What features made you order and how do you intend to use it? I have the impression you already own several portable recorders. Why this one, too?
That sounds like the kind of question my wife asks! I may not have made it clear that it's the DR-22 model I have ordered, by the way.
Well, the current stable is an R44, a M10, a D60, an ICD-SX750, an H2N, and an H2 (unless I'm forgetting something, and don't get me listing the MD recorders!).
I do plan to part with one or two of these.
The R44 is a keeper, used for serious recording.
I have a love-hate relationship with the M10 because of the poor stereo image from the built in mics. It's great in all other departments. However the SX750 got damaged recently (hold switch broken) and that leaves me looking for something to plug my Edirol in-ear mics into - the M10 is the obvious candidate, but of course the DR-22 would do the job, though it's not so pocketable. So there's a big questionmark over the M10 but it might survive the cull.
The D60 was purchased to go with a DSLR I use for video, but when it comes down to it, I'm not actually using the camera much these days, and the D60 hasn't actually been used in anger, so it's very likely to go (for a fraction of its purchase price - I bought it on release, the price subsequently dropped of course, and there's a new lower cost model about to be released).
The H2N was purchased because I like the idea of "a mic that records", which is what it looks like. The H2 could produce surprisingly good results and I'd hoped that the H2N was going to be significantly better, but while its multi-capsule layout with MS capability suits my mic technique tastes very well, at the end of the day I'm not sure that it produces radically better results than the earlier model - but still, its larger display screen and simpler control scheme recommends it, and I'm happy to keep it in my fleet. The H2 itself is too battered to be worth putting up for sale, and it can still come in handy for odd jobs (eg as a temporary and very effective input mic for my wife's Dragon Naturally Speaking when her headset died).
So, having said all that, why the DR-22? Well, first and foremost the wifi control feature really seems to raise many totally new possibilities. I like the idea of using a mic that records controlled from a distance, rather than having a mic-only in front of performers, tethered by a long wire to a remote recorder. Safely routing mic cables is a tedious business, and any way to avoid that when circumstances are right is very welcome. And there are some locations where there is simply no way to run a cable from where the recorder has to be, to where the mic has to be. Also, one can do nature recording stuff like putting the recorder close (but not too close) to a birds nest or whatever, and then retiring to a respectful distance to record.
Of course if the sound of the DR-22 mics is dire, then the plan falls at the first fence, but I'm a born optimist. Also, being a well-known critic of the M10 omni mics, the DR-22 cardioids will be nice to have in a broadly similar package. (I'm trying to ignore the fact that I could use the H2N when it comes down to it). And the up-to-date general feature set of the DR-22 provides some further attractions. There's already a firmware update to provide metronome functions (not actually that interesting to me) and hopefully we will see further developments in due course.
And lastly, like most here - I like new stuff. And if I sell the M10 and the D60, even cheaply, it'll be covered, and I'll be immune to questions from my wife, or my fellow forum members.
No, seriously, it was a very good question and hopefully the long answer is of interest.
Topic: TASCAM DR-44wl (Handheld recorder with iOS and Android control) (Read 16069 times)