Sony PCM D50: Repair or replace

[Shaun Roemich]

Jase, as a fellow Vancouverite I can tell you - talk to Guy Cochrane at DVEStore in Marysville, WA. Better price than the local YVR shops will give you with better service likely.

I don't mind paying the premium for local service if I get value added, like consultation or a trial but if I have done all MY homework, it's lowest price with best service and that is Guy!

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Jase Tanner

@ John. I have no doubt there'd be no contest but for the price. If it had XLRs I'd consider it. Not that the D50 either, that was its one significant shortcoming. Have you tried the unit? I don't believe its available here just yet.

I'm trying to get hold of Sony to get one - I want to use it as a "bit bucket" with an AETA MIXY and also having it available to use on its own as a great flexible recording kit that's also capable of the very highest quality recording.

.

[Jase Tanner]

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

Jase, as a fellow Vancouverite I can tell you - talk to Guy Cochrane at DVEStore in Marysville, WA. Better price than the local YVR shops will give you with better service likely.

I don't mind paying the premium for local service if I get value added, like consultation or a trial but if I have done all MY homework, it's lowest price with best service and that is Guy!

Hi Shaun

Thanks for that. Guy's store is somewhere I've been meaning to visit but somehow just don't get to it. So good to get the reminder. His web site doesn't list the H6 but I'll call and see what he does have.

That said, I've noticed certain local YVR stores have become much more competitive of late in some cases beating out well known on line retailers. Feel free to contact me if you want to know more.

[Jase Tanner]

Originally Posted by John Willett

I'm trying to get hold of Sony to get one - I want to use it as a "bit bucket" with an AETA MIXY and also having it available to use on its own as a great flexible recording kit that's also capable of the very highest quality recording.

.

Once you do get it, please let us know what you think.

[Vincent Oliver]

What on earth is this High Rez audio all about? Sony still haven't put XLR ports on this device, a short-sighted omission. Jase, yes you can use the H6 without the microphone modules, just use any of the four XLR ports. Don't get me wrong, I still love the Sony PCM D50, and wouldn't even consider getting rid of it, I just think technology has moved on since I first purchased it, the D100 does look interesting but it doesn't seem to offer much more than the D50 (at first glance). Glad to see Sony now uses SD cards and can record in MP3, not that I have ever found the need to record MP3 files

[Jase Tanner]

No doubt this will limit their sales.

To Sony's credit, after several emails and a phone call, they have offered to return the D50 as is and waive the evaluation fee which is what I will do. No wish to blow my own horn but its not the first time I've stood my ground with a major corporation and eventually got them to see my pov. I suggest others should always do the same. Its a hassle but worth it.

I took Shaun's advice and phoned the DVE store. Guy wasn't there but spoke to his associate who recommended the Roland R-26. (they don't presently carry the H6)

So now its a choice between those 2. Haven't held a Roland in my hand as yet but I will say I think I'll like its actual build better than the H6 which I didn't care for and apparently the meters on H6 aren't the easiest to see. But the bottom line will be quality. I've read of some criticism abut the R-26's pre amps and of course it has 2 less XLR inputs although that would hardly ever be a consideration for me.

A shortcoming with the R-26 is that it only has headphone out. I didn't say this previously but I'd also want to use it with my GH3 which only has mic level in but I guess with using a pad and then going directly from the mix pre to the camera as well as the recorder will take care of that. Working mostly as a one man band, so redundant audio recording at different levels gives me a peace of mind I'm not willing to let go of.

Thoughts re the R-26 vs. the H6?

[Vincent Oliver]

Try this

Audio Recorder Shootout! Part 1: Hardware: Roland R26 vs Tascam DR-60D vs Zoom H6 - YouTube

I haven't seen the review yet

[Vincent Oliver]

This is part two

Audio Recorder Shootout! Part 2: NT5 Mic Audio: Roland R26 vs Tascam DR-60D vs Zoom H6 - YouTube

[Rick Reineke]

Impossible to make a noise evaluation due to the low volume.
Other than that, the mic sounds decent in that environment. The Zoom seems to be a few dBs lower in the upper mid-range than the Roland and Tascam.

[Jase Tanner]

I agree. He went to a certain amount of trouble but neglected a fundamental thing.

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by Vincent Oliver

What on earth is this High Rez audio all about? ...

There's a widely held fantasy that bigger numbers make better audio, as in 96k is better than 44.1k so by the same logic 192k is even better and therefore 2.8 M is way way better!

This fantasy only holds if one can ignore the fact that no one has ever demonstrated that humans can discern the difference between 44.1 and any higher sampling rate or "hi rez" technique in well controlled double blind testing. And apparently many folks are able to ignore that fact.

So marketers are obliged to take advantage of this widely held fantasy.

Fran

[Jim Andrada]

96k IS better than 44.1. No Fantasy at all.

The question is whether ones ears are good enough to hear the betterness!

[Greg Miller]

One's ears, the lowpass filter in one's soundcard, one's power amplifier, one's speakers --- and, oh yeah, one's microphone, one's mixer (if any), one's recorder, and the source material.

(OK, kick me, I'm just playing devil's advocate.)

And lest someone remind me of this... yes, as I've said before, I seem to find that at least some kinds of DSP do work better with a 96k sample rate.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Jim Andrada

96k IS better than 44.1. No Fantasy at all.

The question is whether ones ears are good enough to hear the betterness!

All 96kHz sampling does is to extend the audio frequency response to about 40kHz instead of the 20kHz upper limit of 44.1/48kHz.

That's all it does.

It was used mainly to avoid having to use brick-wall filters at 20kHz - you could use more gentle filters which did not ripple down into audio frequencies.

I do use 96kHz (or 88.2kHz) mainly for recording - however, with a hand-portable recorder with internal mics there is no point at going to 96kHz and I record at 44.1kHz when using these.

[Vincent Oliver]

We should all aim to get the maximum quality from audio, film, or other equipment - no question as to that. However, having seen how people listen to audio or watch films, I am wondering if we are becoming too obsessed with the finer points. Recording at 96 kHz can be an overkill if the production ends up being listened to on a portable radio or through the TV speaker. Yes, in the cinema we may get the full sound quality experience, however, the woman sitting behind munching away through her bag of chips (crisps) or tub of pop corn does cancel out some of the finer quality we are all striving for.

To get back on track, the H6 is a great little recorder, perhaps a bit bulkier than some others, but the sound quality is all there. The Sony D100 does look like a worthy upgrade to the D50 but it also has its shortcomings for professional recording - namely no XLR inputs, and higher price tag. For me the D50 and H6 do everything that my productions require. The Sony mikes are far too sensitive to use on location, even the slightest breeze causes a hefty rumble, the H6 is far better in this respect.