What options to I have? The DR-1? I've heard that that unit is very "glitchy."
Thanks for your response.
RJ
With the DR-1, you have the same problem as with the R-09; the 1/8" input. The Zoom H4 is, AFAIK, the bottom end of the XLR-bearing compact digital recorders, at ~$300. I have used Zoom equipment before and won't make the mistake again. If you have access to AC power while you're recording (and it would seem that you do), and your budget is <$400, Fostex's MR8-HD (or MR8-Mk.II with a few memory cards) could be a fine choice.
The MR8-HD's headphone amp (like many built-in headphone amps on multitrack recorders) is deceptively noisy when you're pushing the gain (to hear "what you're recording" over ambient sound with poorly isolated headphones, for instance). The sound that's being recorded isn't as noisy as what you'd hear on the headphones. That's not to say that the preamps of this machine aren't a little noisy (because they are if you're pushing them to make up for low-gain microphones). Phantom power on this machine requires navigation of the software menus (instead of a hardware switch) and that took some getting used to.
That said, I've captured many acceptable recordings using one of these machines. The MR8 can record four tracks simultaneously, which means that you can do SBD/AUD matrix recordings (which, if well-engineered, can certainly sound "better than being there"). It's also an "eight track" recorder, so it can help to keep you out of the "poor house" if you want to produce your own demo CD. Engineering methods that circumvent the limitations of the MR8 recorders are a matter for another thread (and may be outside the realm of this forum).
If you "must" have something "small, simple, and battery-powered", as I must, the PMD660 (as sunjan mentioned) can be found in "stock" trim for under $300 if you're willing to buy a used one. Oade Brothers and Busman Audio both do modifications to these machines that improve the sound quality of the preamp stage from "decent" (as stock) to "impressive" (as modified). I haven't used one personally, yet, but the PMD660 is what I'll be upgrading to. I've abandoned multi-track recording (for philosophical reasons) but have been known to mix stuff that other people have recorded if they ask me politely (or if I played on the recording).
If you "must" have 24-bit (24/96), which is another thing I've forsworn (mostly because the majority of my recordings are still destined for CD), the sky (or an arm and a leg) really is the limit. I mean; a "decent" machine (FR2-LE, PMD-671) would eat much of your entire budget ($800) and a "really good" machine can set you back $3k. This is what I presume that sunjan meant when writing that portable "pro" recorders are "an entirely different universe". Whatever you choose, RJ, Good Luck!