Topic: Ready to buy a Hand Held Recorder - too many choices

[relddif]

$500 budget for a handheld

Intended Uses:

Record band practice

get ideas down quickly...transfer to my KORG D1600mkII

Record guitar workshop I will be attending at Fur Peace Ranch


Sony PCM-D50 (4GB built in, comes with almost no accessories, metal case) and Olympus LS-10 (2GB built in memory, comes with accessories, $100 less than Sony..also metal case) seem to be my "short list"...Edirol R09HR seems to get good press here too, but the plastic case is a turn off


any opinions ?

 

[rastasean]

Why don't you buy one of the following and return the ones you don't like. btw, most people would recommend the use of external mics. how much are you willing to spend of them?

edirol r-09
edirol r-09hr
Fostex FR-2L
Zoom H2
Zoom H4
Sony PCM D50
Tascam DR1
Marantz PMD 660
Marantz PMD 671

These are all portable recorders capable of your needs.

[relddif]

So......Stay away from the Olympus?

[Belexes]

If you are looking for durability, the Sony D-50 is the way to go.  I have the R-09 and I'd hate to see what would happen if I dropped it. D-50 is built like a tank.

[hypnotoad]

If you're looking for an all-in-one unit with a nice little built in micraphone upgrade, take a look at the R-09 for sale in the Yard: http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,104198.0.html

[pyiteac]

For $500 I bought a lightly used Korg MR-1.  Try that route.  You can get some great deals if on ebay or on the Yard Sale. 

[flintstone]

Given the interest in guitar, check out the Tascam DR-1.  Its 1/4-inch input will accept the lead from a guitar, allowing you to record practice sessions directly without a mic.  The price is right, too: about $225, plus a few dollars for an SDHC card.

Flintstone

[chris319]

So......Stay away from the Olympus?

Stay away from the M-Audio Microtrack II. Far away.

[Gutbucket]

So......Stay away from the Olympus?

Stay away from the M-Audio Microtrack II. Far away.

The Olympus is unproven here.  The suggestions above are used by many and well tested to be quality, dependable units.  That's why you get those suggestions when you ask which is recommended.  Personally a metal case is way down on my list, far below dependability, high quality sound, ease of use, non-proprietary memory and battery power, and cost in that order.

Get a case (cell phone style or whatever), don't throw it across the room and you'll be fine. I have 2 small solid-state plastic-cased 24bit recorders that are 2 years old and have survived numerous accidental drops just fine.  They both work great with my bigger dollar gear too.  I bought the first to record at a guitar camp similar to Jorma's a few summers back.  Have fun up there!

[kskreider]

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,104868.0.html

[Gutbucket]

Intended Uses:

Record guitar workshop I will be attending at Fur Peace Ranch

You may enjoy checking out my oddball contraption built specifically for that application. Worked great.

[datbrad]

Why don't you buy one of the following and return the ones you don't like. btw, most people would recommend the use of external mics. how much are you willing to spend of them?

edirol r-09
edirol r-09hr
Fostex FR-2L
Zoom H2
Zoom H4
Sony PCM D50
Tascam DR1
Marantz PMD 660
Marantz PMD 671

These are all portable recorders capable of your needs.

3 of the recorders you listed are hardly "hand held". The original poster is looking for informed advice, and I am sure he does not care to attempt to buy multiple units, and also may not care to or is able to fund them, and try to return those otherwise working units for possible refunds that he simpy does not like. Great idea. 

Please make valid suggestions if you are trying to help.

My suggestion to the orginal poster is to read the specific threads for each unit and decide for himself. If I was going to purchase a hand held, I like the Sony D50 (except for their propreitary cards), but that is just my personal taste. YMMV.

[rastasean]

3 of the recorders you listed are hardly "hand held". The original poster is looking for informed advice, and I am sure he does not care to attempt to buy multiple units, and also may not care to or is able to fund them, and try to return those otherwise working units for possible refunds that he simpy does not like. Great idea. 

Please make valid suggestions if you are trying to help.

My suggestion to the orginal poster is to read the specific threads for each unit and decide for himself. If I was going to purchase a hand held, I like the Sony D50 (except for their proprietary cards), but that is just my personal taste. YMMV.

Three? The Fostex is the only one I can't hold in my hand. 
Not to mention, if the user is going to be recoding for a band, it is not always necessary to be hand held

I think I will be purchasing the r-90HR unless there are a lot of bad reviews. I don't like the sony for the built in memory and the proprietary cards they use but they seem to have a great review on here.

Have you decided on a unit? I would honestly find some place in your area and hold them all to see what feels good to you. Even if you're not going to be holding this all the time.

[rastasean]

So......Stay away from the Olympus?

http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2008/05/22/olympus-ls-10-recorder-review.html

Here is a Review: Olympus LS-10 WAV/WMA/MP3 Recorder
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2008/05/22/olympus-ls-10-recorder-review.html

[gewwang]

Edirol R09HR seems to get good press here too, but the plastic case is a turn off

I read somewhere that the case is made of a rubber-type material in the new one.

They sell an optional cover and tripod for the R09HR. I don't believe they did this for the r09. There are also silicone cases made by non-Roland vendors similar to the iPod silicone cases.