Whether you're looking to get a song idea down, document an on-the-street interview, capture a live performance, or sample environmental sounds for film work, a quality field recorder is the key to portable, accurate audio recording. . . but with so many on the market, how do you know which portable digital recorder is right for you? Sound quality is important, but you're not looking to learn a complicated new piece of gear, nor do you have thousands of dollars to spend on a mobile studio. The perfect combination of affordability, accessibility, and high-fidelity, the Sony PCM-D50 will exceed your expectations in any situation. Since its introduction, the PCM-D50 has been the choice of discerning hobbyists and demanding professionals alike, and it's not hard to see why.
Unbeatable Sound Quality
Whether you use the D50's exquisite built-in condensers or plug in your own external microphone, you're going to be amazed by the sound quality on this compact unit. The PCM-D50 records in stable, reliable, linear PCM Wave format, up to resolutions of 24-bit/96kHz. This better than CD-quality fidelity pairs with ultra-low-noise mic preamps to accurately capture even the most subtle of soundscapes. While you can hook any professional stereo microphone up to the Sony PCM-D50, the unit's built-in microphones are themselves quite astonishing. The electret-condenser diaphragms are capable of the same detail as phantom-powered, studio-quality microphones, yet because they are self-powered (electrets use a quasi-permanently charged element) they draw no additional battery power. The mics swivel between 90 degrees for close miking (e.g. acoustic guitar, piano, foley work, etc.) and 120 degrees for wide stereo-images (perfect for, e.g. choirs, concerts, environmental ambience, one-on-one interviews, and more). Beautifully tuned compression-limiting settings let you capture a wide-dynamic range of sources without ever sounding artificial or forcing you to ride the volume input.
Jump Right In To Recording
While the PCM-D50 offers utterly professional sound quality, its intuitive layout makes it easy to understand for even the most inexperienced user. All the most common controls are assigned their own dedicated button, so you'll spend minimal time navigating through layer after layer of menus to make common adjustments. Play, rewind, pause, stop, and fast-forward are easily accessible, of course, but so is the limiter on/off button, the low-pass on/off button, headphone volume, display backlight and more. Track split has its own button so that you can easily start a new audio file without interrupting recording. Perhaps the nicest feature of all is a large, robust, input volume knob. This invaluable addition allows for quick and accurate mic gain adjustments, and is positioned by your thumb for easy one-handed operation. Instant access to input gain trim lets you quickly compensate for sudden changes in volume that the unit's built-in compressors and limiters don't catch up with in time. Most digital field recorders save their audio data to compact flash cards. While this option exists with the Sony PCM-D50 (it accepts high-transfer-rate Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo cards), it's the only recorder in its class that boasts an internal hard drive. Four gigs of super-stable flash memory--up to six hours of CD-quality, stereo audio--are built right in to the recorder. Audio transfer to your computer is simple with the Sony's USB jack, and since the PCM-D50 records in the near-universal WAV format, you won't need any additional software to convert files for use in audio editing programs.
Built For Demanding Field Work
Stable, reliable built-in memory is only one of the features that makes the Sony PCM-D50 ready for rugged field work. The aluminum chassis is built like a portable tank, with low-profile buttons that don't fear the inevitable bumps, drops, and jolts that happen every day in real-world conditions. The sensitive microphones are protected by a beefy roll-cage bar, and while the unit feels like a serious piece of equipment in your hand, it's still compact enough to fit into a jacket pocket. The PDM-D50 ships with four AA batteries. The advantage of being able to use replaceable cells in the field, as opposed to other units' rechargeable and often unremovable batteries, is obvious. Instead of having to wait for your recorder to power up while your interview subject gets more and more impatient, or that rare flock of migratory birds decides to fly off, you can simply throw in a fresh set and be back up and recording, instantly. Of course, the PCM-D50 can also be powered via its included AC adaptor when grid power is available.
In price/performance measures, the Sony PCM-D50 can't be beat. It's got features that any pro needs, a self-explanatory control layout that novices will be thankful for, and an amazing sound that everyone will appreciate.
