Professional-grade handheld audio recorders
Donald Bell,
Senior Editor
April 28, 2009
Have you ever wanted to capture a sound with as much detail as possible? Maybe it was a great concert, baby's first words, bird calls, or a field recording for a radio, movie, or television production. While capturing sound in our daily lives is not as common as capturing images with photography, both require an investment if you want to do it right.
More than a few MP3 players include basic voice and line recording features, but none of them are capable of recording at or above CD quality. If you're looking for a serious portable audio recorder capable of recording in multiple formats at pro-audio resolution, the following list showcases the best tools available.
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| Price | $269.95 to $299.00 | $449.95 to $499.95 | $265.00 to $369.00 | Check Prices | $175.00 to $339.99 | $229.95 to $299.99 |
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| Review date | April 13, 2009 | March 24, 2008 | August 15, 2008 | April 11, 2008 | March 26, 2009 | |
| The Bottom Line | The Zoom H4n is a mobile recording dynamo with features that outperform competitors that cost twice as much. It is an outstanding value for musicians and podcasters who demand professional-sounding results. | If you're looking to make great mobile recordings without lugging around a cumbersome laptop recording rig, the Sony PCM-D50 offers an unbeatable combination of design, recording quality, battery life, and features at a justifiable price. | If you want a high-quality audio recorder that fits in your pocket, the Edirol R-09HR can't be beat. | The Zoom H2 is a fun, practical, and affordable tool for capturing interviews, lectures, and music rehearsals. Cheap construction and lackluster recording performance, however, make the H2 less than ideal for demanding professional recording applications. | The Pocketrak CX is a great choice for solo musicians and bands that need a no-nonsense recorder with quality built-in mics, but its features may be too basic for demanding users. | |
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| Features | ||||||
| PC interface(s) supported | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | USB |
| Flash memory installed | 512 MB and over | Info unavailable | 512 MB and over | 512 MB and over | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Flash memory form factor | Integrated | Info unavailable | SD Memory Card | SD Memory Card | microSD | Integrated |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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