Sony PCMD1 Portable Audio Recorder

Built-in condenser mics in X-Y configuration. Analog level meters. Uses Pro-HG Duo Memory Sticks only.

Item: SNYPCMD1

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    • List: $1,995.00
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Sony PCMD1 Portable Audio Recorder reviews

Rate and Review This Product:

37 People rated this product : * * * * * * * * * * 8 out of 10

 

6 People wrote reviews

Read all Sony PCMD1 Portable Audio Recorder reviews...
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10 zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

"this is the real thing"

Feature:
i do wish it had phantom power for external mics, and i wish it accepted higher capacity removable media, but those are just quibbles.

Quality:
it's indestructible.

Value:
hard to compare this to cheesier units. there really isn't a competitor in this segment.

Desirability:
you know this is the one you really want. find the money and spend it on this. if you want to surreptitiously record concerts, or jot down song notes, you don't need this one - the Zoom will be fine. but if you're a person who collects sound, you can't work without this device.

Sound:
the mics and their x-y mic placement are perfectly suited to the application. versimilitude of nature recordings is simply astounding. the unit itself contributes absolutely no sound at all.

Ease of Use:
i haven't found anything i needed to do that it couldn't do easily.

Support:
sony is notoriously spotty. hard to reach the right person, given the number of divisions. i still don't know whether this unit will accept a memory stick pro _duo_ (the spec says no) and no-one i found at sony was sure, either. no matter, though, removable media was not a deal-maker for me.

Overall:
unless someone creates a more perfect field recorder, i expect to use this one. i'm always looking, but for my needs this is the ultimate.

Submitted: 1/3/2008

Style of Music: oh please. it's music.

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* * * * * * * * * * 9 out of 10

"In a class by it's self..."

Feature:
This machine does not have too many bells & whistles. The controls and menus are direct & clear. The unique limiter seems to work well. I wish it had adjustable release times... But the limiter does get the job done in most cases. It comes with a functional foam windscreen. I would suggest you purchase a fur windscreen for recording outside. The unit comes with the usual batteries & charger.

Quality:
This is Sony at it's best. Very nice. It's not quite like Nagra or Sound Devices gear... But the unit is very rugged. The titanium shell is highly scratch & dent resistant. The frame is magnesium. The control knobs are well protected. The only thing I question is the plastic battery compartment door. They built 99% of the machine out of metal except this door. On the other hand... The unit works just fine without the door. So it's not going to stop you from recording if you did break it. Overall this device screams quality inside and out.

Value:
For the money and feature set... I just don't see anything else that can compare. It has better mics than the Nagra unit. It has super clean mic pre-amps like pro gear should have. It is compact and field worthy. It's more expensive than a Zoom H4. But it also performs like a professional recorder.

Desirability:
Very sexy. People always stare at it with LUST. This is truly a thing of beauty. It should win an industrial design award. Many complain about the high price... But take away the price and everyone wants one. (Don't forget you can find these units used too.!)

Sound:
This recorder has the best quality of any field recorder I have used. I suppose the Sound Devices 702 might have a slight edge on the pre-amp quality. But the PCM-D1 with the XLR adapter comes very close. And the 702 is a lot bigger and it does not have high quality built in mics. The sound quality of the built in mics are also very good. They are not going to deliver the low frequency sensitivity of a large diaphragm condenser... But you can't exactly hold a U87 in your hands either. These mics are very practical and have exceptional high frequency response and sensitivity. Overall... The sound is outstanding.

Ease of Use:
Compared to others... The words Intuitive, Direct and Simple come to mind. The gain control knobs are very easy to use. (Unlike the Zoom H4.) Not a lot of extra junk to sort through. It just works.

Support:
I really don't know about Sony support. The unit never needed any service. I wish it did have a firmware upgrade capability to allow new features like an adjustable limiter. I don't expect any upgrades for this unit.

Overall:
I have extensive experience with this type of recording equipment. I have used most of the popular units in real life situations. I don't buy stuff by reading about it. I try it on a job first. I had the opportunity to record with a PCM-D1 on a job prior to my purchase. I was very impressed by the sound quality of the mic-preamps from such a compact unit.

Submitted: 5/30/2008

Style of Music: Alternative, Classical, Jazz.

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Read all Sony PCMD1 Portable Audio Recorder reviews...

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About This Product!
Description
From Our Catalog
News
Designed to produce digital stereo recordings that are completely faithful to the original master, the PCM-D1 is capable of re-creating even the most subtle performance nuances. The PCM-D1 can be used for high-quality recording in an array of applications including live sound, house of worship and theatrical performance, as well as by journalists in the field.

"The PCM-D1's level of quality is matched only by its extraordinary 'cool' factor," said Paul Foschino, senior manager for professional audio in Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Production Systems Division. "The body of this portable recorder is fashioned from pure 1mm thick pressed titanium that's several times harder than alumite-treated aluminum. Sound engineers will simply not want to put this unit down."

The new recorder is lightweight, free of all drive mechanisms, equipped with extraordinarily sensitive, built-in condenser microphones, and designed with circuits that process stereo sound with virtually no extraneous noise.

The PCM-D1 features 96K/24-bit recording capability, 4GB internal flash memory, removable Memory Stick Pro high-speed storage and a built-in USB 2.0 port for Macintosh and Windows/PC operating systems.

Features:
Built-in condenser microphones in an X-Y configuration with low self-noise, high sensitivity and nearly 30kHz frequency response

.WAV recording file format capability

Analog level meters with LED peak overload indicators

LCD display with comprehensive recorder status indication and menu selection

4 AA nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries and charger (supplied, battery life at 96kHz of approximately 4.0 hours with rechargeable AA batteries)

Signal processing functions including SBM, limiter and 200Hz high pass filter

Technical Info

Weight: 18.5 ounces (with batteries)
Look beyond the sleek 18.5 oz titanium body, analog VU meters, and X-Y stereo mic configuration, and you'll find a 24-bit, 96kHz stereo recorder that's ready for anything! Memory Stick storage, 4GB flash memory, and USB 2.0 for Mac/PC WAV file transfer.
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