Index of portable audio recorder

Edirol has announced the availability of the R-44, a professional mobile recording workstation.
The Edirol R-44 is a 2 lb. portable recorder that offers up to 24-bit and 192kHz recording and uses SDHC cards to store the audio recorded.

Features:

• 4 channels
• XLR (with phantom power) & balanced/unbalanced TRS combo inputs
• digital RCA and headphones outputs
• 20Hz to 40kHz frequency response
• built-in effects (limiter, low cut filter, 3-band EQ, 6-band GEQ, Enhancer and DeEsser)
• built-in stereo mic and speaker
• pre-record function (captures the sound from few seconds before you press the rec button),
• level control per channel
• transport controls
• OLED display
• USB and control sync mini jack connections.

The device can be powered by DC adapter, external battery and six AA batteries and with the sync connection you can use 2 recorders at the same time - offering 8 channels controlled by one device.

The recorder is selling for $795.  

Roland has updated the Edirol R-09 WAVE/MP3 Recorder to be compatible with 8-GB SD High Capacity (SDHC) cards. With the update, the R-09 now also offers manual file splitting—activated by a single button push while the R-09 is in RECORD mode.

“We are always looking for ways to increase the functionality and capability of our products,” states EDIROL Product Manager, Michael Barrett. “This new update gives users the seamless file-splitting option they’ve been asking for.”

This new feature allows R-09 users to easily demarcate unique interview subjects and/or audio subjects without interrupting the recording.

Barrett explains, “For instance, if you are interviewing three people at the same time, each time a new interviewee starts talking, you hit the button to trigger a new file. This takes a lot of the aggravation out of post-production.”

For customers updating from v1.10 or before, the v1.30 added features are included in the v1.20 update.

The portable audio recorder market is heating up. Sony’s latest entry into the category is the PCM-D50 Linear PCM Recorder.

The PCM-D50 is a 96 kHz/24-bit recorder fitted with two-position (X-Y or Wide) stereo microphones, 4 GB of internal flash memory and a Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo slot (for additional storage). The body of the D50 is constructed of lightweight aluminum. The recorder uses conventional AA alkaline batteries.

Highlights:

• Portable and rugged 96 kHz and 24 bit recorder
• LCD digital peak bar graph metering - along with dedicated nominal and peak level LED’s
• Offers solid-state storage - free of drive mechanisms
• Built-in high quality electret condenser stereo microphones
• Dual A/D digital limiter and low cut filter
• MP3 playback and digital pitch control

The recorder includes a USB high-speed port for uploading/downloading its native .WAV format files to/from Windows PC or Macintosh computers. Other PCM-D50 features include digital pitch control, dual digital limiter (inherited from the PCM-D1), low-cut filter, Super Bit Mapping, A-B repeat and MP3 playback capability. To complement the D50 recorder, new optional accessories include a remote commander, tripod stand, and microphone windscreen. Additionally, the D50 offers compadible mounting and use with the recently introduced XLR-1 wide-bandwidth balanced XLR microphone adapter.

The PCM-D50 lists for about $600 - which puts it at the high end of the prosumer portable media recorder market. The specifications look good for the price, but some may not like Sony’s decision to use Memory Stick for storage, instead of more common and inexpensive memory formats.

via Brad Linder

D&M Professional, manufacturer of the Marantz Professional PMD series of professional recording products, has released details on the new PMD620 Hand-Held Digital Compact Recorder.

The PMD620 offers direct to MP3 recording in three quality levels, as well as fully uncompressed, CD-quality 44.1/48 kHz .wav format in 16 or 24-bit resolution, allowing the user to configure the PMD620 for a wide variety of applications, from extended-length voice recordings to high-quality music applications. Sound quality is enhanced by the inclusion of two condenser microphones on the PMD620, as well as line and external mic inputs, and an external mic output.

The new PMD620 use SD flash memory for data storage. The PMD620 accepts memory cards of high capacity (up to 2-TB, 2048 gigabytes).

The PMD620 offers one-touch recording using a button with its own tactile feel and red highlight illumination. The unit’s transport controls will be familiar to users of personal portable music devices, and incorporates a thumb-operated scroll wheel and a vivid organic LED (OLED) display screen, one of the first in the industry, which uses very little power to illuminate, thus extending the unit’s battery life. (The PMD620 is powered by two AA batteries.)

Marantz Professional introduced a new digital audio recorder designed with podcasters in mind, the PMD620 Solid State Portable Recorder, at the Podcast Academy, held this week in Ontario, California.

The PMD620 is a prosumer-level device, featuring a pocket-size form factor, an easy-to-use interface, and built-in stereo mics and speaker.

Highlights:

• Two high-quality omnidirectional condenser mics.
• 1/8″ input for connecting external microphones.
• +5v phantom power for electret condensers.
• 16- or 24-bit resolution audio recording [mono or stereo] direct to SD flash memory
• WAV or MP3 file format.
• OLED display.

The PMD620 uses 2 x AA Alkaline or NiMH batteries for up to 5 hours of operation.

Image: Josh Bancroft

Zoom has introduced a new portable recorder, the H2 Handy Recorder, designed for capturing interviews, musical performances, seminars and conferences. According to Zoom, the H2 provides studio-quality stereo recording in an easy-to-use, ultra-portable device.

Description:

The H2 is the only portable recorder with 4 mic capsules onboard in an W-X/Y configuration, for recording from the front at 90° and the rear at 120°, or use all four mics for 360° recording in 2 or 4 channel mode. The H2 features one button recording, gain controls on the side and an intuitive user interface.

For maximum flexibility, the H2 can record in up to 96 kHz/24-bit WAV format, or as MP3 up to 320 kbps. Additionally, it can record 360° in 48kHz/24-bit format which can then be converted to Surround 5.1.

The H2 has a street price of $199.99.

Edirol has introduced two new models, in red and white, of its R-09 portable recorder. The R-09W (in white) and R-09R (in red) will both retail at the same price as the original black version (about $400). New accessories include a carry case for the main unit and an earphone set with carry case.

The R-09 won the Music Industry Association Award For Innovation last year, largely because of its design, which combines ease of use with advanced recording features.

The R-09 features built-in stereo mics and uses SD data cards (a 64MB one is included) to store your sound. All recordings can be backed up to your computer via USB. The unit features an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen.

The Skullcandy MacGyver MP3 Watch not only has possibly the coolest name ever for a watch, it puts up to 1 Gig of memory for podcasts and music on your wrist.

The Skullcandy MacGyver MP3 watch features a selectable 5-mode audio equalizer, 3-D stereo sound, music shuffle play feature, a built-in voice recorder and an integrated USB cable. The watch lets you listen to podcasts and music in MP3 and WMA formats, plus use the watch as a thumb drive to store and transfer other types of data files.

The watch comes pre-loaded with Podcast Ready’s myPodder software, which lets you find, manage and listen to podcasts. Plug your Skullcandy MacGyver into an Internet-connected computer and you can access myPodder to update, subscribe to and manage your podcasts.

A new device promises to turn your iPod into a portable recording studio.

The MusicJam mixer is a new mixing and recording device for iPods. MusicJam lets users make their own personal versions of favorite songs by adding their singing and guitar jamming to any song and recording the results. The MusicJam can also be used as a Karaoke machine, letting users download songs and have the words displayed on the iPod for singing and playing along.

“We initially thought it would be more popular with teenage girls,” according to MusicJam’s Tom Sylvester. “But our product trials surprised us: The more enthusiastic group turned out to be teenage boys. We found it popular, too, among middle-aged men trying to recapture their Rock Idol status.”

The MusicJam system includes a microphone, XLR mike cable, iPod connector cable, RCA cables, AC adapter, and a clamp to attach it to a music stand, and retails for $229.