A request for advice on audio recorders
Has anyone had experience with the Edirol R-09 audio recorder? I am going to order an audio recorder for classroom use. It looks like it would be good but I am not at all sure in this area.
I want a device with very good sound quality. I want to be able to go back and listen to what happened in the classroom while we are blogging. I want a device that lets me transfer voice data to a PC that will plug directly into the computer’s USB. I don’t want to have to load specific software to make it work. This way I can share easily with the teachers I’m working with at school. It would be nice if the recorder could pick up sound from a distance in the classroom. I would also be using it for interviewing and to record my thoughts as I travel back and forth.
I want it to have a long battery life but also be able to plug it directly into a power outlet. There may be some other things I should consider that I have not thought about. Â I feel overwhelmed with all the choices and I would most appreciate advice from those who know much more than I do in this area.
September 5th, 2006 at 11:06 am
I have no personal experience, but I know a couple of people with the M-Audio product and they seem happy with it.
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MicroTrack2496-main.html
September 6th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
How about an iPod? They are USB capable, bi-platform, and most computers can access them easily, though I don’t know of any recorder that works without some sort of driver. You could use a cellphone to make the recording, possibly.
Since a lot of universities are using iPods for lectures, I assume they are recording and then creating mp3 files which can be down- orup-loaded to the iPod for play or transport.
For desktop recorders, I like WireTap and Audacity–both free and both cross-platform.
Cheers—Elizabeth
September 6th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
PS: here are three universities with info on using iPods:
Berekely webcast.berkeley. http://webcast.berkeley.edu/index.html
Stanford http://itunes.stanford.edu/
Duke Digital Initiative http://www.duke.edu/ddi/
–Elizabeth
September 7th, 2006 at 1:23 am
That’s a great idea anne! I’ve not found a way of doing so too. What we kinda use before is a microphone. Of course, I’m not going to suggest that. Just wait and maybe something will come along and help you with your dilemma.
September 7th, 2006 at 6:49 am
We’ve had great luck with the M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 (http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MicroTrack2496-main.html), which is comparable to the Edirol in many respects. If you are okay with it having a recharageable battery (like the iPod), it really has very few other drawbacks. Recording quality has been fantastic for our purposes with the included microphone. A 1 gig CompactFlash card is the only accessory you’d need - and they continue to update the firmware and add functionality. Here are some samples of the edu-podcast recordings done with the MicroTrack: http://feeds.feedburner.com/cablesleadersinlearning and http://feeds.feedburner.com/kidscablelearning.
September 8th, 2006 at 9:49 am
I just got an Edirol R-09, after using a few lower end portables (iRiver, iAudio)- and it absolutely rocks. Very small, easy to use, can record ar very high quality WAV or directly as MP3, and it just hooks into your computer with USB, no drivers needed. It does great in a room recording situation.
The iPod recordeds until the new one (is it out yet?) form ExtremeMac, are frequency limited, meaning the recording quality suffers.
See the review:
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2006/08/31/edirol-r-09-digital-recorder-review.html
I am rather confident this is the one I will use for a long time.
September 13th, 2006 at 8:34 am
I really appreciate all these suggestions. I\’ve decided to make a request for the Edirol R-09. I hope it gets approved. Getting feedback from others is so helpful! Thanks Gerry, Elizabeth, Douglas, and Alan!
September 13th, 2006 at 6:07 pm
I think Ewan uses the Edirol - must be OKm huh?
September 13th, 2006 at 6:32 pm
Thanks Christine! That seals it for me!
September 20th, 2006 at 11:14 am
I have the Edirol R09 and trust me, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a fantastic recording device, with or without an external mic. Long battery life, lots of control, and it’s light as a feather.
If you have any specific questions about it, let me know, but I highly reccomend it for anybody looking for a high end option.
September 21st, 2006 at 3:40 pm
Here’s a great article on the topic from today’s NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/technology/21basics.html?ex=1316491200&en=490a9609560550fd&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss