Portable Recorder Articles

These articles provide free, useful, and well-researched information on issues that may come up for you as you use your portable recorder.


Battery life Test Results
We pressed the REC button on our fully charged recorders and let them run until they stopped. Here are the latest results.

Copyright Basics FAQ
Definition of copyright and what it protects.

Microphone Technique - The Basics
Basic microphone technique is explained. Crucial for podcasters!

Portable Recorder Noise: The Sounds of Silence
We know that portable recorder noise is a real issue for some of you, so we've updated this article by adding samples of the nifty little FEL 3.5 SX3 mic preamp combined with the Audio Technica AT822. Take a Listen!

Protect Your Hearing!
Regular exposure to very loud noise is the cause of nearly 1/3 of all hearing loss cases. Take steps to protect your hearing now.

Protect Your Sound! Copyright Registration, Notice and Enforcement How to get maximum protection from the federal copyright laws.

Think Before You Press "Record" - Surreptitious Recording Laws
Don't assume it's OK to record someone without his/her permission.
A quick look at surreptitious recording laws in the United States.

Update Your Recorder!
For best performance, update your recorder's system on a regular basis. We provide the update links for each recorder.

Why does my stereo microphone look like that?
The x-y mic configuration in the Sony PCM-D1 and Zoom H4 is explained.

P.S. If anything on this website bugs you, please tell us. No matter how small or big it is. If you don't speak up, we can't fix it. Whatever we can fix, we surely will. Thanks!

DISCLAIMER: Legal Information Is Not Legal Advice. The legal information provided in the articles listed above is for educational purposes only. Although care has been taken to make sure that the information presented is accurate and useful, you should consult an attorney if you want professional assurance that the information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.