out of interest, can I ask why you run XY? Do you get good results?

I also run AT831s open, and usually DIN (actually they're a little closer together than DIN, but still facing at 90° to each other).

I ran XY just as an experiment and was only about 4-5' feet away from the artist in a small cramped room. I think the recording came out well.

Attached is a sample here : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YkJ67V53NTej2Wok5XoRgP3tPkebQ3Om

The artist is Emily Wryn who played at a wine bar called The Station, in San Luis Obispo, California, a renovated mid-century gas station. Show was on September 12, 2019.

[ol' dirty taper]

**Removed any discussion of  taping**


There was discussion somewhere on the board about a small battery power supply that can attach to the A10, I mocked up a photo of an idea I had when I first bought the unit, but since changed my mind and went with a case.

I have these extra 1/4"-20 thread camera screws from my photography days, the plan was to grind the head on the screw down to about 1/3 of what it is now, drill a hole in the battery holster and have it sit flush behind the 9V battery. The power supply is an old Church Audio 9V unit. I may order a second power supply (SP-SPSB-8-MKII) and try it out, however I didn't want to commit to a permanent screw sticking out of my only 9V power supply.

The battery supply on the back of the A10 pretty much doubles the thickness of the A10 body (including the mic guard) and I opted for a case.

[Popmarter]

Nice one mate!

[Cheesecadet]

Nice setup.  Any idea if the internal batteries can be accessed and changed, if necessary, for more longevity of the deck?

[jerryfreak]

Nice setup.  Any idea if the internal batteries can be accessed and changed, if necessary, for more longevity of the deck?

yes i tore mine down and posted battery pics and links in first thread

[Cheesecadet]

Nice setup.  Any idea if the internal batteries can be accessed and changed, if necessary, for more longevity of the deck?

yes i tore mine down and posted battery pics and links in first thread

Thanks I look back for it.

[ilduclo]

AJ, what are the mics in your pics? Look like a nice small set, can you show them with the clips you use?