Instructions for Marantz PMD661 for Una Interviewers 2018 v1.1 17.04.2018
USING THE MARANTZ SOLID STATE PMD661 RECORDER
What should your kit comprise?
1. One Marantz PMD661 digital audio recorder.
2. AC lead to plug into the mains, which is what you should normally use for one-
to-one sit-down interviews. You should also always ensure that there are four AA
batteries slotted in as a back-up in the event of a power cut or surge which can lead
to data loss. Check the batteries are okay by switching on the Marantz with the mains
power removed: the battery indicator on the bottom right of the LCD display should
show a half or completely filled battery symbol (see page 12 of manual).
3. One Audio-Technica AT897 Short Shotgun Super-Directional Microphone and an
XLR connector lead. The mike does not need batteries as it uses ‘phantom power’
from the recorder so you must ensure that the ‘phantom power’ switch (marked ‘P48’)
located near to the mike input sockets on the back of the recorder is switched on to
‘MIC ON’ (to the left position). You can use an additional Microphone and XLR
connector lead for the interviewer if you wish. You can use external clip-on
directional microphones lapel mic(s) instead if you wish [on our wish list as of 2017].
4. One nifty portable microphone stand which can sit on a table, [yes, that tiny
thing].
5. One or more 4GB SD (Secure Digital) memory cards, each of which will hold
around 3 hours and 50 minutes of stereo recording data (at 48kHz 24 bit). [you may
need to buy one of these if there is not one spare when you are interviewing].
6. Instruction manual. The manual explains every button and facility on the PMD.
You can access it online at
https://www.solidstatesound.co.uk/pdf/pmd661_manual.pdf or it is saved at our
google docs drive.
Pre-setting the Marantz to record using recommended settings
Refer to the instruction manual for precise instructions
We recommend that the PMD 661 should be preset to record Broadcast Wav Format
.wav files, not .mp3 files (the latter condense the sounds and must be
avoided), at 48kHz/24 bits, using the external stereo microphones. The recording
level should be preset at manual (so you must adjust the recording levels manually -
see below) and there is no auto-tracking so a single wav file will be created until you
press ‘stop’. Each continuous interview session should be recorded (and summarised)
as a single track.
The machine will remember the settings even if it is switched off .When you switch
on the machine you can toggle the ‘Display’ button to check the correct settings.
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