 M10--nearly perfect |
| Review Date: March 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Terry Roth, Seattle |
The sonic attributes are exemplary----the auto recording seems well thought out, recording the noisy hubbub of a choir rehearsal was nicely within range, no distortion or overload. THe buttons are intuitive and large enough to be easily pressed, but not so large or tall that they are easy to press inadvertently. The supplied remote works well and is uncomplicated, just 4 of the most necessary buttons: Pause, Record, Stop and T-mark. There is an indicator light on the remote telling you recording status.
Unfortunately, there is no way to name tracks from the recorder's menu---there is a disk supplied with Sound Forge Audio Studio, but it is PC only----no good for us MAC owners. The recorder assigns a name or rather a date stamp to each track, such as 100302_3 for the fifth track recorded on 3/2/10. Not very useful. If you are recording in the field, various birds for instance, or bells in Tuscany, or "songs" by a music group, you'll need to make written notes as you go along for later editing in your computer----a PITA. My little ZOOM H2 had the ability to name the tracks with its onboard editor, something Sony should have included! A wireless remote would be a better solution that the plug-in one, for stealthy use.
The onboard mikes are nice, sound is quite realistic---at least for the spoken and sung voices I recorded of the Vashon Chorale singing Mozart's Requiem. They are recessed into the topsides of the unit, making it somewhat clumsy to attach a windscreen, but there will probably be plenty of after-market products coming along. The "dead-cat" type work better than the foam, so a trip to a fabric store for some fuzzy fake fur will be in the offing for me---no $49 Sony OEM product, thanks. The mikes are (on the "hi" setting)---extremely sensitive. Your own breath sound is quite audible from 3 feet away! I think this will be the gold standard unit for nature sounds. I used in-ear binaural mikes to make some outdoor bird recordings, the soundfield is astonishingly realistic.
Using $300 Shure earbuds for playback, there is no preamp or mike noise audible (but then, my ears have 67 years on them....YMMMV). The little onboard speaker is useless for anything except making sure you actually got a signal of what you were attempting to record---I got this unit for less than $300, including shipping. Considering the way above average build quality and exemplary sound quality, a steal!! Unhesitatingly recommended. My "cons" are pretty minor, except for lack of onboard track editing, but I'd still rate it 5 stars due to the terriffic audio and build quality. The manual is pretty good, index could be more complete but it's logically written by a tech writer whose first language is English! |
Sony pro quality at a reasonable price
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| Review Date: December 9, 2009 |
| Reviewer: J. mcnalley, Seattle |
The Zoom H4 is the benchmark portable digital recorder, and Sony's M10 blows it away.
The M10 is a very small recorder, roughly the same shape as an iPhone but as thick as a deck of playing cards. The buttons are firm, and the recording level wheel stays where you leave it. You get LEDs for -12db and overload for each of the two microphones.
Sound quality is noticeably better than the H4. There is very little handling noise, unless the recording gain is cranked way up. If you do need to turn up the gain, just use the included wired remote to start and stop the recorder. The noise floor is present when you are recording quiet sounds with the gain up, but it seems easier to avoid than with the Zoom.
A tripod socket is built in to the bottom of the M10, just above the twin AA battery bay. You can record to the built-in memory, or to an M2 or MicroSDHC card. The screen is large and easy to read. The menus are just as easy to navigate.
You don't get a wind screen, and you will wish you had one as soon as you encounter the slightest wind. There is no option for digital input, and both the line and microphone port are 1/8".
In addition to a wind screen, you should also pick up a Gorillapod mini-tripod. |
Using external mics
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| Review Date: February 1, 2010 |
| Reviewer: W. Welch, San Francisco, CA USA |
Somebody finally got it right. This recorder sounds great, with very low self-noise and wide frequency range from the internal mics. It is easy to setup, and super-easy to use.
Other reviews cover general features. Here are some remarks about stereo recording in particular:
Stereo recording:
The two built-in omnidirectional condenser mics give you nice stereo separation when the recorder is in the midst of a sound field. I was a little surprised, as you wouldn't expect to get decent stereo imaging from omnis so close together, it's why stereo recorders/mics typically use two cardioid pattern mics. The downside of cardioids is less sensitivity for low frequencies, whereas an omni will capture those lows. Sony has a neat trick here: the omnis are set into the body of the recorder, shielded from each other, so each effectively sees its own half of the room (plus reflections of the other half). You get a nice stereo separation (though not the kind of imaging that lets you pinpoint sound sources). And you get the wide, flat frequency response of omni microphones. If anything, the bass can be a little boomy when you're too close to a sound source -- and the recorder has a low-frequency cutoff you can switch on if you want to lose some of that low-end rumble. They are nice-sounding mics.
Using your own mics:
If you want to use your own microphones, you will need a female XLR to mini stereo cable (Hosa 2' Right Angle Mini Stereo Male to 2 XLR Female Breakout Y-Cable) to plug them into the recorder. The recorder is advertised as having plug-in-power (eg, phantom power) for external mics. But that's the 2V variety of phantom power for little electret condensers, not the 48V you need for your nice condenser mics. You'll have to power them separately, either using a phantom power box like Rolls PB223 Dual Mic Phantom Power 48 Volt Power Supply or an external pre-amp. The recorder will accept both line-level and mic-level inputs.
A case!
The recorder does not come with any sort of protective case. It's an odd size, but I've found that a PSP Go Soft Carrying Case works beautifully, will also fit the official Sony windscreen, and has an extra pocket for the remote control. |
the missing tool
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| Review Date: July 30, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jim B, |
I purchased the Sony PCM-M10 because we are a family of musicians. I needed something to record live bands that didn't distort and provided a quality recording. I am presently learning to play the bass and little did I realize how valuable the variable speed playback is for learning new songs. I used my MP3 player through my bass amp and accompanied the music as a learning tool. Now I can slow down the music so that I can learn to play the more difficult sections. The quality of recording using either my MP3 player or iPhone just didn't cut it. The quality of the output sound is superior to anything I previously attempted to use. The adjustable mike sensitiviy and being able to control the overall recording level is a must for live music. The fact that it also uses a micro SD memory card allows for unlimited recording.
On the downside I am very surprised that Sony did not provide a protective case, but they are easy to find so not a serious issue. Navigating through menus can be frustrating but once you get the "hang" of it, it's not all that bad. I considered other brands, but after reading other Sony owners comments, the choice was made. |
Absolutely incredible
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| Review Date: April 16, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Dominic, |
| This device is amazing. It is in the 'second generation' of audio recorders of this size I would say. First off, very light, very portable. It runs on AA batteries. I was able to get almost 50 hours out of the batteries. In addition, the audio quality is fantastic. The mics are very good, and even more impressive considering the relatively small price tag for what you get. many cool features, including the pre-buffer record and the ability to do MP3s and split tracks. Very simple drag-and-drop use, and great stereo field. AGC is fantastic, and very little 'pumping' with it enabled. Overall this is a 10/10 unit. The only 'complaint' would be that if it is windy it can get mic noise. They do sell a pop/wind filter, however. Great! |
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