Marantz PMD620 Solid State Audio Recorder
Image: Josh Bancroft
Although there isn't an official press release yet, Marantz announced the PMD620 Digital Audio Recorder a few days back at the Podcast and New Media Expo and Josh Bancroft took pictures of the nice-looking, "cigarette pack-sized"* unit as well as the spec sheet. The PMD620 will record to SD and SDHC flash memory cards, has an OLED display, can record from its built-in condenser or external mics, and can record for five hours on a pair of AA batteries. It also has a built-in speaker, which Marantz claims is first in the "pro handheld" category.
Should be $400 when released in November.
Marantz PMD620 Digital Audio Recorder [Flickr]
* As a smoker, I think the PMD 620 looks a hair bigger than a typical cigarette pack.
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I am always looking at the new handheld recorders on gadget and music blogs such as BB Gadgets, Music Thing, and Create Digital Music, and I am just waiting for one that can record 4 tracks simultaneously. The ones available are VERY pricey. There are several 4 track units available, but none of any reasonable price can do mire than 2 tracks at once. The reason this would be really great is as follows: People in bands want to do decent live recordings when they play a show. The ideal setup for this, unless the venue has an in-house recording computer, would be to record a stereo track from the mixing board, and to point a stereo mic straight at the band from the mixing booth. The combination of these two stereo tracks makes for a very professional sounding live recording if mixed properly at a later time. Someone please make a 'full' 4-track handheld recorder for less than 700 dollars!!
One does exist for around $300 dollars. I have been researching this extensively because I need something for recording interviews and documentary pieces at broadcast quality.
http://homerecording.about.com/od/productreviews/fr/h4_review.htm
I found that the Zoom H4 was the cheapest with 4 tracks. The only drawback I have ever heard in any reviews of the unit was that the build quality is a little low. So if you are careful with it and keep it in some sort of a carrying case you should be fine.
I decided to go with the Marantz PMD660 because I don't need 4 channels and I need something tough for slogging around in the field.
I hear that the recording quality on the H4 is even a little better than the $500 PMD660.