These devices can help you create studio-quality tracks on the fly—anywhere.
They’re small, but create WAV-file, studio-quality sounds. I’m talking about portable field recorders—a valuable and affordable tool for location recordings, live music, podcasts, and videographers and filmmakers. They come in a wide range of prices and offer a variety of functions, like interchangeable microphone capsules, multi-tracking, and USB interface capability. Plus, the noise issues associated with earlier iterations of these recorders is nonexistent. Here’s five, in the $199 to $499 price range, worth investigating. And note that Sony, Tascam, and Zoom have more models at lower and higher pricing.
Zoom H8 8-Input Handy Recorder
This feature-packed recorder has 12 tracks, can be used as a USB interface, and records 24-bit/96 kHz audio. The H8 has two XLR/TRS inputs and four XLR inputs, and four mic preamps with phantom power. It can be bus-powered, battery-powered (four AAs), or you can use a power adapter. Onboard is an XY mic attachment with interchangeable capsules—and these capsules sound fantastic. The software has three setups for operation: field, music, and podcast, and each is optimized for those types of recordings. Other features include an automatic backup record, a six-second pre-record function, a built-in compressor and limiter, a metronome, and a speaker for playback. Tracks are recorded to an SD card.
All that utility makes the Zoom H8 the most versatile recorder I’ve seen. Plus, I’ve had a lot of experience with Zoom recorders, in many different settings, and they are reliable and rugged. If this is at the top end of your budget, rest assured it’s worth it.
$399 street, zoomcorp.com
“A good rule of thumb for those of us recording music is to be sure you’re choosing a model with the inputs, microphone and power options, and channels that you need.”
Tascam Portacapture X6 6-Channel 32-bit Portable Audio Field Recorder
This is a great-sounding, high-quality recorder that’s extremely easy to use, with a quick learning curve. It has built-in stereo mics, two XLR inputs, and phantom power, records at 32-bit/96 kHz, and offers reverb. The Portacapture X6 can be bus-powered, and works as an interface with your DAW. It also sports a 2.4” color touchscreen. Although it’s rugged and well-built, the Portacapture X6 doesn’t have enough inputs for complex music recording. But it’s great at everything else field recorders do. And like all the recorders in this overview, it is solid and reliable, and should hold up for years.
$299 street, tascam.com/us
Sony PCM-D10 High-Resolution Digital Audio Recorder
Sony is known for making solid, reliable home and studio equipment, and the PCM-D10 is no exception. This recorder includes two internal microphones that can be adjusted to three different patterns, two XLR/TRS combo inputs, and 48V phantom power. Extras include Bluetooth capability and a digital limiter. You can’t go wrong with its dependability, build, and ease of use, but since the PCM-D10 has fewer features than some less expensive recorders, it’s pretty pricey.
$499 street, electronics.sony.com
Roland R-07 2-Channel Handheld Recorder
This pocket-sized 24-bit/96 kHz recorder is high-quality, with built-in stereo microphones, but by design has fewer channels and features than the other recorders here. However, it is also the least costly and would suffice for field recordings, environmental sounds, and maybe podcast material, or interviews. It has no XLR inputs, so for music it’s mostly practical for grabbing ideas and sketches.
$199 street, roland.com
Olympus OM System LS-P5 Linear PCM Recorder
The Olympus LS-P5 is manufactured by a company that’s made its bones in the camera/video/film world, so it’s no surprise that it’s targeted at that market. Features include three microphones, Bluetooth, and a low-cut filter. The Olympus has no XLR inputs, but it’s suitable for field recording or video production, and, depending on your methodology, podcasting.
$249 street, explore.omsystem.com
And that’s a miniscule sampling of the field recorders available. But a good rule of thumb for those of us recording music is to be sure you’re choosing a model with the inputs, microphone and power options, and channels that you need.
Included in the bundle is Tascam’s US-2x2 USB audio interface, TM-80 studio condenser microphone with shockmount, TH-02 headphones, and Cakewalk SONAR X3 LE and Ableton Live Lite 9 DAW software.
Montebello, CA (March 3, 2015) -- The new Tascam Trackpack 2x2 assembles everything you need to record music on your computer. Included in the complete recording bundle is Tascam’s US-2x2 USB audio interface, TM-80 studio condenser microphone with shockmount, and TH-02 headphones, plus Cakewalk SONAR X3 LE and Ableton Live Lite 9 DAW software.
The US-2x2 is a 2-in/2-out USB interface, bus powered from your Mac or Windows computer. A pair of Ultra-HDDA mic preamps provide up to 57dB of gain and the best noise and distortion specs in their class. The audio design features high-performance, musical components like NE5532 op amps for rich sound quality without coloring the source. Class-compliant drivers enable use with tablets like the iPad when using an optional power supply.
The US-2x2’s all-aluminum case features a pair of “bio-cell” side panels. In addition to their striking design, the side panels ergonomically angle the interface towards you to make the switches and knobs easier to read on a desktop. The US-2x2 includes MIDI in and out, balanced audio outputs, a headphone amp, and two DAW applications to choose from – both Cakewalk SONAR X3 LE and Abelton Live Lite 9. Included with the software are dozens of plug-in instruments, effects, and loops to get you started.
Also included is the TM-80, a condenser microphone ideal for vocals, drums, and acoustic instruments. The TM-80 includes a shockmount and desktop stand. The TH-02 closed-back headphones provide isolation while recording and a great reference during mixdown.
For a street price under $200, the Tascam Trackpack 2x2 is the perfect way to launch your computer-recording studio.
Features:
- Two high-quality Ultra-HDDA mic/line preamps with up to 57dB of gain
- Two-in/two-out USB 2.0 interface with up to 96kHz/24-bit resolution
- XLR/1/4” combination input jacks
- Zero-latency Direct Monitoring
- High-quality audio components like NE5532 op amps for 125dBu EIN and 105dB S/N ratio
- USB Audio Compliant 2.0 drivers for iOS compatibility
- Independent line out and headphone level controls
- MIDI Input and Output
- Aluminum body with angled design for better desktop visibility
- Optional power supply
- Includes SONAR X3 LE and Abelton Live Lite 9
$199.99 estimated street price, available now
For more information:
Tascam
Svelte and user-friendly interfaces that make digital recording a snap.
Putting together a simple recording rig that can yield stellar tracks has never been easier, more affordable, and less space-hoggish. We’ve rounded up a few interfaces that can help transfer your ideas between instrument and computer.
Scarlet Solo
A sleek, light, USB-powered interface with phantom power that’s small enough to fit in a gigbag or backpack and tough enough for travel.
AudioBox iTwo
This portable, bus-powered USB 2.0 interface for iPad audio and MIDI has a pair of combo mic/line/instrument inputs with class-A mic preamps.
UR12
A compact, powerful, and portable interface featuring D-PRE mic preamps, 24-bit/192 kHz converters, and a loopback function for easy live-internet recording.
UH-7000
This 4-channel pro-level USB mic preamp/audio interface was designed for low noise and high-quality audio. It resides in a rugged, half-rack-sized enclosure.
M-Track Plus
This compact, user-friendly bus-powered USB interface accommodates most input sources. It comes bundled with light versions of Cubase, Ableton Live, and Waves Audio plug-ins.
Apollo Twin Solo
This 2x6 Mac Thunderbolt audio interface allows seamless tracking though Universal Audio’s Realtime UAD plug-in processing.
Studio Connect Lightning
This audio/MIDI interface for iPad features a front-panel stereo headphone/monitor jack.