digital audio recorder
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Olympus' LS-20M boasts dual mics and 1080p recording, split personality
Cisco may have washed its hands of pocket camcorders, but Olympus is ready to dive into the market with gusto. The company, best known for its cameras and voice recorders, just brought those two worlds together by announcing the LS-20M, a handheld whose relatively high-end audio specs should help it go toe-to-toe with Zoom. In addition to 1080p video, the LS-20M records 24 bit / 96 hHz Linear PCM audio using a pair of condenser mics. Alas, at $300 it has a small 2-inch screen and no optical zoom, but at least Olympus borrowed four of the visual effects that make its PEN cameras so fun to use. Look for it in June, and in the meantime, hit the PR for more details.
Beseto Japan's PCM audio recorder runs for one week off 4 AA batteries
For old Dead Heads like ourselves, there is nothing sweeter than sleeping in a tie-dyed t-shirt for weeks at a time and living on the road, in search of that great lost chord. We only wish we had one of these new-fangled digital audio recorders while Dylan was rockin' out with Jerry Bear and the gang back in '87. Due out in March 2011, Beseto Japan's DP1000 handheld features three mics (right, left, and center) for either mono or stereo recording, 2GB internal memory, support for microSD and SDHC cards up to 32GB, both Linear PCM (16bit / 44.1kHz) and MP3 recording, and while it holds two AAA batteries (for up 168 48 hours of use) you can attach an external battery case which will give you an entire week of operation with only four AA batteries. Just imagine a week long guitar solo! Your mind would like, melt, dude. Also includes a 300Hz low-cut filter, ten second pre-recording (just in case), and USB 2.0 jack. Open price, but it's estimated retail is ¥15,000 (about $180).
Zoom H1 Handy Recorder captures 24-bit, 96 kHz stereo for $99
Samson's attempt to break into the Flip-dominated portable video space didn't hit all the right notes, so the company's gone back to basics with a new handheld audio recorder -- as delightfully basic as it could go. The Zoom H1 doesn't have fancy 4-channel recording schemes or a triple-capsule mic; it's merely a twin X/Y stereo recorder that does 24-bit / 96-kHz audio at an unheard-of $99 price. With a reported 10 hours of battery life on a single AA cell, up to 32GB of removable microSDHC storage and loads of physical controls, it already feels like an obvious choice for students, journalists and the like, but of course all that's just on paper -- we'll be waiting till its July 30th debut to hear if the unit performs as positively in real life. PR after the break.
Sanyo's ICR-PS605RM Xacti stereo recorder features six mics... for recording lots of stuff
Sure, you can have your little voice recorders if you like, but when you're ready to seriously up your game you have to talk to Sanyo. Indeed, the kids from Osaka have really gone and done it this time with their ICR-PS605RM Xacti stereo recorder. This bad boy features six microphones in a W-XY configuration, including an omni-directional stereo pair, an XY directional pair, and two directional mics for recording frequencies higher than 20,000Hz. Between this and its support for up to 96kHz / 24bit / 40,000Hz PCM sound files, we think that we can safely say that your extensive field recordings of Appalachian folksingers will sound better than ever (or, if you'd rather record MP3s, they have that covered as well). Also on tap is 4GB internal memory and a microSDHC slot. No word on a price, but you can look forward to seeing this one make its debut in Japan come April. Get a closer look at the break.
Zoom brings stereo audio to Q3 pocket camcorder
While those into good sound likely warmed to Zoom's H4n Handy Recorder back at CES, the Samson Technologies-owned company has just switched the game up on us with its newfangled Q3 Handy Video Recorder. As the product name implies, it's the first pocket camcorder to hit the market with such a serious focus on good sound, packing a directional, dual condenser microphone setup that enables shooters to capture clips at 24-bit/48 kHz while even focusing the mics on the sound source. The camcorder itself can log clips at an uninspiring 640 x 480 (30fps), while a pair of AA batteries gives you around two hours of life. There's also a 2.4-inch LCD, a bundled 32GB SD card (holds 16 hours of footage), a built-in speaker for previews, TV output, a tripod mount and USB 2.0 connectivity. If this bad boy did 720p, we'd be handing over our $249 with a heart full of thanks. Full release is after the break.
Sony's PCM-M10 digital audio recorder brings pro quality to laypeople, Southern Californians
Remember when Sony outed its PCM-D1 digital audio recorder and charged $2,000 for it with a straight face? Even today, the aforementioned player (along with the still-pricey PCM-D50) stands as one of the best in the sector, but Sony has just introduced the newest PCM unit with an equally impressive specs list and a price tag that even the amateur can swallow. Over in Nashville, the outfit has busted out the PCM-M10, which goes down as the least expensive flash-based recorder from Sony "capable of recording 96kHz/24-bit stereo audio using either the internal condenser mics or an external mic / line input." There's 4GB of built-in memory, a Memory Stick Micro slot and a (gasp!) microSD compartment. Sony also tossed in a built-in speaker, a 5-second pre-recording buffer, digital limiter and the ability to record directly to MP3. The Seth and Ryan-approved recorder should ship this October for $399, and you can catch a glimpse now by peeking the video just past the break.[Via Brad Linder]
Tascam DR-1 digital recorder can slow things down without changing pitch
At first glance, the Tascam DR-1 doesn't seem too different from all of its other digital recorder buddies out there, but let's see the other guys record WAV / MP3 straight to SDHC. Yep, this critter can save 24-bit, 48 kHz WAV files directly to SD or SDHC, and it also features a built-in Li-ion good for around seven hours, a simple (albeit useful) LCD and the inclusion of Variable Speed Audition, which enables it to playback recordings slower than they were inputted without augmenting the pitch. Per usual, mum's the word right now on price / availability.[Via AkihabaraNews]Update: Looks like it's $299, thanks Mike!
M-Audio rolls out MicroTrack II digital audio recorder
M-Audio sure took their time churning out a follow-up to its original MicroTrack digital audio recorder, but it looks like the company has finally put the finishing touches on the long-awaited (for some) successor, with the MicroTrack II now making its debut. As before, this one records onto CompactFlash cards, and will give you two-channel, 24-bit/96KHz audio recording in your choice of WAV or MP3 formats. New this time around, however, is an extended input gain range, an analog input limiter and, perhaps most importantly, seamless recording of files larger than 2GB in size. If that's enough to convince you to upgrade, you should be able to grab this one shortly (if not already) for a list price of $400, which includes an electret t-shaped microphone, editing software, a carrying case, and some other goodies.[Via Electronista]
