Tune Up: Sony PCM-D50 Field Recorder

posted in: Features • Reviews & Playlists

We’ve told you about mixing, mastering, loop libraries and even sound effects. We’ve brought you some recording recommendations for studio use and the best ways to listen to music. This week, however, we’re going to be reviewing a product that is often neglected by artists, producers and sound designers: a field recorder, specifically the Sony PCM-D50.

As a composer, sound effects artist or sound designer, it’s important to have great libraries of sounds. Of course, we’ve shown you the Hollywood Edge Effects Libraries, but what if you want something completely unique. Many professionals in this field spend years collecting sounds by traveling all over the world and capturing unique ambiances and environments.Truth be told, many of them would never be caught without an appropriate field recorder, just in case a truly unique sound presents itself.

So what should you choose? While there are many awesome recorders on the market, for versatility and features, we give you our review of the Sony PCM-D50 this week.

-96 kHz, 24-bit recording

-LCD and LED peak/nominal indicators

-Solid state storage (transferable via USB)

-Built-in condenser mics (adjustable position)

-Playback and “digital pitch control”

This recorder offers the highest sampling rate/bit-depth that one would need (actually the same as a professional recording interface for a studio), as well as solid state storage with USB connectivity. This allows you to transfer the recordings to a computer and edit them with an audio editor. The peak/nominal indicators allow you to see, at a glance, when you’ve reached the peaking limit (thus allowing you to adjust levels while recording to ensure capturing the best quality audio). Perhaps the best feature of this recorder is the microphone technology. In short, these microphones simply sound great. They have clarity and a solid response to even the most subtle ambient fluctuations . To top it off, they can even be positioned straight on, pointing in, or pointing out to capture different types of sounds.

While this is a great option for field recording (ambiance, large outdoor sounds, etc), it can be used for in-studio foley work as well, because the mics are just simply that good. This field recorder is also a good choice for a songwriter who would like to record a quick live demo of a new song or lyric idea. It’s great for recording small live sets, and it picks up the sound without too much distortion (depending on the volume of the concert, of course). The only real “con” here is that it’s a little bulky, so it might be tough to simply carry around in your pocket. Otherwise, if you need a field recorder for sound effects, ambiance or even live shows, pick up the Sony PCM-D50.