PMD331

Product Details

• ASIN: B00006I5G8
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,234 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #53 in Musical Instruments > Recording Equipment > Mastering Recorders > CD Recorders & Duplicators > Duplicators

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed from the ground up as an ideal CD player for broadcast applications, the Marantz PMD331 is built to near-industrial strength and loaded with features such as instant start, fader start, programmable cue point memory, CD Text, frame and index search, CD-RW playback, digital pitch control, balanced digital and analog outputs, 10 seconds antishock protection, and a jog wheel, all to give you the operating speed and tracking assurance you need.

Combining a full assortment of professional build and operational features with Marantz's renowned audiophile performance standards, the PMD331 is perfect for DJ/sound installation, recording studios, post production, broadcast production, and on-air use. Extensive listening and comparison tests throughout its development enabled the company's designers to achieve an uncommonly high level of sonic performance.

The buffer memory that provides the unit's antiskip protection also allows the player to commence playback instantly from RAM, compensating for the conventional 300 ms CD playback delay. If you need a delay, you can still program a precise amount of delay in the preset menu. The buffer also improves tracking and reduces the playback risks posed by scratches or dirt, since the laser pickup can make multiple attempts to retrieve and correct hard-to-read data.

You can easily search for an exact start point with single-frame accuracy (1/75s), and you can store this point in cue-point memory. To return to the cue point from any point on the CD, just press the cue button. The cue point memory is independent from the autocue operation that searches for the beginning of the audio signal on a track; using autocue after selecting another track does not reset the cue point memory.

The PMD331 achieves its pitch control via a heavy duty, infinite-rotary encoder, which allows rapid and extremely accurate adjustments. The lifetime expectancy of a digital rotary encoder greatly exceeds that of conventional mechanical slide faders. The pitch-control range is +/- 12 percent, with an accuracy of 0.1 percent. The digital pitch control is also available from the remote control ports on the back panel (an infrared wireless remote is not included).

A pitch-bend function temporarily accelerates or decelerates the playback speed for beat mixing between 2 CD players. The quick-reaction servo system makes this easier than ever. Select and combine from 4 base playback modes: single track play, random repeat, repeat play, or program play. these base modes can be set to function automatically from power up to allow maximum flexibility in timer situations.

An RC5 in/output provides external remote control. The IR receiver on the front outputs RC5 codes at the rear and can be used as a receiver for a complete RC5 system. You can also disable the receiver via a back-panel switch to avoid interference with other IR-controlled devices.

The unit offers a complement of balanced XLR analog and digital-audio outputs, an optical digital output, and a GPI port for easy hookup with standard mixing desks. The balanced analog outs feature automatic gain compensation in case one of the balanced terminals is grounded by external wiring, and the output levels are adjustable over a wide range.

The unit's robust loading-tray assembly is optimized to perform quickly and smoothly for the life of the player with a special bracket to keep discs from jamming when the player is not horizontal.

The main transport buttons are positionally optimized for high-speed access and to prevent operator errors. The main buttons are based on a combination of a hard-touch surface over a durable silicon base mat, offering both durability and a good feel. The cue, play/pause, and pitch buttons are backlit to indicate status. Further, a backlit LCD offers great visibility in all lighting, with no reduction in contrast over its lifetime.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars can't handle burned cds, bad scratch protection, May 10, 2005

By 

animmal - See all my reviews

This review is from: PMD331

I work at a college radio station, and we just ordered a pair of these cd players to replace some denons. to be succinct: they suck. they cannot handle burned cds at all, and they'll skip at the slightest scratch. My ten buck discman has better compatability than this POS. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent player with great features, August 28, 2006

By 

Terry O' (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PMD331

We have 6 of these at the radio station where I do my show. They are fabulous. I love the jog wheel. It is silky and frame accurate. The cue point operation is extremely easy to use. I can cue into the middle of songs with ease to start up exactly where I want with no artifacts. The autocue is great for fast paced DJ work. The CD text feature is wonderful for my mix CD-Rs done and labelled with text in Nero or CD Architect. This is just the tip of the iceberg. These decks have tons of useful features, nothing flashy, just the little things that make life easy for a DJ.

They play CD-Rs with no problems. Our six units are on 24/7 and have operated almost flawlessly for years. The other reviewer might be using CD-RWs for recordable discs. I have had occasional trouble with re-writable discs on the oldest machines but it clears up with regular tuneups.

These decks are given very hard use and hold up extremely well. If I could afford them for my home, I would buy a couple.