Marantz Professional PMD661 Review
I’ve been experimenting recently with the new Marantz PMD661 handheld solid state recorder that was sent for me to test out. Over the last few years, I’ve owned just about every field recorder Marantz has produced: PMD 670, 671, 660 and 620; so you can count me a long time fan of their gear. I have to say I like the new 661 and consider it a real improvement over the 660.
First, the redesigned case has a solid feel to it with a nice black brushed aluminum face. It makes sense for its size and everything is laid out nicely including just about any connection you might need. The unit now sports a 1/4-inch sized headphone jack (a real improvement in my book), RCA stereo line out connections, S/PDIF digital input, USB 2.0 port and a spare 1/8-inch stereo line in. They have switched away from compact flash and now use removable SD or SDHC memory cards. (The unit ships with 1 GB card to get you started.) The two XLR inputs are mic/line switchable and have +48V phantom power if needed. (The fact that that the XLRs are now line level capable moves this unit up much closer to its big brother, the PMD671.) The LED meter bridge has been moved to the topside of the unit and is angled so that it is visible from top or front. The 661 has two built in condenser microphones and stereo playback speakers.
The unit ships with a carrying strap that lets you hang it from you shoulder and, like its predecessor, the XLRs are intelligently located on the bottom so that mic cables drape nicely. The 661 runs on 4 AA batteries with a stated record time of 5+ hours (not tested.) For studio use, the unit ships with an AC adapter in the box.
To me, the big news is now you can record uncompressed PCM in either 16 or 24 bit depth with sample rates of 44.1, 48 or 96 kHz. I have always recorded my audio for podcasting using 24-bit to take advantage of the extra headroom and I feel this a signifiant improvement over the 660. The best part from a form and function standpoint is the large OLED display. The display is big, bright and easy to read. An additional display feature I appreciate is the ability to cycle through various alternate information dislplays. The display options depend on the function being used: record, playback etc. I found myself using the “record level” option frequently so that in addition to the meter bridge I had ballistic style meters running on the bright OLED. This is a huge improvement over the previous model and when recording inside or at night I find displays like this to be a real plus.
As devices get smaller and have more features packed into them, the menu systems sometimes get too confusing. Sure you can set everything up for just about any unit when the manual is right in front of you but the real test comes six months later in the field when you need to make a change, can you find the menu option then? So I did my basic test – could I navigate the menus and get the unit set up without having to first read the manual. Success! The menu structure is intuitive and I was able to get everything configured and even went so far as to program the 3 presets without ever having to crack the manual.
The transport buttons are laid out intelligently and operation was easy. You can’t miss when you are in record mode. The ring around the record button lights up in bright red and is a nice touch.
Now for the most important question: how does it sound? I think it is an improvement over the 660 but with all these portable digital recorders microphone selection is key. I’ve posted two quick sound clips recorded with two dynamic ENG style interview microphones: Sennheiser MD46 and an ElectroVoice RE50N/D-B. I think this unit would definitely do better with a phantom-powered condenser microphone. And sure enough right there on page 24 of the manual that is what Marantz Professional recommends for the 661. But since the MD 46 and RE 50 are popular among podcasters for mobile interviews, those are the ones I tested.
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I’ve also posted a file recorded with the internal mics. My guess is that they are the same as those used on the PMD620 – a unit I like for ultra-portable use. (I have an email out trying to confirm this.) Update: I got word back from Marantz Professional that, “the mic capsule is quite same as the PMD620 but the mechanical structure (how to support the mic unit), mic pre and power supply circuits, peripheral devices and parts …those are improved.”
Internal Mics
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Overall, I like the unit. With its line capability on the XLRs it can serve double duty as your desktop recorder when behind your mixer and then you can pack it up and head out to capture field interviews. Just make sure you pick your mic carefully. The Marantz PMD661 is available through Amazon for $599.
Michael, could you add a sound file that uses the built-in microphones? I’m very curious to hear it. They look like the same mics used in the handheld PMD-620 (which I use in the field). I’ve been using the 660 in my studio for some time, almost always using the line-in function, but if the built-in microphones on the 661 are improved, it might be worth the investment for me to upgrade.
Shel,
Thanks for the comment. I’ve added a sample file with the internal mics. My guess is they are the same as the PMD620, though I am trying to confirm this.
I’m trying to decide between the PMD661 and the PMD671. Any thoughts? I want maximum flexibility, ease of use, and sound quality – mainly for podcasting, both in studio and mobile. Thanks.
Thank you Shel,
Some practical issues:
1. How long is the startup time for the 661 unit? (How many secs from pressing ON to RECODING, taken that the right preset already is chosen).
2. When you use the MD46, does the 661 give enough feed (gain) or do you have to push it the top to be able to get an acceptable level? (I had problem with the MD421 on the 660)
3. Do you feel that the monitoring (headphones) level is high enough? When recording in noisy environments I find it essential to have a pretty powerful headphone amp.
4. I live in Sweden, where the winters are long, have you any info on how the unit works around 0 degrees celsius?
Again, thank you for your review.
Erik, I have the PMD661 and I use it with dynamic mics only. I’m pleased to report that it provides plenty of gain for even very low output dynamic mics like the EV635, which is what I primarily use. (I also have the MD421. Although I haven’t used it with the PMD661, I’m sure you’ll have no problem with it since the MD421 has a hotter output than the 635. I can reach 0dB with the gain setting at about 6-7 out of 10.
Startup time is 3 seconds. (impressive.)
Headphone volume is adequate but not super. With a voice peaking at -10dB, you can listen at full volume without hurting your ears. A full 0dB source will hurt your ears a little, but that’s the only time I back off the volume in a quiet room. It may be a little underpowered for a noisy room. Internal speaker is tinny sounding and quiet. Not good for anything except checking your takes.
The only negatives I’ve found: the unit once failed to start up after traveling with it. The troubleshooting guide says when the microprocessor gets confused you must cut power and restart – i.e. eject the batteries and re-insert. It only happened once. You should know ahead of time so you’ll know the fix. I lost an interview and had to reschedule because I didn’t have the instruction manual to figure this out.
Also, the 1G card it ships with works fine on both Mac and PC, but after upgrading to an 8G SDHC class 6 card, the mac hangs trying to retrieve the .wav files. Still works fine on the PC. It may just be a mac problem but it’s annoying.
Thanks for your review, you’ve answered one or two questions that I couldn’t find answered elsewhere!
Hi
Just wondering if the PMD 671 would be a better alternative than the PMD 661 to record live events. I am looking to record my 4-5 day events to have available for sale for those that can’t make it. Any suggestions?
susan
Susan,
Either unit will work just fine. Given you are recording a live event I assume you’ll probably use the line-in functionality with a mixer as the source. Either unit will accommodate this, though the 661 will take XLR line-in and the 671 has RCA’s for line-in so be sure you have the correct cables. I own both and my only other suggestion is to use the power adapter rather than batteries and break-up and back-up the recordings as they progress.
Did a test of the DA-part of the PMD661. Connected the digital input of the PMD661 to the digital output of the Shanling SCD3000 CD/SACD player. Then connected the balanced analog output (not the tube output) to an amplifier. At the same time connected the line output of the PMD661 to another input on the same amplifier. A listening test comparing the two different DA converters showed that the SCD3000 sound better. The staging is more stable and the audio more clean. The SDC3000 vas used without the upsampling option, to make the test as relevant as possible.
Will go on making a test recording an analog signal, transferring to a CD and the use the SDC3000 to get an idea how the AD in the PMD661 sounds.
Well, but looking at the price tag and the form factor the PMD661 sounds very good when using for an analog recording and replay of an SACD compared to the original using the SDC3000.
Victor
Gentlemen,
One of my hobbies is sound for theater. You know, like the sound of a car that passes by, or the sound of a toilet flushed through, etc…
As some amongst you are already using the PMD661, you might be able to answer my question:
I’m intended to order the PMD661, but no shop here in Belgium can demonstrate me the possibilities of that recorder or give me a proper answer to my questions.
Beside using that PMD661 to replace my old UHER portable open reel recorder for live recordings (I copy the analogue signal of that recorder to a p.c. for editing), I would like to use it also as a playback device during theater plays.
Actually I copy the sounds from my p.c. onto mini disk for playback, but it’s not an ideal situation to have the MD-player in “pauze” during the 2 or 3 hours a theater play takes place, and this just to play a couple of sounds or some music. A solid state player would be a lot better option, as there are no parts moving during stand-by, and as it doesn’t make any mechanical noise.
I would even like to use it to play some music while the audience is coming in or leaves at the end. To do this now,I burn c.d.’s and play those on an ordinairy c.d. player.
So my question is quit simple: Can you easily download wav.-files from a p.c. into a machine like the PMD661, without having problems with filenames and such things, and then play these files from the PMD661. And can you use an PMD661 as a kind of mp3 player, transfering music with its title from a p.c.?
This would make a big improvement, as well in terms of quality (whole chain would be digital, no more intermediate conversations), as in handling and manipulation.
Thanks a lot for any feedback
Kind regards,
Luc
as mp3 player? basically it does the job. basically.
i’d like an update with an software m&s monitoring.
ermens