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This is an excellent unit, and I'm in a position to tell you why:
It is the result of engineers who learned from having to struggle with poor designs.
Attempt #1 -I bought a cheepie digital audio recorder from China for $25. It had all the right claims in the ad copy, but implementation was sloppy; the menu was confusing to the point where I couldn't figure out if I was using it incorrectly, or if it was broken or buggy. After a few attempts, I became frustrated and stopped even trying.
Attempt #2 I got a Sony dictation recorder, designed to live in briefcases and to be used during lectures or business meetings. It's awesome for what it is. It has a full USB 2 extending plug, so you could plug it directly into a laptop when you want to move files. The buttons were placed in a smart arrangement and the little LCD menu is clear and easy to understand. However, for recording with a lav mic... It was a poor choice.
In both cases with #1 and #2, the following problems cropped up:
1. Bad hardware digitizers. Even with a decent lav mic, the digitizer quality matters. A lot. The Chinese cheepie job actually sounded better than the Sony.
2. Buttons which activate accidentally. I could not keep either unit in my pocket without there being a reasonable chance of a critical button being pressed at radom. The Sony especially was bad for this, with a big central button which might be perfectly placed for a student in a lecture hall, but simply walking with the unit in my pocket caused it to activate or shut off.
3. The mic jack would pull out of its socket accidentally. This happened on both units several times. That by itself rendered each unit thoroughly unreliable.
4. Lack of control over critical features: The Sony in particular was bad for this; it had an auto gain-reduction feature which would kick in automatically to mitigate when the sound environment suddenly became loud. -Trying to record while driving, for example, effectively killed any recording attempt because the engine and road sounds would trigger the gain-reduction feature, causing my voice to fall in volume to the point where I could no longer make out what I was saying. There was no way to turn off this feature.
All of those problems taken together compelled me to stop being cheap and to just buy a proper unit designed for lav mic and video use. I settled on the Tascam DR-10L.
Tascam addressed all those problems from the design floor:
-The hardware audio digitizer is top notch. The sound quality is very clean. If you have an expensive mic, (and the mic which comes with the unit is pretty darned good!), it will not be wasted on this unit.
-The button and switch design is such that it's basically impossible to accidentally activate or de-activate the recorder.
-The mic jack on the lav comes with a little bolt which allows it to be secured to the unit -which has an accompanying bolt thread. You will not be able to accidentally disconnect the mic while in use.
-All the features and filters you might need are fully user-controlled.
Right there, Tascam solved these basic limitations which are a problem with the other, cheaper units I'd tried. But Tascam doesn't stop there: It has some solid features and it solves problems I didn't even think of.
-You can set it to record two files at different gain levels at the same time. (Coo!)
-The menu system is minimalist and simple and easy to navigate. The screen is tiny, but provides all the information you'll need, including a real-time volume indicator. Simple is best.
-It has a belt clip option which works. (Though it is very stiff; it's a bit of a struggle to attach to your belt, but once it's on, it will *not* come without you wanting it to.)
-It's tough; it doesn't feel like it will break if dropped or roughly handled.
-It provides a headphone jack which gives a very clear signal when reviewing files or listening to a live feed from the mic.
The only two semi-drawbacks I noticed were that you need a computer to delete files from the memory card; there doesn't appear to be a way to do so from the menu on the unit itself. That's not a real problem, but it is worth noting. -However, this one did slow me down: the 64Gb micro SD card I had avilable registered a "Card Error". Apparently the DR -10L can only work with memory cards of up to 32Gb. Luckily, I was able to dig up an old 2Gb micro SD card from an old camera.
I wouldn't say that either of those limitations are true problems, and they certainly won't affect your regular use of the device. All of which is to say that I am very pleased with this little unit and feel confident in recommending it to anybody who needs a wired portable audio recorder.
| Brand | Tascam |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Tascam |
| Place of Business | Baie D'Urfe, QC H9X 4B7,CA |
| Model | DR-10L |
| Model Name | DR-10L |
| Model year | 2017 |
| Part Number | FBA_DR-10L |
| Memory storage capacity | 32 GB |
| Removable Memory | MicroSD, microSDHC |
| Hardware interface | USB 2.0 |
| Compatible Devices | Laptop |
| Special features | Easy-to-read OLED display, Low/Mid Low/Mid/High/High plus recording level settings, Up to 10 Hours via Single AAA Battery, Dual recording function |
| Mounting Hardware | Recorder, Lavalier microphone, Microphone clip, windscreen |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Compiler | Tascam |
| Standing screen display size | 1 |
| Display type | OLED |
| Microphone format | Lavalier |
| Power source type | Battery Powered |
| Batteries included | No |
| Batteries Required | Yes |
| Battery Cell Composition | Alkaline |
| Adapter | Tascam |
| Signal-to-noise ratio (dB) | 88 dB |
| Connector Type | 1/8" (3.5mm) TRS jack | 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo mini jack | USB |
| Reader | Tascam |
| Marimba | Tascam |
| Recorder | Tascam |
| Media Format | WAV |
| Transcriber | Tascam |
| Does it contain liquid? | No |
| Has audio recording capabilities | No |
| Includes rechargable battery | No |
| Includes AC adapter | No |
| Manufacturer | Tascam |
| Item model number | DR-10L |
| Product Dimensions | 2.54 x 5.08 x 5.59 cm; 49.9 g |
| ASIN | B01LZ7UN44 |
