Micro Recording from Lectrosonics

Lectrosonics has launched a very cool (and very small) new professional micro digital recorder, the PDR (Portable Digital Recorder). When you're looking at recording over extreme distances, where using a wireless mic isn't entirely practical, just pop this little device in your pocket, and capture pristine quality audio, synchronized with timecode. Because of its tiny size and rounded shape, the PDR is totally unobtrusive and easy to place in garments and costumes; it's also easy to conceal when used as a 'plant' microphone to capture environmental or location sound.

The PDR records in 24-bit, 48kHz digital onto a Micro SD card (HC type) in the industry-standard .wav (Broadcast Wave File) format. The PDR can be jammed to external time code via the standard 5-pin Lemo connector, and you can monitor the signal input or listen back to recorded files via its headphone output jack.

According to Gordon Moore, Lectrosonics' president, the launch of this product is all about sonics:

"We are pleased to introduce the PDR – it's a highly compact, pro grade sound recorder at an attractive price point; we have observed the need for professionals to have a recorder which is small and unobtrusive, and which offers professional quality sound, and that's what PDR is all about."

The input connector is the industry standard TA5M jack, and accepts any mic or line level signal; it also provides bias voltage to power a wide variety of electret lavaliere microphones. Furthermore, the input connection and wiring is compatible with microphones pre-wired for use with Lectrosonics professional wireless microphone transmitters with servo bias type inputs.

Setup and adjustment is easy, through a smart keypad and LCD interface, and in keeping with typical Lectrosonics mechanical designs, the housing is machined from a solid aluminium billet, then hard anodized for the ruggedness needed in field production. The PDR runs for over 6 hours on a single lithium AAA battery, and is available now with an MSRP of $900USD.

www.lectrosonics.com

Audio specifications: 20 - 20 kHz frequency response, 105 dB(A) signal to noise (in HD mono mode), <0.035% distortion. Time code is SMPTE 12M - 1999 compliant. The PDR is 2.3x2.1x.7 inches (60x54x17 mm), and weighs 2.5 oz (71 grams) with battery.