Was the Edirol R-1 better than
the Edirol R-09?

The Edirol R-1 was introduced in 2005 as one of the first of a new breed of recorders with compact flash and no moving parts.

It was a nice, easy to use device, but Edirol has discontinued it in favor of the R-09.

Similarities to the Edirol R-09

• Very easy to use. I started making recordings in about 5 minutes, without reading the manual.
• Has a very fussy, twitchy access door to its storage card slot.
• Makes good-sounding recordings.

Differences

• Not pocket-sized. It is almost twice the size of the Edirol R-09.
• Homely. The plastic housing is finished rather crudely--it looks like someone's first pass at a design for a little recorder.
• Big, squishy feeling buttons.
• Relatively short battery life. Using 2600mAH niMH rechargeable batteries, I was able to record at 24-bit/44.1Mhz for about 1-2 hours.
• Several internal effects, plus a metronome and a tuner.
• Comes with a padded, strapless carrying case.

Conclusion

My preference is for the Edirol R-09 because of its smaller size, better build quality and, to my ears, slightly more open sound. On the other hand, I wish Edirol would include a simple little carrying case...