HOW TO USE SONY PCM A 10! Get One While Its Still Available!

In this video, we're taking the #Sony PCM A10 out for a spin to record some new sounds on our way to Bangkok. If you've been curious about this audio recorder, there's still a chance to get your hands on it in some countries. Grab your headphones and come along for a new recording adventure with us. Let's see what this recorder can do! #fieldrecording
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Thanks,
Libby and Marcel 😊

[@donit.]

I use the ICD-UX570 as my go-to device (which is pretty similar to the A10, just worse in some aspects) together with clippys. You can always debate about audio quality, but my entire setup only weighs like 300g, so I can always take it with me without problems, I get a lot of recordings that I otherwise would have missed.

[@francoishuber4534]

My girlfriend and I are also field recordist and this little recorder is a beast, recently bought one and we love it. You can take it anywhere, sounds amazing, battery life is incredible, there is not a single thing we don’t love about it! But definitely what we love the most is the form factor, you can always have it on you

[@officialjustinsheriff]

I have the Sony A-10 and for portability while still having good enough sound this unit is absolutely worth it!

[@theclaverman]

You deserve alot more subscribers. The quality of your videos is pretty amazing. Love it🤩And the fact that everything is filmed with just an iPhone and a pocket 3 blows my mind

[@VOByRobbins]

Great little recorder, but the D100's internal mics are even better, BTW-- the A10 with clippy's or usi mics is insanely good--- can't believe sony won't make either of these anymore--- really a shame, I want to see how the new upgraded H6 mics are vs the other new models--- We love the toys, Great video as always, so well put together as always!!!! You both just love what you do and it shows (and you can hear it too :) ) Thank you for what you do for us Marcel and Libby!!

[@jclokwork]

is the audio from the recorder processed such as EQ, compression, etc? I'm just curious :)

[@keinpodcast4053]

Another great video of your field recording adventure. I am also very excited about the new Zoom recorders. Noise and electromagnetic interference are the big questions with the new line up. We'll see, but it would be great to have two H1Essentials with me in everyday life to take spontaneous recordings. I also enjoy recording with these little recorders the most. No unpacking, no assembly, no cables. Just press the record button and you're done. Many greetings and continued success to both of you - Til.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you Til!!!! This is what I am also the most curious about. I hope they don;t perfom like the M series. Fingers crossed!

[@paulsmustache]

I'll stick with the H1N VP until I can afford a bit more of a recorder. With all the plug-ins available these days almost anything will work pretty good if a person doesn't mind post processing.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Can't agree more!

[@vidworxsfx]

I have had an A10 for years great little recorder very clean pre-amps if you use something like the LOM MikroUši. I use it as a stealth recorder because you can just toss it in a bag or your pocket with the LOMS on a hat and monitor lev directly on the phone app. Sony should really make MKII versions of all there classic recorders, but they seem asleep at the wheel as to what we all want. But def the little A10 is a great compact recorder.

[@DvE_DigitalVsEarth]

Had this now for a few weeks. Compared to the OM LS-p5 they are really close. Was recording superbikes passing in Croatia yesterday and to be honest, the LS-p5 sounded better with the sound of the bike passing from one side to the other. Only very marginally better. They are both really great small recorders.

[@vvff-yz6to]

you should try out a roland r-05, i really enjoy it

[@HippoRecord]

I've been using Sony PCM-A10 for five years. There is no alternative to it today. This is my number two after Sounddevices MixPre-3II.

[@Noisavant]

Can you please try the OM LS-P5? I have it and it is very portable and you can buy it in a kit with windscreen and hot shoe camera mount. It can also be screwed onto a tripod. The bluetooth features kind of sucks but I like it anyway, just using it with cable headphones and it is no problem. If using bluetooth monitoring it is limited to 16bit but otherwise it can record 24bit 96Khz.

[@aquietgarden]

I bought this tiny audio recorder just a few days ago, and absolutely love it. I plan on adding a stereo pair of Clippys for field recording. I bought it for recording audio meditations on the go, but realised it was a great pocket field recorder too.

[@camerala]

I am interested and grateful for your visit to Korea and your use of the Korean language. The first recorder I bought was a pcm-a10. After that, I also owned the Zoom H5 and H6, but the pcm-a10 was the best for use with the camera. I created a fantastic binaural sound video using the pcm-a10, Clippy em272 microphone, and Jecklin disk.

[@isyxx_]

What do you think about this thing going "only" down to 40hz? Is that something you miss when doing certain recordings?

[@DvE_DigitalVsEarth]

Ordered one here in the UK off Amazon. Will compare it to my H1e , H1n and OM lsp-5. So far my LSP-5 (with pos same preamp and mics as the ls-100) is the best small recorder I have. Its very close though. Really like the lsp5 so will be interesting to see how this compares to the a10. Great video!

[@billybones7613]

hello, could you please share your opinion about ls-p5 vs a10?

[@jasonnicholas4336]

I know it's huge by comparison but have you tried the CEntrance MixerFace with their on-board mics? It's a durable and versatile unit with some great on-board pre-amps. It's a bit quirky but another lesser known option.

[@AudioBoris]

I’ve been using the Mixerface as my go to recorder for several years and absolutely love it. The excellent build quality, the lack of a screen, the transparent mics. It’s only been very recently I’ve been thinking of moving to the zoom essential H6 (32 bit) but honestly, I’d still use the Mixerface for most of my needs. Love that recorder.

[@jasonnicholas4336]

It’s a great little device. I keep finding more uses for it; I recently wanted to record from a synth and just did it directly into the instrument inputs…and then it’s a direct record into your daw via usb…and I suppose it’s a DI box too as it has line outs. I do wish it had more detailed metering though. Also the company is lovely to deal with; you can just email the CEO directly with questions.

[@AudioBoris]

@@jasonnicholas4336 Yes. I’ve written a few times to Michael Goodman and always had an informed and pleasant exchange. I have the first generation Mixerface and the lithium battery is still going strong! And trust me when I say I use this thing A LOT. I asked Michael if he was ever going to make a 32 Bit version and he said it was a convoluted thing due to some licensing. Hence my interest in the new Zoom H series. I’ve had my eye on the Bouncer as well. As a (sometimes) gigging musician I love that the recorder has separate outs for each channel so I use it as a capture device for vocals and guitar and run it out to the PA via the breakout cables. And use the iPad as my “sound module” as well. Hands down the best piece of tech I’ve purchased in the last few years with the amount I use it (a lot of video with an iPhone/iPad too).

[@LayersOfSilence]

Thanks for a great video as always! Didn't have that sony a10, but have very same in terms of form factor recorder i think not popular at all: roland r-07. Very compact one (61x103mm, 150g with batteries). Also have bluetooth, pretty same noise floor of -117dbu vs sony's -116dbu (due to avisoft list), plug-in power, etc. The only downside is roland cannot change internal mics position. So if you guys cant find a10 you can try to find roland r-07, pretty sure they should be very close in terms of features and size.

[@lewisdetmer]

Trains are so interesting, it's always a pleasure! 🚂🚃🚃 So many dynamics and sounds of different natures. The little Sony is doing great. Thanks for this awesome video! ❤ #Trainspotting #NatureSounds

[@n40798]

What do you mean by 24 bit taking longer?

[@manutecpodcast]

Hi Very long time. Excellent video, Thnak you so much. Waiting for your video with *Zoom Essential* .

[@treyedean]

Great video. I have the PCM-A10 and I just Pre-Ordered the Zoom H1 Essential. I'm curious to see how they compare. The PCM-A10 was twice as much as the Zoom. So, it will be interesting to see if there is a difference in sound quality.

[@occamsrazor000]

Do you have any views to share since you've had both recorders? Thank you....

[@isyxx_]

yea I would love to know how it went also

[@ColinHuntersound]

The A10 is a great recorder, though I almost exclusively use it with PiP mics (Lom mikroÛsi / Clippys) as I find the built in mics too noisy for my use cases.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Colin! Yeah I would love to use it too but I don't have these mics with the 3.5 jack. :(

[@bekahjohnson1884]

Great video. Looking forward to comparison videos.

[@kyleethekelt]

Your ambience was pretty good, though there seemed to be some highs missing from your narration. If memory serves, the Sony has great preamps, though I'd use an external mic for narration. When I worked at Radio NZ we used Shure SM60s for speech, though a good, well-placed lavaliere would also serve.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

You mean when I am talking into the camera? That audio comes from the DJI Pocket 2 lav.

[@StandaloneVR]

Wonderful video❤Talking about the devices you talked about in the ending I'm curious to know more about preamp quality of H1 and H6 over the past generation (both internal mics and line in). I'm also wondering if the new H6 will support ambisonic input, I hope the new software made it possible.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Lets see when it comes out :)

[@taidymomin3550]

What would you say comparing this to inbuilt mic of Tascam X6?

[@black_flea]

please tell me what audio bitrate you use to upload videos to youtube?

[@arunr4103]

Not a comparison just want to know if there any noticable difference in sound quality between F6 & Mixpre 6II if so which one better for professonal works , Any recommondation ?

[@lookingforsounds]

Hey Marcel. Cool recorder. I wanted one for ages but never found one. But I now see that Zoom are releasing the H1e at the end of March or April for around 100 - 110 dollars I'll wait for that to replace my H1n. I've also been waiting for the new Deity PR2 as well. That's also a very small 32bit with no built-in mics, only a 3.5mm jack input but looks very nice and has a great control App. I guess I'll take the H1e instead, but I'm not sure if I'll also get the H6e. Anyway, hope you're both well. Simon.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Simon!!! Have they already released the price? Let me check that out. Ah, looks like the sampling rate for the PR2 is a bit too low for my field recording needs, so that's something to consider. However, some platforms require this sampling rate, which means you wouldn't need to downsample. Just something to keep in mind! Great to see you back :)

[@lookingforsounds]

@@FreeToUseSounds Yeah, I looked at many shops in Europe and the H1e is shown as 100 - 110 CHF/EUR on all of them, and Zoom Europe website shows 109 Euros. H4e is 199 and the H6e is 299. Estimated delivery looks like end of April or early May but I guess you can maybe get one earlier in Asia. As for the PR2, I know the sampling rate is low but I love the super small size that I can use with my tiny old Edutige ETM-001 capsule mic for quick recordings when I'm out. I think the maximum is 48kHz which is fine for Motion Array. That's the only platform where I make any sales. With the low price of the H1e it makes no sense to get the PR2 anyway. Before the H1e was announced the PR2 looked.like the best option for a tiny 32bit recorder, but now not so much. I guess the PR2 will be a lot more expensive than the H1e too.

[@aquietgarden]

I bought mine on Amazon, just a couple of days ago, here in the UK.

[@lookingforsounds]

@@aquietgarden Ah OK thanks, but I'm waiting for the H1e now. At 100 bucks it's a no brainer for me.

[@aquietgarden]

@@lookingforsounds interesting. I've not heard of the H1e. I looked at the H1n, but it was still a bit bulky for my use case scenarios.

[@Sydney2217]

Thanks from Sydney . Would this Sony or HN1 be a good substitute for a stereo on camera mic .I was impressed by the ability to pick up the distant sound of the motor boat. And how do you sync so many sound sources to your video ? Very impressive editing !

[@Ferrous_Bueller]

Is the A-10 being discontinued? I watched the video twice and didn’t catch anything about it. It’s still in stock everywhere but I see comments in this video saying they had to buy used from a Japanese seller. So confused, especially because I just bought 2 brand new ones for $156 a pop.

[@EQAVOX]

I love my A10. Almost sold it recently and so glad I didn’t. I’m off to Whitby later thjs week and I’m looking forward to using it there. I’ll have to use my blimp and clippys though too plugged into it I reckon. Looks like there will be some strong winds there in the coming days. Still, looking forward to catching some angry and dramatic ocean sounds. I often find myself in overload about which recorder to take with me haha. The PCM A10 is often a contender though due to its awesome size. Hopefully they will 32-bit it in the future. If they merged the A10 with some D100 features (preamps and built in mics) with Bluetooth and 32bit recording I think they could steal the portable recorder market. I’ve emailed Sony about this idea, they are missing a trick. 😂

[@FreeToUseSounds]

So glad you didn't!! Not sure if Sony things this market is profitable enough for them to create a new recorder. But who knows. :)

[@EQAVOX]

@@FreeToUseSounds I have my fingers crossed that they do see the value. Something the size of the A10 with 32 bit would be amazing. Perhaps the smaller new zoom could fit the bill possibly.

[@undertheradar84]

Hey! Great video, can I ask what the little tripod is that you use with the a10?

[@flukesamed]

Greeting from Thailand 🙏

[@justinkfilms]

Zoom H1 Essentials looks very promising! I hope they will have it in stock soon in BKK because it's impossible to order it in Thailand now. Or have you managed to find one? :)

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Justin. I just started looking but have you seen @DarkCornerStudios videos about it? Have a look. Very honest review about it.

[@justinkfilms]

@@FreeToUseSounds Unfortunately, I expected this... By the way my old H1n just stopped working one month ago. Suddenly. So I will avoid Zoom products since no... But H1Essentials seemed so promising, but they failed :(

[@ozf1984]

Hello Marcel! another magnificent video. Thank you very much for your work! I was surprised by the quality of the Sony. I would love to know how you edited the audios. are you still using bertom denoiser? any other processing, eq type, compression, normalization...? I know you use Adobe Audition, and another video on how you processed these outdoor audios would be great. I have very studied your video on “aquatic” editing😄, from a year ago, but I would love to see one about how you edit outdoor audio. thank you so much!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hey there! First off, huge thanks for your kind words and for tuning into our videos. When it comes to editing the audio, I really didn’t do too much - just some level adjustments and a slight touch of EQ. Quite straightforward, really. And I didn’t use Bertom Denoiser for this one but used Audition I totally understand the curiosity for a deeper dive into our editing process. We’ve toyed with the idea of more focused editing content years ago, yet, our heart really lies in creating videos that capture and share experiences in the simplest form. The digital landscape is ever-changing, and thankfully we have a very supportive community (you included!). Venturing into technical tutorials might shift our focus more than we'd like, attracting a different kind of attention and viewers. We're keen on keeping our content light and hopefully enjoyable.

[@ozf1984]

Thank you very much for responding and doing so kindly! I love your work and I will continue enjoying your videos. Have a lot of fun while you do all this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing us your universe.

[@k_darius]

Your a just an inspiration. I never thought I will, but I bought myself a H1N for now and started to record sounds. It's so interesting, I love it. Thanks for inspiring me to start recording my own sounds. Quick question if you don't mind. What software do you use to clean up sounds from devices like H1n or A10?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you Darius! Well, the program I use is Adobe Audition with the inbuilt EQ and also the free plugin Denoiser from BERTOM. However you can also tryout Reaper.

[@k_darius]

Amazing! Thank you so much@@FreeToUseSounds

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@k_darius There is another H1 32 bit coming out soon. I hope you got a good deal on the H1n :(

[@k_darius]

@@FreeToUseSounds yes you mentioned it in the video ;] I got this one half a year ago, so didn't knew about the new one coming out. Will wait for your review ;] see if I need to upgrade. I'm just starting off so it could be enough for now ;] Thanks again!

[@gdebakker]

Great video! I bought one of the last runs here in the Netherlands. It’s awesome to always have with me. What is the dead cat you are using?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! This is a DIY made from our friends so you're not able to purchase it :(. However, @radiuswindshields might have one for this recorder. Let me ask for you.

[@aquietgarden]

@@FreeToUseSounds Did you find out yet? I'm using a Rycote mini windjammer from my Shure MV88, but would like something a little trimmer in shape. I was thinking to make one myself otherwise.

[@Pytte]

I had to buy mine on ebay from some japanese seller, thats a while ago though, not sure how to get em now. It's the only thing i bring backpacking, with some external mics. (MikroUsi and also have Clippy's)

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Yeah I have to see if I can get a pair of them.

[@Ferrous_Bueller]

You had to buy an A-10 on eBay? They’re literally in stock everywhere. I just bought a brand new one for $156.

[@occamsrazor000]

@@Ferrous_Bueller Where di you get it for that price?

[@Ferrous_Bueller]

@@occamsrazor000 Ted’s Electronics. They are out of stock right now but I called them and they will have stock back soon. I’m looking at getting another for a drop rig

[@claudiuoroian3911]

Phones are getting really good at recording sound. Is the A10 worth it over a iphone15pro for example for recording sound?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Well, you don't want to get a call while recording :)

[@claudiuoroian3911]

There are options to block calls when recording​@@FreeToUseSounds Was mostly interested în quality difference.

[@speliotis]

is there a setting for the audio recorder to sync perfectly with the audio on my video files? .. They always fall out of sync when in a video time line... thank you

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! How long are you're video files?

[@speliotis]

@@FreeToUseSounds it ranges in length. sometimes 10 minutes sometimes an hour...

[@speliotis]

@@FreeToUseSounds Thanks for your reply I really get inspired by your work ...

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hmmm, It sounds like the synchronization issues you're experiencing might be related to the frame rate?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you so much!!

[@ohjajohh]

6:54 가세요~ 가! ㅎㅎㅎㅎ

[@jaemyungkim5226]

가시지요 ㅋㅋ❤

[@dasilvafotografie8032]

What level du you recorded on Der Sony PCM A10? Thanks I have this recorder end I love it. Love your work 👌.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! It definitely varies depending on where I am. In quiet places, I keep the recording levels just low enough to avoid any background hiss. But when it's loud, I'm careful to not let the volume go too high and distort the sound. It's all about finding the right balance based on the sounds around me.

[@dasilvafotografie8032]

@@FreeToUseSounds wich level do you record if is running water or beach waves for example. tx so much

[@EQAVOX]

@@dasilvafotografie8032 I’d say that would depend on how loud the running water / waves 🌊 are. It’s not really a one size fits all for each situation. You just need to play around with the levels. I’d recommend using the “rehearsal” function if you aren’t too confident in setting levels. Allow the recorder to listen to the sound for a time and it will automatically set a suitable gain level. You can always amend this if you still find it too low or high. I’d always recommend airing on the side of caution and keeping levels very low where possible. You can always boost a quiet signal in post, but you can’t recover clipped / distorted audio because the gain was too high.

[@dasilvafotografie8032]

@@EQAVOX thanks 🙏 👍,I do use the rehearsal mode when I record my sounds ☺️.

[@beautiful_and_simple]

❤

[@Jamsu_Bridge]

Wasn't expexting to hear Korean in this video haha

[@ohjajohh]

ㅎㅎ 나두요

[@christiannikodemus]

First!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Wow!!! :)

[@AerialKorea]

you speak korean ? haha

[@polynochnick]

First

[@FreeToUseSounds]

You're the winner :)

[@TheMarcellusWesley]

First

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Who is first??

[@TheMarcellusWesley]

@@FreeToUseSounds christian was I think… nice review!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@TheMarcellusWesley Very close :) @polynochnick wins this time :)

[@christiannikodemus]

@@FreeToUseSounds Gha! Next time!