Comments

farss wrote on 6/30/2008, 4:46 PM
Looks great but $500 for the XLR adaptor put a dint in my enthusiasm.

Bob.
Coursedesign wrote on 6/30/2008, 5:32 PM
This product is not designed for use with external mics.

If that's your need, there are better choices, including probably equipment you already have.

This one is for holding up and letting its unusually good built-in mics do the work.

I thought the D50 sounded better than other affordable handhelds, by a good margin.

Next step up is the D1, which is flat out incredibly in sound quality (at a commensurate price, however).

If somebody here has actual experience with something that even approaches the sound quality of the D1 at a lower price, I'd be really interested.

CClub wrote on 7/1/2008, 4:11 AM
I must say that I purchased the D50 about a month ago, and I just taped an a capella concert with it, and it was flat out amazing. I'm just about done editing the concert and the audio and will try to post the completed audio, but here's a good link to http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2008/01/10/sony-pcm-d50-recorder-review.htmlReview and samples[/link]. There was a link that you can try googling that had recorded comparisons of the D50 with most of the other flash recorders out there, and I found that it blew them away. I was actually going to purchase the Zoom H2 until I heard the comparisons, and I had to change my mind. It wasn't cheap (can't imagine purchasing the D1) -- at least for me -- but it was worth every penny once I heard the audio from the concert. It changed the whole DVD.
Jeff9329 wrote on 7/1/2008, 8:39 AM
This product is not designed for use with external mics...This one is for holding up and letting its unusually good built-in mics do the work.

This is not true. And I wouldn't hand hold it either, that makes way too much noise.

I have been using mine to record from my wireless mics (XLR to mini plug) and using XLR shotgun mics (onboard power) with excellent results.

It takes a $10 cable to connect them.

If you need phantom power and a balancing transformer, Sound Devices makes a $179 interconnect with a 2 channel mixer. If you need phantom power, get a $49 phantom power supply. The $450 sony XLR add on would be the last choice.
Coursedesign wrote on 7/1/2008, 11:00 AM
Jeff,

I guess clarity is in the eye of the beholder...

Would you be happy with, "This product is not primarily designed for use with external mics."?

As for holding up, there is no noise whatsoever from a properly held recorder (using for example a thick soft cloth). It is also popular to let a stand hold up the recorder/mic.

Agree on the 1/8" to XLR adapter cable, I first used that with my Sony TCD-D8 portable DAT 10 years ago. The cable came free with one of my AT self-powered mics.

Still, I am always scared when using 1/8" connectors for critical events. No matter how think the gold, they will start scratching at some point. Annual replacement is not a bad idea if you have to use them.

I wonder if the $450 Sony XLR adapter bypasses the 1/8" jack and connects some other way. Anyone know?
Jeff9329 wrote on 7/1/2008, 11:42 AM
Coursedesign:

I guess Im just so happy with my PCM-D50 that it can do anything! It really is a great tool. I have captured sound from the on-board mics that is pretty amazing. I have also captured crap due to user error and inexperience. Im learning acoustics and mic usage slowly. Using the D50 with my various shotgun mics for testing has been a great way to learn what works and sounds best because it's so much easier and cleaner (24 bit) than using a camera for testing.

I agree that mini plugs are not the greatest, but the ones on my more expensive equipment do have a nice tight feel. I tend not to touch any sound equipment or connectors during recording because Im always afraid of noise ruining the shot.

The Sony balanced XLR adapter piggybacks the PCM-D50 with the mini plug at just the right spot to plug in.