Portable Recorder Blog

Portable Recorder Sound Samples

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:13:40 GMT

Listen to the latest portable recorder sound samples from WingfieldAudio.com, including the Olympus LS-11 and the Sony PCM-M10

Mono or Stereo? Your Questions Answered

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:16:55 GMT

Happy New Year everyone! Starting this year, we will from time to time share an answer to one of your questions.

Q: If I'm recording voice for podcast, or an interview with me and another person, should I record it in mono or stereo?

A: Mono is best for spoken voice. Stereo is best for music. Most spoken voice podcasts are encoded in mono and most spoken voice radio shows are broadcast in mono. Spoken voice is rarely recorded in stereo because the sound emanates from a single point (your mouth) and it is more difficult for one person to effectively handle two microphones at the same time. Also, recording spoken voice in stereo can cause a distracting shift in sound from side to side, especially for listeners who use headphones. This is one area where the stereo effect is not necessarily desirable.

More benefits of mono. A mono audio file is half the size of a stereo file and is therefore much easier to stream and download. Moreover, mono files always have higher fidelity at a given bit rate because only a single channel is encoded instead of two. Likewise, mono radio signals require much less power to broadcast than stereo signals and are much easier to tune in even if the signals aren't very clear or strong.

Of course, the ultimate decision is yours as to which sounds best. But as a rule of thumb, record spoken voice in mono and record music in stereo to capture its spaciousness and wider dynamic and frequency ranges.

The only handheld recorders that encode in true, single channel mono are the Marantz PMD661, the Marantz PMD620, and the Olympus LS-11. The Zoom and Tascam recorders have a "mono mix" feature that creates a stereo file where the left and right channels have the same content, but this is not true, single-channel mono. The Edirol R-09HR can encode in mono only when when used with an external microphone.

Although recording direct to mono saves a lot of time and storage space, don't despair if more than 80 of your recordings are spoken voice and you do not have one of the recorders mentioned above. Most stereo files can be converted to mono with an audio editing program like Audacity.

Tascam drops price of DR-07 to $169.95

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:38:03 GMT

The Tascam DR-07 is now $169.95, making it the lowest-priced, higher-quality recorder available and the cheaper, simpler and clearer-sounding alternative to the Zoom H2. Read our Tascam DR-07 review.

2009 Holiday Return Policy

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:38:03 GMT

During this holiday season, buy your gifts from Wingfield Audio with peace of mind. All items purchased between November 27 and December 24, 2009 may be returned by January 8, 2010, subject to our regular return policies.

Sony PCM-M10 Review

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:22:47 GMT

Sony PCM-M10 review by Wingfield Audio. We like the PCM-M10, Sony's newest, smallest, and cheapest addition to its outstanding family of portable audio recorders.

Olympus LS-11 Review

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:47:45 GMT

An Olympus LS-11 review by Wingfield Audio. We like the Olympus LS-11. Among other things, it sounds better than the LS-10 and has fantastic battery life.

Portable Recorder Battery Life Test Results!

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:54:09 GMT

Our portable recorder battery life test results now include the Sony PCM-M10, the Olympus LS-11, and the Zoom Q3. The results may shock you. Check them out now!

Zoom Q3 Review

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:28:28 GMT

Zoom Q3 review by Wingfield Audio. We like Zoom's new Q3 Handy Video Recorder. It sounds as good as the H4n, makes decent-looking videos, and is easy to use. The possibilities are virtually endless...

Portable Recorder Noise: The Sounds of Silence

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:53:10 GMT

By popular demand, we've added noise floor samples of our mid and budget-priced recorders to our portable recorder noise article, including the new Olympus LS-11 and Sony PCM-M10. Listen and compare how they stand up to the high-end recorders!

Update Your Recorder!

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:24:29 GMT

Update your recorder on a regular basis for best performance.

MicroTrack II Price Drops to $199

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:42:07 GMT

M-Audio just announced a price reduction for the MicroTrack II. Effective immediately, it is now $199. This could be an excellent deal, but note our latest review update before taking the plunge.

Compare Portable Recorders Part A

Fri, 08 May 2009 19:28:49 GMT

Compare portable recorders by Zoom, Tascam, Sony, Olympus, Marantz, M-Audio, Korg and Edirol. We've split this handy chart in 2 for faster viewing and printing. The full-view chart is still available for those folks with wide monitors and speedy internet connections.

Zoom H4n Review

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:03:52 GMT

Zoom H4n review by Wingfield Audio. The Zoom H4n is a huge improvement over the Zoom H4 and offers incredible value for the price.

Tascam DR-100 Review

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:34:41 GMT

Tascam DR-100 review by Wingfield Audio. The Tascam DR-100 is a good, solid contender in the new crop of handheld recorders with XLR inputs.

Tascam DR-07 Review

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:12:54 GMT

Tascam DR-07 review by Wingfield Audio. We like the Tascam DR-07. It's affordable and even easier to use than the Zoom H2 or the Tascam DR-1.

Zoom H2 Sound Samples

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:27:25 GMT

These Zoom H2 sound samples were contributed by happy customers. Take a listen!

Marantz PMD661 Review

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:58:37 GMT

Marantz PMD661 Review by Wingfield Audio. We like the Marantz PMD661. It looks good, sounds good and is easy to use. It's very small too. Check out our sound samples.

Tascam DP-004 Review

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 06:50:23 GMT

Tascam DP-004 review by Wingfield Audio. The Tascam DP-004 is an affordable, compact, multi-track recorder with good sound, good storage capacity and a bit of a learning curve. Could be ideal for songwriters on the go.

Sony PCM-D1 Sound Samples

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:33:05 GMT

Some of our lastest Sony PCM-D1 sound samples were contributed by happy customers. Check them out!

Compare Mic Adapters at WingfieldAudio.com

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:15:43 GMT

Compare mic adapters at WingfieldAudio. These adapters allow you to use a 48V phantom-powered condenser microphone with your handheld flash recorder.

Frequently Asked Questions at WingfieldAudio.com

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:59:38 GMT

Frequently Asked Questions at WingfieldAudio.com. Check here first before calling or writing to us. Someone may have already asked!

Sony PCM-D50 Sound Samples

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:38:48 GMT

Listen to Sony PCM-D50 sound samples prepared by the folks at WingfieldAudio.com and its customers.

A True Zoom H2 Tale, Really.

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:33:36 GMT

If you ever wondered how sturdy the Zoom H2 could be for $199, here's a true story from a happy customer: "I was recording nature sounds in the Blue Hills, and dropped the machine about 15-20 feet down an embankment, bouncing off rocks, and into a bubbling brook. Fished it out, let it dry for a day, and it works PERFECTLY." Frankly, we were shocked to read this story too. Just goes to show that you never know...If you think the H2 is right for you, buy with confidence!

Korg drops MR-1 price to $399

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:50:36 GMT

While difficult to recommend at its previous price of $699, the Korg MR-1 has suddenly become an intriguing recording option to consider at $399, especially for those of you who already own a good stereo mic or stereo pair of mics and will ordinarily "plug-in" for power rather than rely on the tepid MR-1 internal battery.

The MR-1 is handsome, small (think iPod or deck of cards), beautifully made (in Japan) and has a 20GB hard drive instead of a flash drive like all the other handhelds. At $399, it could be a good deal for some of you.

As we've stated previously, you can make good music recordings with it, particularly if you use a different mic than the one it comes with. The handy dandy FEL mic preamps will help too.

Edirol R-09HR Review

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:00:54 GMT

An Edirol R-09HR review by Wingfield Audio. The Edirol R09HR is a good, easy-to-use, general purpose recorder that comes with a wireless remote. It is nice upgrade from the R-09 and a welcome addition to our portable recorder offerings.

Yamaha Pocketrak 2G Review

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:28:39 GMT

Yamaha Pocketrak 2G review by Wingfield Audio. The Yamaha Pocketrak 2G is really small & clever. Other units may sound better and feel sturdier, but none else will truly fit in your shirt pocket...

Tascam DR-1 Review

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 20:18:46 GMT

Tascam DR-1 review by Wingfield Audio. We like the Tascam DR-1. It's affordable, straightforward and sounds good too.

Olympus LS-10 Review

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:04:31 GMT

Olympus LS-10 review by Wingfield Audio. We like the Olympus LS-10. It's well-built, sleek, stylish, compact and easy-to-use. It has very good sound and an impressively low noise floor too.

Marantz PMD620 Sound Samples

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:31:17 GMT

More Marantz PMD620 Sound Samples prepared for you by the folks at WingfieldAudio.com

Good News...the Korg MR-1 can sound good!

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 23:39:32 GMT

How? By using the Audio Technica AT822 stereo microphone instead of the CM-2M mic supplied by Korg. Yes, we understand this means spending more of your hard-earned cash. But if you want to find a way to make the Korg MR-1 sound as good as it looks, there's your answer. We're sure other microphones will work too, but we like the AT822 because it's been around a long time, it sounds good and it comes with a stereo y-cable that has a 3-pin XLR connector on the mic end and 2 mono mini connectors on the output end -- perfect for the Left and Right channel inputs on the MR-1. Check out our new MR-1/AT822 cello sample and compare it to the original MR-1 sample. We added a new voice sample too. That noise during the first 5 seconds of the cello sample is a truck driving by. That faint tamborine-like noise in the cello sample is the rattling of the fine tuners on Stephanie's cello. Sorry about that. We were in a hurry to share the good news. We plan to re-do all the sound samples after the MicroTrack II and the PCM-D50 arrive.

Spoken Voice Sound Samples

Tue, 15 May 2007 23:07:39 GMT

We've added a page of spoken voice sound samples to our collection of instrumental sound samples. For the benefit of our podcaster customers, we've even thrown in samples from 2 popular USB microphones to make the comparisons complete. Check them out!