Marantz PMD-561 Professional Portable Audio Recorder

2018-09-27T16:55:51

The Marantz PMD-561 is a mighty unit that packs a powerful punch. Whether you're a beginner, hobbyist semi-pro or a hardcore recording geek, all will be pleased to own this portable audio recorder and appreciate its capabilities. I had a smaller competitor unit but it died. I'm glad I chose the Marantz because it gives you plenty of recording options and delivers a great sound. I had no problems figuring out its features because of my experiences with these kinds of recorders. So, I can say without a doubt, that the Marantz PMD-561 is a mighty audio recorder with great features for all kinds of applications. Keep On Recording "Jazz Organ Man"

Chester S.

2017-03-08T13:04:27

For someone accustomed to Zoom/Tascam size of recorders, this one would certainly look huge. No metal construction, but plastic does feel resistant and well built. Buttons have a soft (but not mushy) touch, which is great, as there's no doubt whether you pressed one. It the box there's a USB cable, an Power adapter, a 4GB Sd card, and a RCA to 1/8'' (3.5mm) cable . I will try to make a short comparison to its principal competitor, the Tascam DR-100mkIII: Preamps - While the Tascam preamps are a little quieter with condensers, and defitevely more suitable to dynamic mics, the PMD ones have a more open sound, less boomy and more 3D. Possibly a way of explaining this is like a noise reduction filter was applied to the DR 100MKIII sound: less noise, but constricted and non-dimensional. Interface and buttons - The Marantz have a cleaner front panel and better distributed buttons, though the Tascam size really helps in handling. Marantz have two 9-led level indicators, while Tascam have 3-led indicators, plus level readout on the screen, though this can be a problem when brightness doesn't allow to read it. One important feature is that the PMD-561 allows independent gain for both channels of recording using 2 knobs, while the DR 100 only has 1 knob. The 561 has Neutrik XLR's, while the Tascam has Amphenol's. Internal Microphones - The Tascam has both directional and omni built-in mics. The Marantz has only one. Functions and power - The recorders share most basic functions; however, each one have unique characteristics. Tascam offers a limiter and has dual-stereo recording for unexpected peaks protection, while Marantz does not (though it has a similar dual-mono function). On the other side, the PMD-561 has: a retake function, high cut filter, silent skip recording and password protection. For power, Marantz allows using 4AA batteries or AC power (included), while Tascam uses 2AA batteries, USB power, or a rechargeable battery (however, an AC adapter is also sold separately).

Italo L.