Marantz PMD660 Hand-Held CompactFlash Recorder

by Marantz

Product Features

• Records uncompressed 16-bit PCM .wav files at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz; onboard editing
• Records mono .mp3 files at 64 kbps; Records stereo .mp3 files at 128 kbps
• Uses inexpensive Compact Flash media; 1 GB CF card can hold over 1 hour of uncompressed stereo
• Operates for four hours on four AA batteries; Two XLR mic connections with +48v phantom power
• Two built-in condenser mics; Built-in USB port for easy file transfer; Stereo line I/O

Product Details

• Item Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000Z89VNE
• Item model number: PMD660
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,938 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #66 in Musical Instruments > Recording Equipment > Portable Recorders

Product Description

The PMD660 is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but it has features that make more expensive, full-sized field recorders green with envy. It can run for hours on just four AA batteries. It records on Compact Flash media cards which you can find in any discount store, and will store more than 36 hours of mono on a single card. If audio quality is your key requirement, you get over an hour of pristine, uncompressed, 16-bit .wav files. Editing can be achieved right there in the field using either of two editing modes, or you can use your favorite audio editing application by transferring files to your PC-the PMD660 even has its own USB port. XLR inputs, phantom power, built-in mics and more-it's all there in the PMD660.   Highlights Smallest PMD yet-fits in your hand Records uncompressed 16-bit PCM .wav files at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz Records mono .mp3 files at 64 kbps Records stereo .mp3 files at 128 kbps Uses inexpensive, widely available Compact Flash media (CF) 1 GB CF card can hold over 1 hour of uncompressed stereo 1 GB CF card can hold over 17 hours (stereo) or 36 hours (mono) .mp3 Operates for four hours on four AA batteries Two XLR mic connections with +48v phantom power Two built-in condenser mics for easy, true stereo recordings Stereo line I/O Solid State Design No moving parts-no maintenance "Copy Segment" cut-and-paste editing to a new sound file 99 "Virtual Tracks" for immediate playback access of ...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than anything else, June 12, 2006

By 

tea lover (tucson) - See all my reviews

UPDATED: Marantz has fixed the hiss problem with a powered microphone. It is a great little unit--only small problem is that it's tough to see the levels in sunlight. I work as an NPR reporter. We are switching to these units from Minidisc recorders. And frankly, I wouldn't switch back--the ease of input from the recorder to a computer is wonderful. There is indeed, a problem with noise using a powered mic such as a shotgun. I use a 15db pad between the XLR connector and the mic to dampen the noice. Works fine. A stick mic works very well by iitself. I am told that Marantz is working on a fix.

The claim that the unit won't read SanDisk cards is nonsense--I've been using them for three months without a glitch.

The record-level display is a bit washed out in daylight.

True, I mostly record voice and ambient sound, rather than music.
So I can't comment on full fidelity. But our audio is as good or better than anything else on the radio.

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I think some reviewers need to take a breath. This unit is just fine., December 15, 2006

By 

T. Macfarlane (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

OK, I'm a professional musician with 30+ years of experience, four years at Juilliard, albums on CBS/Sony; there are my bona fides.

Pro: Reasonable price, good quality, typical Marantz UI (you'll get the most out of it if you use common sense and read the manual), no moving parts, common media

Con: It's not perfect. So there.

Look, people: I read these reviews and I get the impression that the people giving bad reviews are the type that walk into a Chinese restaurant and get their panties in a bunch because there is no Italian food. This is a tool, meant to do certain jobs well, at a certain price point, nothing more. If you want flawless fidelity, spend a few grand on a fast laptop and great external pres and other hardware. If you have $500, a fast CF card (I have a SanDisk Ultra II 2Gb and just got a SanDisk 4Gb w/firewire reader, hallelujah!), and some commonly available rechargeable AA batteries, you're good to go unless you're planning a commercial release-quality recording. I've recorded live music, voice lessons, speech, and opera singers' demos on this (using external mics of course), and am very pleased with the quality and particularly the value. I agree with the one review that a good solution is condenser mics with batteries and turn off the 48v, but I made a damn good recording of a pro singer (who was likewise impressed) using a Neumann KMS105 straight into the Marantz with 48v on, mono, at 44.1.

There is no such thing as the perfect machine. Marantz is not trying to sell it as one. It's great for reporters (I liked the review from the NPR guy in Tucson, he gets it), and great for music pros like myself, if you appreciate the value AND the limitations. Look, if I want a perfect digital recording, I'll hire a recording studio. If I want a perfect digital recording of a live situation, I'll hire a sound engineer who has the high-end road rig. But for my needs, and at its price point, this one hits the spot. I'm only sorry that a few people rate this as if it were a nearly useless POS. Well, it isn't. Just goes to show you what unreasonable expectations will do!

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for the money, March 13, 2006

By 

Ladfam (MS - USA) - See all my reviews

I will be using the Marantz PMD-660 for dialog and sound effect work but I must say that I'm not using the out-of-the-box model. As many have reported, it exhibits noticeable noise (from built-in mic, unbalanced input, and balanced XLR input)

I went with the Oade Brothers PMD-660 Advanced Mod.
[oade dot com]

They have sample audio clips of the recorder as-is vs. the recorder after Basic Mod and Advanced Mod. Check out the one with no mic plugged in at max gain - you'll certainly hear the difference.

Hopefully this helps someone else!