The Yamaha Pocketrak CX handheld recorder is slim and sleek, uses a replaceable rechargeable battery, and captures pristine audio with its top quality inbuilt microphones.

The slim design of the Pocketrak CX does not make allowance for bigger external mic connections ; the use of microSD memory boundaries storage capacity ; and there are some sophisticated settings.

The Pocketrak CX is a great choice for solo musicians and bands that need a no-nonsense recorder with quality in-built mics, but its features might be too basic for demanding users.

Demanding audio executives might turn up their nose at the Pocketrak’s shortage of full-size-mic connections and minimal onboard audio settings, but musicians and laymen will appreciate the recorder’s point-and-shoot approach.

For good or bad, the Yamaha Pocketrak CX is designed like a typical handheld voice recorder you’d pick up at an office supply store. On the upside, the design isn’t large intuitive, and familiar. The disadvantage, though , is that you are not going to find the full-size instrument, RCA, or XLR mic inputs that are used on bigger rivals like the M-Audio MicroTrack II, or the Zoom H4N. You are also a little constrained by the Pocketrak’s comparatively little 1.25-inch screen.

The recorder weighs just 92 grams, and measures five inches long, 1.75 inches wide, and just 0.6 in. thick. On the other side, you will find buttons for power, folder, track list, edit, and remove, as well as a 3.5mm mic and line input and a hinged door that hides the recorder’s Mini-USB port and microSD card slot.

Yamaha placed a hold turn on the back of the Pocketrak to stop the buttons on all sides of the recorder from causing incidentally when the player is gripped. At first, the hold-switch position felt a little out of the way, but we ultimately appreciated how it falls naturally under the index finger while holding the recorder. Below the switch is an internal spokesperson that permits you to listen back to your recordings without headphones.

Compared with recorders like the Zoom H2 or the Edirol R-09HR, the Pocketrak CX’s feature set looks short, as it does not include sophisticated features like 24-bit recording, multiple compressor / limiter settings, or audio effects. It also lacks support for SDHC memory cards, opting instead for microSD memory, which now tops out at 8GB.

The Edirol R-09HR audio recorder is constructed with a top quality stereo microphone, a large range of recording resolutions, SDHC memory support, a RC, and an intuitive control interface.

The Edirol R-09HR is barely bigger than its progenitor, tricky to be employed in the dark, and lacks a tripod mount. If you need a top quality audio recorder that fits in your pocket, the Edirol R-09HR can not be beat. The R-09HR isn’t the slimmest or lightest top-end recorder on the market today.

In reality, it’s slightly longer and thicker than the first R-09. The R-09HR is still sufficiently small to fit in your pocket which is a major edge over its nearest rival in sound quality : the Sony PCM-D50. Initially peek it’s tricky to see the differences between the R-09HR and its precedent, but lots of small improvements have been made.

As an example, an upgraded rubberized exterior now permits the R-09HR improved sound isolation when placed down on its front or back. Also, the once indistinguishable black buttons lining the sides of the R-09 have now been labeled in white lettering, and some buttons, switches, and ports have been arranged for better ergonomics.

2 of the most prominent changes since the first R-09 are a bigger screen and a more simply accessible battery compartment. The sound quality of the Edirol R-09HR’s built in microphones is shocking, blowing away any rival under $500. Listening back to recordings of piano made in both 16-bit and 24-bit recording modes, you can hear the additional detail Edirol’s microphones are capable of capturing.

While the microphones included on a rival like the Sony PCM-D50 offer improved stereo realism, you may pay a high price for it and miss the R-09HR’s smaller size and higher memory capacity. It’s easy to be impressed by high-resolution recordings, but the Edirol R-09HR’s also offers excellent results at lower MP3 resolutions too. Field recordings and interviews recorded at a modest 128Kbps MP3 setting were comparatively freed from compression artifacts and easy on battery life and memory, too.

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The internal microphones of the H4 are incredibly powerful.

Used when recording acoustic guitar, it works completely. You may select from varied compression and limiting modes. As predicted with a device at this price point, the build quality is good, but not remarkable. In using the Zoom H4 in the field and at home, I never once had a situation where the build quality was a responsibility. If you choose to use the H4 outside the home, I’d advocate picking up a tough case to hold it around in.

The Zoom H4 is feature-rich for the cost. This is great — it lets you connect phantom-powered microphones without delay to the unit. You may plug guitars or other instruments into the 0.25 ” inputs for direct recording. There’s also 2 built-in microphones in an X / Y stereo pattern. With recording up to 24bit / 96khz, you’ll be in a position to record however you need. It also includes a USB connection – transfer is a little slow, but it will get the job finished.

One difficulty with the H4 is the built-in preamps on the XLR inputs. This is not a problem for most tapers, since using preamps like the Lunatec V2 is common.

Using the line-in setting is a much different story. The sole issue for me is the absence of variable assume control. You need to adjust the recording level manually by sofware control, which is in contrast to several of the top-end recorders.

The Zoom H4 is noteworthy at it is $300 pricetag. Whilst a pleasant touch, the microphone modeling and guitar amp models are not awfully tough. That having been said, you can’t find a better worth anywhere for such a good recording interface. The Zoom H4 is available now from diverse outlets and sells for around $300.

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The Sony PCM-D50 handheld audio recorder offers top quality built-in stereo microphones, brilliant design, detailed recording resolution, long battery life, and a glorious collection of features. It has only 4GB of internal memory, exclusive Sony Memory Stick enlargement, no direct recording of MP3 files, and no straightforward way to attach pro 0.25 -inch or XLR audio wires.

If you are looking to make great mobile recordings without lugging around a unwieldy PC recording rig, the Sony PCM-D50 offers an unbeatable blend of design, recording quality, battery life, and features at a justifiable cost.

The Sony PCM-D50′s design is harking back to an old cassette Walkman, measuring three inches wide by six inches tall by 1.25 inches deep and weighing about 0.8 pound. It’s actually not slim when judged by the standards of today’s ultra slim MP3 players, but when you remember the Sony PCM-D50′s design includes a couple of top quality condenser microphones, storage for 4 AA batteries, and a Memory Stick growth slot, it isn’t difficult to pardon its girth.

In truth, we are pleased to see out sized features on the PCM-D50, like the distinguished recording-level adjustment knob and the metal-reinforced microphone cage.

The Sony PCM-D50′s built-in microphones are not only a striking design feature, but they are also some of the finest sounding mics we’ve heard on a conveyable recorder. A firm metal guard rail extends round the front of the Sony PCM-D50′s microphones, serving as both protection and as a form for the optional microphone windscreen.

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Are you a busy pro with such a lot of going on in your working day that you regularly forget critical dates, times or info if you don’t write everything down?

Well, ditch your pencil and paper and start keeping that vital info by employing digital voice recorders. These new digital voice recorders are not only wonderfully compact, and tape free, but they are capable of recording for an exceptionally long time.

For example, one of these great digital voice recorders is capable of recording for a whole day and a half, which is an unrivalled, sixty-four hours of recording time. Unbelievably, these amazing tiny digital voice recorders are only 4 inches. So it simply fits in your purse, pocket or one of those tiny compartments in your auto.

One of the nice things about these particular digital voice recorders is that you can set it in voice activation mode and though it is on, it will not record till it basically detects audio activity. These digital voice recorders can be operated on 2 AAA batteries, but they also come with and external DC power supply.

They also come complete with USB wire and software for downloading into your PC, variable playback speed, text to speech conversion features, fast forward and rewind control and much more.