November 2nd, 2008 – Yamaha has a digital recorder in the increasingly crowded music market. Along with their super tiny Pocketrak 2G, which is scarcely larger than a package of gum, they’ve released the more semi-professionally oriented Pocketrak CX.

The CX features stereo microphones in XY pattern, storage on SD cards, compact size, and a 40 hour continuous battery life. It also has an onboard speaker, although I’m not sure that it will be the best solution for monitoring. As a software bonus, it comes bundled with Cubase AI4.

Compared to the current king of the ring, the Sony PCM-D50, the Yamaha clocks in at a hundred dollars cheaper. It’s much smaller and lighter than the Sony, but it only allows recording at 16 bit 44.1 khz while the PCM-D50 allows recording at 24-bit 96 khz. The use of the SD cards in the Pocketrak is a format win over the Memory Stick used in the Sony, but the Sony also includes 4 gigs of built-in space. At 24-bit 96khz, that’s still quite a bit of space before having to resort to a Memory Stick. The Yamaha uses a fixed XY pair of microphones, while the Sony is able to switch each of its pair to either 90 or 120 degrees.

I would be interested in hearing a review of the Pocketrak CX, but for now I think the PCM-D50, while more expensive, is still the better bargain feature-wise. Still, the weight and size of the CX is pretty enticing. Both the Pocketrak 2G and the Pocketrak CX are available now.

Yamaha via MusicRadar

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 at 2:20 am.
Categories: Asides, Gear.

3 Comments, Comment or Ping

  1. farfisa

    I find it good because it is small, the battery life is so very long and startup time reasonably fast. But for really hi quality it is not the best choice.

    As a portable memory recorder it is spoilt because the date resets itself every two months or so, totally without reason or physical knocks. And this is the 1.01 firmware, which seems to be the latest.

    Sep 11th, 2009

  2. Sean

    @Farfisa : Must be great because of the size though. I’m carrying my Sony PCM – D50 here in Osaka and it’s huge.

    Sep 12th, 2009

  3. r4

    The Pocketrak CX is a great choice for solo musicians and bands that need a no-nonsense recorder with quality built-in mics, but its features may be too basic for demanding users.

    Jan 17th, 2010

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