Studio in Your Pocket

Jun 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Geary Yelton

           
 

STEREO DIGITAL RECORDERS ARE MORE PORTABLE AND AFFORDABLE THAN EVER

FIG. 2: The Korg MR-1 delivers the highest-quality audio performance of all the recorders in this roundup, and it’s the only one with an internal hard disk.

KORG MR-1

The MR-1 ($699) is the most expensive model surveyed here, but several features make it unique, not the least of which is its variety of recording formats (see Fig. 2). In addition to 16- and 24-bit PCM audio in Broadcast WAV Format (BWF) at rates as high as 192 kHz (twice that of any of the other recorders), it handles 1-bit audio at 2.8 MHz. It also records MP3 files at 192 Kbps and plays MP3s at all bit rates. The MR-1 is the only recorder in this roundup with an internal 20 GB hard disk rather than flash memory.

On the top panel, alongside stereo minijacks for a balanced line output and unbalanced headphones, the MR-1 has two mono balanced mic/line inputs on minijacks rather than the stereo inputs you'll find on the other recorders. Included with the recorder is the CM-2M, a compact external stereo mic made by Audio-Technica, as well as a solid-metal bracket that serves as a tiny mic stand and has threads that attach to a camera tripod. The CM-2M has a split cable with two mono plugs to accommodate the recorder's pair of inputs.

The MR-1's generous graphical LCD shows menus, level meters, file data, and parameter settings. You access the MR-1's user interface with the Menu button and data wheel (called the parameter dial), which are mounted on the side. Turning the wheel scrolls though menu items, and pressing on it selects them. Pressing the Menu button steps backward through the menu hierarchy, just as it does on an Apple iPod. Transport controls are mounted on the front.

The internal hard disk stores tons of data, but at the expense of battery life — typically 2.5 hours or less using the internal rechargeable lithium-ion-polymer battery. To double battery life, Korg includes an external battery pack that houses four AA batteries. The hard disk's presence also means that microphones must be mounted externally, because a spinning drive generates some noise, no matter how minimal.

The MR-1's ability to record and play Direct Stream Digital (DSD) and other 1-bit formats gives it a definite edge. In my experience, nothing sounds as accurate and lifelike. This audio superiority results from several factors, including the unit's high 1-bit sampling rate — 64 times the sampling rate of a standard audio disc. Another has to do with the way A/D converters process PCM audio. Without getting technical, suffice it to say that the MR-1 sounds better than any other recorder in this lineup, making it suitable for archiving important recordings and mixdowns.

For exchanging data between audio formats, the MR-1 is bundled with AudioGate (Mac/Win), an application that converts 1-, 16-, 24-, and 32-bit floating-point audio from any format to any other format (except MP3) supported by the MR-1. Although it isn't a waveform editor, it also allows you to split and join files, change gain, create fades, and perform other tasks.

FIG. 3: The latest in a long line of portable recorders from Marantz, the PMD620 is quick on the draw and offers the ability to save and name user presets containing setup parameters.

MARANTZ PMD620

Marantz has a long history of making portable recorders for audio professionals and broadcast journalists. In fact, among the six recorders surveyed in EM's October 2005 cover story were two models from Marantz. The company's latest and most diminutive offering yet, the PMD620 ($399) easily fits in one hand, and I never used more than one hand to operate it. It records mono or stereo 16- and 24-bit WAV files at 44.1 and 48 kHz, and mono or stereo MP3 files at selected bit rates.

Like the Edirol R-09, the PMD620 has a small OLED that displays all user settings and file data (see Fig. 3). On the front panel, the Enter button doubles as the Play and Pause button, and it is encircled by a button that rocks in four directions; in addition to controlling the onscreen cursor, it controls fast-forward, rewind, and playback volume. Alongside the Stop/Cancel button are separate buttons for Record and Record/Pause — an unusual design that lets you go into record-ready pause or begin recording immediately. The Skip Back button rewinds playback by whatever increment you specify, from 1 to 60 seconds, every time you press it.

Two buttons that control Record Level are on the right side panel. On the left side are line in and out minijacks and another for the optional RC600PMD wired remote ($89). Two additional minijacks for headphones and an external mic are mounted on top, and two built-in mics are in the upper corners. On the bottom panel are small doors that open to reveal the SD card and USB ports, and a sliding panel in back accommodates two AA batteries. Also in back is a tiny monaural speaker; though it might be handy in some circumstances, I can only describe its sound as remarkably tinny.

Despite a recent firmware upgrade, the PMD620's operating system is by far the least intuitive of the bunch. Simply enabling the unit's Record Level buttons, for example, requires that you hold down the Display/Menu/Store button for 3 seconds, scroll to Preset Menu and press Enter, select a Preset, scroll down nine items to Level Cont., press Fast Forward to switch from ALC (Automatic Level Control) to Manual, and then press Display/Menu/Store again to save your changes. And instead of being able to delete a file immediately after a bad take, you must go into the Utility menu and select it from a list. But for all its design eccentricities, the PMD620 is an outstanding performer. It can go from being turned off to recording in less than 4 seconds — an amazing feat for any recording medium.

Once you understand how the unit works, presets offer its greatest functional advantage. You can store and name three presets on an SD card, each containing settings for 23 parameters. For instance, you could set up a preset to record 24-bit WAV files at 48 kHz using an external stereo mic that relies on plug-in power with -12 dB attenuation. Another preset could specify 128 Kbps MP3 using the internal mic with the low-cut filter engaged, and that recording would pause whenever the level drops below a certain threshold and restart when it exceeds that threshold. A preset can even stipulate the battery type, OLED brightness, onscreen font size, and other seemingly global parameters.