Portable Audio Recorder

Portable Audio Recorder Review

Transom

Current Voice Recorder Recommendations: 

Compact, convenient, take-everywhere recorder: Sony PCM-M10 (Transom review) – $240

Sonic clarity in a small package: Sony PCM-D100 (Transom review) – $800

Affordable sound quality with XLR mic inputs: Tascam DR-100mkII (Transom review) – $270

Reporter’s workhorse: Marantz PMD 661 (Transom review) – $600

Simultaneous interview/ambience recording: Zoom H4n (Transom review) – $200 – OR Tascam DR-40 (Transom review) – $200

Ultimate sound quality: Sound Devices 702/722 (Transom review) – $1,800/$2,400

Recommended External Microphones:

Omnidirectional, Condenser: Audio Technica AT8010 – $160

Short Shotgun, Condenser: Rode NTG2 – $270

Sennheiser K6 powering module + Sennheiser ME66 short shotgun capsule – $250/$210. Additional capsules can be purchased (Omni, Cardioid, Lavalier, etc) to work with the K6. This can be more economical and compact than purchasing and carrying several different microphones.

Digital Voice Recorder Comparison

Tascam DR-100mkII

Pros: Upgraded (cleaner) mic inputs compared to original DR-100. XLR mic inputs with standard phantom power, hardware switches for inputs and other controls, dual power sources (both AA and rechargeable battery), easy to use, good built-in stereo mics, good audio quality with any external microphones, simple menu structure, protective soft sleeve included.

Cons: AA battery life is short. Battery-source menu is clunky. Mono/stereo record-mode setting is buried in a series of menus. No true single-track mono recording. Too large for a pocket. No AC power supply provided.

Olympus LS-100

Pros: XLR mic inputs with phantom power. Clean mic preamps. Very good sound quality with built-in or external mics. Beeps if left in record-pause. Power cord provided.

Cons: Rechargeable Li-Ion battery only. Complicated multi-step menu structure for simple tasks, including recording. Too many recording options. Weak headphone amp.

Tascam DR-40

Pros: XLR mic inputs with phantom power. Small, sturdy and affordable. Built-in mics sound good. 4-Channel recording capability. Dual Recording mode makes safety track at lower gain. True mono recording saves disc space. Good battery life.

Cons: Poor sound quality with external dynamic mics and other low-output microphones. Up/Down rocker for input gain rather than knob. Most controls accesed by menus rather than knobs and switches.

Sony PCM-M10

Pros: Small, sturdy and affordable. Built-in microphones are somewhat tolerant of wind and handling noise. Good sound quality with internal or external mics. 4-gigs of built-in memory. 5-second pre-record buffer. Great battery life. AC power adapter included. Small speaker for playback.

Cons: Uses Micro SD or Memorystick media for additional storage, not standard SD cards. No cover for USB connector.

Zoom H4n

Pros: Simultaneous 4-track recording from internal mics and external inputs, very good quality built-in mics, XLR inputs and phantom power for external mics, additional minijack mic input, useful Automatic Gain Control, long record times on standard AA batteries, AC power adapter included.

Cons: Weak gain with external dynamic microphones, some background hiss with external mics, menu navigation more complex than other recorders.

Tascam DR-100

Pros: XLR mic inputs with standard phantom power, hardware switches for inputs and other controls, dual power sources (both AA and rechargeable batteries), easy to use, good built-in stereo mics, good audio quality with external condenser microphones, simple menu structure, protective soft sleeve included.

Cons: Weak gain with external dynamic microphones, slight background hiss, cannot record mono files, too big for a pocket, power cord not included.

Marantz PMD 661

Pros: XLR mic inputs with standard phantom power, very good sound quality with a wide range of external microphones, large bright display, slanted LED meter readable from several positions, shoulder strap allows hands-free operation, gapless track division, recording configurations can be stored as presets, true mono file recording, up to 24-bit 96khz recording, S/PDIF digital input..

Cons: Larger and heavier than the new pocket-sized recorders, mediocre built-in microphones, changing configurations requires clicking through many menus, time info and level info shown on separate pages of display.

Olympus LS10

Pros: Very small, good sound quality with external mics, input gain knob, 2 gigs of built-in memory, good battery life, USB2 file transfer.

Cons: Built in mics are over-bright and wind-sensitive, cannot record mono files, 1/8″ mic input, no digital in, no power cord supplied.

Marantz PMD 620

Pros: Good sound quality with external mics, small, light, one-button record, config presets, mono recording, gapless track division.

Cons: audio delay in headphones(fixed), poor placement of headphone jack, audible button clicks, no digital input, 1/8″ mic input

Marantz PMD 660

Pros: XLR inputs, good meters, recording config presets, mono recording, gapless track division.

Cons: Hissy with some dynamic mics, input distorts with some condenser mics, comparatively large and heavy, no digital input.

Tascam HD-P2

Pros: XLR inputs with phantom power, excellent sound quality, optional padded case, good meters, large display, gapless track division, configuration presets, time code for sync to video or film.

Cons: Larger and heavier than other recorders, plastic case, expensive, menus can be hard to navigate, low gain for dynamic mics, speaker is on by default if no headphones connected.

Sound Devices 702/722

Pros: XLR Inputs with phantom power, Excellent sound quality, metal construction, flexible recording options, reliable meters, long recordng times possible to 722’s hard drive, gapless track division.

Cons: Expensive, heavy, larger than the pocket recorders, batteries hard to recharge in the field.

Oreilly

Edirol R-09

Pros:
    Easy to use
    Good onboard mics
    Good menu & interface

Cons:

    Windscreen not included
    Tripod adapter is optional

Bonus Coolness Factor:
Optional case & tripod are terrific

Edirol R-09 HR

Pros:
    Redesigned mics are more wind-resistant
    Easy-to-read OLED display
    Supports 96kHz recording
    Very easy to use

Cons:

    Tripod adapter is optional
    Headphone cord can brush against mics
    Still no windscreen

Bonus Coolness Factor:
Multifunction wireless remote

Korg MR-1

Pros:

    Outstanding audio quality
    40 gig hard drive
    Rugged metal housing with leather case
    Universal power supply

Cons:

    No hardware rec level control
    Internal battery
    Hard to set recording levels

Bonus Coolness Factor:
1-bit audio is a huge improvement over PCM

Wirerealm

What is a portable audio recorder?

A portable audio recorder is a small device that’s meant for on-the-go or handheld recording of audio of any kind — music, rehearsals, interviews, conversations, thoughts — you name it, you can record it. As stated previously, there are numerous uses for recorders. In terms of portability, they’re great for recording merely anything you may think of while you’re on the go or even around the house. I use mine a lot for rehearsals to listen over later as well as when I have some music ideas and I shamelessly hum it into the mic for some future reference. No shame here — you never know when that golden tune is going to come to you! I’ve even used it to record some thoughts I needed to get out or practice talking to my boss for a raise (no joke!). But that’s the thing — I love how many uses I get out of it as I never know what I may need to save worth hearing later.
How to choose your handheld recorder

It’s a bit straight forward for picking your portable recorder and when it comes to the actual best it is dependent on a few factors that are subjective depending on the person. Some recorders out there may have jam-packed features that might be a bit overkill for you — maybe you’re just looking for a simple device to record audio with no pizzazz? Or maybe some of you are looking for some XLR inputs, filters, or noise cancellation technologies that are only available in higher models? Here’s the list to take into consideration when shopping.

• Your budget. Some of these are relatively affordable, although if you want some of the best, they usually run between $100 to $200.
• How many tracks? Some record one, two or up to four tracks at a time.
• How much memory? This is pretty straight forward — some accept microSD and SDHC cards while others do not. Pay attention to how much memory the recorder you’re looking at can support as it’s important for how much audio you can store on your device at a time. Most are fine with any size of a microSD card, although others have some internal memory which is quite convenient as well.
• Extra features you’re looking for. Many of these are surprisingly power considering their overall size. LCD screens, filters, effects, playback slow-mo, etc. Who knows, maybe you want it all?
• An internal or external mic? There are benefits to both and some models (mostly zoom) come with interchangeable mic configurations that can be detached at the top. Others are merely built-in so you don’t have to worry about the extra pieces. There are benefits to both.
• Accessories needed. Carrying bags, popper stoppers, tripods, windscreens. I only use a tripod/mount with mine, but the others may be useful to you as well. Some of the models we list come in bundles around the net and we’ll provide if we found any.

Yamaha Pocketrak PR7

Up next we have one of our favorite brands in the market, Yamaha with their Pocketrack model. It’s around the same price as the H1 and provides the same audio quality of 24-bit/96kHz recording. You get a mic and line input but a different spin here is the dynamics and high-pass filter control. 

What I like about this as well is the carrying case that comes along with it — I would prefer to use that as opposed to merely sticking the recorder in my pocket bare. I’ve heard of a lot of people use this particuarly for live music recording and what not, but it’ll work with just about any use. 

A con some may say is that it’s a bit larger in size as compared to the H1, so if you’re looking for some covert and mini types of situations you should stick with the H1. All in all the Yamaha Pocketrak PR7 is an amazing recorder for a cheap price, not to mention the decent case you get too.

Roland R-05

A surprising brand here considering Roland is usually associated with music equipment, but this portable recorder is quite solid. The R-05 gives us our approved 24-bit/96kHz recording quality, an external input in case youd’ like to go that route and you can record in MP3s or WAVs. 

Another highlight of this which stands out to us is the metal exterior. It’s rugged and very reliable, so if you’re concerned with stability and want a recorder that won’t break easily (and that you may drop, it happens to the best of us!) this is one of the best. 

There’s also a built-in mounting tripod socket if you want to set it down next to you to free up your hands. It doesn’t have any built-in memory but you’re fine with a microSD card. It picks up a lot of surround noise so a concert probably isn’t ideal for this, but other than that the Roland R-05 recorder is a solid choice if you’re looking for stability as well as a device with a built-in microphone as opposed to one with a mic configuration that can get a bit annoying at times.

Sony PCM-M10

Sony‘s most popular handheld recorder is this one and it has a lot of essential features we love. The microphone(s) are built-in and they’re conednser (omnidirectional) but there’s also an external mic input (3.5mm). 4GB internal memory is always a plus and it’s got around a 16-hour (AA battery) life. 

High-quality WAV and MP3 files, USB connectivity, and support of microSDHC cards up to 64GB. Playback is a bit iffy on this with the speaker being pretty low in volume, but if you use your computer to transfer the files and listen there you’re fine. 

Stated to be great for live music and you can use a sensitivity reduction feature on the recorder for high decibel settings. The Sony PCM-M10 recorder is a great model worth looking at.

Digital Voice Recorder

(Wikipedia)

Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording. Acoustic analog recording is achieved by a small microphone diaphragm that can detect changes in atmospheric pressure (acoustic sound waves) and record them as a graphic representation of the sound waves on a medium such as a phonograph (in which a stylus senses grooves on a record). In magnetic tape recording, the sound waves vibrate the microphone diaphragm and are converted into a varying electric current, which is then converted to a varying magnetic field by an electromagnet, which makes a representation of the sound as magnetized areas on a plastic tape with a magnetic coating on it. Analog sound reproduction is the reverse process, with a bigger loudspeaker diaphragm causing changes to atmospheric pressure to form acoustic sound waves. Electronically generated sound waves may also be recorded directly from devices such as an electric guitar pickup or a synthesizer, without the use of acoustics in the recording process other than the need for musicians to hear how well they are playing during recording sessions.

Digital recording and reproduction converts the analog sound signal picked up by the microphone to a digital form by a process of digitization, allowing it to be stored and transmitted by a wider variety of media. Digital recording stores audio as a series of binary numbers representing samples of the amplitude of the audio signal at equal time intervals, at a sample rate high enough to convey all sounds capable of being heard. Digital recordings are considered higher quality than analog recordings not necessarily because they have higher fidelity (wider frequency response or dynamic range), but because the digital format can prevent much loss of quality found in analog recording due to noise and electromagnetic interference in playback, and mechanical deterioration or damage to the storage medium. A digital audio signal must be reconverted to analog form during playback before it is applied to a loudspeaker or earphones.

Sony Digital Voice Recorder

(Youtube)