Marantz Professional PMD-661 MKIII 2-Channel / 2-Track Portable Audio Recorder

When you can’t carry a lot of equipment with you, the PMD-661 MKIII’s onboard condenser microphones ensure stereo audio capture with easy “point and shoot” operation on the go. Alternatively, use the included boundary microphone for meetings and conferences. Its omnidirectional polar pattern allows it to pick up sound from all directions, making it ideal for placement on a table.

Utilize the two locking XLR-1/4″ combo inputs to securely connect mic- or line-level sources in place of the onboard stereo mic array. With selectable 48V phantom power, you’re able to use your favorite condenser microphones. Use the 3.5mm mini-jack input to plug in the unbalanced line-level signal from a home stereo system, wireless receiver, or mobile device. You can even hook up a digital mixer or media player to the PMD-661 MKIII’s coaxial S/PDIF input to record a digital feed while bypassing A/D converters.

The PMD-661 MKIII records directly to media cards (available separately) for versatility and portability. It supports SD and SDHC cards (up to 32GB capacity) for plenty of recording time at audio resolutions up to 24-bit / 96 kHz. With a 32GB card, the PMD-661 MKIII can record in stereo for over 50 hours at 16-bit / 44.1 kHz using the uncompressed, BWF-compliant WAV format. Use the MP3 file format to extend recording time when lower audio fidelity is acceptable.

Plug the PMD-661 MKIII’s unbalanced RCA outputs into a PA mixer or stereo receiver for amplification through speakers. Personal monitoring is easily achieved by listening through the built-in stereo speakers or connecting a set of headphones to the rear-panel 1/4″ jack. Use the adjacent volume dial to adjust the output level for the headphones or built-in speakers.

Power the PMD-661 MKIII for up to seven hours of stereo recording time at 16-bit / 44.1 kHz resolution via four AA alkaline or NiMH batteries. The switchable beep alarm alerts you when the battery power is low, and battery life can be conserved by setting the automatic power-off function to turn off the PMD-661 MKIII after 5, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Also, the display can be switched off automatically after 30, 60, or 90 seconds without a button press.

For extended recording time, the PMD-661 MKIII may be powered through the included AC adapter. If the AC adapter plug is inserted while using the recorder on battery power, the recorder will automatically switch to adapter power. Upon removing the AC adapter plug, the recorder will automatically switch to battery power.

When working in situations where an unexpected increase in sound level may distort the input, select D.Mono to create a dual-mono file that yields a mono safety track. In this mode, the left channel input is recorded to both left and right channels, but the right channel is attenuated by 20 dB.

Engage ALC (automatic level control) to have the PMD-661 MKIII automatically increase or decrease the recording volume when the input sound is too quiet or loud, or switch to manual level control to manage your input level according to your own judgement. Mitigate wind noise and low-frequency rumble by selecting the low-cut filter, and activate the high-cut filter to reduce hiss and sibilance.

The PMD-661 MKIII offers several recording functions that simplify your workflow. Enable the pre-record function to put the PMD-661 MKIII in record pause mode, which continuously buffers two seconds of audio. Once the record button is pressed, the PMD-661 MKIII writes the buffered audio to your media card and continues recording.

Turn on Silent Skip to automatically pause the recording during periods of silence and resume recording when the silence ends. The threshold that defines silence may be set to -60, -54, -38, or -20 dB.

• Selectable password-protected file encryption prevents unauthorized access to files
• WAV recording at up to 24-bit / 96 kHz
• MP3 recording at 32 to 320 kb/s
• Card check feature indicates good or poor performance with the inserted media card
• Easy file transfer via USB
• Stereo 10-segment LED level meter
• Large OLED display shows remaining card space, total remaining time, input source, transport status, battery/AC icon, number of files, and F1/F2 functions
• F1/F2 function buttons provide quick access to common functions in different operating modes
• Dedicated slide switch prevents interruptions from accidental button presses
• Selectable menu language
• Side-panel concentric controls for record level adjustments
• Adjustable mic input attenuation
• Retake record mode allows recording over a file from any point in it
• Dictation functions including pitch control and skip back
• Pitch control enables manipulation of playback speed from -40% to +20% in 5% increments
• Automatic or manual track incrementing
• File divide/delete functions
• Up to 30 marks (locate points) per file
• Supports external remote control via rear-panel remote jack