Hand-held Recorders

Portable recorders for sign-out from the Lab

Introduction to borrowing recorders

Please contact the Lab Managers ([e-mail]) to borrow recorders. This page will be updated as the lending scheme is developed and rolled out.

Size comparison for the three smallest recorders. Pound coin for scale.

Recorders

Tascam DR-40X

Overview

• Big and sturdy.

• Has excellent internal mic.

• Requires SD card to operate.

• Can have any other mic hooked up to it via XLR or 1/4" jack.

• High quality recordings.

• Requires 3xAA batteries.

The largest and most sophisticated of the hand-held recorders, these are for recording the highest quality audio in quiet and calm settings (e.g., sociolinguistic interviews, field work with adults).

There are three units available to borrow.

Specs

Tascam DR-40X recording unit and peripherals

• 4 channel recording

• Input: XLR mic and 1/4" jack line inputs

• File type: WAV or MP3

  • WAV: 44.1 kHz, 16 or 24 bit

  • MP3: 44.1 or 48 kHz, 32/64/96/128/192/256/320 kbps

• USB to desktop interface

• Connector: microUSB / USB 2.0 high speed

• Line Out: 1/8" stereo mini jack

• Dimensions: 70mm × 155mm × 35mm (mic pair closed)

• Weight: 213g (without batteries); 282g (with batteries)

Tascam DR-10L

Overview

• Small and can be attached to a belt.

• Comes with a lapel mic but could have any mic hooked up to it via 3.5mm jack.

• Requires MicroSD card to operate.

• High quality recordings.

Much smaller than the DR-40X, this Tascam recorder is perfect for recording high-quality audio using a lapel microphone. It can be clipped to a belt (for adults and older children) or attached to a romper (for younger children and babies).

There are five units available to borrow.

Specs

This microphone comes in a hard travel case, which can either have a carabiner or wrist strap attached to it. Inside the case, you will find a carrying bag that contains a number of small parts (see next image), the recording unit and a belt clip.

Inside the carrying case for the DR-10L

Inside the carrying back, you will find a lavalier microphone attached to a cable that ends in a 1/8th inch jack, a lapel clip, a pop filter for the microphone, and a USB cable that can be used to charge the recording unit and transfer files.

Contents of the carrying bag for the Tascam DR-10L

• File types: WAV or MP3

  • WAV: 44.1 or 48 kHz, 16/24 bit, mono or stereo WAV (BWF format)

  • MP3: 44.1 or 48 kHz, mono or stereo, 128/192 kbps

• Mic jack: 1/8" mini TRS jack with screw lock

• Input impedance: 33 KΩ (mic bias off) : 2KΩ (mic bias on)

• Output: 1/8" stereo jack

• Dimensions: 52mm × 55.6mm × 24.4mm

• Weight: 63g (with batteries), 51g (without batteries)

Olympus VP-20

Overview

• Small, pen-sized recorder, relatively discreet.

• Built-in internal microphone.

• Good for recording speech which will not be subject to acoustic analysis.

• Requires 1xAAA battery.

This recorder is excellent for recording audio discreetly, for instance while a child is playing or if a conversation participant is uncomfortable with a larger recording device. It can be clipped to a shirt pocket (for adults and older children) or attached to a romper (for younger children and babies).

There are five units available to borrow.

Specs

The carrying case for this recorder comes with a clip-on wrist strap. Inside the case, you will find the recording unit, a USB cable adaptor and a basic manual for the unit.

Inside the carrying case for the Olympus VP-20

Inside the mesh compartment of the carrying case is the recording unit and a USB cable adaptor. The recording unit has a cap that flips off (while remaining attached at a flexible hinge) to reveal a USB shield and pins. It also has a 'Hold' switch to prevent accidental input. The adaptor cable can be used to connect the unit indirectly to a USB port, for instance, if the USB port does not have enough room to attach the recording unit at a right angle. The USB (cable or direct connection) can be used to charge the record and transfer files.

Olympus VP-20 recording unit and peripherals

• Recording format: Linear PCM format; MP3 format

• Maximum working output: 90 mW (8Ω speaker)

• Internal NAND flash memory: 8GB

• Speaker: Built-in 10mm diameter round dynamic speaker

• 3.5mm jack:

  • Microphone impedance: 2kΩ

  • Earphone impedance: 8Ω or more

• Power source:

  • Standard voltage: 1.5V

  • Battery: One AAA dry cell battery (LR03) or one Olympus nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery

• External dimensions: 17mm × 130mm × 17mm

• Weight: 37.5g

• Operating temperature: 0˚C to 42˚C

A recording of the Stella passage made using the built-in microphone on the Olympus VP-20 unit

MemoQ MR-750

Overview

• Small - has a large battery pack (requires 3xAAA), but can operate without it and is very discreet.

• Records in MP3 by default but can be switched to WAV if required.

• Has decent built-in-mic, but not recommended for acoustic analysis.

This tiny recorder is excellent for recording audio discreetly, for instance while a child is playing. It can be clipped to a shirt pocket (for adults and older children) or attached to a onesie, shirt, or romper (for younger children and babies). When the battery pack is attached, it is significantly larger but still relatively small. It could be clipped to a child's dungarees or sewn into a special pocket for all-day recording.

There are five units available to borrow.

Specs

There are two types of cases that contain a MemoQ recorder. Below is the larger one. This case comes with a removable carabiner (attached) and a clip-on wrist strap. The recording unit is clipped to the mesh compartment with the optional clip attachment. Looped through the mesh compartment's tag is an alternative mini-lanyard, in case the clip is not useful for your purposes. Inside the mesh compartment is a product information sheet, a USB cable, an optional battery pack, and wired earbuds.

Inside the carrying case for the MemoQ MR-750

The components stored in the mesh case are depicted below. The battery pack can be used to extend the recording time of the unit considerably, but this increases the size and weight of the unit. The wired earbuds do not provide particularly high-quality play-back, but the recording unit will accept any headphones that use an 1/8th inch jack. This is the same jack that is used to attach the battery pack, so only one of these peripherals can be in use at the same time. The clip and the mini-lanyard are both removable, but the clip attaches very securely and can take a little effort to remove. The USB cable is standard sized and can be used to charge the recording unit and transfer files.

• File type: MP3

  • 30 kHz

• Dimensions:

  • Recorder alone: 65.5mm × 19.3mm × 15.3mm

  • Recorder + battery pack: 117.5mm × 36.3mm × 15.3mm

• Weight:

  • Recorder alone: 18.3g

  • Recorder + battery pack: 22g (without batteries)

<more coming soon>

A recording of the Stella passage made using the built-in microphone on the MemoQ MR-750 unit