If you’re looking to buy a portable audio recorder then you really need to read this article. We’re going to start this article with a look at the benefits of owning bit-digital a portable recorder. We will then discuss the main features to look for when buying one. Then we will finish with a look at the main portable audio recorder brands.
Benefits of a Portable Audio Recorder
There are a number of situations where a portable recorder would come in extremely handy. One very obvious use is for musicians and songwriters. If you’re out performing concerts and you accidentally come up with some great riffs while you’re rehearsing, just quickly record them to your handy little device for working on later.
Another great use of a portable recorder is for students. Instead of writing notes in lectures or lessons, record what the teacher/lecturer says using your portable device, ichimame and listen back to it later in your own time. A portable audio device like this can also be used for journalists and broadcasters who want to conduct interviews to later either be transcribed into a written publication, or used as digital audio sound-bites to a radio or TV show.
Basically, a device like this is a great tool for anyone who wants to capture sound while they are on the move. Even for electronic musicians wanting to use lots of samples in their music, a tool like this could come in extremely useful.
Features of a Good Portable Audio Recorder
Obviously, the main factors that such a device needs to have are small size and light weight, combined with a great sound quality. So let’s get a bit more technical. When we say sound quality, what do we mean? Well, the ability to record 24-bit digital audio at a minimum of 44.1KHz is ideal. Also, thewordcounter obviously your audio recorder will come with its own built-in microphone, but what about the ability to plug in additional microphones? You also need to see what audio formats it supports. The main format is WAV, but what about MP3? In addition to this, you also need to consider the connectability of the device. Can it be easily plugged into a computer (e.g. using USB)?
Best Portable Audio Recorder Brands
Probably the most popular brand of portable audio recorder is Zoom. Although they don’t have the largest number of products available, they do seem to be the brand that most people prefer, with a few very high quality products ranging from $100-$300. Next are Tascam, who are also a very popular brand, and have a larger number of products in their range, ranging from $80-$300 for their standard recorders, only-and-one but with a few much higher priced products too.
Other brands worth having a look at are Edirol, Olympus, Sony, Alesis and Marantz. They all have a few good products, ranging in price between $85 for a low-priced Alesis recorder, all the way up to $1,700 for the most expensive Sony product.
