Tascam DR-05X portable audio recorder, usb2.0

At £85 this is currently the best value field recorder you can buy.With MUCH less self noise than the zoom H1n and with clearer sound, it's a very well put together, cheap machine that will last a long time if you look after it.I own six field recorders including this; Sony PCM M10, Sony PCM D100, Zoom F3, Tascam DR40x, Sound Devices MixPre3 - and this one. And the best value is the DR05x - because of the price-point/quality balance.Sure, it's not as robust as my D100, nor does it have the Neutrik connectors of the DR40x or the near-silent preamps of the MixPre. It can't do 32-bit like my Zoom F3 (the F3 and F6 are the only decent Zooms IMO).Plug in power works well with the centrally positioned input (would have been better lower down Tascam! especially with a wind muff on). But as a manually set point and shoot field recorder it's ace. Very handy and small.A number of buyers want to know about music recording, and I don't really do that with these machines, but it's certainly capable, especially around the 1 metre distance. For spoken word you want to hit it a 5 inches with a pop filter in front head on. It has a tuner and some needless effects on it. Alright, they are quite fun.I have to buy 8 modestly priced field recorders for a classroom setting. This model will likely be my choice.

This is an excellent recorder for musicians, on-the-field journalists or vloggers. It delivers excellent sound quality from the two built-in microphones, and all of the effects on this recorded are an added bonus for reverb if you need it for recording vocals.The user interface is intuitive in some places and not so much in others, so it's not the easiest thing to use, but it's very easy to use the basic recording functions. In terms of battery life, I installed it with the cheap batteries it came with and it barely uses anything, so I'm sure this thing will keep you going for endless hours if you're using it out and about.Just be aware that devices like this are very specific in what inputs and outputs they allow. For example, the exterior microphone ports only work with TRS jacks, so if you're planning to use a popular consumer microphone such as a SmartLav, just know you'll need an adapter. It also took me a while to connect this to my PC, leaving me thinking it was broken, but 5 cables later I found one it worked with.All in all, a fantastic personal recorder that packs a punch for quality and features, despite feeling a little bit ancient in terms of its design, user interface, and connectivity.

Note: I purchased this Tascam for £78 (bear in mind there are NO accessories included! I will include a list of useful accessories below)Precursor: I'm using this on a desktop PC for discord voice chat, work meetings, skype calls, and the occasional youtube clip. I didn't buy it for portable use.After using it for a while, even though I've never owned any Blue Yeti device, from discussion with friends who do have Blue Yeti's, and reactions from 3rd persons, I get the impression that the recording quality is similar to the Yeti, though the Yeti wins in features, ie. background audio cancellation & directional controls, whereas the Tascam does not filter these sounds. There is a 20hz & 40hz filter, so I've enabled the 40hz filter; better than nothing. The Tascam wins with left/right channels, which is why I chose it.Desktop PC setup:The Tascam works without batteries, but you will need two cables:Cable 1: 3.5mm male/male audio cable: plug one side into the PC line in audio port (normally pink) and the other side into the Tascam's line out.Cable 2: Normal USB (2 or 3) to mini-USB - this is what gives the Tascam its power. Alternatively you can use batteries, but why waste batteries?Cable 1 example: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gritin-Braided-Premium-Auxiliary-Headphones-Black/dp/B075JGB157Cable 2 example: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-Male-Micro-Cable-Black/dp/B07232M876(bear in mind you want each cable to be at least 1.5 meters)The instructions guide is lacking. You will want to spend some time playing around with the different menu options on the device, and then for actual use:Guide for desktop recording:Power the Tascam on, then press Enter (on the Tascam)Down Down Enter (Audio I/F)Down Down Enter (Connect Exec)From here you just need to make sure the software on your PC is set to use the Tascam for input/recording.Setting up the Tascam with a good desk arm can be a bit difficult. After purchasing wrong-sized screws (it really should be shipped with the screw accessory), I found the right size, and will link them here:Recommended Mic arm: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00VURD8JWRecommended Screw: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07646GV3WBoth the above products are 'compatible' with the Tascam for desktop use.Pros:It's lower price than the Yeti.Same quality as the Yeti, or close enough that it doesn't matter.Left/right speakers, so perfect for ASMR recordings, arguably better than the Yeti.Portable.Cons:Less effective at cutting out background noise than the Yeti.No directional controls like the Yeti.Difficult to set up on a desktop arm unless you know which products to buy.Would I recommend the Tascam? Absolutely, the quality is phenomenal. It is situational however. For desktop use it depends on your environment. If you're in a louder environment, get the Yeti. Quieter? The Tascam.