Reviews: Buy Sony PCM-D1 Recorder online at Gigasonic.com

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Sony PCM-D1 Recorder
( PCM-D1 Portable 2-Channel Field Recorder with 4GB Internal Flash Memory and Built-In X/Y Stereo Microphones)
$2,259.99$1,849.00Save: 18% FREE US SHIPPING

Description: Designed to produce digital stereo recordings that are completely faithful to the original master, Sony PCM-D1 is capable of re-creating even the ... Read More

Rating:

(3 Reviews)

Product Reviews

by Scott Bourne

Date Added: 10/20/2011

I’ve used the PCM-D1 indoors and out, in quiet and noisy environments and no matter what I throw at it, the unit responds like a champ. Other than a two-gig file size limitation and an inability to seamlessly switch between the internal memory and proprietary Sony Memory Stick Pro, the PCM-D1 is a nearly perfect field recorder. I expect years of service from this unit and there is a side benefit. It’s great to have something to work with that’s so cool looking!

Rating:

[5 of 5 Stars]

by Rich Parker

Date Added: 08/11/2010

Overall, the PCM-D1 is an impressive piece of equipment for recording in various environments. One caveat, which Sony mentions in the manual, is that there is a fair amount of handling noise from the thin titanium case. In fact, it can be quite microphonic at times. In the case of our VPR reporter, he became aware of it quickly, and was able to compensate by holding the unit near the bottom and not rubbing his fingers on it, but I wouldn't guarantee that every reporter would be so motivated or careful. In fairness, the Sony rep at NAB2006 said that the unit wasn't specifically designed for hand held use — but I would venture that using a small pistol grip camera mount would probably solve that problem nicely. But set on a table or on a small tripod the unit would do quite nicely for ENG and high-level recording work. (In an unofficial test, I tried placing the unit on the balcony of our church to record a service. With the main action more than 85' away the unit performed well).

Rating:

[5 of 5 Stars]

by Rick Spence

Date Added: 07/23/2010

I started recording with the PCM-D1 as soon as I could get it out of the box. It's intuitive to use and does not require a manual. I loaded it with batteries, and suddenly the world was my studio. The first test for the recorder was an interview conducted outside during lunch. I simply set the PCM-D1 on the table, tilted the mics up a bit (the tilt mount comes in handy), set the levels and let it rip. The highpass filter did a nice job of eliminating some of the wind and traffic noise. The PCM-D1, like Sony MiniDisc recorders, has a handy feature that allows you to divide recordings in real time or later during playback. When it came time to edit the interview, I wasn't stuck with one huge WAV file that I had to hunt through to find my bites. For fun, I used the PCM-D1 to record some of the springtime downpours we've had in the San Francisco Bay Area, along with various sounds in the distance such as fire trucks and police cars. Then I compared the results to some of the previous recordings I had done with a different, and larger, rig. Although the mics were not of the same type and quality, the PCM-D1 lacked some of the body of the large-diaphragm mics I had used previously. My point with this comparision is, so what? It required zero setup, and for gathering sounds for picture in a pinch, it could be a real lifesaver.

Rating:

[5 of 5 Stars]

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