I'm a journalist who does interviews. I don't record "voice," much less music. I've used Sony's EV500 mono tape recorder--the high-end standard for print journalists--for over 20 years. My colleagues thought it was overkill to switch to stereo. When I showed them my new Sony PCM-10 (purchased in October 2009), they thought it was pretty cool, but when I told them the price, they thought it was too expensive (journalists are congenitally cheap; goes with the salary).
The PCM-10 lets you record in 10 modes, including uncompressed LPCM and compressed MP3, so we did a test recording (that is, an interview) in the highest-quality stereo mode: LPCM 96kHz/24 bit. Well! Let me tell you: Eyebrows arched. The sound was spectacular. One guy grumped--beforehand--that he didn't need interviewees to sound like Maria Callas. Mono was good enough. Then I played it back. He listened. He stroked his chin. "How much did you say that was?" he asked. Because, if you listen to a lot of recorded sound, you can clearly hear the difference.
The bottom line is this: If you record regularly--and seriously--whether it's rock concerts, garage bands, opera stars, birdsong, or interviewees, you want the best sound you can get. The PCM-10 delivers it.
There are many other things to like about this new Sony unit. It has a (mostly) aluminum case. I don't know about you, but I just hate cheap plastic cases. It's about the size of a deck of playing cards. The buttons and menus are so intuitive, I figured everything out without once cracking the manual (which, incidentally, is fairly well-written as these things go). The buttons and switches on the device are intelligently laid out and a cinch to master. And believe me, I'm no genius when it comes to this sort of thing.
The PCM-10 comes with a pair of excellent built-in omnidirectional mics. I also tested it with a Sony ECM-MS907 stereo cardioid mike and a Sound Professionals SP-BMC13 Two Channel, Boundary Style, High-Sensitivity Conference Mic, which I use when a group of interviewees are seated in a living room, at a long conference table, or a classroom. I gotta tell you: transcribing recordings of interviews has got to be the world's most tedious enterprise, but when the sound is this crystal clear, it's a lot less tedious, and far fewer sounds get smudged, which would otherwise require lots of replaying to figure out what was said. Since I use a portable rig, I find the PCM-10's powered mic jack an important feature.
Oh, and the display--black and white LCD, not color--contains all the information you need, including the all-important battery status indicator (the unit runs on two AAs for about 15 hours at 96kHz/24 bit, the highest-quality setting, and over 40 hours on a compressed MP3 setting, which is pretty darn good). Uploading sound files to a PC via the USB port is a cinch.
And yet there are some design peculiarities with this otherwise splendid unit. The case is described by Sony as aluminum. Well, sort of. The faceplate feels like aluminum, but the sides and back feel like plastic. The battery lid is definitely plastic, and the little lid that covers the slots for removable media--Sony Memory Sticks or SD Micro flash cards (up to 16 GB)--is not only plastic but incredibly flimsy, very easy to snap off. Is it really such a design challenge to design a lid that is sturdy and not apt to break? I guess it is.
But let's keep things in perspective. At this price point, the PCM-10 blows the competition away (and competing models are not any better-made, although that is not a reason to let Sony off the hook). The unit admirably does what it was designed to do: produce beautiful, portable, professional-quality recordings. And, except for the cheap battery and removable media lids, the PCM-10 is a class act. Sony PCMM10 Portable Digital Recorder
I had a Zoom H4n for about a week, and I returned it, and got the Sony PCM-M10. It ended up being a nice trade for me. The mics and preamps on the Zoom were fantastic, but the Sony's are as good, if not better, quality than the H4n. The H4n is a multi-tracker, and has XLR inputs, etc., making it a different type of device than the Sony, and the H4n was very large in the hand, making it a little too big for subtle hand-held recordings, and other situations where you don't want the recorder to be the center of attention. The mics on the Sony are fixed in place at 90 degrees, unlike the Zoom where you can change from 90 to 120 degrees with a twist function. I didn't change to the Sony necessary for the functionality as much as the form-factor. The Sony is compact and is a little more discreet, making it almost (visually) pass as an MP3 player in appearance. It is the same size as an iPhone, but a little thicker, and it feels nice and solid in the hand.
Another thing I might add is that in the description on this item page, the package contents aren't mentioned very thoroughly, so I would like to put them here. It comes in a nice looking box, and you are definitely buying the retail item as it ships from Sony, which includes everything that it is supposed to (the item page almost makes it seem like you are buying just the recorder itself). Anyway, here is what comes in the box:
Sony PCM-M10
Sound forge audio studio LE software CDROM
AC power adapter AC-ES3010K2
USB Cable
Hand strap
2 x Alkaline batteries (AA size)
Operating instructions
Wired remote control
Also, for information purposes, I thought I would mention that there IS a STANDARD TRIPOD MOUNT on the back of the Sony PCM-M10, which for some reason was difficult information to come by for me in my research. I found pictures of the rear of the device, but even then it was hard to verify that I was actually seeing a mount.
I recorded last night with a friend, two acoustic guitars and vocals, side by side with the Sony PCM-M10 and an Equitek E-100 Condensor Mic, running into a mixer and computer software, and the Sony sounds as good if not a little better. Low noise, clean, and full frequency response from the Sony. It has meter (green) and peak lights (red) on the areas above each of the stereo mics on the body of the Sony, so monitoring is visually possible, without having to look at the screen on the front. The H4n didn't have that.
The Sony PCM-M10, with 2 NiMH AA batteries (2500 MaH) will record for 50 hours (yes, it's true), and recording @ 320Kbps, 44Khz MP3, the 4gb internal memory will hold 27 hours of sound. The Zoom H4n could record for 7.5 hours using NiMH batteries (the same ones I am using in the Sony), and had no internal memory of its own. There is a MicroSD slot on the Sony PCM-M10, and can hold the currently available 32gb cards if necessary. I could find no indication anywhere I looked that it wouldn't hold even bigger cards if they become available in the future. The Zoom takes full size SD cards, but also supports 32gb cards.
When you power up the Sony PCM-M10, it is up and running, and able to record, in around 5 seconds, which is phenomenal, and was an added bonus for my purposes...
The Zoom H4n wasn't "ready to record" for over 15 seconds. The Sony also has a record-ahead buffer, which will start recording a 5 second cache, before the record button is pressed, so you don't lose the beginning of something, if you weren't able to hit the record button in time. That is sweet.
The two input jacks (mic and line) are on the top of the device, in between the microphones, which is a good location, and the speaker is on the bottom (yes there is a monitor speaker for quick playback review).
The buttons feel solid and responsive, even for my stumbling fingers, which is remarkable, and the remote buttons are more of a "soft dome" sort-of depression style, but same thing, very responsive and solid feeling. The screen is big and very clear, with all the information laid out logically and vividly. It supports ID3 tag, so if you put MP3 music on the device, it will show you the information on the screen.
There is a tight and precise REC level wheel on the right side of the unit, and a rocker style output level on the left side of the unit. The functions available directly on the outside of the device are (if you are facing the display screen):
1. Below the screen:
Folder, Menu, Delete, playback functions (A-B), Display (I really like this feature, being able to turn the backlight on, etc., with a single button)
2. Transport keys:
Fast Forward (shares with menu up), Fast Reverse (shares with menu down)
Pause
Stop
Play
RECORD
T-Mark (marks tracks for splitting)
3. Left Side:
Volume (output level), DPC (Speed control) (on/off)
4. Right Side:
Mic sensitivity (Low / High), REC LEVEL WHEEL, REC LEVEL Switch (Manual/Auto), Power switch (it is a slide, and has a HOLD function)
Besides the physical adjustments mentioned above, the Menu on the device is replete with features, and very very easy to maneuver. - Digital Recorder - Audio - Digital Audio - Digital Voice Recorder'
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