Sony PCM-D1 Portable Audio Recorder User Reviews at zZounds

"In a class by it's self..." submitted May 30, 2008

By a customer from sbcglobal.net

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Location Recording Engineer.

Music Style: Alternative, Classical, Jazz.

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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. 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. 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. 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. Manufacturer 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. The Wow Factor: 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.!) 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.

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Sony PCM-D1 Recorder Customer Review submitted March 27, 2008

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: active musician

Music Style: rock n roll

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Sound: put righ in front of my Fender Guitar amp and jam. It is so easy to set up and it gets the guitar sounds perfect. Feature: I sat on the windscreen but I don't think i have missed it. The lack of mic imput options is a small drag. Also when using reg batteries it doesn't last long. Ease of Use: turn it on and point it. Quality: It feels strong but I would not want to drop it Value: They got a model for 499.00. Almost the same specs. i would like to read a comparrison review here. Manufacturer Support: sony sucks here. Everyone knows it. thank god this unit seems bullitproof. The Wow Factor: looks alive Overall: ...one year so far. I did one live album for a friends band and it is selling.

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"The ultimate field recorder" submitted February 25, 2007

By a customer from nickkemp.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Studio engineer and trainer

Music Style: ambient

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Sound: Really excellent sound quality and a no brainer to use Feature: Its easy to operate and has great LEDs which is essential in field recording Ease of Use: Press record and you are all set Quality: Almost military spec, you could drive a tank over it! Value: Not cheap but then neither is a BMW... Manufacturer Support: Not needed support The Wow Factor: The coolest product Overall: The ultimate field recorder

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"The little gorgeous box that can...." submitted May 15, 2006

By a customer from yahoo.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Composer/Producer

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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

Feature: The PCM-D1 comes with all the bells and whistles you need to go out and start to record. It also comes with a soft carrying bag which is actually quite good, since one can just strap it around a belt. If someone is seriously gigging it around and need it for broadcast use, etc....I recommend purchasing a light hard-case, preferably made from aluminum, with full cushion for it (I retro-fitted a pro camera case for it). Quality: Built like a tank. I know, it's a clich

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"this is the real thing" submitted January 3, 2008

By a customer from gmail.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

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The Wow Factor

Musical Background: working musician 22 years, now composer only

Music Style: oh please. it's music.

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VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

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. 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. Ease of Use: i haven't found anything i needed to do that it couldn't do easily. Quality: it's indestructible. Value: hard to compare this to cheesier units. there really isn't a competitor in this segment. Manufacturer 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. The Wow Factor: 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. 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.

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"Great design--shame about the microphones" submitted December 5, 2006

By a customer from hotmail.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

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The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Recording technician

Music Style: Church Audio

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Sound: Bit disappointing that it does not have XLR microphone inputs with phantom power,it does not even have 'plug-in'power that the Sony WMD-3 cassette player has,what does that restrict the operator to,Dynamic microphones only? .The built-in microphones are clearly cardoid but described as 'unidirectional',a little more side and rear rejection would be of benefit for its use outdoors.The circuitry looks amazing,shame about the microphone inputs.

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