Olympus Digital Voice Recorder DM-420 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this to record forensic examinations I do.So people may be speaking quietly, whispering, crying etc.The initial couple of times I tried it, I could not get enough volume out of the internal mikes.I tried the different scene settings and still the sound wasn't there.It wasn't until I fought through the manual and found out how to use the monoraul zoom microphone setting that I was able to get acceptable sound from two people speaking in a modest size room.Which brings me to the manual.Of course, it's only on disk, so you either have to read it on screen or print it out.And it's written in Japanese English... "the functioning of the Euphony will be the sound enhanced."Thereby, making it next to useless when trying to drill down through the various menu settings to try to make adjustments.Olympus is a huge company--you think they could afford an English speaking technical writer.

The software that comes with it seems to be first-rate, enabling all kinds of conversions, joins of separate files, volume-matching etc.It is very helpful in making adjustments for what is recorded.

One other point--I know websites are supposed to sell things, but I went to the Olympus site multiple times to see which of their digital recorders would do the job I needed done.The site is so loaded with praise for every product that it's very hard to make a reasonable decision about which of their devices to buy.Is the $400 professional dictating one really the one I should have gotten?Why did this one win Hammacher-Schlemmer's 'best' rating as opposed to the others?Would the $99 one have been as good?

I now own it and still have no idea if I got the right one.

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Product Description:
An ultra high-quality stereo microphone steps up to the plate and special sound editing software brings it on home. And in between are a series of features-from 2GB of internal memory, to MP3 and WMA recording format capabilities, to sophisticated user-friendly editing software-that make the DM-420 the recorder of champions.

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Olympus DS-40 Digital Voice Recorder Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased the Olympus DS-40 as an upgrade to my Olympus WS-320M.As mentioned by another reviewer, the DS-30/40 series improves upon the WS-300/310/320M series.I have owned a number of digital voice recorders from Voice-it to Sony and Olympus.

The DS-40 without its external microphone is about the same size as the WS-320M.It is slightly thicker and heavier.The exterior of the DS-40 is mostly metal.On the bottom, the battery door is plastic and hinged like the Olympus DS-4000.The mini-USB port is covered by a tethered plastic cover.On the lower right side,there is a power/hold slide switch.If you do not power the DS-40 off, it will enter a power save mode and the display will blank.Pressing a key brings it out of power save mode.The power save mode time is user adjustable.The control buttons are well spaced and shaped to make the DS-40 an acceptable dictation recorder unlike the WS-320M.The WS-320M has small flat closely spaced keys.The LCD screen is backlit in white and is very legible.The speaker is located in the back and produces enough volume to be heard in a moving car.On the top of the DS-40 is a stereo microphone jack which supports an optional remote control / microphone jack and is where the external stereo microphone is plugged in.Curiously, Nuance in their Dragon testing of the DS-30/40/50 writes that this recorder does not accept an external microphone.

The DS-40 is setup as a standard plug and play external USB drive. So you can transfer audio by using the supplied DSS Player software,Windows Explorer, or Windows Media Player.The USB audio transfer speed is about 140mb per minute.That is about five times faster than the WS-320M.

The DS-40 can be used as a digital voice recorder, a music player, an audiobook player, and a podcast player.

As a voice recorder, the DS-40 offers a lot of flexibility.With the three microphone sensitivies (dictation, conference, lecture), the DS-40 is suitable for handheld dictation (works best with the optional remote control), for meetings, for classroom / lecture hall use.I found the conference sensitivity adequate for a small to midsize classroom.As an aid for dictation, there is a voice activation option with 16 levels of sensitivity.You can adjust the activation level while recording from a barely audible whisper to a very loud trigger level. The voice activation feature along with the disable signal LED option are useful for surreptitious recording (check your local laws).

With the different recording quality modes, you can increase your recording time capacity by lowering the recording quality.I found the HQ mode (over 34 hours of record time) is quite sufficient for normal speech recording.The HQ frequency range is from 50 to 13000 Hz.The ST XQ mode produces very high quality recordings.Using an Olympus attenuator cable, I dubbed a recording from my IHP-120 music player to the DS-40 using line-out to dictation level.The sound quality of that dub was very satisfactory.There was a barely audible amount of added background noise in the recording.I think this is an excellent recorder for rehearsals, jam sessions, and practice.During my recording of a loud music presentation using the conference sensitivity, I noted that the recording levels went full bar and there was some slight distortion when the sound level was loudest.

As a music player, the DS-40 is just adequate.It plays music with a sound quality that is noise-free, warm, and full.Music navigation is by folder.There is no shuffle mode and no equalizer.The play mode allows single, folder, all, and repeat modes.However, the play mode applies equally to music, podcasts, and dictation.The WS-320M is a better music player.The DS-40 will play 320Kbps mp3s.The WS-320M will not.

As an audiobook player, the DS-40 will play audiobook content (after activation) from Audible.com in formats 2, 3, and 4.It supports Audible.com features such as bookmarking, fast and slow play, and book sections.It will also handle mp3, wma, and Netlibrary audiobookswith the useful features of resume position on a power cycle, fast/slow play speed (digitally corrected - no chipmunk voices), fast forward / rewind over track gaps, and audible cue / review.The rewind over a track gap feature is important when a book is split over multiple tracks and you need to review a section you just listened to.If that section is near the end of the previous track, you would have a problem with Ipods and Zens.They both stop rewinding at the beginning of a track.There is no bookmarking with mp3 and wma tracks.You can set a temporary index mark with an mp3 or wma track.The mark goes away when you move to another track.

As a podcast player, the DS-40 will play podcasts loaded from the DSS Player software. You can add URLs to the player software to subscribe to podcasts.There are options to set the download interval, set delete options, and auto update the DS-40.As with audiobooks, you can use fast/slow play speeds and audible cue/review.There is no bookmarking feature.There is a temporary index mark feature.

In summary, this dictation voice recorder is excellent.It is well built, easy to use, and records very well.

Pros:

Small size, good price benefit ratio, long battery life, solid metal construction, standard mini-USB connector, large informative display, excellent quality voice recordings, voice activated recording with sixteen sensitivity levels, WMA codec, dictation capabilities, included external stereo microphone and input, date-time stamped recordings, plug and play for file/music transfers, and music/podcast player.Cons:

No supplied carry case.Back placement of the speaker.No on-device editing capability except for delete and move.FYI, there is a new series of Sony dictation recorders coming this year including the ICD-SX57.The SX57 is an upgrade over the SX46 with 256mb of memory, a backlit display, automatic record level and manual record level, three built-in microphones, an extra high quality stereo recording format, and record level display.A newer version of the Voice Editor software which converts to WAV and MP3 format is included to support podcasting.

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Product Description:
In addition to capturing stereo sound from meetings, interviews, and important lectures, the Olympus DS-40 allows you to download and create Podcasts for later listening. The DS-40 offers users up to 136 hours of recording time with its 512 MB worth of internal flash memory. For easy organization and storing of files, the player allows users to set up five voice folders, and each folder can save up to 200 messages. Internal files can be easily navigated on the player's high-contrast backlit monochrome LCD panel. Other great features include a built-in variable control voice actuator (VCVA) function, and a timed recording and alarm feature so you can set up automatic recording and playing. Running on two AAA batteries, the player offers up to 30 hours of continuous playback in the following modes: ST XQ mode (8 hour 40 minute capture time), ST HQ mode (17 hour 20 minute capture time), HQ mode (34 hour 45 minute capture time), SP mode (68 hour 30 minute capture time), and LP mode (136 hour 15 minute capture time). For added user convenience, an optional AC adapter can be used with the recorder. Compatible with Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional operating systems and later, the player measures a pocket-friendly 4.37 x 1.48 x 0.63 inches and weighs in at a scant 2.80 ounces.
What's in the Box
DS-40 digital voice recorder, stereo microphone, USB cables, stereo earphones, DSS Player v.7 software, instruction manual, strap, and two AAA batteries.

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Sony ICD-SX700 Digital Voice Recorder with Voice Operated Recording Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This little recorder rocks. There's a lot to say about it.

For my recording needs, it replaced an aging but awesome iRiver H120 (20 GB recorder capable of recording 44/16 or MP3, plus playback of many audio file types. I found nothing that would do everything the iRiver did, so I split the job up. Bought an iPod for listening to music and the Sony for recording.

My recording needs are smaller than my recording ego. I'd love a Marantz PMD 661, but have no way to justify it or the price. I needed a recorder to handle 1- to 4-part vocal practices, with from 1-50 people, without having to pay a lot of attention to tweaking levels to get a quality recording. I wanted more than "recognizable," I wanted "listenable." The Sony got it right.

Sony did all that and surprised me with more flexibility than I expected. I had been debating between this and the Olympus LS-10. At the time I purchased, I was able to find the Sony online new for $70, versus the Olympus for $219. I downloaded the manuals, read a number of reviews, listened to sound samples, and even looked at some in audio editing software.

The real differences between this and the Olympus come from the product's target market: Sony aimed for digital voice recording, and Olympus aimed at music recording. But they overlap enough that comparisons are worth making:

(0) Both offer line-in or built-in mic recording; USB connection to a computer; 44/16 or MP3 recording (more later), high quality mics in stereo; battery operation; and tiny speakers useful for little more than basic monitoring. In each of these camps, one model or the other offers a little more versatility than the other. I believe it is these "little things" that make or break the choice over which is right for you.

(1) Sony's got 1 GB of RAM, which limits you to 90 minutes of CD quality (44.1/16) recording (if you choose one of the lossy formats like MP3 (192 or 128) or Sony's proprietary LPEC format, you'll get many hours more). There's no expansion option (c'mon, a MicroSD card slot would not have been out of the question). Olympus offers more high resolution, high bit rate formats, and comes with 2 GB built in with an SD card slot for more expansion. Score 1 for Olympus.

(2) If you use rechargeables, the Sony will recharge the AAA batteries via USB when connected, while the Olympus will not. The Oly's 12 hour on AA's mean you'll likely use an AC adaptor much of the time, like when transferring files to/from the PC. But the Olym does not include one. Worse, the Oly manual explicitly says DO NOT connect via USB while connected to AC power. WHAT? That's just goofy, and it sounds too easy to fry something important. Score 1 for Sony.

(3) Sony added a number of useful features geared toward "voice clarity" when recording, and when playing back, any combination of which can be turned on/off. Some are "recorded" with the signal, but others are playback-only. Voice boost, low cut, noise cut are very effective (particularly if what you want to hear is the voice range in a recording). The digital vari-speed playback is fair at best (always seems warbly to me), as is the voice-activated recording (it tends to cut off the first word). From reviews, and the manual, Olympus offers a low cut switch, and preset/manual recording level settings, but its playback adjustments are limited to some preset reverbs. Yuck. Sony's microphones are great, but I believe they are not on par with the Oly's. This is purely subjective, but again the "target market" means that one product requires quality voice reproduction while the other requires quality musical reproduction. I believe this purpose may drive the internal processing of the recorded signal just as it does the features offered by each product. I consider this one a tie.

Letdowns in both Camps
I am disappointed that the Olympus does not feature any better "listening adjustments" like equalization settings. This seems to be a natural fit for a musician's device. Every iPod's got it! On the Sony side, I am disappointed that "fast forwarding through" recordings is somewhat choppy, and for long recording of over 30 minutes it tends to take a while to get farther in. To be fair, it does speed up the longer you hold the scan function, but I miss the ability to set the scan speed the way I could with RockBox on my iRiver. Some devices do this, and scan MP3's smoothly.

Surprises Too
Some little bonuses haves surprised me. Both recorders come with 5 pre-made folders, labeled Folder01 through Folder05, for recording. The Sony manual led me to think that this was it, these 5 folders were what I had to work with. However, when connected to a PC the Sony allowed me to create more folders, change the names of existing ones, and generally treat the files and file system the way you want. I renamed the folders to more useful names, and created a few others, and it handled them all just fine when disconnected from the computer, never complaining. (Of course, if I reformat the entire drive, I'm sure it will go back to its defaults...which I will change again. But for a Sony product to give me this kind of leeway and freedom, pretty cool! I can't say how the Oly handles the 5 default folders, or whether more are allowed.

Sony's got convenience down with this one. The first menu item displayed is always the recording mode (44/16, MP3, LPEC, etc.) and, beside that, the recording level (with a Music preset, three voice presets Normal, High, SuperHigh, and Manual). Nice and clean, and well thought-out. Also, I can put MP3's on it, and it will play them back with a wonderful, warm, analog sound. So I can use it occasionally as a portable player, which it's pretty darn good at!

Overall
If you need more critical musical recording quality in an "all in one" box, the Olympus is closer to this goal provided you understand its limits and are mindful of them. I consider it more of a "very high quality capture device" for music when you are in more controlled recording environments. I don't think of it as a music player.

If you need more portability, ease of operation and convenience, and are willing to listen to a lesser (but still very high) audio quality, the Sony is worth a close look. Listen to the audio samples on the Sony Canada site (www.sony.ca). I consider it more of a "high quality capture and playback device" for all kinds of recording situations, indoors or out.

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Product Description:
Operating System Compatibility : Microsoft Windows, 2000 Professional, XP Home, XP Professional, Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business Ultimate

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Tt System Tele-recorder Adapter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This product won't win any beauty contests, but it does a great job interfacing with a standard telephone and any recording device with the appropriate jack. I use it for work and it's incredibly reliable.

It only records the left channel of audio, however, which makes any recording kinda lop-sided if you listen to it through headphones later. I have to admit: I've never tried the "play" setting and couldn't tell you if it works. But honestly: You're recording your phone call to a tape-deck/mp3 player/md recorder. You're probably going to end up using that machine's capabilities to play it back - not this adapter.

The level of the recording is just a bit quieter than you think it should be, but the quality is fine.

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Product Description:
Connects tape recorder to telephone line for recording both sides of the conversationAutomatically records and plays back telephone conversations through headset jack of most phonesCompatible with voice activated tape recordersRequires tape recorder with microphone jack for recording and earphone jack for playback

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