pmd 661 best presets ?

C

Cinema-E

Active member
I got the pmd 661 with rode ntg2 I want to know how to get the best settings on a preset

i did some tests but still dont know how to get the best out of it , on this settings I got clear sound with the rode , i am shooting indoor and outdoor I will be using a rode blimp .

- 6db
pcm 24
48 khz (96khz will be better with dialog?!)
mono
rec level 65%

If some one knows the pmd very well, I need his advice :)
 
Those look pretty good to me. 24-bit 48kHz is pretty much the de facto standard for film production work. 96kHz is theoretically a little bit better, but pretty much all the films in LA are done at 48kHz, and you will likely never hear any difference whatsoever.

Just set the volume so that on average the dialog peaks at -12 dB or so, and make sure it never clips. The PMD661 does have an analog limiter built in, so it can save you in an emergency but you should try never to hit it just the same.

It's been a while since I set up my presets, but I set mine to record in a dual mono mode, so that it takes the input from channel 1 and records it on two channels: normally on the left, and -20 dB down on the right for safety.

Overall, there's not that much to the settings. It sounds like you're on the right track. Good luck!
 
robotsound said:
Those look pretty good to me. 24-bit 48kHz is pretty much the de facto standard for film production work. 96kHz is theoretically a little bit better, but pretty much all the films in LA are done at 48kHz, and you will likely never hear any difference whatsoever.

Just set the volume so that on average the dialog peaks at -12 dB or so, and make sure it never clips. The PMD661 does have an analog limiter built in, so it can save you in an emergency but you should try never to hit it just the same.

It's been a while since I set up my presets, but I set mine to record in a dual mono mode, so that it takes the input from channel 1 and records it on two channels: normally on the left, and -20 dB down on the right for safety.

Overall, there's not that much to the settings. It sounds like you're on the right track. Good luck!
Click to expand...


thanx alot :)
 
Yes 96 is a waste of space for dialog. What you would gain is more clarity in the very high frequencies, but that is well beyond what dialog will be.

I would test the limiter before you rely on it. The PMD 671 has a "limiter" also but it's more of an AGC and has a long recovery time. What that means is that it reacts late and keeps the volume down too long, creating a bigger problem than just having the peak clip. They might have improved this on the 661 since it came out later??? I use a MixPre as the front end and that has a limiter that works properly.
 
I second the recommendation to test all your settings (including the limiter) before using them in production.

I did test the limiter on my PMD-661, and found that it handled things gracefully. I also looked it up, and if memory serves correctly it is a true analog limiter that occurs before the A/D conversion.

However, I still try to never hit it even once by setting my gain properly :)
 
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