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Reader SurveyShoot Review: Sony PCM-D50
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Reviewer: Gary Eskow
Digital recorder’s audio chops makes vintage recorders obsolete.
The Sony PCM-D50 handheld two-track digital audio recorder fills the function of old stereo cassette player/recorders with solid features and high quality for audio capture in the field.
Have you been hanging onto that old handheld stereo cassette player/recorder you used in the late 1980s to conduct interviews, just in case? If so, toss it. The number of companies releasing portable, two-track digital recorders is growing by leaps and bounds. Aside from the quality they offer, the best part about this class of new devices is that, when you factor in inflation, they cost about the same as the old cassette machines. Of course, their quality and features far surpass anything that was available back in the day. Consider the Sony PCM-D50 (available for a street price of about $500), for example.
In 2006, Sony released the PCM-D1. Priced at about $2,000, the D1 was clearly aimed at the high end of the market. (See digitalcontentproducer.com/fieldprod/revfeat/sony_pcmd for the PCM-D1 review.) Looking to extend market share into the more budget-conscious strata of the audio industry, Sony engineered the D50. Although its internal mics are of a lesser quality than those of its big brother, and it lacks the meters of the D1, you will find the D50 more than serviceable for many audio-capture applications. If you need to record audio at a higher level than the onboard mics provide, you might want to purchase the optional XLR-1 mic adapter (which lists for $500). This unit has a pair of 48V phantom-powered XLR connectors. Keep in mind, however, that the somewhat cumbersome XLR-1 requires its own set of batteries.
The PCM-D50 measures approximately 5.5”×2.5” to fit neatly in one hand. Its aluminum casing is attractive, and the unit has a sturdy feel. The internal microphones, which swivel to allow you to capture a fairly wide stereo image, are protected by a metal cage. Along the right side are the power button, an amply sized record-level knob, mini connector jacks that accept microphones and line-input sources, and a MemoryStick slot. (Adding a stick doubles the 4GB internal memory capacity of the PCM-D50.)
On the left side of the unit is another handful of controls — including a USB 2.0 connection that allows you to transfer files to a computer, a rotary pot that controls output level, a hold switch that prevents accidental recording, and the Digital Pitch Control on/off switch, which unlocks one of the PCM-D50's great features. Balancing the necessity of mounting multiple controls on the sides and top of a small unit against the user's desire to operate them without going blind is not an easy task, and Sony has done a good job in this area.
There are a number of more-standard features we could start off discussing, but let's get sexy right from the jump. Are you a guitar player who drools over the possibility of recreating classic solos and is willing to spend hours in your bedroom copying them? Do you need to transcribe a speech that you captured in the field? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you'll appreciate the recorder's Digital Pitch Control function, which lets you alter the tempo of recorded material without altering its pitch. You can slow down playback incrementally to 75 percent of normal rate, or speed things up by 100 percent of the original rate if you need to search for a specific piece of audio.
The PCM-D50 can be powered by using the included 6VAC adapter or with four AA batteries, unlike some other units in this category. This sourcing is appreciated, particularly because the manual says AA batteries will give you a relatively beefy 20 hours of playback time and 14 hours of record time when working at the 44.1kHz/16-bit industry standard. I also liked the fact that the batteries slip into a sturdy cage, which in turn slides firmly into the recorder. The standard spring arrangement that comes in your flashlight, for example, is always a weak link.
The file structure within this unit is straightforward. Depress the menu button — one of a handful of controls located on the top of the device — for just a second or two, and you'll find yourself presented with 10 empty audio folders. Scroll up and down, choose one, and you're set to record.
Hold down the menu button just a little longer to access the main setup area of the PCM-D50. Nothing surprising here: You can set the clock, choose the specs at which you'll record, decide whether to delete a track, format the drive, and so on. You can also choose whether to engage the easy-search function, which lets you scoot forward 10 seconds at a time or back by 3 seconds at a time in order to locate a portion of an audio file quickly.
Some competitive products offer more extensive onboard-editing capabilities than the PCM-D50. You can't, for example, name audio files before transferring them to your computer. I was also a little surprised to find that the PCM-D50 doesn't allow you to drop markers into a file during recording or playback. You can, however, divide tracks at any time, which essentially serves the same function. On balance, the lack of editing didn't bother me: It's nice to be able to rename a file, but it's also difficult to operate tiny controls. And, at any rate, almost all of your editing will take place within a computer.
As with other handheld stereo digital recorders, the PCM-D50 includes a limiter and a low-cut filter. Neither will have recording engineers placing vintage gear on eBay, but it's nice to have the ability to tame a heavy wind, for example, if you're working in the field under less-than-desirable conditions. There are also a few bell-and-whistle features that some may appreciate, but that will leave others underwhelmed. I couldn't hear any noticeable improvement to recorded audio when using the PCM-D50's Super Bit Mapping feature, for example. More helpful is the ability to capture 5 seconds of audio whenever you depress the record button. If you're waiting for Mitt Romney to speak (oh wait, he's history) before recording, simply hit the record button and depress the play button when the master begins his oration. And, if you've missed a pithy first comment — it's probably been captured in that 5 seconds of pre-roll recording time.
On the other hand, is it critical that you use a device that can record space-saving MP3 files? If so, you'll need to bypass the PCM-D50. This unit features MP3 playback, but it records WAVs only.
If you're looking to minimize unwanted noise, you may want to consider purchasing the optional RM-PCM1 remote control (about $50), which lets you access the controls without creating the noise that comes from physically engaging switches that are adjacent to the built-in microphones.
How does the PCM-D50 stack up against other units in its price range? Very well, I'd say. This device has a very solid feel, outstanding audio quality — surpassed by the SACD spec that the Korg MR-1 records to, but still very, very good — and a few features, Digital Pitch Control in particular, that are not available elsewhere. Now's a good time to be looking around for a handheld two-track, and if you are, the Sony PCM-D50 should be on your short list.
bottomline
Company: Sony www.sony.com/professional
Product: PCM-D50
Assets: Sturdy feel, logical controls, 5 seconds of pre-record, Digital Pitch Control function.
Caveats: No MP3 recording, no editing capabilities in recorder.
Demographic: Anyone needing a high-quality two-track recorder.
PRICE: $500 (STREET)
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