New digital audio recorder comparison

[michi]

audiotranskription.de have just published a new digital recorder comparison (in German). Recorders in the test:

• Olympus LS-5 (follow-on model to the LS-11)
• Olympus DM 550
• Tascam DR-100
• Zoom H4n
• Zoom H1
• Sony M10
• Sony D50
• Tascam DR-2d
• Marantz PMD661
• Olympus DM-5

The upshot of the test is:

Best recording quality: Sony D-50, Tascam DR-2d
Best value for money: Olympus LS-5

The LS-5 beat the Zoom H2 for the best value because the Zoom has a plastic casing, short battery life, and small display.

The LS-5 differs from the LS-11 in:

• 2GB memory instead of the 8GB in the LS-11
• No remote control (wireless remote available as an accessory)
• No bundled Cubase software
• No case included
• No audio cable included (but USB cable is in the box)

As far as recording quality is concerned, the LS-5 and LS-11 are identical: they use the same microphones and electronics.

The LS-5 is cheaper than the LS-11 (€179.00 vs €269.00 current street price in Germany), so it looks like a very good deal. However, if you buy the wireless remote, it'll set you back another €56.00. (By the way, the remote can only do start and stop. You can easily make your own wired remote for about $5.00 with parts from Radio Shack…)

Cheers,

Michi.

[Carl]

LOVE my D50

it was my first solid state recorder after 9 years of minidisks.

Now that I have a flash drive on my home system I am in recording heaven!

On a related note: who is using what for editing? I am using Audacity (open source software)
(I think we may have discussed this earlier?...)

C

[michi]

I use Audacity because it's free, and because it can do the few simple things I want to do, such as trimming off unwanted bits, normalizing, and fade-in, fade-out.

When I bought the PCM M-10, I got a copy of Sound Forge with it. I've never installed it though because it's only for Windows, but I use a Mac. (I have Fusion, so I can run Windows apps, but I'm trying hard to sever the last few remaining ties with Windows. Percussion Studio is the only remaining one...)

Cheers,

Michi.

[wonderwebb]

I'm debating on wether to get the zoom q3 or the ls 5 I have heard that the sound recording on the zoomq3 is exactly the same as the zoom h2 with video thrown in to boot for an extra £30
What do you think is the q3 a better deal all things considered ?

[michi]

From the reviews, the video quality of the Q3 is not all that good. If that's not a show-stopper for you, the Q3 seems to be a cheap way to get good quality audio recordings, plus OK video in the same unit.

A major factor to me is usability. A recorder is no good if it's difficult or error-prone to operate, so I would try to find one "in the flesh" and play with it for a while to check that it's actually usable before committing to buying it.

Also check battery life. I found that a bit of a pain with the Zoom H2. It's awkward if batteries run out in the middle of workshop.

Cheers,

Michi.

[wonderwebb]

Think i will do a bit of research on it first. Does anyone know of a good video and audio recorder when i looked last time all i could find was the zoom q3.

[wonderwebb]

Lol just found a better one it's the zoom q3 HD 1080p with the zoomh2 recording ability better write to Santa now

[michi]

That looks like a seriously nice gadget! Not many reviews around yet. I found one review at Amazon, which mentions that video quality in a concert setting is poor. (Presumably, that implies low-light conditions.)

You can buy one at Sweetwater for $299. The spec sheet lists 4 hours of battery life for audio recording, so I'd be sure to have spare batteries handy during workshops. Audio quality is probably same as the H4n, that is to say, bloody good.

Note that it will record in WAV and AAC formats, but not MP3. (Not a serious limitation, IMO.)

More info about it at Samsontech.

Cheers,

Michi.