Marantz: CP430 and PMD430. What's the difference?

[J!m]

Yeah? I came across a CP430 for sale today as part of my usual search for a PMD430. I have two Sony D5-M decks (both not working of course!) as that was the direction I (apparently wrongfully) decided to go in... But I still get search results for the Marantz. So I compared visually the two decks, and I don't see much difference. I don't know if one is earlier than the other or what but thought someone might know.

Since the Sonys are not working, I was considering picking up a (working) Marants of some description. It's actually more user controllable somewhat but the Sony build quality is believed to be better (sturdier). Anyway, if you know, or are just REALLY bored and want to post something random, here's your thread.

 

[Bob Boyer]

If what I saw today at an antique store booth is what I think it is, the CP430 is considerably larger - taller by half an inch at least - than the PMD430, which I've owned at one point. Also, meters are in a single window to the left side on the CP430 and in two separate, round windows on the right front of the PMD 430. Don't know about internal differences or differences in features. I'll say that I prefer the looks of the PMD430 over what I saw today.

 

[J!m]

CP430:


PMD430:


I don't see the differences. Size may be true, as I can't really tell that, but the overall form factor seems identical... (Hence the question)

 

[Bob Boyer]

That's not it, then. I may have been looking at a Superscope/Marantz portable of some kind.

 

[J!m]

I know they have some mono models with different numbers that also look similar at first glance. Maybe it’s sort of like Trio / Kenwood where they have different models/colors of the same item in different countries?

 

[Elite-ist]

I think the CP was sold in Europe and Australia, while the PMD was sold in North America.

August 1985 issue of Electronics Australia magazine.



Nando.

 

[Bob Boyer]

From that write-up, the photo could be a PMD-430. I think you're right, Nando. Maybe it was Alex (A.N.T.) who posted something somewhere about a Superscope/Marantz deck that looked like what I saw today. I'll scrounge around a little and see if I can find his thread with that photo to confirm.

 

[mr_rye89]

I was under the impression that they were the same......

I own the PMD-430 and the performance is great and it's a legit 3 header with metal/dolby capabilities. Single capstan though, and it has a single motor transport so W&F suffers somewhat, but if tuned up the W&F is very tolerable.

 

[MarkWComer]

Was this supposed to be competition for the Nagra recorders used for 16mm double system sound?

 

[orange]

I think it was meant to be a portable stereo recorder for general recording, such as interviews and demo music recording, not a direct competitor to the audiophile Nagras that could be used for location sound recording on set etc. A workhorse, not a thoroughbred.

IIRC Philips owned Marantz during this period.

 

[J!m]

Well, it seems clear the units are identical, with different numbers printed on them, for different markets. And the A/C power supply would be different too, although it's output would be the same.

I like the Sony unit- it has a solid feel to it, and performance (even without being set up by someone who KNOWS what their doing), it was performing well, until the motor started screaming for oil, and I set it aside. I never recorded with it, but playback of my tapes (made on the Tascam) sounded really good. Even with the on-board speaker, they sounded good, not great or amazing, but good. Headphones were really stunningly good actually. Now I miss the little critter...

But, the Marantz is a true three-head (the Sony three-head version is mono, for dictation) and with user adjustable bias "tweaking" should theoretically perform better for recording, especially if properly set up for the tapes to be used. I use TDK of course and always have decks set up for the specific tapes I use even when they have user adjustable bias.

I picked up a second Sony for parts, and have some lubricant-impregnated plastic washers to replace the original (and unavailable) felt washers originally used on the capstan/flywheel. It seems the common failure of these is that washer deteriorates and then the end float of the capsain shaft is massive. Wow, flutter and azimuth are all effected by high end-float. My original fix was a brass washer, but I think the lubricated plastic is a better solution. I should bring both units to ESL and just bite the bullet on cost to get one working and looking perfect and sell the extra parts off to offset the repair cost.

Where's Sam? SAM! Can you fix these please?

 

[Bob Boyer]

Steven is right - the Nagras saw more use in the film industry - especially with the time code track - while the Marantz was heavily used by NPR reporters and others for years.

Interestingly, one thing none of these recorders did, that I know of, was allow the field reporter to do live "wraps" from the field. We had five of those decks in the news room at WSKZ. IIRC, they were mono Superscope recorders that were shaped more like the dictation recorders. The mic-in and speaker-out circuits could allow a reporter to hook up the output of the recorder to the speaker in a telephone handset using alligator clips and broadcast a story down the phone line from the microphone plugged into the recorder (we used EV 631 mics) - without putting the recorder in its "record" mode. The station's engineer went one step further: he figured out that by adding a separate toggle switch somewhere in that circuit, the reporter could "mix" this signal with the output from the tape. So while we were in the field, we could locate several pertinent sound bites from an interview, write up the story and then pause the recorder at the beginning of the first sound bite and - from any phone in the field - file the story complete with the "who-what-why" introduction by the reporter using the mic plugged into the deck, unpause the tape and play the sound bite from the interviewee and then pause the tape at the end of the sound bite and close out the story while someone at the station was recording it off of the phone line. We would repeat the process a couple or three times so there were multiple versions of the same story to keep it fresh as it got rotated through the day's newscasts. No more having to wait to get back to the station to edit a story together. Plus, we were covering more territory than the competition, gathering more news and reporting it quicker. It was a game-changer in our market - a five person news staff sounded like it was covering more news than the TV and newspaper outlets.

Today, the corporations killing radio wouldn't recognize a news story if it bit them in the ass...

 

[Wheel-right]

Steven is right - the Nagras saw more use in the film industry - especially with the time code track - while the Marantz was heavily used by NPR reporters and others for years.

Interestingly, one thing none of these recorders did, that I know of, was allow the field reporter to do live "wraps" from the field. We had five of those decks in the news room at WSKZ. IIRC, they were mono Superscope recorders that were shaped more like the dictation recorders. The mic-in and speaker-out circuits could allow a reporter to hook up the output of the recorder to the speaker in a telephone handset using alligator clips and broadcast a story down the phone line from the microphone plugged into the recorder (we used EV 631 mics) - without putting the recorder in its "record" mode. The station's engineer went one step further: he figured out that by adding a separate toggle switch somewhere in that circuit, the reporter could "mix" this signal with the output from the tape. So while we were in the field, we could locate several pertinent sound bites from an interview, write up the story and then pause the recorder at the beginning of the first sound bite and - from any phone in the field - file the story complete with the "who-what-why" introduction by the reporter using the mic plugged into the deck, unpause the tape and play the sound bite from the interviewee and then pause the tape at the end of the sound bite and close out the story while someone at the station was recording it off of the phone line. We would repeat the process a couple or three times so there were multiple versions of the same story to keep it fresh as it got rotated through the day's newscasts. No more having to wait to get back to the station to edit a story together. Plus, we were covering more territory than the competition, gathering more news and reporting it quicker. It was a game-changer in our market - a five person news staff sounded like it was covering more news than the TV and newspaper outlets.

Today, the corporations killing radio wouldn't recognize a news story if it bit them in the ass...

Reason being that corporations run on ratings not the news. Money talks Bullcrap sells well. The public doesn't know the difference for the most part, and doesn't care either I believe.

 

[J!m]

The news is fabricated, like everything else.

But I still like Bob’s post about the deck, modding it for the need and reading into it, just how significant the cassette tape was at one time.

I lived through the heyday into CD and beyond. But it never really clicked how much those cassette tapes impacted pretty much everyone, everyday.

 

[Elite-ist]

Much appreciated to hear how it was done back in the day, Bob.

Jim: Ultimately, what is your intent of use with the portable recorder? Are you wanting to do field recordings, or just want the portability to be able to play back tapes anywhere you go?

As far as having a 3-head portable recorder, I have heard some great recordings from a member who used his Sony WM-D6C (2-head), exclusively, for all his mix tapes. Daren ( Dazen1) got a lot of use out of that Sony and it bested a few recordings I heard recorded from a few notable home decks.

Nando.

 

[J!m]

I had considered a D6 actually but I just like the massive size of the Sony- it’s big but not crazy like the Technics version RS646? (which I understand is also a world beater), that could be a home deck with a battery compartment.

They have a good solid feel as well. I was always on the fence with Sony and Marantz. I think I want something for field recordings and then I realize for less than repair cost on one D5 I can have a Tascam DR-100 Mk. III and I get sidetracked again.

 

[orange]

I recall this, it's a beast.

 

[Elite-ist]

It's a lot less fuss using a portable digital recorder. I have the Tascam DR-05V2, which I use mainly for digitizing my analog mix tapes or Travelling Tape projects.



Nando.

 

[J!m]

Yeah, another good use for the DR-100, when the Masterlink is not available.

 

[Bob Boyer]

I find the more I use my little Olympus LS-10 digital recorder, the more I like it. The recordings and radio broadcasts folks have heard of the River City Sessions this year have all come from the recorder. I'm just sending it a line feed of the mix from the Mackie mixer, nothing special. Records up to 24/96 files though for this application I'm running 24/48 to keep the 2 hour-long file sizes more manageable.

Cassettes, however, just seem to be a little more sexy. I dunno... it's just me. Edit to add: Which is why I'm eagerly anticipating Nakdoc getting the piecesparts from Sony or wherever to get a really nice looking D6 from his stash up and running for me. Need tunes for the trips.