My new choice for best "tune sucker" recorder

[eskin]

Hi y'all,

For grabbing tunes at workshops and lessons, I've upgraded to a new voice recorder from Olympus, Model number is DS-2. I just wanted to pass on the info. It’s a keeper!

At its highest setting (WMA, 128 kbit stereo, 44.1 KHz sample rate) it records about 1 hour, and even the 4 hour setting (32 kbit WMA Mono) it does an excellent job recording music. There are lower quality settings primarily for voice that support up to 22 hours of voice recording.

Here's a good review, including some sample audio files: http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2005/05/18/ds2.html

Has USB-2, includes the docking station, USB-2 cable, headphones, batteries, and software. Like the Sony ICD-ST10/25/MX20 also slows down tunes without changing the pitch. Supports both Mac and PC. Shows up as a standard Mass Storage Class USB device, so you can just drag and drop files from it to the desktop. File format is standard WMA so no need to run any proprietary software, although the supplied application is very good for organizing files.

The built-in speaker is pretty small, so you can't turn the volume up too much on playback without distortion, but it does have a headphone and plug-in power microphone jack. Recordings at the highest setting using an external Sony stereo "T" mike sound nearly as good as my minidisc and much better than anything I've heard come off even the latest generation of Sony voice recorders (which are priced over $240). Battery life is supposed to be 18 hours on two AAAs.

Bestbuy.com has them listed this week for $134.00 (have to add it to your shopping basket to get the reduced price), but you should print out the website page with the online price to get the sale price at your local store. The bestbuy.com website can tell you if they are in-stock at your local store.

Cheers,

Michael

[eskin]

Just found out from the review, and confirmed online, that my local Radio Shack sells the DS-20, which is the same unit with double the memory for $199.00... Probably going to return the DS-2 and get the DS-20.

[thirdfipple]

I love my DS 20 (purchased from Radio Shack). I record all my lessons. I download them to the computer (USB) and upload to the DS 20 whatever tune I am working on so that I can listen to it anywhere. In addition you can slow down the tune during playback and it still remains in correct pitch. I did buy a cheap single point stereo mic, I would like to get a better one.

[BillChin]

Cool. I bought my Sony voice recorder based on a recommendation by Eskin. The limitations of the Sony are a low sampling rate and limited memory (16k). The Olympus addresses those two issues without breaking the bank (like the $400+ Edirol). For those comfortable buying at eBay, there are Olympus DS-2's selling for under $100 USD.

Instant on, tiny size and USB support are the features that make me choose a voice recorder over the competition (Minidisc or MP3 players such as the IRiver). At under $100 USD for a CD quality sampling rate, external mic jack, USB support, all in a tiny always on unit, makes this hard to beat.

That said, it is hard for me to justify upgrading from the Sony. I've had it for about 15 months. A new computer (1999 vintage) is probably a better use of my money.

[Jim McGuire]

Last Olympus DS 20 sold for $95 on eBAY. Closing prices range from that to $129.

One out there now:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Olympus-DS-20-Digit ... dZViewItem

[wolvy]

Gosh, for tune sucking, I think you would only need the mono-high quality mode. So with the DS-2 I think you get about 4 hours. That's a lot of tune sucking, folks. Do you really need double that? For me, I don't think so, or else I think I am getting too carried away with recording stuff and not playing enough. If I wanted a serious big time tune sucker, I'd go to the Edirol. Michael, are you sure you want to trade in your DS-2 for a DS-20? They are harder to find and cost quite a bit more.

I used to think size matered. I bought the big iPod Shuffle - but in retrospect, I wish I had bought the small one. I just don't use that much space. It is only temporary storage space after all.

[Bretton]

I'm saving up for a n M-Audio Microtrack 24/96:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/M ... -main.html

Once they start shipping (any day now...) they'll be retailing for about $369 US. That's almost $200 more than the device mentioned in this thread, but you can get professional quality digital audio recordings if you ever need them (better than CD quality).

I was going to buy an Edirol R-1:

http://www.edirol.com/products/info/r1.html, but I think the Microtrack is probably a better deal for the money.

I'm glad we're starting to see more options available in this area...

-Brett

[eskin]

That M-Audio device looks like it could be a great alternative to MD or the bigger flash recorders like the Marantz PMD-670 and PMD-660, can't wait to see one in the stores. Still, nothing beats a voice recorder for instant-on, no hassle, good quality tune sucking.

[BillChin]

I'm saving up for a n M-Audio Microtrack 24/96:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/M ... -main.html

Once they start shipping (any day now...) they'll be retailing for about $369 US. That's almost $200 more than the device mentioned in this thread, but you can get professional quality digital audio recordings if you ever need them (better than CD quality).

I was going to buy an Edirol R-1:

http://www.edirol.com/products/info/r1.html, but I think the Microtrack is probably a better deal for the money.

I'm glad we're starting to see more options available in this area...

-Brett

My question is, who needs better than CD quality in a portable unit? Field recordings usually have far from ideal acoustics making that the limiting factor rather than the sampling rate.

I agree with the other post about capacity. If I can get a DS-2 for half the price of a DS-20, I am going for a DS-2. Considering how fast these things become obsolete, it is an easy decision. I have gotten by with two hours of capacity on my Sony at a very low sample rate (8 khz) and limited memory (16 megs). The recordings are decent enough for picking out tunes, I compare them to FM radio quality. People used to spend hours listening at that quality.

I do understand that some people have a much higher income and budget so that $200 or even more can be an impulse purchase.

[djm]

My question is, who needs better than CD quality in a portable unit?

There's more to tune sucking than just trying to pick out a basic tune. You may want to lift a whole concert and put it on CD. That's where the extra memory capacity comes in. You would want the higher sampling resolution for pulling out the nuances of an expert performance when you want to study not the tune, but how it was played. The more data resolution in the original sample, the better chance for a good quality recording when mixed down later to CD.

There's nothing wrong with the way you propose to use your unit, Bill, its just that a better unit provides more opportunities to perform a broader variety of tasks.

djm

[beowulf573]

Thanks for the info, I've had a stack of MD to transfer to the PC for over a year and can't bring myself to bother. I don't want to spend the money on a new MD player only to have to use Sony's software to transfer files and I can't bring myself to spend the money on the Marantz portable deck, as cool as it sounds.

This may be the next best thing. Now if they supported SD cards it would be close to perfect.

I may have to go pick on up this week.

[BillChin]

My question is, who needs better than CD quality in a portable unit?

There's more to tune sucking than just trying to pick out a basic tune. You may want to lift a whole concert and put it on CD. That's where the extra memory capacity comes in. You would want the higher sampling resolution for pulling out the nuances of an expert performance when you want to study not the tune, but how it was played. The more data resolution in the original sample, the better chance for a good quality recording when mixed down later to CD.

There's nothing wrong with the way you propose to use your unit, Bill, its just that a better unit provides more opportunities to perform a broader variety of tasks.

djm

In my opinion it still sounds like using a sledgehammer for picture frame nails, but if it floats your boat and you have the money, more power to you.

It is a rare hall that has a perfectly silent audience and great acoustics at every seat. The other consideration is that that kind of setting is probably going to be less than 1% of recording time for musicians buying these devices. So it is a lot of money for little utility. The vast majority of people will most likely use them for sessions or practice or class or live gigs where background noise and room acoustics will render the higher sampling rate (above CD quality) next to useless.

[Father Emmet]

Amazon.com has the DS-2 for $118, I'm picking one up to record lessons. It's much cheaper, and even though it has half the memory it has a built in stereo mic, which the DS-20 doesn't. I won't be using it as a walkman so the memory is plenty. Thanks for the suggestion, I was just thinking about replacing my old cassette voice recorder, and half speed playback sealed the deal.

[Cathy Wilde]

Interesting! I'd been pondering that Fostex 8-track digital recorder which, at $299ish, seems like a nice alternative to the Edirol.

Anyway, if anyone tries one of these DS-2s with a Mac, couldja let me know if it works? I've had a devil of a time getting my flash recorder to play with my desktop Mac!

[eskin]

The DS-20 does have the stereo mike, it is identical to the DS-2 just with double the internal memory. Perhaps you're thinking of another model number. I have a DS-20, originally had and returned a DS-2. Both are identical except for the memory.