An AIG Online Exclusive I realized at the time, mid-1989, that buying this tape recorder and selling my Nakamichi CR7 would be viewed by readers and other audiophiles as sheer insanity. Now, more than 15 years later, I still have my PMD430, and yet another one to last me through my dotage. Don’t see many CR7s coming up on eBay any more, if any are still in use. But I’m not going to knock that once great machine. I come not to praise nor to bury CR7 (I’ll get to that later), but to marvel at the longevity of this little professional Marantz, many of whose siblings have toiled for decades in courtrooms and other places where accurate archiving is in order.
There were just two stereo models, the PMD430 being the 3-head version, featuring Dolby B and dbx noise reduction. The single-motor transport uses a belt-driven capstan system for low flutter, and while not bullet-proof, the mechanism has been reliable and unfussy. Record speed is very accurate, and variable playback speed allows tuning to pitch of recordings made on other machines. After I bought the second one (which was actually a CP430, made for the European market but otherwise identical), I had its speed synchronized by All-In-One Electronics tape-deck whiz, Boris, after he had made some other circuit board repairs earlier this year.
A few weeks later I decided it might be interesting to once again measure the original 430 along with the newly acquired one. I first ran curves in Summer 89 (Volume 9 #1), and was quite astonished, not just at the frequency response, but the fact that it would maintain those curves at Dolby calibration level, something no other cassette deck in my experience had ever managed. As I noted then, “As you can see, it is almost ruler flat, with just the slightest evidence of the beginnings of tape saturation above 15 kHz. What this tells us is that with this tape [TDK MA-X], especially if one switches in dbx and the limiter (both off for measurements here), it is almost impossible to drive this recorder into distortion.”
Would all this still be true? Well, measurement techniques have been refined over the years, and now I can simply hook up the recorder to my AudioControl SA3050 1/3 octave spectrum analyzer, fire up its pink noise generator, set levels, and put it into record. I chose 3 tapes of current vintage, a TDK MA 90 Type 4, Maxell XLS 110 Type 2, and Memorex dB 60 Type 1, planning to show results for all 3. But due to the virtually identical traces with all 3 (and a few other Fuji and other tape brands), and the difficulty of photographing the 1/3 octave measurements (follow the bouncing balls!), I opted to show just the one above, which is the TDK MA. The less potent tapes showed a dB or so greater rolloff at 16 kHz and above, the ferric down 3 or 4 dB at the highest frequencies, while the Type 2 and 4 had strong energy to 20 kHz. It is worth pointing out that full waveforms can be reproduced by analog tape at these frequencies, something 44.1 digital is incapable of doing. Note also that the rolloff at the lowest frequencies is partly the captured bounces of the “balls”, as well as some moderate slope in response.
The deck shown above is my 17-year-old PMD430, but the performance of the CP430 (numbered with a 2, since they are visually identical right down to the vinyl protective case) was virtually identical after Boris’s cleanup and tuneup. In all those years, I’ve made many outdoor recordings with trains, loons, storms, and so on, as well as annual recordings of the Branksome Hall Girls School Christmas Carol service, and other regular concert recording gigs. In recent times, it has been a loyal backup to my various portable DAT recorders, as well as preserving many CBC Radio 2 concert broadcasts for continued listening. These days I use either almost exclusively in dbx mode, which maintains the extraordinary high frequency headroom (which Dolby doesn’t), as well as reducing noise by 30 dB without any audible consequence. Though I’ve heard dbx pump in other applications, especially when used for dynamic expansion, here it works perfectly, with no noise modulation that I can discern, either.
I you find this performance a little incredible (as in unbelievable), note at photo top that the record/play controls are down (on), the Pause button closest to the meters is not engaged, and the Monitor button below Record and Play is out (tape), all this clearly designating off-tape monitoring in progress. The Limiter button is also out (off), and the meters can be seen to read just a hair above Dolby level. Seventeen years and still performing at spec or better! And a well used (and well loved) portable deck at that!
I’ve owned open reel machines that don’t even come close to this at 7 1/2 IPS, and here we’re operating at 1 7/8 speed. My considerable experience with open reel machines has been less successful, most of them being very finicky for setup, prone to excessive head wear, and very choosey about what tape brands they will tolerate. Not so here. Also, like many other professional recordists, I’ve been hit by the bad binder problems of the 70s, and now have a closet full of 7 1/2 and 15 IPS tapes that demand head cleaning after every track to retain any high frequency response. Luckily this curse did not spill over into the cassette genre, which has proved to be a very robust medium. Most of my cassettes have retained their playback quality, even tapes that spent dozens of seasons in various nooks and crannies of my numerous cars. Would that CDs were so robust!
So, if I’m seeming a little optimistically nostalgic about Philips’s humble little invention of 40 years ago, it’s nice to be able to show the proof of its evolution into a true audiophile format in the 80s. In the case of the Marantz PMD430, it is an evolution of excellence that has endured into the 21st Century.
Andrew Marshall
Comment:
Hi, I came across this article with interest. I am a musician and love analog sound and recently bought a Marantz Cassette Recorder CP 430. I would be very grateful if you could recommend a suitable high quality stereo mic for use with this machine.
Regards, Gerard
AM Replies,
As you’ve no doubt observed, the CP/PMD430 has a pair of 1/4″ TS (tip/sleeve) microphone inputs, but the left is also TRS (tip/ring/sleeve), so you can plug both types of mike in for stereo recording. SONY has several excellent electret types that plug in directly, including the excellent ECM-99 stereo mike.
What you should be aware of is that the 430 has no microphone powering for electrets, so you need types that have internal batteries (usually AAs) for this purpose. There are also lots of dynamics that can also serve, but these may not have the high-end crispness of the electret condensers.
Comment:
My Marantz PMD430 is an excellent machine, and it still works well. However, the tape runs fast. That is, when played back on another machine, the tape is being played back slower than it was recorded, so it sounds slow. The tape mechanism needs a speed calibration adjustment. I’m sure there is an adjustment for it somewhere, but I can’t find it. Can you point out where it is located?
AM Replies:
The speed calibration pot is on the bottom of the circuit board, so you remove the bottom plate. I believe it is clearly marked. However, it’s a tricky hit-and-miss operation that will require a calibration tape to determine speed via frequency. In other words, a technician has to match the frequency on the tape to the same one on a very accurate tone generator; I believe the tone frequency is around 3 kHz, also used to measure flutter. He then has to make sure a signal recorded from the generator matches the source exactly, using a digital frequency meter.
That said, I would strongly advise you to take the recorder to a qualified technician in your area. That’s what I did, because I have two of these machines, and I wanted their speeds to exactly match. Also, as you know, you have variable speed control on playback, so it’s the record speed that has to be calibrated. You might also want to find out if your other machine is running at proper play speed. Good luck in getting things properly matched and set up.
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May 24th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Hi, I came across this article with interest. I am a musician and love analog sound and recently bought a Marantz Cassette Recorder CP 430. I would be very grateful if you could recommend a suitable high quality stero mic for use with this machine.
Regards, Gerard
www.stoneandfarrelly.com
June 15th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Hello I recently Purchased one of these Marantz PMD430 Recorders for $23 Dollars at a Midland, Michigan, Fea-Market it came with Two Dead Battery Packs and a Dead Power Supply AC Adapter, I put Three half Dead D-size Batteries in it and it Runs!! I also tried a DC power (Bench Variable Voltage DC Type {Heath-Kit Zero to 15 volt 10 Amp} ) set to 4.5 Volts DC at about 2/3 of an amp if I remember Right and the PMD430 works GREAT! Al
June 21st, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Hi I purched a Marantz PMD221 in January 1997. Only 2 minor repairs is that time. It has been used 10 hours a week since 1997 plus long weekend dance conventions. It’s nearly ready for retirement. Any good replacements available anywhere?
July 11th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Hi Andrew, I loved reading above article because I’m also a very dedicated owner of a Marantz CP-430 that motivates me to keep my music tape collection. (and maybe future generations?)
But I have a problem with me Marantz CP-430 that need to be fixed or this fantastic analog cassette-deck is to be junked. Who can fix it I wonder? Maybe you can give me some advise? I’m happy to send the unit it anywhere in the world to someone who can fix it!!!
This is the strange problem regardless of tape playing:
N.R. in DOLBY B position, only RIGHT channel is heard!
N.R. in OFF position, only the RIGHT channel is heard!
N.R. in dbx position BOTH channels can be heard in stereo!!
I hope you understand how irritating this is on a otherwise perfect working unit.
Ciao
Bob
July 15th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Have you tried Superscope?
July 31st, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for the great info. I recently picked up 2 PMD 430s and I’m looking for a good mic. Will electret mics work if they are powered(battery or phantom)?
August 9th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Hello. I have four Marantz PMD 430s. I recently used one of them to record a lecture before a live audience in San Francisco. The recording was made in stereo with Doby B using two Audio Technica 4047 mics for the subject and one 4033 to record the applause from the audience. The mics were hooked-up to a 1402 VLZ-pro mixer with two channels going from it to the PMD430. The 1 1/2 hour lecture (three tapes — 90 minute tapes recorded on one side only) were then played and recorded onto a computer digital track for editing. The final results were amazing and utilized to generate a commercial CD.
August 14th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Hello. I recently unearthed my 1989 Marantz PMD 430 to play some old tapes. It appears that it is running at about double the correct speed…like chipmunks singing.
Adjusting the speed can’t put the tapes back into normal speed.
I did a search for All-In-One Electronics (Boris) and I’d like to get this repaired/adjusted.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
robkinghorn@msn.com
952.220.3250
August 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Hi Rob,
I suspect what has happened is that your PMD430’s capstan drive belt has broken, and the tape is being moved by the takeup reel belt. You don’t say where you are, but All-in-One Electronics is at 50 Wingold Avenue in North Toronto off Dufferin north of Eglinton, and their phone # is 416-789-0668, and the contact is Rob Tracy.
cheers, Andrew
August 30th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Hey, I’m a musician with an ever expanding (digital) home studio that now includes some high end API and other outboard gear. I just found a PDM430 in the trash on my street in Brooklyn…and it works!!! I really going to have some fun with this unit. I’m immediately impressed with the plethora of features and was thrilled to read your post and find out that this little thing indeed ROCKS!
September 1st, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Hi Greg,
All I can say is run with it, but make sure that if you can’t test and align it yourself, get a professional to do so, and also have the belts and switches checked and cleaned. That way you can get the performance it’s really capable of. The heads last forever, so that’s the ;east of your worries. Have fun!
Andrew
September 1st, 2008 at 8:58 pm
One of the few drawbacks to tape recordings is how they react to some digital effects if you plan on sending recordings to a computer. Digital reverbs won’t sound good with tape recordings because of the low bandwidth. Besides that you can’t beat the natural compression that analog tape gives you. Digital will never be able able to simulate it. With the right mics you don’t need any noise reduction, allthough some digital noise reductions work very well with tape sources. I plan on using the 430 for my field work in school.
I recently got 2 PMD430s and a Sony TC-D5M but nobody anywhere will sevice the Sony because the parts aren’t available, so the Marantz is the way to go.
If you want to try a multi-track cassette recorder look for a late model Japanese made Tascam. They sound great too.
Love that tape sound.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Hello,
I just bought a PDM 430 and I ma very satisfy with sound. The unit plays perfect, I will like to know if when in play mode and reaches the end if is suppose to auto stop. When I FF and RR it does stop.
Thanks,
Angel
September 12th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I have a cp430 tape recorder and at present cannot find a supplier for a rb430 battery. Anyone have any ideas ???/ Thanks in advance. Tim
September 12th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Andrew or anyone,
I just bought a PDM 430 and mine when in play mode reches the end does not auto stop. Is this the way the 430 works or someyhing is wrong with the autostop in play mode.
Thanks,
Angel
September 29th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
My Marantz PMD430 is an excellent machine, and it still works well. However, the tape runs fast. That is, when played back on another machine, the tape is being played back slower than it was recorded, so it sounds slow. The tape mechanism needs a speed calibration adjustment. I’m sure there is an adjustment for it somewhere, but I can’t find it. Can you point out where it is located?
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:43 pm
hey there, just finished ripping apart my PMD-430
to replace the drive belts.
It turned out to be a very painless affair, but you do have to unlock this baby
it’s packed in there, and like a sandwich.
Marantz did good ! They made things easy to get to and not fussy to take apart or put back together.
Genius.
the pics will be on my blog soon.. freqazoidiac.blogspot.com
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I can’t believe how many responses I’ve had to this review. I guess the PMD/CP430 is keeping the cassette format alive, at least in the pro and location recording fields. When last I had to change belts, I turned to All-in-One-Electronics in Toronto. I find when I take these kinds of portables apart, I just lose half the tiny screws, and can’t fix them anyway. That was especially true of my little Denon DAT portables.
So, congratulations on your “Black Belt” in cassette repair!
December 4th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
It appears that the PMD 430 fills a niche in analog recording marketing segment. I hope the recording manufacturing industry is aware of this marketing segment and steps up to the plate in satisfying it future needs — there is money to be made here.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Actually, Plez, there are quite a few companies out there mining this rich niche, starting at the top with Nagra, and including others like ZOOM, M-Audio, Edirol, TASCAM, Sony, and so on. The SD card seems to be coming the de facto recording medium for handheld recorders, now up to 8 Gig for extnded recording time even in high resolution formats. I’d love to have dime for every H2 that’s been sold, in cluding the 3 that I’ve bought for Aaron and myself. He uses his for spot sound captures in his film post-production work, and I use mine for outdoor recording.
April 4th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
I recently had my PMD430 given a tuneup by Superscope Technologies. Turnaround was less than a week.
April 4th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Leigh, what was the final cost for the tuneup including shipping? Thanks.
April 5th, 2009 at 1:20 am
Superscope is located in Illinois, so I might have had to pay some taxes. It came to $169 USD. The shipping back to me was included.
April 6th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Thanks Leigh. I know that I will have to use them in the future.
April 11th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Hi: I have a Marantz PMD430. Can someone give info on a repair service station. My unit intially was not able to rewind .(Good tapes) It now donot seem to Play at all. any help? Rao Inala.
My email is Dr.RaoInala@hotmail.com
April 13th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Hi Rao,
Please note the above reference and link to Superscope technologies, who will service your PMD430.
May 18th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I bought my PMD 430 back in 1988, and I had problems with it from the very beginning. I’ve always tried to take as good a care of this unit as I possibly could, but it’s never lasted more than a year without need for repair. The problems are usually different each time. I’m sure it’s been in the shop well over 20 times since I owned it. (How much money does that equate to?)
I hadn’t used my PMD 430 for about a year, and a few days ago I pulled it out of an airtight plastic bag where I’d been storing it and tried to dub some old cassettes. Only one channel plays back now, so I guess it’s going in for service again!
When the PMD 430 working, it’s a wonderful machine, but it seems extraordinarily prone to breakdown. Has anyone else had similar problems with this model?
May 20th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Yes, Jonathan, the PMD430 is not a Nagra, and its switches are prone to intermittency, and belts have to be replaced, and circuits like the variable speed play can fail, as happened one of my two 430s. But I have to suspect that you were a little rough on yours. Cassette mechanisms are much more prone to transport problems than open reels, but we are dealing with a relatively inexpensive recorder, with fairly cheap parts, but very high performance.
Regular maintenance is the key, cleaning heads and avoiding bad outdoor conditions. The 430 does not like very humid conditions, nor does the cassette medium itself. I may sell one of mine, since most of my outdoor recording is now in 96K digital on ZOOM and Edirol gear, which doesn’t care so much about the elements and can be covered easily (with its small size) in the field.
May 21st, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Thanks for your insight on this, Andrew. Besides cleaning and demagnetizing the heads, is there any other maintenence I can perform on the PDM 430 myself? I’ve never taken it apart, and I know you say you lose the screws and aren’t able to fix anything when you do so. Nevertheless, I was wondering if it would be advisable to spray the recorder’s pots and switches with an electronic contact cleaner. What I’m trying to do is delay sending it in for its periodic tuneup, which it seems to need at least every couple of years. The only thing I ever use the PMD 430 for at this point is to dub old cassettes to digital media, and I’d like to avoid spending $100+ every few years just to keep it running.
September 13th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I bought one off Ebay with issues. The right input channel works but does not record. In other words when you monitor the input the audio is OK in both channels; when you monitor off tape the right audio is faint and left side is normal. Also the DBX selection kills the audio in both channels. I was hoping to get a good working unit as advertised but the seller fibbed or is ignorant. The main reason I bought this is to record with my JVC binaural recording headphones http://art.simon.tripod.com/jvcmic/. Back in the late 70’s I made some incredible recordings with these mics and now I want to record some bluegrass sessions in the outdoors.
September 13th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Hi Larry,
It’s obvious that your unit needs service, and cleaning in particular. The main problem with these units is contacts in the switches. You shouldn’t expect to get a perfect unit with a recorder of this age, but getting it cleaned up and tweaked shouldn’t cost too much, so look online for a Marantz Pro service depot near you. You may also want to replace drive belts, because they do age and stretch and eventually break. These are common issues with older analog recorders, but good service is still available,
September 15th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
I purchased one of these Marantz PMD 430 back in 1989 ahve it has produced some excellent live recordings. After having it this long, I’m trying to find a good quality repair company to check it out and make any minor adjustments if needed. It also probably needs a cleaning.
Thanks
Pat
1-901-384-9072
September 16th, 2009 at 3:47 am
Just as a matter of interest I have a large collection of cassettes from the 70s and 80s. Last week I bought a CP430 largly after reading this site. I paid £20.00 for it and was delighted with the purchase. Everything works as it should and the cassettes (Mainly classical music) played as well as I have ever heard them. I have yet to try outside recording but the unit records when tested. I am glad I searched the web and found this site. Thanks. Michael.
Greetings to all from Wales.
September 20th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Yes, I agree. Great article. I have had a Marantz PMD430 for about 10 years now. Brilliant little machine. Do they still make them? They were in production until very recently at least. I love using mine. It is a very hands on little machine full of useful controls. Reminds me of an analog camera in a way … symbol of a bygone age yet still more characterful than its digital replacements.
I also own the Sony TC-D5M which looks quite similar to the PMD430 in many ways. They are both fantastic machines and in my opinion represent the pinnacle of cassette recording, especially given they are both so portable and laden with very useful features. I think they both look terrific too.
September 27th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I’ve had mine for over a year now, along with the Marantz stereo mikes. As it’s portable, it gets more use then my Yamaha K-1020. I usually plug it into the other two cassetteless systems in the house, and find it very hard to distinguish between it and the “better speced” K-1020.
It’s a joy to use!!
October 15th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Is it possible to adjust the azimuth of the playback head on the PMD430?
January 10th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Hi, my husband has a Marantz PMD 222 that we would like to give away. It has a power cord and a microphone; dates from mid-1990s. As far as I can tell, it’s in great shape. We have no use for it nor any space and he was about to throw it out before I realized there might be someone out there who wants it.
If you want it, please post here. We just ask that you pay for the shipping from Hawai’i to wherever you are.
take care, KM
January 10th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Don’t throw it away. Sell it on ebay and keep the funds or give the funds to charity.
January 10th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
If you do not want to put it up on ebay or sell it in-state, then I will take it.
January 11th, 2010 at 9:19 am
I should note for other posters on what has become a PMD430 forum, it seems, that the PMD222 was a mono recorder used mostly for court dictation or recording, and therefore is not a music recorder, notwithstanding its excellent sonic quality.
January 11th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Dear Andrew Marshall and Plez Hill — thank you so much for adding that about the PMD222 being a mono recorder. That’s right; my husband used it primarily for recording live and telephone interviews back when he was doing a lot of journalism. He says it has a lot of features for removing noise & interference.
Plez: per your suggestion, I am giving it a couple of weeks on craiglist to see if it will sell locally; if that doesn’t work, I’m happy to pass it along to you. Thanks!
April 13th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
I love my PMD430, but I’m sure I’m not the first person who wishes that Marantz had used the same level of fit and finish as Sony. The PMD430 is a nifty machine, but it looks and feels cheap compared to a Sony TC-D5 or TCM-5000EV.
I have the same reaction to my digital Marantz PMD660. The unit has been a great performer for me, yet it feels cheap and plasticky.
April 13th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Dear Plez Hill — I never did get any takers locally for the PMD 222, and posting on ebay seems too onerous. Are you still interested in having it?
April 15th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
I have a PMD430 that is still wrapped in plastic in the original box. I worked for an electronics retailer in the mid 90’s and purchased it as a open box item at a liquidation sale…nobody knew what it was so it just kept getting pushed asside. I was in the broadcast industry in the 80’s so I had access to a mono version as a newscaster and the stero model like mine was a regular in the studios. The one I have is mint but the take-up spindal slips, only when it has a cassette in it…when I put my finger on it, it spins but will slip if I hold it. The capstan roller is fine…I suspect that the belt that drives the t/u reel is bad…I wonder if a replacement is available? I will probably put it on ebay and sell it as is but I am tempted to repair the belt if anyone knows where I might do that in South Florida.
April 15th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
William,
Superscope Technologies will repair your PMD430 for $169. They turned my recorder around pretty quickly.
http://www.superscopetechnologies.com/service/portable_tuneup.shtml
Leigh
April 15th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
William,
Just found this link to a page that lists parts for sale:
http://www.superscopetechnologies.com/service/parts.shtml
L
May 22nd, 2010 at 12:57 am
The other day I took a few moments to put batteries in my PMD430, PMD222 and Sony TCM-5000EV to make sure they were all working properly. To my surprise, the TCM-5000EV was the quietest of the three. The PMD222 was considerably noisier than the TCM-5000EV, and my PMD430 is now so noisy that I sent it back in for a tuneup since the microphones were beginning to pick up the motor sounds.
Do the Sony machines use a different kind of motor or use a transport mechanism that makes them quieter?
May 24th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Sony will certainly make their own motors, but your PMD 430 may be making other than motor noises. It may need lubrication of gears or other moving parts that may be rubbing together. Hopefully your service person will be able to solve the problem, or if it is the motor, replace it.
May 24th, 2010 at 10:46 am
Ref: #37
Marantz PMD 222 that we would like to give away.
If this is still available, I would like to have it for our Church to record services.
May 24th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Dear Charles Campbell,
Absolutely, I still have the Marantz PMD 222 and would be happy to give it away for your your church services. Contact me off list at cmatteso@hawaii.edu and we can make arrangements.
Blessings!
K.M.
August 21st, 2010 at 8:33 am
Hi, the ‘auto-shutoff’ function has just gone on my PMD-430. I’m in the UK and don’t really want to send my machine all the way to SuperScope for repair. Would this be a simple job for someone familiar with cassette recorders to fix?
Absolutely love my PMD-430 (and my Sony TC-D5M) as they have both been so reliable (12+ years each now) and both sound so damn good. I’ve owned numerous DAT, MiniDisc and now flash recorders and yet I still keep coming back to these two classic cassette recorders. Just something very satisfying about using them.