Oade Brothers Audio, Inc.


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General FAQ


Recorders that work well for the applications listed below



   Minimum Microphone Input Level (Max Gain):



PMD 620 Basic

PMD 620 Concert

PMD 620 Super

PMD 660 Basic

PMD 660 ENG

PMD 660 Ambient

PMD 660 Songcatcher

PMD 661 Super

PMD 661 Concert

PMD 671 Basic

PMD 671 Advanced

FR2LE Basic

FR2LE Super

FR2LE HD

FR2LE WMOD

HDP2 Super

HDP2 Super+6dB

HDP2 HD Upgrade

Edirol R4 Concert

Edirol R4 Ambient

Edirol R4Pro Concert

Edirol R4Pro Ambient

Edirol R44 Super

Edirol R44 Concert

FR2 Super

Minimum Signal Level - 50dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 44dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 50dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 54dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 57dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 57dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 50dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 59dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 54dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 55dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 55dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 54dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 54dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 48dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 50dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 50dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 56dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 50dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 50dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 56dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 50dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 56dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 50dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 50dBV

Minimum Signal Level - 60dBV


How do I set the Microphone attenuation on my PMD 661?


    It's important to understand the MIC ATTN settings in the PMD 661 are not pads, they actually alter the gain of the preamp.Use the least amount of gain possible that will allow you to get to 0dBFS. This does 2 things, it lowers noise and distortion plus it prevent input overload or "brickwalling". It's OK on the PMD 661 to run the record level control at 10 as long as your meters never show an over. This is preferred to using a higher gain setting and setting the record level control to 6.


Which recorder is easiest to use ?


    Without a doubt, it is the PMD660. The layout and menu are very easy to use. It has superior ergonomics. With microphones cables that exit the rear of the machine, not the side, it fits over the shoulder with a minimum chance of getting in the way. It offers 3 ways to set levels, ALC allows the machine to worry about setting record levels for you while ALC + manual allows you to do worry free recording while having some control over the action of the ALC circuit and for the more advanced user, a pure manual setting is available. Three presets makes it easy to set up ahead of time for different recording situations. These features allow for quick, reliable and repeatable setups that will give you the confidence you need to concentrate on the subject and not the technology. Plus the Marantz PMD 660 has proven itself to the be most reliable machine Oade Brothers Audio has sold in nearly 30 years of business !


What software do I need to edit my audio ?

    Any audio editor will do, many on a budget use Audacity as it is open source and therefore free to use. Audacity is a full featured audio editor that many high end manufacturers, like DigiDesign, ship with their less costly products.
    Helpful Link for Audacity


Do I need 16 or 24 bits ?

    Odds are if you are not sure, 16 bits are fine. If you want to make recordings for use as CDs or for MP3s, 16 bits is preferred. Keep in mind moving from 16 bits at 44.1 KHz, the CD sampling rate, to 24bit 48KHz, the DVD sampling rate, requires 50% more storage space, 24/96 doubles that storage requirement. This means you get less record time for a given memory card and less storage (i.e. recording time) on your hard drive or archive medium. If you are recording as a professional that is charged with archiving audio for the future use, 24/48 or even 24/96 is required. If you are recording music or sound that will undergo post production the additional resolution that 24 bits provides is helpful. If you are recording music for DVD, 24 bits is an improvement that is easy to hear. As a general rule of thumb the microphone is much more important than the use of 24 bits so if your budget is tight, spend more on the mic and less on the deck and storage. Simply stated the recording cannot possibly achieve better quality than the microphone is capable of delivering. The other significant consideration is the mic preamp. Many preamps for popular 24 bit machines use chips and capacitors that have artifacts that are down only 85dB to 95dB. If the signal you are recording is from a microphone, it is typically down 40dB to 50dB so the resulting dynamic range is 85dB to 95dB less 40dB to 50dB or not very good ! A 16 bit A/D chip has a dynamic range of 96dB, more than enough for these preamps. You want as much of a difference between the desirable signal and the residual noise and distortion of the preamp as possible. With an input signal down at -40dB to -60dB you need microphone preamp artifacts to be as low as possible as the preamp amplifies both the desirable signal and the undesirable artifacts. We use preamp chips with THD+N down from 110dB to 130dB that cost as much as 50 times what the stock chips cost. The result of low grade parts in a mic preamp is performance that is not even 16 bits, this makes 24 bits with a poor preamp of questionable value. A typical 24 bit machine's preamps Spurious Free Dynamic Range is no where near the 144dB dynamic range of 24bits and most do not even achieve 16 bit quality. Even some of the best op amps, the chips used in digital recorders, have no more than 120dB SFDR and most stock machines typically use chips that have a SFDR of less than a 96dB.


Batteries and Memory Cards


    Running your portable digital recorder in the field with high reliability demands both good data storage and good power.

    The LaCrosse BC-900 or MAHA MH-C9000 Battery Charger will allow you to use internal AA cells with confidence. No other chargers I know of are capable of delivering the performance and reliability of these impressive systems. Used with Duracell AA NiMH cells they will power your rig reliably.
    LA CROSSE BC-900 Battery Charger
    MAHA MH-C9000 Battery Charger

    Memory cards are an integral part of your digital field recording system. Why risk loosing audio or having ticks and pops in the sound when a high quality card can prevent that ? While there are many brands available not all brands work well for digital audio. Guessing at which card to use can be risky. Stick with Lexar or Panasonic memory cards for the best results. If you are recording at 24 bits and 48Khz, a class 6 card is fine. For higher sampling rates and 4 channel recording, use a higher class card. If the length of the recording requires the creation of another file, the higher speed card insures the new file will be created and written to without the loss of any data.


Should I update the firmware on my recorder ?

    I NEVER do a firmware update unless I have a problem with the device. If you have the "bug" and must do it, you should always wait at least one month to see if they got it right. All too often a firmware change causes trouble. It is also possible your computer may have a problem that corrupts the data rendering your recorder useless. A power surge or power outage is another possible source of a firmware change failure. If you do not have battery back up for your computer, a laptop running on battery power is a safer choice. If you have a memory and CPU diagnostic, run it before you attempt to alter the firmware. Many manufacturers will not provide support in or out of warranty should the firmware update fail, be sure to read any documentation provided prior to installing the update. Please keep in mind that if you attempt to change the firmware and it fails, this is NOT covered under Oade Brothers Audio warranty and a service fee may be charged to clear the problem. If the deck we sold with an upgrade has a problem, please contact us prior to attempting a repair.
    IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT !

 
 
 

 

  
 

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