Topic: TASCAM DR-44wl (Handheld recorder with iOS and Android control)

[2manyrocks]

The review I want to read is your review and comparison to the M10 and DR60 when you get your unit. 

[Ozpeter]

The review I want to read is your review and comparison to the M10 and DR60 when you get your unit.

Don't hold your breath - I'm in Australia and didn't stump up for fast delivery.  But of course I'll do my best to review / answer questions in due course.

[Ozpeter]

Huh.  Amazon have just cancelled my order and changed shipping policy to "not Australia".  That means that I may not be able to cost-justify this as it will incur what we call the Australia Tax here (stuff being sold locally for much higher prices than in USA).

Update - I've now re-ordered from Sweetwater on eBay for about $20 less than my Amazon order, so their cancellation has turned out to be a good thing.  And delivery is due about 2 weeks earlier (Friday week or subsequent days).

[Ozpeter]

Well, the first user review on Amazon is up, and it's one star.  The purchaser complains that the sound quality seems "less sharp" which could mean anything, but more significantly he comments that the remote app is nothing like advertised.  Here he may have a point - on the app download page for Android, the description says that it's a beta version with missing features, which is a bit poor from a company like Tascam.  I've installed it in anticipation, and when I run it, all I get is a message in Japanese (or something) and a single button to click, which then exits the app.

Now that could be simply because the app can tell that I'm not connected to a Tascam wifi network, but an error message in English would have been more helpful. 

Anyway, now the app is installed it will update itself as Tascam gets its act together - hopefully - with any missing features added.

UPdate - having looked at the comments on the iOS app store, it's necessary to update the device and its wifi firmware before using the app.  This could be why users are having problems.

[gormenghast]

My 22 arrived today.  Definitely need to update firmware for unit and wifi.  It was buggy before I did so.

Just a quick test of my speakers on my desk.  I don't think the on board mics are that bad.  The speaker on the 22 sucks    Hook up the desk speakers to the 22 and what I recorded sounded fine.  I'm more interested in this thing to setup at my kids school band concerts.  And the combine HS and MS jazz concert.  I'll probably use the on board mics.  MS concert is this coming Tuesday and I'll give it a shot.  I'll have better seats at the HS auditorium    We'll see.  I used the M10 and it's on board mics last year and it worked fine.

Adjusting the level on the iPhone isn't too bad.  Not sure what 90 is but it's as high as it will go.  The dial on the unit will turn continuously until you hit either 90 or 0.  Meaning hit 90 and it keeps turning.

Gotta go.

[Ozpeter]

I've now looked more carefully at the iOS and Android app illustrations and indeed most of the remote functions are missing from the Android version at the moment, which is a bit silly given that users will downrate their reviews accordingly.  They should have delayed release until they could deliver what their own site promises.

[Ozpeter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IQ3_BUyIzA - end user review on youtube (haven't actually looked at it myself yet!)

[yates7592]

There's a broadly complimentary review in this month's issue of 'Sound On Sound'. You can't see the digital version for a few more months yet without a subscription.

[cybergaloot]

Then again, why do they say "Plug headphones into your smartphone and listen to a near-realtime feed from the recorder" - if it's just playback, why mention "near-realtime"?  Odd.  Still, in a great many recording situations, I find the only real way to check the sound is via a quick playback when that's convenient, as even with well isolated headphones, it's hard to get the real picture if you are monitoring during recording anywhere near the sound source.

I suggest tossing the headphones and getting a pair of good in-ear monitors. I bought the low end Shure se215 for about $100us for mixing bands for live radio broadcast and they are great! Better than my Sennheiser Pro 280 headphones and my High Isolation headphones by far. Far easier to pack too. The only drawback is they aren't as easy to take on and off.