O-Sense
Sony has today announced that the PCM-D100, a portable linear PCM recorder with built-in 32 GB flash memory will be available for purchase in Europe from early 2014. The recorder reproduces high sound quality, live instrumental performances and outdoor capture with a close likeness to organic sound. The PCM-D100 is ideal for live music events, theatrical performances, and electronic news gathering.
The PCM-D100 is compatible with 2.8 MHz /1-bit direct stream digital DSD, a format that records source sounds using digital signals, but in a format that closely resembles analogue waveforms. It is also compatible with recording and playback in 192 kHz/24-bit linear PCM High Resolution Audio. The unit can reproduce ultra-high range, delicate musical components and is capable of recording with excellent audio quality, from low to high ranges. This is achieved by equipping the device with a broad playback frequency band that easily exceeds the audible band of 20 Hz to 25 kHz.
“This new model is Sony’s highest-quality portable digital recorder, designed to faithfully reproduce sound sources such as instrument performances and sounds of nature, as closely to the original as possible,” says James Leach, Marketing Manager, Professional Audio, Sony Europe. “The PCM-D100 recorder is part of our High-Resolution Audio initiative, a complete series of products designed to help music lovers conveniently access and enjoy the digital music they love in the best playback quality available.”
The recorder features a highly-sensitive directional microphone that incorporates a newly-developed 15 mm unidirectional mic unit. This enables the user to adjust the sound collection range of the mic to suit various sound, from performances with a small number of people, through to concert halls with a much larger group of performers. Select the 90-degree ‘X-Y stereo position’ when the sound is in close proximity to the mic, or the 120-degree ‘wide stereo position’ when in more spacious venues, or for performances by larger groups of people. The highly-sensitive, broadband recording functionality expresses frequency properties up to 40 kHz, to fully leverage the advantages of DSD recording.
The recorder S/N 100dB(*1) mode minimises sound distortion and internal noise when recording and reduces internal noise when performing conversions from analog to digital by applying a unique digital limiter mechanism that uses two AD converters for a single channel. This functionality achieves low noise with a signal-to-noise ratio of up to 100 dB(*2). A conventional digital limiter has also been incorporated to constantly secure normal audio as well as low 12 dB signals. Even if input exceeds the maximum input levels, this device prevents sound distortion by automatically adjusting to the optimal level.
This device is capable of continuously recording truly refined sounds and textures, exactly as they are heard and for incredibly long periods of time. The recorder operates for approximately 6 hours 35 minutes when recording in Linear PCM (192 kHz/24-bit), or around 10 hours 50 minutes in DSD (2.8 MHz/1-bit). The memory of the device can also be expanded by adding an external memory, and audio recordings can be stored directly on this external memory.
The PCM-D100 is planned to be available across Europe from early 2014.
* 1 The S/N 100 dB mode and digital limiter are exclusive features not compatible with DSD
* 2 For line-in recording
