Sony PCM-D50 video review

[EnduringEagle]

Brad. i record concerts for my son. Which way do the mics face. If you are recording a concert do you have the LED facing you or toward the stage? If it is toward the stage how can you adjust the levels?

[SabreMage]

A suitable "fix" I've found for labeling folders is to create a completely null file with the .wav or .mp3 extension,and giving it a filename like: 00FOLD_AMBIANCE.WAV and etc.. You can fit another character in there if ya need, and still have everything before the . showing. In this way, these "label files" always show up as the first "track" in each folder.

[KasperMedC]

Omg so much money and it still dont have xlr!

[Madowstone]

Can you lineout while recording into a video cam?

[barzoman2]

Hi  dose it work like a multtrack so I can add guitar and mandolin on a recorded guide track ?

[Voletelopovi22]

please can you tell me what is price of PCM-D50 today ?

thank you

[tgrady61]

Just got one for Christmas. It was working great recording a show. I dropped it about 1 1/2 ft from my chair to the floor. From then on the left channel records at about 1/2 the level of the right with the mikes in the x-y position and with the right lower than the left in the mikes wide stereo position. There does not seem to be anyway to ajust the recording levels independantly. Any suggestions?

[dvamateur]

I think one serious omission from this and the D1 is the lack of digital input. I have a Sony DMX-P01 field mixer, which is digital, and it has digital outputs such as AES/EBU and S/Pdif coaxial. I am not expecting the AES/EBU input on such a small recorder, but it could have the coaxial S/Pdif like the Marantz 661 recorder. Even my old MiniDisc recorder has an optical digital input, I mean come on. Optical digital output? Who needs that on a recorder? 

[bumtownv2]

Why does it have mp3 playback?

[joaldro]

putz que merda. ninguém vai traduzir a conversa nao? rss mas o aparelho é show

[Thenebrosity]

I use a 16g flashdrive with this.. it works. ^__^

[lovay]

Great, I learned more about my d50.

[ProdriveGTR]

wich one is better for line in recordings,this or the olympus?

[analoggeek]

i own one of these things and it rocks! i love it.

[marcel911]

Is there any way to bypass the copy protection on this device? I have some old DAT tapes I want to get onto my PC. I thought using the PCM D50 would be the answer. But, because my archive DATs are edited from my original field recorded DATs I am not allowed to digitally record them. How can they be allowed to stop me copying my own recordings. :(

[dabigjokeoftheday]

NO XLR....

[mechanicojoe]

you can get a converter, but still, MOREMONEY!!!, i agree though, if im gonna pay the extra 200$ I want an XLR input

[cliffandy]

Other 'hand-helds' like the Zoom H4, shows that adding XLRs is a bit ridiculous. IMO, I would save the money to buy a larger, more standard device (like the Marantz and Tascam models) if I truly needed XLR ins. Sony's device looks solid and capable; it's price-point seems viable.

[outithewoods]

no XLR or 48V P Power? how the hell do i use a Rode NT1a let alone 2.... Tascam DR100 and save money lol

:0)

[Hexachloraphine]

Oh and one other thing, just like people say, your review is excellent, you've done a good job here, very informative, many thanks.

One small question though...on one side of the machine you mentioned a mic output, I'm not sure what that is, unless it is a thing which connects the pcmd50 to something else so then to cause the pcmd50 to be just a slave mic? could you confirm?

many thanks.

great work.

[Hexachloraphine]

yay, im left handed.

[MOVIMKR7]

thanks for that nice review, looking to folio work for sound stock, i am using sony mics are there any better? in your opion

how did you like the auido on the H4N to the D50.

[c0vertdirector]

I tried the h4n and sent it back cos i found it too cheap feeling and noisy sounding. Id heard this sony is miles better in comparison. An online poll I found puts this one as the best agreed by 50 - 4 votes. Havent actually heard this one tho.

[Ontarian123]

I just purchased this recorder. When playing back a recording, I notice the playback button green light stays lit for a few seconds after the recording has finished playing back. Why is this and is this normal for the PD50?

[Ontarian123]

Can you use a cardioid mic with XLR connectors to the mini-plug on the Sony by using a Pearstone LMT100 - Low to High Impedance Matching Transformer?

[zmupicture]

According to BH, Yes, you can!

[TVperson1]

To me this looks like a replacement for Sony's Dat walkman. The reason for the plastic sockets could be that they're also used as optical SPDIF ports, like on the MD recorders.

[youmakerfrom]

it´s the one for over 2000 $ ?!

[Stevo79er]

Great and in depth. Thanks for posting your review.

Might be getting this in the near future. Looks better than the Samson/Zoom series that I was looking at.

[bluedaygtp]

thanks for the info on this recorder....i just purchased this for myself for recording live band music...mainly when I play for grading myself and seeing what i could do better...it'll be a full band, drums, elec. guitars, vocals, etc....do you think this device would work well in this situation as long as it's not overbearingly loud?

thanks

[BradLinder]

Sure, it can handle that. It's got a great volume control, just crank it down to a lower setting if you're playing loud.

[ErhanLiveMetal]

Brad, I want to record heavy metal concerts with Sony PCM-D50. Can you recommend it because I filmed with a camcorder Sony HDR SR10 and the sound was really bad. Thanks already.

[zav7x]

Now what about recording live music and such? is this good for that?

[ebbixx]

That's pretty much what Sony had in mind when they decided how to make a more affordable version of the PCM-D1 for working musicians and others who might see a $2000 price point as overkill.

It depends on how much control and bit-depth you want... there are probably cheaper recorders that might suit many people's needs if you're recording entirely for personal use.

[Bont49]

Brad - I record telephone calls for a living and need a good quality digital recorder (Mac compatible) that runs on AC so I don't go thru gazillion batteries. Would rarely need the built in mic since I plug a phone adaptor into the mic input. It seems this unit has a lot of bells and whistles that I don't need - would you recommend it for that purpose?

[BradLinder]

I think you could make due with a much cheaper recorder like the Zoom H2, Edirol R-09, or Olympus LS-10. In fact, even a cheaper digital voice recorder might do the trick. Generally all of these recorders sound better when you record through the line input than the mic input, so you don't need the pricier equipment. The advantage of getting the pro/prosumer models I mentioned is that they'll record to high quality WAV audio, if that matters to you.

[mandolinroad]

@Bont49 I'm really late but it sounds like you need a phone hybrid and a soundcard, man.

[ddragulaz]

Hey, are there individual gain controls for both mic channels?

also, would you be able to plug a guitar/bass into the mic input because its basically just a 1/4" jack right?

cheers

[BradLinder]

No, the gain control button handles both left nad right channels. And the PCM-D50 jacks are 1/8th inch, so no, you won't be able to plug in a guitar.

[palolba]

Hi, can you use this recorder for video or film work?

thanks

[BradLinder]

You could, but I wouldn't recommend it. It doesn't keep timecode, which means syncing the audio with your video files might take a bit of extra work.

[ebbixx]

Agreed that the lack of a timecode sync option makes for extra work and a certain lack of precision. But for situations where you have no crew to speak of besides a volunteer to turn the recorder on, this is a good compromise. Would I rather have a separate sound person recording timecoded sound? Yes.

The PCM-D50 does a good job for me when trying to get better sound from marching band performances, where my other option would be to live with what I can get from the on camera mic.

[13603609498]

compared with other voice recorders ,this one seems come from another dimension

[infraredtechnician]

This may be a silly question,but IF this is such a great FIELD recorder,why are you not using in the field ?

[BradLinder]

Because this is just a first look/overview style review I put together shortly after purchasing the recorder. I've used it extensively to record audio for radio news reports since then. You can find many of those stories at my blog.

[ermollejuo]

I didn't understand the meaning of "jawring " when the limiter is on at 2:38????

[BradLinder]

Jarring, as in very noticeable. It turns out that I was just using it wrong at this point. If you set it to fade back to the original volume slowly it's barely noticeable at all.

[musicalmind77]

also, could this device easily upload audio files without the purchase of an expensive audio production software?

[BradLinder]

What do you mean by upload? You can plug the PCM-D50 into a computer using a USB cable and drag and drop the audio from the device to the computer. You can then use free audio editing software like Audacity or commercial applications like Pro Tools to edit it. Or you can just upload it straight to the web if that's what you mean. You need to put it on a computer first, of course, but that should be easy to do with Windows, Mac, or Linux.

[musicalmind77]

so is the "divide" feature similar to an overdub for a musician?

[BradLinder]

No. Divide splits a track. So if you're recording a track, you hit divide and start a new WAV file. Overdup lets you combine a new recording with an existing track.

[freakmod]

Awesome review, thanks a lot for this!

[D1A10361]

Great review, Brad. Thank you for doing this and the great written review as well.

[guerillaforcefilms]

thanks for doing this. its hugely helpful and has answered a lot of my questions.

[mikebuddy1]

nice review

[quartercherries]

Hey, Brad. thanks for the time you set aside to present your knowledge of the recorder. I'm interested in a portable recorder, but solely for the reason of recording ambient sound. Think street photography but on the auditory level. My question is based on your use, do you think this recorder is suited for such an application? I'd be using the material for experimental music. thanks for you time and assistance. Adrian

[BradLinder]

This recorder might be problematic for recording outdoor ambiance, primarily because it's extraordinarily sensitive to wind noise. You can get an optional wind screen for $50 which will help in many conditions, but I haven't actually purchased one myself, so I can't personally recommend it. Of course, if you use this recorder with an external mic and wind screen, the point is moot.

[russroca]

Brad...thanks for this...i'm contemplating buying either the sony or the Marantz 620...which do you prefer? Also, how is the sound with externals? Can you get decent level with a EV635? Can you compare it to the samples they have of the 620 on Transom?

Thanks

[BradLinder]

It sounds cleaner than any other recorder I've tried in this price range with an external mic. I get great levels with my EV RE-50, which is also a dynamic mic. I haven't tried the 620, but having listened to the samples on Transom, I think the Sony recorder sounds better. You can hear samples at my website.

[kilohn]

great comments and detailled review! too bad the device is out of focus when you show the various menus on the screeen...