Inbox:Recording audio should be a cinch in these digital days. But it's surprising how easy it is to get it wrong, writes Mike Butcher.
There are plenty of voice recorders on the market and plenty of ways to record. When pressed, I have even used my mobile phone to record the odd interview. The problems arise when it comes to both playback and to sharing the file. You might end up with indecipherable nonsense and a digital file that is both too large to send to a colleague or unplayable on their equipment.
And simple dictation devices often record poor sound, which makes them worse than useless. So if you do need to record and capture sound regularly, it's worth looking into devices that can do the job well.
The R-09 (below) is built by Edirol, a division of music industry monolith Roland. It's capable of 24-bit uncompressed recording and has a built-in stereo microphone. 24-bit recording is generally considered the optimum for audio recording, as this exceeds the signal-to-noise ratio of old-fashioned analogue tape recordings. At around €400 this is not a cheap option, but it is a very capable little machine that runs on two double-A batteries and fits comfortably in a shirt pocket.
Having a stereo mic means it is well suited to recording live music events as well as two-way interviews. Although it doesn't record audio internally, it does use rugged SD memory cards up to 4GB, which make it pretty flexible. The 24-bit, 48kHz WAV format ensures high-fidelity audio for when you absolutely need it. You can fit almost an hour of stereo audio on a 1GB SD card.
To get longer recording times at acceptable fidelity, you can record straight to MP3 files, which will get 980 minutes on a 1GB SD card. The R-09 can also handle external mics.
Navigating through the R-09's options is straightforward and the white-on-black display is a responsive level meter. A visual meter is handy to show that there is no distortion.
Several buttons also means you can make recording changes quickly without having to bother with the on-screen menu. AGC, or automatic gain control, automatically adjusts the volume level of the audio during recording so that the level is fairly consistent - very handy for group meetings where people sit at different distances from the mic.
But if you are are looking at other options there are plenty to choose from.
Sony's PCM-D1 recorder also has two built-in condenser microphones, but this time has 4GB of internal flash memory, providing around two hours of recording at 24 bit/96 kHz. You can expand this with Sony's proprietary, and pricier, Memory Sticks. It is powered by four AA batteries, and will last about four hours on a full charge. It is lightweight and very portable.
Samsung's YV-150 voice recorder is a hybrid that also plays MP3s and has a radio. Slim and light, it can last a purported 20 hours on a pair of AAA batteries and has built-in speakers. Whatever you choose, look for good mics and 24-bit features and MP3 recording.
