Topic: Looking for another digital recorder

[wppcproductions]

Hi Guys.Its been awhile since I chat with you all.Sorry that I'm alittle rusty on this topic.


I need some advice on picking out  another recorder to backup or replace my will used Edirol R-09HR.

I love the R-09HR and its easy to use.Great battery life.

I need something equivalent to the R-09HR .

I see the Roland  R-05 is available and like to know how good is it and I read about the Sony PCM-M10 is out there too.

Nothing fancy here .I do live shows with external mics plus some analog " records,tapes" media transferring to digital with the recorder.

For now a new recorder will replace the Edirol.The Edirol will replace the Sony minidisc which will get retired.

Thanks for your help  in advance.

[Ultfris101]

Sony M10 is a safe choice. Lots of love for it here.

[Marshall7]

If anything ever goes wrong with my Edirol R-09HR, then the Sony PCM M-10 is a no-brainer as the replacement.  if you think the Edirol has good battery life, the M10 will blow you away.

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

This question is asked every month or 2...and the answers are exactly the same every time.

M10.

Eventually someone will chime in with another option...but the M10 is the overwhelming favorite around these parts.

[wppcproductions]

Sorry to ask the same boring questions on recorders.LOL.....

Thanks guys for the fast reply.The only problem I have is those small SD/memory sticks  cards that the Sony uses.I was never a fan of them.

Whats wrong with the  R-05 .Why is the Sony better.

Thanks again.

[achalsey]

Nothing wrong with the R-05.  The M10 just generally gets an overall better score.  You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who can tell the sonic difference of running into either.
 

M10 has better battery life.  Unbelievable battery life really.  Like 20 hours on a pair of AAs.  Its nuts.  It also just feels a little more solid.  Less 'plastic-y.'

The R-05 is a little smaller than the M10.  Possibly a little more ergonomically designed.  R-05 record button is larger than the rest and right in the middle.  M10 all the buttons are the same size and in rows so you have to memorize which is which by spacial awareness, not feel.  But that's generally personal preference.  Not like its particularly more difficult on the M10.  People will point out the gain wheel on the M10 is exposed and potentially prone to unexpected movement, especially in a pocket when stealthing, but doesn't seem to be an issue for most people.

I've owned both and personally would buy the M10 if I had a choice, but would not at all be unhappy with the R-05 if thats all that was available. 

[andy_landy]

M10 has better battery life.  Unbelievable battery life really.  Like 20 hours on a pair of AAs.  Its nuts.

this.

i've worked my way through a series of recorders over the years, and let's just say that if my m10 ever dies i shall be replacing it with another.

[willndmb]

Thanks guys for the fast reply.The only problem I have is those small SD/memory sticks  cards that the Sony uses.I was never a fan

keep in mind the sony has 4gb built in, you could never deal with the cards in need be

[ScoobieKW]

Thanks guys for the fast reply.The only problem I have is those small SD/memory sticks  cards that the Sony uses.I was never a fan

keep in mind the sony has 4gb built in, you could never deal with the cards in need be

And if you really don't like the microSD cards, get a 32GB card, put it in the recorder and leave it. It's a slower than a card reader, but you can do your transfers via USB.

[bombdiggity]

Sorry to ask the same boring questions on recorders.LOL.....

Thanks guys for the fast reply.The only problem I have is those small SD/memory sticks  cards that the Sony uses.I was never a fan of them.

Whats wrong with the  R-05 .Why is the Sony better.

Thanks again.

I've owned both.  My R-05 failed (one channel of the line in is now bad) after what I deem to be not a tremendous amount of use, and all gentle as far as I can tell. 

The M-10 is more solid (though the cover for the card slot is not great, though neither is the R-05's).  The card slot/system is the only complaint I have with the M-10.  I don't really like the micro SD cards either (and use regular SD cards in all my other devices), so had to get a pair of those. 

It has 4 GB of internal memory, though I prefer to use cards. 

Adjusting the levels is much easier.  The wheel is great (the R-05 has buttons that go 1 increment at a time through its scale and I was never convinced that changing levels while recording didn't leave a slight noise artifact).  That is smooth as silk with the M-10 and much easier to control. 

The level readout is better and easier to operate effectively with. 

The limiter is better. 

The battery life is longer. 

IMO the recorded quality is slightly better (esp. mic in).  I'm not sure most would notice but I think there is a (minor) improvement. 

The Sony internal mics are likely better as well, though that is often not a concern. 

The R-05 is one of the better recorders but not as good yet still at almost the same price point. 

[Sloan Simpson]

I never once removed the card from my M10 after installing it the first time. It's easy enough to transfer over USB and not have to fumble with the slot.

[Ultfris101]

The wifi features on the new Tascam decks make them worth watching, but since they are brand new there's no way to yet know how they perform in the field. There are certainly situations where I have a compact rig sitting on stage or otherwise in a place it's inconvenient or obtrusive on the performance to get in and double check everything so a remote interface would be nice.

I just really like knowing that with the M10 I can record a really long time on a set of Ni-Mh rechargeables without worry. Coupled with my Schoeps active rig/tinybox I can run well over 12 hours without intervention if I had to. So while I may not be able to check levels I do have high confidence in the reliability so I can wait a long time if necessary to retrieve gear.

The gain wheel is nice too. you can lock transport functions and still make level adjustments if you need to, but these days I know the performance of my gear enough I can generally leave it on 3 and handle most environments.

The microSDs are a minor issue. No major problems for me other than they are so darn small they can easily get lost.

[wppcproductions]

Wow .Thanks guys.I do like the features on the Sony.Love hearing about the long battery life.I forgot about the 4gb internal memory.I downloaded the manual on it and study it later today.

OK .How does  the internal mics in the Sony handle loud shows.The R-09HR's mics  suck as I experienced clipping at loud shows as I did not have my external mics on hand.

[yltfan]

I own both the M10 and R-05 and prefer the R-05, mostly because of the gain wheel. Also, I seem to screw up every time using the M10, but that's all me...

[Scooter123]

I liked the M-10 so much I bought a second one.