Belkin GoStudio Recorder for iPod (Green/Gray)

• Record directly to your iPod in 16-bit, 44kHz digital audio quality
• Built-in speaker for instant playback
• 2 combo microphone inputs; 3.5mm mini-jack microphone input
• 2 built-in microphones for stereo recording with independent gain control
• Master level control with signal/clip LED's; Direct monitor level control

Shortly after we began using the GoStudio, we noticed that it really drains batteries fast. Too fast. The owners manual refers to an optional "AC Power Supply" (Part #F8Z295-PWR) so I tried to order one. No such item could be found on the Belkin website or anywhere else that Google can search.

By phone, Belkin Technical Support told me the part doesn't exist (even though I got the part number from the manual and there is a clearly labeled jack for it to connect to). He referred me to Belkin Customer Support who told me the item does exist, but Belkin is not selling it yet. He recommended I use the specs listed in the back of the book to go find one myself.

I found a source on ebay that sells power supplies and ordered one with the same specs (+5VDC, 1A, etc.) from Hong Kong. After 3 weeks it finally came but the plug doesn't fit! Belkin Customer No-Service tells me to take it to a Radio Shack and try to find one with the same specs that will fit. No such luck.

Now, I am stuck with a Belkin GoStudio that drains batteries like Dracula drains blood and Belkin won't sell a power supply for it. I consider this extremely poor product support and will certainly never buy anything made by Belkin again.

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I purchased this in order to record special music presentations in church (and rehearsals, talks, etc) where other (or more advanced) recording equipment was not available. I haven't used it with microphones beyond the on-board mics, but those functioned as I would have hopedlike a tape recorder for your iPod. Is the sound crystal-clear and studio quality? No. But I got exactly what I paid for (although, the sound is much higher quality than cassette recorders I have used in the past).

It is light-weight and very easy to use. I can't speak to its durability because I have been fortunate to not drop it as of yet. It may not look terribly sophisticated, from an aesthetic standpoint, but it gets the job done. If you are a novice with recording technologies, I think this is a nice piece of starter equipment because it has a simple, intuitive (to a point) design for not a huge financial investment.

--It does drain the iPod battery pretty quickly, but this has not been a problem in my personal usage so I didn't factor it in to my rating.--

I have also been very pleased with the way it handles input from a cassette player. Between the GoStudio recorder and iTunes, I was able to improve the quality of what was a pretty rough live tape recording. It actually minimized some of the hissing and distortion, then enhanced the vocals. This was a nice way for me to put our musical program on cd for distribution among church members who otherwise would have gotten the dubbed cassette.

I would recommend this product to other beginners as myself. If more advanced technology is available, this is obviously not an equal alternative. In cases where this is the only recording equipment available to you, it is a pretty cool gadget.

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I purchased the Belkin to record an orchestra I was playing in. Esthetically, it looks, as someone pointed out, like a early model cell phone: clunky. For supposedly a more high end ipod interface, it has a very lo-tech feel to it. I used the attached mics but ran into the problem of harddrive noise from my ipod classic. I guess a non-harddrive ipod is the way to go. On my particular unit I wasn't able to make my own mic work. I suspect it was a returned defective unit that the resaler didn't notice/care was such. Because I was recording so close to the source (within the brass section of an orchestra), I had to shut the thing down, levels-wise, to not get a distorted result, something my Sony minidisk does better with less bells and whistles.

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I've been in film and video production for . . . well, when I started out, we were still using 16 millimeter film and recording sound on a Nagra tape recorder. One trick I learned was to tape record my research interviews with the same Nagra and microphone we'd use for the on-camera interview. By doing so, I could use the research interview as voice-over material to add to the on-camera bits.

Then things went digital. It was great for the camera crew: quality went 'way up while cost and size went 'way down. The only problem was that I suddenly couldn't record audio anymore. Digital audio recorders just cost too much, or the ones that didn't lacked professional features like XLR connectors and plug-in power. Meanwhile, in my pocket was an Apple iPod that could store hours of CD-quality audio. What I wanted was a recording interface that would let me plug my pro and pro-sumer stuff into the iPod--and wouldn't require me to mortgage my house (especially since I live in an apartment).

The Belkin GoStudio does the job for me. It has two good built-in mikes for stereo recording, two combo connectors (XLR and quarter-inch) for external mikes, a stereo mini mike jack with plug-in power, on-board playback, and a bunch of other features that make it useful. Best of all, it lists for about $150 (US), and I've seen it on Amazon for under $100 (also US, of course). I've only had it a few weeks and I've used it to get good recordings of interviews, sound effects, and my own incoherent rambling that I call "thinking out loud." I use an 5th generation iPod with a 30-gig drive, but it's compatible with a number of iPods and Nanos, but not the iPhone. I know 'cause I tried it.

The GoStudio is not perfect. The biggest problem is that the built-in mikes pick up handling noise and even the whine of the iPod as it writes to the hard drive every few minutes. Others have also said that the GoStudio burns through its two AAA batteries pretty quickly. I haven't had this problem yet because most of my recording is a few minutes here and there. More annoying is the need to keep a supply of AAA batteries handy, when most of my other stuff (GPS, MagLite, etc.) uses AAs.

But these problems aren't hard to work around. Handling and drive noise can be circumvented by using external microphones and the tripod socket on the bottom of the GoStudio. There are few occasions when I'd use the built-in microphones anyway. As for extra power, the GoStudio has an auxiliary power port, so just take it down to Radio Shack and get a generic wall wart AC adapter. For portable recordings, it shouldn't be too difficult to hack an external power supply for the aux port, or just carry extra AAA batteries.

I'm using the GoStudio to record research interviews for documentaries, "found" sound effects, and my guitar playing (which I wouldn't exactly call "music"). One of these days, good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, I'll get a proper digital field recorder, but in the mean time the Belkin GoStudio is good enough for boot-strapping.

I love this thing. It is a versatile recorder with all the adjustments you would want. I record interviews, pods casts, and live music. I play in a musical group and can record the music to practice with. This is truly an asset to my equipment.