Untitled

imost every pociraster has, at one time ar
airother, inranteci tc take the shov'v cn the rcad.
wnether inat rneat'rs recorclng inrervlelvs ar a
tarro. snow, caprurtng narure souncs irriviuir
I
Woods, or originating your regular show from a baseball
stadiurn, the a'vaiiability of high-quaiity, portable digital
records,{or street prices weli below $f O0 has rnade it
passible tc podcast from aimost anylvhere for a reasonable inrvestment, and with a rninimum of hass!e. ln this
article, we'll take a lcok at the leaCing portab!e digitai
recoi'ders, all arrailable for 5500 or less. You'll learn which
features to expect, which ones you can do without, and
how to choose the best recoi'der for the kind of field pod-
Jf
, I
f B
castingyou do.
During the same couple of Years
that podcasting has been taking hold
among content-producers, the price
of flash memory has been droPPing
precipitously. That happy convergence
has made it possible to record a lot of
audio on a tiny, inexpensive memorY
card,orfrom an inexpensive device
with built-in memory. Portable recorder
manufacturers have adapted to this
trend, too, releasing smaller and
s
m
a
ller devices, wh ile
u p pin g
the
i
r
quality and increasing the number of
professional features they offer. Most
truly professional fi eld recorders stil I tip
the scales at $l-,000 plus, but the units
we evaluated do a more than adequate
job for most field-recording situations,
especially when a hand-held device is
desirable.
At the high end of our list, in terms
of cost, is the Marantz PMD660, a unit
that's marketed to radio Producers
and other pros. lt's somewhat more
expensive than, but still in the same
ballpark as, the other recorders we
tested. Though the PMD660 retails for
$700, it's widely available for 5499. We
alsotook a look atthe Zoom H4 HandY
Recorder and Edirol R-09, which are
hand-held devices that also use removable flash memory. The Olympus D5-50
and WS-331M are downright tiny, and
feature built-in memory. We included
the Olympus units because manY
podcasters wa nt to ta ke adva ntage of
portability and value, but are unsure
whether they should spend the extra
money for higher-end recorders. Those
who began their podcasting careers
with an iRiver recorder
(see "The
Legend of the iRiver," page22) will rec-
ognize many of the Olympus devices'
features. Finally, we were unable to
obtain an M-Audio Microfrack24/96
for review despite several requests. Like
the R-09 and H4, the MicroTrack is a
mid-size hand-held recorderthat uses
removable media. We have included
its specif cations in the feature chart
(pages 26 - 27) because it is a popular
choice among mobile podcasters.
Let's Get M[e-g
Most podcasters use f eld recorders
to capture voices. Sometimes they're
interview subjects or conference
panelists. Some podcasters also need'
to capture ambient sound, particularly
in nature. The portable recorders we
evaluated all have built-in mics that
allowyou to record sound at close
range. All but the Olympus WS-331M
include stereo mics.
We found the Zoom H4 and Edirol
R-09 to have the best internal mics.
Both capture ambient sound verY
well, though not as well as a high-end
external mic would. For intervlews on
the street or on a trade-show floor,
though, the built-in mics worked even
better. The H4 and R-09 provide good
stereo separation, and rich sound. We
give the su bjective edge to the H4 for
sound fullness. The H4 also offers a
unique "mic modeling"feature that
lets you simulate the characteristics of
well-known pro mics with the builtin one. You can also adjust the mic's
pickup pattern, further customizi ng
the recordi ng for you r environment. On
the downside, we did notice that the
H4 is susceptible to wind noise. You'll
want to use the provided windscreen
to cut wind considerably. Unfortunately, we quickly lost our windscreen while
on a road trip with the H4, which is an
al
l-too-likely scenario. The windscreen
foam ball wlth a custom groove to
is a
fit the
H4's mics.
We wonder why Marantz bothered
to put internal mics in the PMD660.
They're not very good, and chances are
that anyone paying S500 for a recorder
will also want to invest in a good mic.
ln addition, the PMD660 is not a handheld device, making positioning of its
built-in mic somewhat problematic in
most situations. The DS-50 has two
mics, a simple mono one, and a detachable stereo unit that can either sit
atop the recorder, or be plugged in to
the included mic adapter, which has a
three-foot cable and a clip for attaching it to a collar or lapel.
As for external mic options, the
PMD660 and H4 are the only recorders
with balanced XLR mic connectors of
the kind found on professional studio
and field microphones. The 660 has
two and there's a pair of combination
XLR hybrid connectors on the H4that
can accept both XLR and balanced TRS
cables. Both devices provide 48-volt
phantom power, required for use with
;3I
h*
most condenser mics. The R-09 has
"plug-in" power - not the industrY
standard 48 volts used for Phantom
power - and no XLR input.
Despite its professional choPs,
the built-in preamps that provide the
PMD660 with phantom Power have
been criticized for being noisy. At least
one audio dealer offers a solution for
the built-in preamps. lfyou buyyour
PMD660 from Oade Brothers Audio
(www.oade.com), you can have one of
several higher-quality preamps installed
at the time of purchase.The most basic
upgrade option costs $100 overthe
SEPTEMBER AOOT
The Legend of the lRluer
When podcasting was young,
budding audio producers
listened to Adam Curry's Daily
Source Code to learn how to use
the new medium. Curry invented terms like "sound seeing"
and demonstrated the concept
by recording car trips, walks in
his backyard, and even business meetings using his iRiver
IFP 799, a
tiny recorder with
With an
adoption rate that his PodShow
podcast network would love
to display on a flip chart, Curry
almost single-handedly turned
the iRiver IFP 700/800 line into
1GB of flash memory.
podcasting's fi rst must-have
piece of gear.
Ranging in price from 5100
IFP 700 series and
to $200, the
the nearly identical 800s were
marketed by the Korean company iRiver as MP3 players that,
oh by the way, could record.
With a built-in microphone and
a 1/8-inch jack for an external
mic or line-level input source,
the tiny devices appealed to
podcasters who wanted to
record in the field, but couldn't
justify pro gear, and to some
who connected it to a mixer for
in-studio recording. The IFPs
ranged in capacityfrom the
255M8 790 and 890 models, to
the LGB 799 and 899. Each fit in
the palm ofone hand.
lf you've noticed the past
tense in the preceding paragraphs, it's no accident. iRiver
stopped making the IFP series
in 2005, replacing it with the
T10 and T30, both ofwhich
include recording capa bility,
but neither of which captured
the imagination of the podcast
world in quite the same way. ln
fact, podcasters still cruise eBay
for used iRivers. The going rate
seems to be between S50 and
S100 for a IGB recorder.
To get the best results from
your iRiver, choose good-quality
external mics. The iRivers do not
supply power, so you'll need a
usual street priceforthe PMD660; howthatyou will void your
Marantz warranty. lf you go this route,
the premium you payforthe PMD660
takes its cost to double the street price
ever, be aware
ofthe
H4.
You'llfind 1/8-inch unbalanced mic
jacks on the R-09 and D5-50. A number
of lapel and other lavaliere mics are
compatible with this connector. Most
l/
8-inch m icrophones a re u n ba la nced
and supply their own battery power. lf
yours doesn't, choose the R-09, which
provides plug-in power. XLR to 1/8-inch
adapters are available, but the physi-
a
dynamic mic or a battery-powered one. Giant Squid Audio Lab
mics (reviewed on page 40) are
popular, and the company has
developed a custom connector
for the iRiver. You can also find
good iRiver-friendly mics from
Sound Professionals (www.
be sure that it ends in a rightangle connector, or that you
are using a right-angle adapter.
Plugging a straight-line mic into
the iRiver can put pressure on
the tiny device's circuit board.
How do the now out-ofdate iRivers compare with the
recorders we reviewed? Like the
Olympus D5-50 and W5-331M,
you can record only compressed
audio (MP3 fomat)with an iRiv-
I
to plug instruments in to the recorder.
lf you want to be able to use both
pro mics for exacting recordings, and
a built-in mic for quick takes, consider
the H4. lts biggest negative in this
regard is that switching input set-
tings requires a burrowing trip into
the recorder's menu system. (We have
more to say on the user interfaces in
the "lnterfaci ng the Music" section.)
The H4 also has a unique feature that's
useful if you want to record using a
computer: it doubles as a USB audio
interface. Connectthe H4to a com-
Connecting a portable recorder
directlyto a mixer or other line-level
sou rce is a n easy way to cut out the
computer middleman when you record a
show in a studiooroffice.You'll find LINE
Schtepptng Gnd Hendli"ng
problems. lt's best to pa ir the con nector
tothe recorderwithout an adapter, if at
all possible.
butthe
On the H4, the two 1/4-inch jacks are
lN jacks on all
ers.
Olympus record-
that produces uncompressed
files, you will almost certainly
be happier with it, however,
especially if you intend to edit
or process your audio before
turning it into a podcast.
Despite its limitations, an
old iRiver is still a great starter
device for first-time field recorders, assuming you can find one,
that it's in working order, and
that you plan to use an external mic. To immerse yourself
in allthings iRiver, find links
to products that work with it,
and get support from its many
fans, check out MisticRiver at
misticriver.net.
er IFP 700/800 series recorder.
You can get 320 kbps bit rates
from them, however. Also like
puter via USB, plug mics or line-level
tothe recorder, and useyour
favorite software to record.
The H4's combination of a great
built-in mic and good output/low noise
when working with external mics give
it an edge overthe R-09 for sound quality, and the PMD660 for value.
cal difference in connector sizes can
introduce stress and other connection
mic than the iRiver does. The
iRiver mic is usable, but quite
noisy. lf you can afford a recorder
soundprofessionals.com). With
an adapter that ends in a L/8inch male connector, you can use
mics with XLR connectors, too.
Whichever mic you choose,
lso i ne-level ports. They're typica ly used
I
the Olympus models, iRiver
memory is limited to the builtin 256M8 to 1GB. The Olympus
D5-50 provides a better built-in
devices in
All of the recorders we tested are
extremely portable. Most are eas-
ily held and carried in one hand. The
PMD660 is the exception: it comes
with a stra p, a llowing you to ca rry it
on your shoulder. At 1.1 pounds, it's
not a heavy burden. The Zoom H4
is the largest of the handheld units,
and might be a little hard to hold for
extended periods if your hand is small.
On the other end ofthe spectrum is
the itty bitty WS-331M, which fits in
the palm of a small hand, and is half
an inch thick. All ofthe recorders other
than the PMD660 weigh less than
seven ounces.
lf you want to leave the recorder in
a bag,you can purchase an optional
remote for the PMD660 for 570. The
Olympus D5-50's aforementioned m ic
adapter gives you similar flexibility.
The downside of a portable recorder
is that holding it can add handling
noise. The H4 seems
particularly sus-
ceptible to handling sounds, but none
is immune. lf you place a small recorder
on a table to record (using an external
mic), you'll need to be careful that the
recorder does not skid on the surface,
adding more unwanted noise.
The H4 offers a unique option, most
suited to recording live music: there's a
exactingtasks, but it isn't unlversally
su pported, especial ly by inexpensive
audio software, and it is overkillfor
tripod mount accessory in the box.
spoken podcasts.
An &udie Ffrrmfits Prirner
can cause compatibility problems for
some audio editing software, as well as
Sampling at less than 44.1k1z
The gold standard for audio formats is
uncompressed WAV orthe Mac equivalent, AIFF. Recordings (in the f eld and in
the studio) should always be captured
in an uncompressed format if possible,
especially if you plan to do editing or
post-production. When you've completed work on the show, you ca n save
it to MP3 or other compressed format.
(MP3 is the podcast standard, but
some producers prefer AAC, the Apple
promoted format that lets you create
podcasts with chapter markers.)
Once a f le has been compressed,
any editing or other alterations you
make to the file (including combinlng
it with other tracks for editing and
resaving the result) will degrade the
file's quality
more so with each gen-
-
eration. lf your field recording will be
published unedited,you can use most
ofthe recorders we tested to create
native compressed files. That will also
save a lot of space on you r memory
card: WAVfiles are approximately 1-0
times the size of high-bit-rate MP3s. lf
you absolutely must use a compressed
format for recording,you'll want a
recorder that ca n save high-bit-rate
MP3s, so that down sampling does the
least damage.
ln addition to its format, two
parameters tellyou about an audio
file's quality: bit rate and sample rate.
The bit depth of a record ing is the
amount of information captured in
a file. Cenerally, higher bit depths
will capture a more accurate, higher
resolution sonic snapshot ofdata. A
standard audio CD has a resolution,
or depth of 16-bits. The bit rate is the
resulting data flow required to record
or reproduce the file, and the term is
usually applied to compressed files like
MP3s. For podcasts, bit rates of 96-160
kbps are considered acceptable values.
WAV bit rates come in multiples of
eight. A 16-bit WAV f le is considered
CD quality, and the format is supported
by any audio editor worth its salt. The
higher-quality 24-bit WAV format is
used for music recording and other
flash-based audio podcast players on
the Web.You knowthe sample rate is
wrong if a f le sounds "chipmunked."
The R-09, H4,and PMD660 can all
record in l-6-bit WAV, or high bit-rate MP3
formats. The R-09 and H4 will produce
24-bit WAV fi les. The H4l MP3 bit rate
goes as high as 320 kbps, which makes it
likelythat interviews or other nonmusical recordlngswill sound
moved
justf newhen
from high-bit rate MP3 down to
a
more conventional 128 kbps.
All of the recorders we tested can
produceM.l, kHzf les.The H4, PMD660,
and R-09 can also sample at 48 kHz.
Unfortunately, the Olympus DS-50
and WS-331M have twin problems
for podcasters. They record only in
Windows Media Audio (WMA), a
compressed format that is comparable to MP3 in quality, but not nearly
as flexible. Like MP3, WMA and the
Olympus recorders support multiple
quality settings. The settings have
names like ST XO_ (the best) and LP
(whose files are one-tenth the size
of ST XO-). Your source recording will
always be a compressed f le. ln addition, many audio editors, includingthe
freeware Audacity, will not open WMA
files natively. You'll need to download
a WMA conversion program that can
turn your recording into a WAV f le if
you intend to edit or process it, or an
MP3 to publish the recording unedited
as a podcast. Either way, you'll lose
some quality when you convert. lronically, users of Apple's QuickTime Pro
may have the easiest time converting
WMAf les to an editable format. You
can open and play WMAs in O_uickTime,
and use the Pro components to export
the file to a variety of formats.
ing up a recording's flaws or just making
it sound better. The portable recorders
we tested do, however, offer a few tools
for improving sound asyou record it.
The R-09 and DS-50, for example, '
have low-cut filters. When invoked,,
such a filter helps remove low frequencies that are associated wlth vibrations,
shocks, and handling noise, ratherthan
desirable audio. You'll find a compres.' ''
sor-limiter on the Zoom H4. Compression decreases the dynamic range of
a recording. Limiting prevents signals
above a certain volume from being
included in your recording. The DS-50
offers voice-f lter and noise-cancel[ation settings.
It's impossible to say whether these
features will always turn a problematic
recording into a good one. The answer
is very dependent on the environment
in which you record. For best results,
make some test recordings with and
without effects. Experienced producers
will probably choose not to use these
effects, but their presence adds some
fl
exibility for those who don't wa nt to
do extensive post-prod uction.
lnterf*elng the Musle
lf similarities in audio features and
form factors make it hard to choose
the right digital recorder, you might
want to try using one before you push
the Buy Now button, or tell the clerk
to "wrap it up."These devices'interfaces and controls vary widely, and if you
plan on doing a lot of recording on the
you'll want to be comfortable with
the recorderyou choose. As we hinted
go,
earlier, the interface is especially
important if you need to use multiple
mics, or connect with a variety of
other equipment quickly. You'll also
to be su re you know what the
device is doing - is it recording? are
the levels all right? am lalmost out of
room on this memory card? - when
you've finally been granted that allimportant interview with a CEO or
wa nt
E3
-l-
Hollywood star.
Audi,c Effects r:nd
Fracessimg
Portable recorders are no substitute for
studio processing of audio. With a hardwa re com pressor, or softwa re tools that
add effects to a recordingyou've already
made, you have more options for cover-
The PMD660 packs a lot of interface
control into a few buttons.That means
you'll spend some time pushing them
to get the recorder configu red to you r
liking. Fortunately, you can save up
to three groups of settings (presets),
allowing you to q uickly switch to the
BLOGBER & PODCASTER:: SEPTEMBER ?OO7
oneyou need, once confgured.To start,
you must shuffle through options for
lnput, Output, Date/Time, Auto Cain
Control, and so on. You must rePeat
the process for each group of preset
settings you want to conf gure. Only
input volume and phantom power
(on/off) can be set via hardware. On
the other hand, presets are a great way
to assemble a collection of features.
When you grab the PMD660 and a
dynamic mic to go into the field, just
choose a matching preset with a
couple of button presses. When You
return to the studio, plug the unit into
your mixer and switch Presets.
check the H4's manual to figure out
the sequence of button presses and jog
dial movements required to support a
mic. That's a Iittle confusing. lt would
be nice to have a hardware inPut
select switch, especially since there are
switches for choosing the rough gain
level for each ofthe two inputs.
Speaking of switches, you power
the H4 on and offwith a small one
that's found on the side of the unit. lt's
difficult to turn the H4 on by accident;
The PMD660's level meters are on
the front edge of the recorder. With the
device on your shoulder, or stowed vertically in a bag, you can easily see and
adjust the levels. A single, two-part dial
controls the left and right channels.
The headphone jack and memory-card
play is small, and the typeface used is
tiny. Again, this isn't a major drawback
if you use the recorder in the same
top/front of
way, most of the time, but anYone who
the device. Since the PMD660 is bulkier
than its competitors, these touches
help make it much easierto use while
wants the machine to do multiple jobs
with multiple inputs will probably have
in the f eld.
All in all, Marantz does a lot to limit
the negatives of the PMD660's large
size by making it easy to work with on
Though you can choose low or high
gain wlth a switch, you'll need to burrow into the menu system to adjust
the gain in more detail. This could be a
significant problem in an environment
where you need to ride the levels to
maintain consistent gain.
When you press and hold the
Power button on the side of the Edirol
R-09 to turn it on, you're greeted with
a bright, easy-to read display that contains most of what you need to know
about the device's settings. The rest
can be determined by taking a look at
the switches on the back and sides,
which control mic and line inputs, plus
the go.
The disti nctive-looki ng Toom H4
@.dp
display and a couple of multifunc-
a useful benefit when carrying the
portable recorder in a gadget bag.
The H4's display and related user
interface is one of its few real weaknesses. The interface is complex, and
not particularly intuitive. The LCD dis-
access door are also on the
"**##x&ffiryE
tr
ffi
S
LCD
tion buttons. lt's likelyyou'llneed to
tries to split the difference between
accessi ble ha rdware-based controls
and a software-conf guration interface.
The results are rather mixed.
It's easy to pick uP the H4 and begin
recording right away, via the built-in
mic. With batteries and an SD card
installed (quick and easy to do, even
on the go), just press one offour buttons to choose your format, then press
Record to enter standby mode. You can
choose from three mic volume levels
a switch on the side of the device.
Press Record again, and you're off. The
with
Record
button glows
that recording
su
btly to tell you
ls in progress. The LCD
display shows the level of your audio as
you record. Unfortunately, the Record
button does not supply a satisfying
tactile experience. You'll need to rely
on its tiny light to confirm that you're
actually recording.
To configure the H4 for use with
a mic or other external input device,
you'll need to get acquainted with the
a
few hiccups along the
severa I
a ud
way.
io featu res.
quick recording with
the built-in mic, enter standby mode
To make a
by pressing Record, then check the
R-09's levels to be sure you're getting
the volume you need. lf the Peak
light on the front of the unit comes
on, your audio is clipping. Use the
lnput Volume buttons on the side of
the recorder to adjust the levels. You
can also flip the MIC Cain switch to
high or low, if the levels are waY out
of whack. There's a separate volume
control for headphone output. Press
BLOGGER & POtrtrASTER :: NAX.BLOGGERANBPOtrCASTER.COM
Record again
to begin.
To use the external mic or line input,
plug in to the 1-l8-inch jack on top of
the R-09. What could be simpler? Hardware switches invoke the low-cut filter,
automatic gain control (ACC), and
stereo or mono recording for external
sources. Placement of the MIC jack on
top of the recorder makes it easY to
stow the R-09 in a bag or pocket while
you record.
You will need to use Edirol's menu
system to set fi le format a nd bit rate,
but it onlytakes a couple of clicks to
make the changes. The same menu
gives you access to the R-09's Pl ugin power settings, which you'll need
use the recorder with unPowered
external mics.
Olympus'D5-50 and WS-331M share
ma ny interface featu res, i ncl ud i ng the
same kinds of transport controls and
to
menu options. The recorder's simple
interface corresponds to its audio features. Most of its controls are available
via buttons on the device.The LCD
screen, which is easyto read, though not
backlit, is used mostlyfor managing files.
Record, Play, and Stop buttons
are on the sides of both the DS-50
and W5-331M. It's easY (PerhaPs too
easy) to operate the controls while
gripping the recorder in your hand. A
switch controls coarse gain settings
(two positions for the W5-331M, three
for the D5-50). A button on the front
of the DS-50 enables ACC. You can't
make fine volume adjustments for
your recordings.
A 1/8-inch jack for an external mic
is located on the top of both Olympus
recorders. Enabling it is as simple as
plugging the mic in.
There are a few simple audio effects
available within the DS-50's menu
system:there's a low-cutf lter, a voice
f lter, and a noise-cancellation setting.
These are toggles, not range settings,
and they're easyto locate by pressing
and holding the Menu button and
navigating through the screens with
arrow keys.
The ability to quickly erase files is
especially useful on a device whose
memory is built in. From the Erase
button on the front ofthe D5-50 and
SW-31M, you can remove f les, one
at a time. File erasing is available on
the other recorders we tested, but not
PortsbLe Bi.gttol Reeorder Festures
d
g
I
M icroTrack 24 /
9
PMD66O Portable Solid State
Recorder
6 P rofessional 2
Channel Mobile Digital Recorderwww.m-audio.com
5
www.marantz.com
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I
WAV up to 320 kbPs MP3
44.L-48 kHz WAV
up to 320 kbPs MP3
yes (adapter included)
yes (adapter included
built-in stereo condenser
stereo attachment
16-bit or 24'bit
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€
a
44.1-
48 KHz
l-6-bit WAV uP to 128 kbPs MP3
t6 or 24-bit
E
e
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-E
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re
[es
(p I u g-i n,
not 48-volts)
low-cut filter, ACC, 2-Position
mic galn switch, plaYback reverb
1-
1/r-inch
built-in stereo condenser
yes (2, 3o-volt power)
S/PDIF coax
inPut
21/;inch balanced
TRS,
1r7 -inch*'*
r/ -inch TRS...
1 1/r-inch
2
1 1/r-lnch headPhone
z nCl line, 1/r-inch headPhone
2 balanced XLR
1-
1/r-inch
1/r-inch headPhone
1 1/r-inch line,
compact flash or microdrive
upto
2 CB
upto4CB
upto4CB
shoulder straP; audio cables
2.5" x4.7" x1.32"
2.4" x4.3" x]-.12"
compact size, easilY
accessible audio ccintrols,
bright display
no pro mic inPuts, low outPut
***,
best recorder for use with Pro mics,
setting macros
bulky, noisy PreamPs, exPenslve
***J
*Wewere unabletoobtain a review unitforthis article
f..-
Ct3
4.5" xL.9" x7.2"
**As rated bY vendor
*'*lnputs can be used as mic or line inputs
trip to the menu system. The BOttOm Line
to other devices, and high-quality audio
one of the most unusualfeatures No single recorder provides allthe
might want. output? lf you need a recorderthat does
found on any of the digital recorders we feature's a mobile podcaster
portability' you a lot of things well' we recommend the
tested is the voice-based menu system. ln exchange for extreme
lts own microphones are solid'
you might well find this unnecessary sacrifice h-igh-quality audio options' The zoomH4'
for a variety of other
more fu ll-featured recorders have other a nd its support
a nd a n noying, but it's a great optiona I
as you'll
is
in terms of their inter- input devices as complete
feature for blind or visually impaired limitations, elther
price
of
5299' it's also an
find' At a street
face or portability. Your f rst task is to
users. when you f rst configure the
you
figure out the
once
howyou want to use a por- excellent value'
DS-50, you'll have the crroiJe to disable understand
it a trusty
you'llfind
table digital r".oid"r. How important are menuing system'
menuing.
without
a
voice-based
BLOGGER & POBCASTER :: NNN'BLOBGERANDPODCASTER'COM
price, ease of use' flexible connections
Olympus
Olympus
Zoom
D5-50
w5-331M
www.olym pusa merica.com
www.olym pusa merica.com
H4 Handy Recorder
www.samsontech.com
52s0
5Ls2
5zgg
8-44.1,kH2 WMA, up to 128 kbps
8-44.lkHzWMA, upto 128 kbps
1"6
up
or 24-bit, 44.LkHz-9 6kHz (WAV),
to 320 kbps MP3
2MA
1 AAA
2AA
32 hours
21 hours
4 hours
yes (adapter included)
no
yes (adapter inc
built-in mono, stereo mic also included
built-in mono
x-y stereo condenser
no
no
yes (2)
low-cut f lter, mic sensitivity setting, ACC,
3-position mic gain switch
compression, limiting, mic modeling
1 1/r-inch
2 XLR
n/a
3
1/.-inch headphone, spea ker
L
built-in
SC
1CB
2CB
SD card
headphones, batteries, carrying case, strap
headphones, battery
tripod mount, windscreen, carrying case
voice activation, variable speed playback
voice activation, MP3 and Audible playback
fou r-track record
4.4" xL.5" x0.6"
3.73" x1,.51" x0.43"
2.76" x 6" x1,.38"
2.8 oz
L.66 oz.
6.7 oz
compact, detachable stereo mic,
gain-setting controls
small size, good value, can play MP3
and Audible files
good internal mics, sturdy construction,
4-track mode, many accessories
records only WMA, does not support
records only WMA, no advanced recording
featu res
complex user interface, hard-to-read display
removable media
***
***-J
****
L1f
'/
,-inch
r-inch head phone, spea ker
bu
ilt-in
1
/,-inch li ne, head phone
i
n
g ca pa bi
I
ity
a7
companion in the field. For ease of use
and portability, the Edirol R-09 can't be
beat. lt's a solid recordeL whose main
drawback is its low audio output.
and $250 street price make it hard to
do so in the DS-50's case. Though the
WS-331M has the same f le-format
limitations as its sibling, the $150 price
and well-designed recorder, it has been
eclipsed by less-expensive alternatives
that are more portable.
::
Wewouldllketobeabletorecom- tag,2CBsof built-inmemory,andtiny SHELLYBR|SB|NisBlogger&Podcasters
mend the Olympus DS-50 or WS-331M size (think iPod Nano) make it a poten- editor-in-chief. During the preparation
as compact alternatives to the more- tial starter recorder, when combined of this article, she actually conducted
expensive and more-complex recorders with a good lavaliere mic. On the other an interview usingthree recorders
support
format,
inourreviewbutthelackof
endofthespectrum,thoughthe5500 atthesametime,muchtothe
for any uncompressed file
Marantz PMD660 is a solid,
durable,
amusement of passers-by.
BLOGGER & POtrCASTER:: SEPTEMBER
?007