Marantz PMD570 Solid State Recorder

[Zygmo]

Guys. I have been to AudioKarma, and SoundonSound trying to get an answer to my problem. I just purchased this preowned Recording Deck, from a what I believe to be a reputable Store, Tarpon Technology inc. Upon receipt, I inserted an old PNY 32MB card, which is what it uses for audio storage. It recognizes the card as Blank Card, as it should after formatting in the deck. It goes into recording mode exactly as shown in the user manual. However, the meters never move and no sound goes on the card.
I can format this card in the computer, and can record on it, and play the music on the computer. Reinstalling it into the Marantz, it recognizes the card, but will not play the music. BTW, the computer does not recognize the card when connecting to the deck through a USB cord.
I ordered a new card from Staples, but they sent me two compact flash 32GB SDHC cards, not CompactFlash (CF) cards. So I still don't know if the deck is bad, or the card.
Do you think it could be the card?

 

[Gr3iz]

Could it be the format itself? Have you tried FAT32 or NTFS? I believe new cards are typically exFAT, and perhaps the Marantz doesn't recognize this format?

 

[Zygmo]

Could it be the format itself? Have you tried FAT32 or NTFS? I believe new cards are typically exFAT, and perhaps the Marantz doesn't recognize this format?

I formatted in the deck itself, so it has to be correct.
The problem is I decided to keep the wrong cards that Staples sent because I can use those in my camera.
Now I have to spend more money to get the correct card, and what if it turns out to be the deck. Then I am out even more money.
I just need to know if anyone here thinks the deck could react this way...recognizing the card, setting up in record mode correctly, and then not being able to write to the card, or read from it, due to a problem using this particular card I have, which is old. After all, it is only 32MB. Remember, it could not read an Mp3 song I recorded to this CF on my computer (it is compatible with Mp1, 2, 3, wav and PCM, many compressions and bit rates: I recorded an Mp3). Sometimes it will show Track 01 that was recorded on the computer on the deck's screen, starts counting but no meters, or sound.

Thanks.
Dean

 

[Drabdr]

Hello Dean!
First... sounds like you’re a pretty tech savvy person. I like the way you have thought through this.

reading through this... I have a nagging feeling we have missed something. Does the manual say what typical size the file should be?

the source you are trying to copy over, could it be digital rights protected? If so, it won’t do anything.

is there another source you could use to test?

sometimes manuals aren’t really helpful; sometimes they’re pretty good. I assume you checked it for possible solutions.

 

[Oddba11]

However, the meters never move and no sound goes on the card.

Doesn't sound like a memory card issue. Looks like it's not getting an input, configured incorrectly, or it's faulty.

If it was a card issue, you would likely either get an error, or it would appear to be working properly and just not record anything.

It's not showing that it's receiving or processing an input and it's never getting to the recording stage.

 

[Zygmo]

Doesn't sound like a memory card issue. Looks like it's not getting an input, configured incorrectly, or it's faulty.

If it was a card issue, you would likely either get an error, or it would appear to be working properly and just not record anything.

It's not showing that it's receiving or processing an input and it's never getting to the recording stage.

Well, THAT is not what I wanted to hear! LOL The thing is, in some ways it seems like the card, in other ways it doesn't. The reason I wonder is if it is just the card is not supported is....it doesn't see it on the card after I recorded it and played it back on the computer. So, if it is the deck, that means the recording and play back is not working, and the USB circuit isn't either!
Remember, with the USB cable hooked up, a computer is supposed to see the card as another drive. It doesn't. So that sounds like the deck does not recognize it at all. But if that was the case, why does the deck appear to format it correctly, and then show it as it should as a Blank Card, and sets up as though ready to record?!

A reason it does not sound like the card is why do I not get sound to the headphones, whether it records to the card or not? You have to be able to monitor the sound to set the meters before you record. So, as you said it is not getting to the recording stage. BTW, this deck keeps 2 sec. in memory before recording starts if that makes a difference.

I think my only choice is to bite the bullet and order a CF card, of which I have nothing else that takes them.
If it's not the card, then I have to try to find someone who can fix the deck, and you know what that's like.
Thanks.

 

[Zygmo]

Hello Dean!
First... sounds like you’re a pretty tech savvy person. I like the way you have thought through this.

reading through this... I have a nagging feeling we have missed something. Does the manual say what typical size the file should be?

the source you are trying to copy over, could it be digital rights protected? If so, it won’t do anything.

is there another source you could use to test?

sometimes manuals aren’t really helpful; sometimes they’re pretty good. I assume you checked it for possible solutions.

First, see my reply to Oddba.
Yes....the manual is complicated. This DECK is complicated, but shouldn't be for a simple recording. Troubleshooting in the manual is not helpful for this symptom.
I have tried sending a song straight from my JVC cassette deck to the Marantz. Nothing. So no source problems. Also, card is not protected because I recorded a standard Mp3 on it in my computer, which won't play when I move it to the Marantz. I am looking at it right now, and the screen on the deck says: reading....., and then sits waiting with UnBal (meaning unbalanced inputs, I am inputting Analogue RCA) 000:26:25, meaning 26min left, and the meters are sitting with the first left and right bars showing, which is correct.

Oh. By the way. When you take the card out of the Deck, the screen is just backlit blank, except for the words No Card.

I don't know. It just seems like to me, when you insert the card, it knows a card is there, and responds. But then, it acts like it just can't USE the card. LOL I just don't have any choice but to order a (hopefully) compatible CF card. You can find information for a different Marantz than this one, that shows recommended cards. PNY, and LEXAR. That 32mb I am trying to us is a PNY, but very old. (and way too low capacity!)
Thanks.

 

[Zygmo]

Oh, and thanks everyone. I have gotten more replies here than I got from AudioKarma and Soundonsound
combined, in way less time.

 

[Zygmo]

UPDATE: Ok....I was not following directions right on using the USB cord. You have to be power off to plug it in, but you have to press MENU/STORE while pressing the power button back on. The computer now sees the the CF in the deck with the folder that the Marantz puts on the CF card when formatting. So I copied an Mp3 medium quality song to that folder, then played it back while still connected to the computer. Worked fine. The manual specifically says you can copy to and from the computer and the deck with the USB.
Turned off the Marantz, unplugged the USB, and restarted the Marantz. The opening screen on the Marantz now shows : Blank Card! Nothing happens when you push play. And I had just copied to the disc and played it while hooked to the computer. I think the problem is the CF disc is just not compatible with the deck. Anybody agree?
I ordered a LEXAR 16GB CF disc today. Fingers crossed.

 

[Oddba11]

If it was the card, you wouldn't have been able to see it, copy to it, and then play from it. The card wouldn't erase itself.

 

[Zygmo]

If it was the card, you wouldn't have been able to see it, copy to it, and then play from it. The card wouldn't erase itself.

I understand that, Jim. It didn't erase itself, according to the computer. But the Marantz never responds to it normally and never has. I did read online about similar Marantz models not being able to work, or work well with certain cards. However, I realize that it probably is the Marantz, mainly due to what people like you say who know more about this stuff than I. My LEXAR card is supposed to be here by next friday.
This being a digital, instead of an analogue recorder, I have no way of knowing how it should respond to different CF cards. That is a whole different animal from tape players.

But, judging by my experience with computer memories and drives, when they go bad they can do weird things.

One time it could tell there was a track on the card, would start to try to play it, counter would start and go to about 10....nothing, and stop trying, go back to 000. Sometimes it would open the folder and show there were tracks attempted to be written, but would do nothing else. And how can it put a folder on the card, then be able to see it but not see the Mp3 in it?
Then, this time on power up, it did what it was supposed to do when starting up, but showed Blank Card!
??
All this sounds like incompatibilities to me, but I am no expert.
I also know that photographers are warned to always carry spare cards, because they can go bad.
So, all I can do is wait for the new card and hope it works.

 

[Zygmo]

UPDATE. A tech on Audiokarma says I need to erase and then format this card with the Marantz Utilities disc. Only problem is, I can't find this disc or just the software anywhere online. However, the manual says I have to format any disc larger then 8GBs on a computer. So that is what I will have to do when I get the LEXAR CF. We will see what happens.

 

[Zygmo]

Another Update: Ok, there apparently is no longer an official Marantz support. However, www.dougoade @oade.com is handling whatever support for Marantz there is. I contacted him, and he had several suggestions for things I could try on the PMD570. He suggested I revert to default settings (which I think I had already tried), then use a different card and format it in the machine. BUT, he said he doubts the LEXAR 32mb card will work and recommended getting a 4gb card. He says in his experience these decks do not like cards larger than that.
He also says Windows and Mac computers sometimes add a recycle file when formatting a card, which can corrupt the system on these digital recorders. If this doesn't work, the deck with have to be reset by a technician.
So much for the manual. All it said about large cards was, if using a larger than 8gb card, it must be formatted by a computer.

The story of my life! Ordered cards twice...first time, I received two SDHC cards. Now, will be receiving a card that probably won't work. Gotta find another card now!

 

[Zygmo]

Got the card. I was mistaken....it was a 16g instead of a 32. Won't work. Even after formatting it in my Win8.1 computer, the Marantz looks at it for a minute, then says: You need to format card in Windows. LOL And it formatted in Fat32, which according to Marantz manual that is correct. So, it is STILL either the card (too high capacity), or the machine. I will order a 4g CF soon, and settle this once and for all. Whew!

 

[Zygmo]

Doesn't sound like a memory card issue. Looks like it's not getting an input, configured incorrectly, or it's faulty.

If it was a card issue, you would likely either get an error, or it would appear to be working properly and just not record anything.

It's not showing that it's receiving or processing an input and it's never getting to the recording stage.

Well, turns out the problem was (partly)...........dirty level control!! LOL I finally got a 4g CF card yesterday, didn't work. The Marantz kept saying "You must format in PC". The machine itself is supposed to format cards up to 8g. So, I formatted it both ways, still not working. And I had tried everything, including turning the volume control up and down often. This time however, I noticed that I could barely hear sound in the headphones. So I hooked up a cable from my headphone output on the amp to the inputs on the Marantz, turned the volume up to about 3/4 and could hear music, with a lot of static. That is when I realized what was happening. I spun that volume knob like crazy and started getting more sound, and meters. Deoxed it, and now it records and plays fine. It also works with the 16g Lexar card.
But. I have to reformat, in the Marantz every time I restart. Soon as I format, even the 16g Lexar, everything works as it should. (You are supposed to have to format anything over 8g on a PC).
If I format on the PC, I still have to reformat when I insert either card in the Marantz.

Anyone know what is causing this?

Since everything seems to hinge on that Level control (it controls most menu commands, volume, balance, who knows what all.....) could it still be that? Getting deox into that was a bear, and I might not have gotten much. Maybe just spinning it so much got me to this point. It is on a small board that would have to be removed by taking off the nut on the knob shaft, and removing one screw from inside.