Roxio Easy VHS to DVD for Mac

• Roxio Easy VHS to DVD for Mac lets you easily capture video from your VCR or analog camcorder, to preserve your memories for generations to come
• Burn captured videos to VCD, SVCD or DVD with professionally designed menu styles
• Import into iMovie to add effects, titles, transitions and edit your video
• Transfer your videos to an iPod, iPhone or other device; post on YouTube or your favorite social networking sites
• Includes capture software and USB hardware with RCA and S-Video inputs

I would really like to write a review on how this product works, but I cannot because it does not work with Mac OS 10.6 and it doesn't tell you anywhere that it doesn't. I contacted Roxio Support because I could not get audio to be captured and they responded with "Please note that Easy VHS to DVD for Mac is not compatible with OS X 10.6." I have asked if they plan to support Mac OS 10.6 but they have not replied yet.

So, if you are using Mac OS 10.6 DO NOT purchase this product at this time.

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This review could have gone very, very badly, had it not been for Roxio's excellent support website, and their intrepid PR person, who kept the dialog going when I was ready to wash my hands of the whole thing.

That said, the last thing I wanted to do was start yet another review with: "I really wanted to like this product, but..."

Over the last four months, when I unfortunately had a lot of time on my hands (a victim of the current economic unpleasantness, since resolved, and I am again very happily employed), I decided I needed to regain some storage space in my increasingly cramped townhouse. My collection of several hundred VHS tapes had to go. There were, however, 40-50 titles I wanted to keep and decided to put them on DVD. I had planned on doing this almost two years ago, and found a superior (and expensive!) analog to digital video converter, a Canopus ADVC-300, which I was able to find at a very acceptable price on eBay. I set up my VHS deck in my computer room, connected the video and audio outputs to the ADVC-300 inputs, and sent the output to my dual 2.0 GHz Mac G5 tower's Firewire port (still running Mac OSX 10.4), and into my copy of iMovie HD (from iLife '06). Each two hour tape took up 25 GB of disk space in the DV file format. I quickly trimmed unwanted video at the start and end, and inserted chapter markers when the tapes had multiple programs, or if I was putting two 1 hour tapes on a single two hour DVD. These chapter markers directly imported into iDVD where I picked a theme, edited the captions, and burned the final DVD. On my G5 tower, the process of rendering two hours of video before the DVD could be burned, took 4-6 hours.

I repeated this process on my black MacBook with a 2.0 GHz Core2Duo processor, and 3GB of RAM, and everything worked about the same, except the render time took a few hours less, thanks to the speedier processor.

Mostly, I started the recording process just before I went to bed. The next morning, I spent about 30-45 minutes editing the DV file, pushed it to iDVD, and let it render most of the day. By late afternoon, I had another DVD for my briefly empty shelves. It took about 6 weeks to finish the process and I was able to put all the gear away.

Enter own John Nemerovski (that's Nemo to you...) who had heard about my project and thought he had a great review project that was right up my alley. Roxio had just released a Macintosh version of their popular easy VHS to DVD product and was looking for reviewers. In spite of my reputation for writing negative reviews on this site, he gave the job to me anyway...

I received the package, which contained a CD, Getting Started Guide, a Roxio Video Capture USB Device (the brains of this outfit), a short USB to USB extension cable, and a breakout cable with stereo audio, composite video, and S-Video connectors. The CD contained the easy VHS to DVD for Mac software, as well as a (very) limited-feature version of Toast 9.

The Roxio Video Capture USB Device looked suspiciously like something from Elgato, makers of a number of magical video products that bring video content into your Mac via the USB 2.0 port. The big difference, however, is the software. The Elgato-branded device outputs MPEG-4 video, while the Roxio device outputs MPEG-2 files (the same format as commercial DVDs).

I installed the easy VHS to DVD software on my G5 tower, connected the Roxio Video Capture USB Device to the front USB 2.0 port, and connected the audio/video breakout connecting cable to cables from the output of my VHS recorder. When I launched the software, I was immediately directed to Roxio's website to download and update the software, taking the revision level from version 1.0 to 1.0.1. I went through the easy setup procedure (more on that below), and tried to record some video. At the end of 2 hours, I clicked the stop button, and in the next window, clicked the "Send to iMovie" button. My Mac spent the next two or so hours converting the MPEG-2 file to an intermediate format, but instead of opening the file into iMovie as the instructions suggested they would, I got an error message stating the program could not find the iMovie program. Thinking I'd done something wrong, and tried it again (if I'd been just a little bit smarter, I'd have recorded five minutes of video, and not two hours!), and got the same results. After hunting around the hard drive, I found the MPEG-2 file in the Movies folder at the top level of my home directory. When I opened it in QuickTime Player, I immediately spotted a problem--a massive number of dropped frames. I then checked the size of the file--about 600k--it should have been somewhere around 5.4 GB!

I repeated the above step with my MacBook, and at least got a 5.4 GB MPEG-2 file with no evidence of dropped frames, but still got the iMovie error. I went to the Roxio support boards (excellent, by the way, with very responsive support people) and discovered many others were experiencing the same problem.

Thinking it was at least partly my fault, I bought an additional 2GB of RAM, and went to to buy a copy of iLife '08 (I'm still using MacOS X 10.4--Tiger, which is not compatible with iLife '09). I found a great deal for an OEM disk for around $.

About a week later, another updater came out, version 1.0.2. Same problems with both issues: dropped frames on my G5, and no automatic opening of iMovie HD. Around this time, I was contacted by Roxio's intrepid PR guy, wanting to know how things were going. Boy, did I tell him! In a couple of days, I was granted access to a beta version of an upcoming patch. I downloaded and installed it, and viola'°! No more dropped frames (though still no automatic opening of iMovie HD)! It also opened iMovie '08 (part of the iLife '08 package), which only served to remind me how evil iMovie '08 really is. I had forgotten that Apple, in their infinite wisdom, eliminated the ability to enter chapter markers where you want to add them (since restored in iMovie '09).

Here's what I found from my research:

1. The easy VHS to DVD software is not compatible with iMovie HD. It will not automatically launch iMovie HD and load the finished movie into it. That function works fine on iMovie '08, and while I personally didn't have the chance to see it in action, it probably works equally well with iMovie '09.

2. The dropped frame problem was almost universal among dual processor G5 users.

3. The beta patch resolved the dropped frame problem on dual-processor G5 machines, and permitted automatic launching of iMovie 08 (and iMovie 09).

4. As a workaround, you can make iMovie HD process the MPEG-2 file by manually dragging it from your Movies folder directly into the iMovie HD application window. It will take fair amount of time for iMovie and QuickTime to convert the file into something that iMovie better understands.

5. Roxio's web support is very good. Their support staff monitors traffic on the message boards on a very regular basis.

I detailed this story to share my pain with the readers, knowing that most of you would not have had this much patience or persistence, and would likely have demanded your money back, weeks before I finally achieved success. But then again, I am a very tenacious problem solver, and tend not to give up easily.

Okay... Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I can tell you that with the latest beta release software, which will probably be finalized very soon and made available on their support site, it mostly works as advertised (other than the pesky iMovie HD issues).

Here's how it works:

Launch the easy VHS to DVD for Mac software, and the first screen (above) is displayed. This is where you enter a name for your project, use a pull-down menu to set the approximate length of your video, and set the quality level for the file (standard or high) with another pull-down menu. When you click the Continue button, the next screen is displayed.

You are prompted to test your cabling to ensure your connections are functional. A small video monitor screen shows your video source (if everything is hooked up correctly). Click Continue.

The next screen repeats this process for audio, to ensure the software is decoding the audio from your source. Click Continue.

The overview screen continues previewing video and audio. If you don't see the picture, or if you can't hear anything coming out of your Mac's speaker, you get one final opportunity to go back and fix the problems. Once you are satisfied, start your tape rolling and click the Start Recording button. That same button is used to stop recording when you are ready to do so. If you are operating this product unattended, you might want to click the handy checkbox that automatically stops recording, based upon the recording time you set in the first screen. The benefit of doing this is that you won't totally fill your hard drive with garbage if you forget to come back and stop recording after an extended period of time. Remember, in the high quality mode, you are eating up disk space at the rate of 2.7GB per hour. In eight hours, you could wind up using over 20GB of disk space.

When you click the Stop Recording button, you are taken to the Finish Up screen, which gives you the option to automatically open Toast and begin the process of recording the video to DVD. The Edit with iMovie button starts a conversion process that takes an MPEG-2 video file into another intermediate file format before importing into iMovie '08 or iMovie '09. Send to QuickTime player converts the file to MPEG-4 format before opening the QuickTime player application. Note that the Edit with iMovie and Send to QuickTime Player functions require an additional hour or two to convert the video into compatible file formats.

Quality? In a word, it's great, at least with VHS tapes that didn't have a whole lot of quality to begin with. The better the source, the better the converted file will be. At $ it beats the solution I had been using by many hundreds of dollars. This same product can be used nearly anywhere in the world, as it automatically detects and configures itself to output to the analog NTSC or PAL video standards.

This review could have gone a completely different way. Thank goodness it didn't. After a few weeks of troublesome operation, the last software release solved nearly all the problems I was experiencing. In all likelihood, the copy you buy today will include the latest updates and you should have a wonderful experience with easy VHS to DVD for Mac. As with any video project, the faster your computer's processor, the more RAM, and the more fast hard disk space, the more you will be satisfied with this and other video processing products. You will quickly learn that working with large video files requires a lot of patience while your computer, and I don't care how fast it is, plows its way through the file(s).

Even with all the other difficulties, I will say that the software was always stable--it never crashed in the several weeks I used it.

Pros:

Low price brings video conversion to the masses.

Easy setup.

Saving files in MPEG-2 format reduces final rendering time.

Can save in MPEG-2, MPEG-4 formats.

Great quality.

Cons:

Initial problems with very buggy software.

Toast 9 Basic has very limited feature set.

Incompatibilities with iMovie HD in spite of advertised claims.

Processing time is slow, slow, slow, though not really Roxio's fault. Video files are big and take a long time to process.

The final rating would have been higher had it not been for the problems I suffered through with the supplied software. I went through far more hoops than most customers would tolerate, even with the able assistance of Roxio's PR guy--someone most customers would not have access to. In the end, it was worth the effort, and easy VHS to DVD for Mac is now a solid product.

MyMac rating: 3 out of 5.

See original Review with screen grabs here:

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Despite what it says, VHS to DVD for Mac will not produce a file that can be imported into iMovie. It also skips frames when importing producing a fast jerky output. Checkout Roxio's support form and you'll see this is not an isolated occurrence. This is with the "updated" 1.01 version of the software. I would suggest Elgato's Video Capture instead.

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Even with the newly-released version 1.0.1 of this software, this product is not ready for prime time yet. It creates many dropped frames upon importing VHS tapes.

I am trying the El Gato Video Capture program instead next, which got a better review from MacWorld Magazine.

Actually, the best choice of all may be to just use iMovie and a digital videocamera as a pass-through video capture source from your VCR, because it's free (if you already own a videocamera).

In the meantime, Roxio still has some work to do on this product.

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Do NOT BUY this product if you are running SNOW Leopard. IT does not work with it. I got this in June before SNOW...but just installed it 2 days ago and I can't get it to work well. It hangs constantly while trying to finish up the video after you click "Stop recording." If you try to record more than 8 min's of video it never records more either. EIther way the software is a $67 waste for me.

The ONLY good thing is that it does seem to be very easy to use. And in fact i did get it to work ONE time for a 4 min video clip I did. I wish so much it'd work more.

The good thing is their customer service on email is VERY responsive. The BAD thing is they have NO answers for Snow Leopard and told me flat out it "may not work with Snow Leopard." May not work!?!?!?!? Trust me it does NOT work.

They said they are working on a fix...hmmm.

Roxio has diaspointed me very much. They really should give me my money back. Lesson learned..do NOT every buy a product "pre release" like I did with this. What a mistake. So let me be the goat this time...do NOT buy until and IF they ever fix their software. The latest patch makes no difference.

Hate massively!!!

Spy Sunglasses DVR Mobile Eyewear Recorder Video Camera DV with AC Charger Sun Glass

These glasses are an MP3 Bluetooth item....they have NO Camera...That's Right...NO CAMERA...how they can advertise these as spy glasses is pure fraud...hoped to use them for a weekend concert.. Forget it

I had a pair of the POV glasses that broke. Ordinarally, they sell for $170. These only cost $18, and are the exact same glasses! Cheez! Some people really want you to pay for a name.

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I dont know if there are duds when it comes to these things, but i definitely got a winner. Granted, the audio isnt great, but they only cost 20 bucks and does very good video, i think i found a great deal. Love wearing them while riding my motorcycle. Captures things you cant get on a regular camera. Fast and discreet start up. Love em

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Hello Kitty KT2028A Stereo CD Boombox with Cassette Player/Recorder and AM/FM Radio

• AC/DC Power Operation: AC 120V/60Hz or 8 "C" (UM-2) Batteries (not included)
• AM/FM Stereo Radio
• Cassette Player/Recorder
• CD-R/RW Compatible
• Aux-in Jack for Listening to an iPod, MP3 or other Digital Audio Players through the Speakers

Luckily this was a gift for us. Right off the bat the antenna broke. No big deal since my daughter doesn't need to be listening to the radio at her age I thought. I had some old cassette tapes she loved to listen to but of course after a few months the tape deck broke. The open/eject button got stuck down and it cannot even open. We are down to using the CD player now but really we rarely buy cds so it is kind of useless. If only it would play MP3 files.

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I paid $50 for this CD player not realising that it came with a tape deck. Its so outdated that my 6 year old has no idea what a cassette is. If you need to but a CD payer but a more modern one , without tape deck.

Tascam DR100 Portable Digital Recorder

• Four microphones - Stereo Cardioid and Omni Condenser Mics
• MP3 and WAVE file Recording and Playback
• XLR Mic Inputs with Phantom Power
• 3.5mm Line Inputs and Outputs
• Low Cut Filter, Analog Limiter and Auto Gain Control

I purchased the DR100 to record classical musicians on-location as a smaller and lighter replacement for a much larger hard disk recorder and a pair of external mic preamps. I was hoping that the built-in XLR inputs and +48 V phantom power would be all I'd need for quality 2-channel recordings. After some live recordings of professional musicians as well as a bit of bench testing, I have mixed feelings about the unit.

The good: Using the stereo line input, the DR100 is capable of creating very clean, low noise, low distortion recordings. The DR100 uses Asahi Kasei delta-sigma "Audio4Pro" digital converters which are excellent sounding and have a very low inherent noise spectrum and a S/N ratio of better than 100 dB. The Tascam v1.10 firmware upgrade allows for 96kHz-24bit recording using those converters and the resulting .wav files are superb. The recorder can use SDHC cards up to 32GB, with single files of up to 2GB, so long recordings are no problem. The line input matches any nominal -10 dBv preamp or mixer output. The menus are easy to navigate and the file structure is straightforward. The fast USB2 interface makes it easy to transfer WAV files to any DAW. When backlit, the LCD display is quite readable and the peak signal LED is fast and bright. The peak LED lights at -2dB and the bargraph meters cover a range of -49dB to -1dB where the device clips. The display never reads "0dB".

The "not-so-good": Having built-in, phantom powered preamps was one of the reasons I choose the DR100 over the many other available flash-memory recorders. I own a 24-channel, 96k-24 bit "portable" rack HD system as well as a laptop-based 8-channel recorder and wanted a high quality, but small and light system for 2-track recordings that could be used with high-end external mics. The DR-100's built-in unidirectional mics are probably OK for "snapshot" recordings, but are not acceptable for any serious professional use. During my initial testing using both an external small mixer and external mic preamps, (going in through the 3.5 mm line input) the DR100 worked very well. However, the internal mic preamps are not all that great. Although the V1.10 firmware update does provide for 24 bit, 96kHz sampling as well as 44.1kHz and 48kHz, it does not allow for 88.2 kHz recording, which generally is a better choice for final conversion to 44.1/16 bit for publication on CDs. Tascam should seriously consider adding 88.2kHz sampling, even if it means dropping 48kHz.

The preamp gain is adequate for most any modern condenser microphone and many, but not all dynamic mics. At higher gain settings the preamps do have a fairly high internal noise, which becomes audible when the preamp is switched to the "H" (high) setting and the recording level control is advanced into a usable range. This is when the unit is used for classical music recording with a fairly wide dynamic range of 40-50 dB. For compressed pop, and rock recording this is a non-issue. However, I've encountered a much more serious problem (for my use). So far, I've had problems when using the DR100's internal +48V phantom power with several sets of widely available phantom powered mics. I connected a pair medium-output (-70dBV/Pa) ribbon mics and was not surprised that the DR100 did not have enough gain. I then tried a set of "active ribbons" (with phantom powered internal amplifiers and found that everything worked fine if only one mic was connected, but connecting both mics caused a very audible (-30dB) high-pitched buzzing noise in both inputs. This only occurred when running on the fully charged internal Li-ion battery. When running on the PS-520 external power supply/charger, the noise disappeared, even with both mics connected. To me this indicates a weak +48V phantom supply. I tried another set of mics, a pair of very popular small diaphragm omni condensers and even running on the external power supply I had serious noise generated when both mics were drawing current from the DR100's phantom power source.

Please note that all of the mics I tried all work fine using any of my Mackie, SECK, Yamaha, True and Presonus mixers and preamps with absolutely no problems.

Bottom line: I'm keeping the Tascam, but will be carrying a couple of external mic pres or a small mixer with it.

For reference, I did document the recording levels at various gain settings using the internal mic pres.

The signal source was a balanced mic simulator signal generator. Output -41.5dB, one channel driven, phantom power OFF, limiter OFF. Signal = 700 Hz sine wave.

Levels listed are the indicated recording levels on the LCD display:

1. Coarse Gain Switch set to "L"

Gain dial setting vs (LCD displayed recording level)

dial 10 (-42 dB)

dial 9 (-42 dB)

dial 8 (-44 dB)

dial 7 (-47 dB)

2. Coarse Gain Switch set to "M"

dial 10 (-20 dB)

dial 9 (-20 dB)

dial 8 (-21 dB)

dial 7 (-24 dB)

dial 6 (-30 dB)

dial 5 (-34 dB)

dial 4 (-40 dB)

dial 3 (-45 dB)

3. Coarse Gain Switch set to "H"

dial 7.5 (-1 dB) clipping

dial 7 (-3 dB)

dial 6.5 (-6 dB)

dial 6 (-8 dB)

dial 5 (-12 dB)

dial 4 (-17 dB)

dial 3 (-22 dB)

dial 2 (-27 dB)

dial 1 (-29 dB)

dial 0 (-29 dB)

As noted above, the actual usable range of the attenuator dials is from "1" to "9" representing a maximum range of 29 dB. Changing the dial settings between "0" and "1" , and between "9" and "10" has no effect at all.

For actual acoustic recordings using a pair of sensitive, high output external cardioid mics, recording classical music with a peak acoustic level hitting around 85 dB SPL, I needed to set the coarse switch to "H" and the attenuator to "7.5" to get good recordings that peaked at around -4 dB or -3 dB on the DR 100 meters.

Other than the "wimpy" phantom power supply, I do like this recorder. It's capable of making fine, professional level recordings as long as you are aware of its limitations.

Buy Tascam DR100 Portable Digital Recorder Now

Edit 6-2010 Be sure to check the selling price this is becomming a great value compared to other digital recorders.

Tascam has always been at the forefront of technology with their first compact flash rackmount digital recorder. Although its style was more along the lines of a touring case, it made a clear leap that said digital recording is the way of the future and audio journalists should take note. Complete with adjustable gain, xlr jacks, and VU meters its only real setback was the oversize formfactor and the power consumption.

Later came Tascam's redesigned user interface with the ipod like wheel. The DR-1 and DR-07 were certainly optimized for specific uses such as acoustical guitar, and both included built in exceptional quality stereo microphones. The DR1 included a lithium ion rechargable battery while the DR-07 ran on AA cells.

With the introduction of the DR-100 Tascam answers almost everyone's needs. 96 kbps recording is now standard, as are xlr inputs (mic level only I'm bothered by not having line level XLR because you can gain 20+ dB of s/n in recording line level signals using a quality mic preamp. This is why all home audio hookups eg, dvd, cd, bluray, etc, are done at line level and not mic see switchable line/mic xlr recorders like the marantz pmd661Marantz PMD661 Handheld SD Recorder MP3/WAV 96 kHz/24-Bit or the slightly noiser but quad channel in mic mode only, and inexpensive, zoom h4n Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder) and two battery types, both lithium ion and AA. You get to specify which battery is "primary" and which is "backup" to get through long recordings. That feature alone can save you on an overtime job where you need 8 hours of battery power without interruption. The XLR mics have a switchable filter for environmental noise and also a switchable 48 VDC phantom power. The reason I am bummed about no line level XLR is the extra noise of the recorder's mic amps vs connecting it to a recording board XLR line output. and while it does have a line level in, it is only an unbalanced TRS 3.5 mm jack, same for the line out. Most recording boards are not going to have unbalanced 3.5 mm stereo plugs, favoring dual XLRs, and occasionally 4 pin stereo XLRs though I seldom encounter that pinout as much as I used to. Being a differential input, XLR cuts noise over a single ended input.

Sad note here on such a great machine if you have a mixture of microphones, both TRS 3.5mm mono or stereo and XLR mics you will only be able to use the XLR mics with this recorder. While you can buy transformers to convert unbalanced TRS mics to XLR format, that increases the size and decreases the quality somewhat. I would have rather had a 3.5mm mic level input for existing mics I own and used the XLR jacks for switchable mic/line in/out. If all your mics are XLR this will not be a problem, but the first time you need to run an old 3.5mm mic with this recorder you will be into adapters.

Memory comes with a 2GB SD card and can be used with up to a 32GB SDHC c4 card if you want to record for a week. Tascam has been reasonably generous with cases and microphone options, but seems to omit the DC power supply to run the unit off battery or to charge the li-ion cell. Figure another $25 for the charger and you are set to go. I see what they are doing keeping the street price around $300 for this model by omitting the power supply, but hey guys, realistically everyone needs a power suppy. Steps up (linked above) include power supplies, and the zoom has a nice case.

The last bit on the -100 model because it does support so many asked for features the package has grown just a bit. It's still exceptionally smaller than their rackmount recorder! Feature wise, it has grown considerably and is half the price now.

The only real competition for the Tascam dr100 is the Marantz PMD661 which was recently announced. [Edit old review PMD661 is replacing 660 w/ nicer case and old 660 remote control is fully compatible with the 661, with a much nicer display] I've compared the PMD's internal mics and they do not stand up to the tascam you'll be using remote mics for music on the PMD661 although its speech pickup with automatic leveling is one of the best on the market. On the other hand the PMD661 DOES have line level XLR jacks which means you can pop it on the end of the mixing board and run with it. The PMD661 also has half the runtime of the tascam dual battery design. If tascam hadn't used the 3.5mm TRS jack for line in (they have a higher self-noise level compared to XLR especially if rotated-you pickup scratchy sounds) I'd say beyond a doubt stick with this unit, but if you work the mixing board, or have axcess to the mixdown outputs, the PMD661 will make better 8 hour recordings with 20dB (min) better signal to noise. The PMD-661 has a low power mode that in making a long recording with the LED Vu meter turned off, LED signal lights turned off, and only the OLED display shrunk to the bottom line will last 11 Hr straight through before it shuts down, it just needs to be told it is using NiMH cells and operated in the 661's low power mode.

If you sit in the audience or front stage the Tascam will be best, if you sit in the booth the Marantz will be best.

Read Best Reviews of Tascam DR100 Portable Digital Recorder Here

It's too soon to give a full review (as I've used it less than a dozen times), but so far, so good! I haven't had any problems with it, and it seems fairly easy to use. I need to become a bit more familiar with some of the controls and build my savvy on the usage of the mics, settings, etc. However, to me it was a a great purchase. I did a lot of research and I have no complaints! Purchase a power adaptor and a larger SD card (I bought at 16gb), which you'll eventually need if you plan to use this device while traveling and time will pass in-between file downloads. Another thing it's well-built! I dropped it (wihle in it's soft, protective case that comes along wtih the purchase), and not a single ding. Not flimsy at all, so it'll take me a long way. I only wish it had some sort of carrying case/pouch with a shoulder/body strap. While "on location", I need it to be recording and not forced to carry it as it is a bit bulky in-hand. I'll come back with more info as my experiences grow.

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I have used digital audio recorders for years, from $17,000 Sony DAT machines, through the Zoom H4 and then a Sony PCM-M10. This little wonder has them all beat for sound quality, ease of use and versatility. The built-in Uni mics are quiet, have good freq. response, and give a very realistic stereo image. Like the Zoom H4 & H4N the XLR mic inputs with 48V phantom power are a great addition, but unlike the Zooms the DR-100 XLR inputs are not designed to accept line levels. This is my only complaint with this recorder. The line input (and the output, also) are unbalanced stereo 3.5mm connectors rated at -10 dBV (-7.78 dBu)(consumer level), while professional line level is +4dBu (1.78 dBV). Not a good match. I found I had to use the XLR mic inputs set at the lowest sensitivity to match up with my field mixer's output (Azden FMX-42), but run the risk of higher noise levels by going through the recorders mic preamps. I could use a pad to match to the line inputs, but then would be unbalanced and can't use a long run. I use it mostly for double system sound with my DSLR for video.

Despite these drawbacks, I highly recommend this unit for field recording, especially nature sounds with the built-in mics. (I have not tested the omni mics don't really have a use for them). The wireless (IR) remote is really handy. Put the recorder on a boom pole, run a long line to your cans, and you can poke it into locations where you can't go while using the remote to control it (as long as you have line-of-sight to the IR pickup). I got a great recording of newborn robin chicks high in a tree without disturbing their feeding. It also has a wired adapter cradle for the remote for shorter distances. The dual battery setup is also a nice touch.

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The Tascam DR-100 is an impressive unit. I'm a independent filmmaker and needed a portable solution for recording audio seperate from the camera. I use a DSLR, and given the limitations they have with audio (AGC, etc), it became clear that if I wanted to achieve clear sound, I'd have to look towards a portable recorder for a solution. The DR-100 is an outstanding heaven-send.

I've been buying the Tascam brand since I was a teenager analog cassette 4 tracks, Dat recorders, reel-to-reel machines, you name it. I've never been disappointed by this company once, so choosing Tascam among the options in portable recorders was a no-brainer for me.

The uni mics on the record are pretty stellar for being so small, and they really do deliver a truly stereoscopic audio presentation. While the omni mics should would well for room interviews and note taking, they're not anything I'd personally want to choose as a recording source for things more important. The XLR inputs are solid and robust, the line in boasts an attenuation of -10 db, and the menu system within the unit is easy to navigate.

Great recordings, flat out. My preferred method is to use an external microphone for more control over the recording, but in a jam, I'd be confident switching over to the uni-mics without a problem.

If you're an indie filmmaker experiencing the sudden realization that DSLR's just don't deliver in the audio department, I highly suggest the DR-100.

Compaq iPAQ H3975 Color Pocket PC

I've had the Palm III, Palm V, Palm VII, and a BlackBerry so I consider myself a long-time PDA user. I've had the 3975 for about 2 months; here are my observations.

Screen is the best I've seen, in all types of lighting.

Battery life is good, but you can not swap out the battery, it is rechargable.

The ac adapter used for charging comes with a small "adapter" that is needed to charge the device when the cradle is not used, e.g. when traveling. On a recent trip, I brought the charger then realized I did not bring the "adapter". I had to go to an electronics store to buy one...at least it was cheap.

It is heavier and bulkier than Palm's, not something you can carry in your shirt pocket.

Includes Bluetooth funcitonality. I was able to download my entire phone list database to my cell phone (also Bluetooth enabled) in about 2 minutes (200-ish numbers). I've also used it with my PC after I got a Bluetooth USB AdapterPairing the iPaq with other devices is a bit klugey but once you've figured it out, it's good.

Comes with infrared also. It DOES NOT work with a PALM (atleast I have not gotten it to). I have used it with my PC however.

It interfaces smoothly with MS Outlook (synched via USB port). I use it to download emails and read/respond in meetings or on planes etc. The emails are dumped back into Outlook and sent off at next "autosynch" when attached to PC.

If it had BlackBerry "always on" capability, it would be much more useful with email.

It uses MS Pocket PC 2002 OS. I have not had any issues with it, one soft re-boot when internet explorer locked up (iPaq still worked fine, but could not launch explorer).

HOWEVER, do not expect this OS to function like PC-based Windows. It does have similar look, but does function differently. You have to get used to cycling through windows that are open to get at what you want...not bad, but not like PC-based windows...I still like it better than PALM OS.

There are several different methods for inputting info; Palm-like character recognition, handwriting recognizer that recognizes long-hand, and a small keyboard-like pad.

Software is decent and a lot is available in places like Avant-go, apps that are usually free for trial, then [a small fee].

MS Word is good, Excel is difficult to use unless you want to see a handful of cells at a time; I downloaded a program from Avant-go for viewing ppt slided, great unless there's a lot of text, almost impossible to read. MS Outlook is great, email, calendar come across perfectly. MS Reader is good, screen has enough resolution to make reading easy on the eyes.

It comes with SD card for adding memory, programs, etc. An expansion kit for Compact Flash is available, should have been included on a device at this price range.

There are expansion packs that slide on to the device for adding GPS, modem and ethernet hook-up etc. I have not tried them.

Comes with several other features, voice recognizer (you can include audio in notes, docs..), and other things; see the descriptions on sites like Amazon.com, thier all fine and not worth going into.

Overall, it's my favorite PDA to date. If it had "always-on" email capability, it would get 5 stars from me.

After reviewing all the literature and having a Jornada 568 already for personal use, I decided on the Ipaq 3975 fo business use. I purchased the expansion pack that adds a compact flash slot and an extra battery. This makes it a bit bulky but allows you to keep the unit on 7+ hours straight. The Blue Tooth technology is very handy. The screen size is a bit bigger than the Jornada 560 series.

Low points include the sometimes eratic screen behavior when switching between apps fast. I also don't like the fact that you cannot change the battery. You need to send the Compaq into HP/Compaq in order to get a new battery installed if the installed one ever fails. The unit (without the expansion) is heavy compared to the Jornada. With the expansion, the Ipaq weighs quite a bit.

Over-all I like the Ipaq. All they really need to do to make this a stellar item is make the battery swappable and add a backup battery in case you happen to wear out the charge in the main battery.

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I evaluated Pocket PC devices for two weeks before finally deciding on the 3975. I looked at the Toshiba E740 and the Hitachi and the Fijitsu Loox before deciding on the 3975 (which is the same as the 3970). The deciding factors for me where the stunning screen on the 3975, the 48Mb of flashrom which allows instant backup of your contacts and calendar, the built in Bluetooth capability, and a plethora of available accessories. The downsides are the built in non-changeable battery, the relatively high price, and only a SD memory slot (no built in CF slot). All in all, the 3975 was the winner, having more pluses and less minuses than the competition. Having now had it for a week or so, it seems to have been a good choice and I'd order it again.

Read Best Reviews of Compaq iPAQ H3975 Color Pocket PC Here

The Compaq iPAQ 3955 and 3975 are hands-down the greatest pocket PCs out there. I've learned a few things that might be helpful to other users, so rather than write another general review, I thought I would post a few suggestions on their use, especially for those that may be making the transition from the Palm platform to the iPAQ, (as I did).

The iPAQ saves individual Notes that you make in the sub-directory where you create them in the Notes app area. This results in them initially having a name such as "Work1, Work2, etc. (i.e., if you have a Note directory called Work). This is not very helpful so you have to rename them by doing a "tap and hold" on the file name, and giving it the new name. Otherwise you end of with lots of Notes with non-descript names with numbers at the end. Not too helpful.

For better power management, watch the screen brightness setting which you set from the Settings menu. You can also hit the "Q" button and pop up the Q menu and get to it from there. A lot of times you can reduce the backlight setting and save power and extend battery life. Otherwise running it at the highest intensity you'll only have about 3 hours. Also, in direct sunlight, where the iPAQ works great but the Palm and Casio units wash out totally, you can set it on "power save" mode

If you use the digital recorder function, be careful what you have for the settings here. The iPAQ will record anywhere from 8,000 Hz, Mono, 2KB/sec, to 44,100 Hz, 16bit, stereo, 172 KB/sec. You'll find that even the 22,050 Hz, stereo settings will cause even short notes to take up 300K of space. After a few of these you're out of memory and you'll wonder why. The default setting of 8-bit mono is okay so I just leave it there.

This setting is also hard to find and can be found under Settings\Personal\Input\Options.

I've found my iPAQ to be the best of the Pocket PCs out there. Hope these suggestions help.

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i've decided to purchase the ipaq3975 instead of toshiba e740 because i've read the not-so-good reviews on having to constantly soft/hard boot the unit. but as long as i don't encounter those problems, then paying a bit more will justify for the headache and unsatisfaction. so far, there hasn't been any problem. let's get down to business.

1. setting up the unit was a breeze. the unit function as expected. activesyn works fine with my toshiba laptop;

2. this is the 3rd day that i have the 3975. i set the backlight to med low, and so far have yet to recharge from the initial charge. although i don't know how many hours i have used in 3 days, the battery seems to hold up as stated per spec;

3. the transflective tft screen is amazing. i'm certain other brands will offer the same, soon;

4. have yet to use bluetooth. will do another review after i try;

5. plan to get a modem and cf expansion pack to go online through regular phone line. will do another review on how the unit responds to websurfing;

6. the unit is definitely heavier than my palm, but that is not a big issue. i've learned to adjust.

all in all, the price was justified by the problem-free ipaq. one should shop around for the best price, no matter what brand. amazon offered the best price to me. amazon also gave me a credit when they lower the unit price. thanks.

i gave the unit four stars because i've yet to use other features.

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SIRIUS Stiletto 2 Portable Satellite Radio with MP3 Player

I thought about writing a review for some time now. I wanted to make sure I was out of the honeymoon phase before I wrote about this device. I have had it for over a couple of weeks now and feel like it's time.

I purchased the Stiletto 2 as a late Christmas present to myself. I had signed up originally for the 3-day trial and loved the radio selections. I live Montana and our radio stations are pretty decent, but we have a lot of commercials. So, being able to listen to music without commercials is fantastic.

I wasn't sure what device to purchase, so I started reading. I had read a number of reviews (particularly the poor ones) about the Stiletto 2, but I liked the portability aspect, so I purchased it.

I now understand their complaints. They want better reception from the device itself, better/more comfortable headphones, etc. I agree the reception on the device isn't the best when indoors, but I purchased the home kit and that significantly improved reception.

When I am away from my home dock, I connect through Internet radio and it works just fine.

I also bought the car kit, but haven't had a chance to install it yet. I was able to get reception in my car without it though, so I imagine the car kit will only improve upon that.

The user interface is quite easy to navigate and the controls on the device are fairly intuitive. I like to test devices without reading the manual first to see how easy it is to figure out and the Stiletto 2 was pretty straightforward. I had to refer to the manual to understand the recording options, but otherwise, it was simple.

The recording option is fantastic. I set up a number of recurring sessions in the middle night. In the morning, I can then listen to them when I am working out, running errands, etc. I think this is probably one of the best features of the device. I have 15+ hours of recorded content and have used only 35% of the internal memory. Replay is fantastic. You can skip through songs just like your MP3 player and for me, that's a great option.

The size of the device is just right. It fits in my pocket, but it's not so small that I am afraid it's going to get broken or lost.

The battery life has been more than adequate. It's rated at like 4+ hours for Satellite or Internet radio and 20+ for recorded or library selections. I can attest that I have listened to it for many hours without running out of power. I wouldn't mind having a spare battery, but it's probably overkill.

As for the additional SD card slot. It's too bad it's under the battery. When you install an SD card, it's like you are putting in RAM in your laptop. This is not simple or intuitive for a lot of people (thinking of my mom here). I am sure there was an architectural reason, but it's too bad it's not just inserted on the side like a number of cell phones.

I have owned a number of musical devices in my life, 5+ iPods, a Zune, Rio, CD players, Walkmans, etc, but I can say this device has really reminded me of how music can be such a wonderful part of your life. I listen to my radio non-stop, and I wouldn't have it any other way now.

As the subject states, I really wanted this to work.

For those who read through my review, I want to make it clear that I am a Sirius fan. I've had a Sirius satellite radio in my car for two years now and I cannot imagine driving around without it.

Last year I accepted a new job that puts me on the train every day instead of in the car for my morning commute. I've missed my satellite radio since then so for the last few months, I've had my eye on the Stiletto. I decided to wait for the Stiletto 2, and I finally took the plunge over the weekend.

Out of the box, the radio looks very attractive and fits perfectly in my hand. The large display is colorful, bright, and easy to read and navigate. The controls are very easy to operate. Overall, a very intuitive design.

The radio is feature packed. You can import your own music into the device via included software. In my opinion, there is plenty of space for stored content out of the box (about 100 hours worth) and I think that will acommodate most people. For those of us with large music and audio book libraries, the added micro-SD card slot is a nice touch. Another feature was wireless connectivity. Some claimed they had problems with frequent disconnects. I didn't have this problem.

Activation was pretty simple, however I couldn't grab a signal indoors, I needed to stand outside on the front porch to complete the activation and the initial download of the channels. I was hoping this wasn't going to be a typical problem, as I even had the antenna headset plugged in. By the way, I've heard rumblings about the Altec Lansing headphones being uncomfortable and I would have to agree. I think Sirius could have made a better choice in headphones, since they seem to be a requirement for this device to get any kind of a signal.

Now, on to reception. Let me make it perfectly clear that I live in the outer suburbs of Chicago. I live near a small city called Crystal Lake, and although is not very close to downtown Chicago, I wouldn't consider myself as living in the "boondocks" either. I also want to make it clear that I purchased this radio so I could listen to it on the train. Those of us who have long train commutes would appreciate having such ability to listen to their iPod or satellite radio. And since my commute is up to 1.5 hours each way (up to 3 hours round trip commute) one could see how I would become excited about bringing my Sirius programming with me on the train.

When I first put the headphones on and fired up the unit, I was standing in the depot after having just finished mixing my coffee. No signal. Okay, so I walked outside and with a cloudless sky, I was able to get two bars and I was able to listen to the radio. I walked across the tracks and went to one of the open-air shelters (it was a particularly cold day and there are warmers installed overhead in the shelter.) As soon as I entered the shelter, I lost signal. Huh, okay. I decided to test it. I walked out of the shelter and received signal again. I walked around and although uninterrupted, I walked under a tree and the signal was interrupted. I started to become discouraged.

So, the train arrived and I boarded, selected a window seat and settled in. I was very disappointed (heartbroken, would be a better term) that I could not get a signal for pretty much the entire train ride. I tried moving the headphone wire closer to the window, I tried leaning my head closer to the window, tried holding the unit closer to the window, but the screen continuously displayed "Acquiring Signal." It was only when we were a couple miles from downtown that I was able to get a signal, but I attribute this to retransmitters that I hear people talking about.

I realized the same results on the way home. I tried it again the next day, this time sitting on the upper row of seats but to no avail. Since this purchase was primarily for entertainment while on the long train commute, I have decided to return the radio. I suppose I'll look into XMs option or just get an iPod. I will keep a sharp eye out for future offerings from Sirius and XM. I haven't given up on my quest to bring satellite radio with me where ever I go.

I give this product two stars, for the added features and well designed menues and navigation. It's too bad that I couldn't use it for its intended purpose, hence the deduction of three stars.

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This item is a homerun. I had the first Sirius Stiletto and that, while a nice item, was a little limited with it's WIFI connection and also it was a little large.

Sirius hit a homerun with this, the much improved SL2. To start off, the WIFI capability has been expanded to support 802.11b/g and also will work with most wireless hotspots. Plus, you can now enter a username and password to connect where you could NOT do this on the first Stiletto.

In addition to it's upgrade, it is also almost 30% smaller that the first Stiletto yet this item does not feel cheap. It is very solid, yet very small. It is slightly larger than a Motorola Razor phone. The feel of the device is also very nice with the all black look and the rubberized plastic covering on the back that will prvent scratches when set down.

Overall, the performance of the device has been 100% perfect with no lockups, freezes or issues. Plus, the exandable memory is GREAT. You can add up to an 8gb micro sd card making this a 10 gig MP3 player (2 GB internal memory).

Sirius has also updated the channel logos and wallpaper screens for each individual channel. Plus, the sports alerts are much improved and when listening to on NFL game, the screen displays a graphic of each team's helmet, ie. if the Raiders are playing the Cheifs there will be a Radier Helmet and a Chief helmet on the screen. This doesn't enhance your listening of course, but does make for a nice touch.

There are a few other added features but most importantly, they have included a bass boost with four settings (off, low, med, high) and also SRS Focus, also with four settings. The sound is much improved over it's predecessor when using as an mp3 player and, in my opinion, far better sounding than any IPOD.

The antenna headphones are probalby the BIGGEST improvement as the original ones were god awful. The improved headphones are extremely comfortable and are made by Altec Lansing. Portable reception has also improved with this device but if you do not live near a terrestrial signal repeater, you are probably going to be forced to either use the Antenna Headphones or try to connect over a wireless network because the built in antenna on the device is just not that strong and probably never will be---this is just a shortcoming of satelitte radio, not of the SL2 or Sirius.

Overall, I am loving life with this device as it is now my Satellite Radio for use in my home, car and in portable modes and also my primary MP3 player. I ditched my Ipod since I am now able to squeeze 10gb onto this player. Also, I can record any Sirius program on a daily basis and listen back when I have the time.

If you have been considering Sirius, or your are a current subscriber looking to upgrade to a better radio, your 100% best choice would be the Stiletto 2. A great device without a lot of cool features and capabilities.

Read Best Reviews of SIRIUS Stiletto 2 Portable Satellite Radio with MP3 Player Here

I'm a Gadget junkie...you name it, I've bought it and tried it, from the latest PC's...HD TV's,, Sling TV, TIVO, HD DVD players, Blu-Ray players,I-Touch, Zune, X-Box 360, PS3, Blackberry, XM radio & Sirius players...etc...etc...etc...

If your looking for he Ultimate portable music device, the Stiletto 2 is the answer...This unit does it all, you need no other portable music device...

First: How much money do you spend on downloading songs???

Possibly hundreds of $ a year? With Stilleto 2 you can download up to 10 hours of indiviual songs from Sirius...and it's no additional cost, just the monthly subscriber fee you're already paying, and you can replay them at any time with the built in memory.

Second: It automatically records the stations you listen to, up to 100 hours, so when your in a no signal area, you can listen to hours & hours & hours of music during this time.

Third: Not only does it have 2GB of built in memory but you can add a Micro SD card to increase your music collection. You can transfer / import music files from your PC...it will replaces youe Zune, Ipod, MP3 player, and using the Yahoo music site (software included) you can purchase music online and continue to add to your colection.

Fourth: It has not only satellite reception capability, but WiFi as well, and both work excellent! So if you have WiFi at home, no need to worry about a Satellite signal, it connects to your Wifi...and if you'e in a free hotsspot...wala, connetion!

Fifth: The reception of a satellite signal is very good even without the antennae earphones...anyone who complains that they can't receive a satellite signal indoors with this unit needs to remember "IT'S SATELLITE", that means you need a clear view of the sky to receive, if you got a roof over you, it will block the signal!!!

The only option I would like to see added is being able to load photos for viewing...

I say BUY IT! You'll throw away every other portable music player you have after you do!

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having used numerous consumer and expert reviews in the purchasing of the Stiletto 2, i feel the need to present my experience and opinion on this new receiver. first off, as a long time Sirius customer, i love satellite radio! even if you don't go with this unit, i highly recommend Sirius or XM to anyone that travels a lot or just enjoys listening to radio stations that stick to the stuff they want!

now for the Stiletto 2....

my previous receiver was a basic radio with the car and home kit that lasted 4 years, so upgrading to the Stiletto 2 was a major price jump and leap of faith on my part. i read the reviews (good and bad), product descriptions, and expert analyses. my conclusion? the Stiletto 2 is a very cool toy with lots of features and a sleek attractive design. the sole detractor to it is the extreme reliance on the accessory kits (not included).

ANTENNA RECEPTION: this is the major complaint of most negative reviews. the truth is that the Stiletto 2 has the same reception capabilities as any other unit WHEN outside or connected to a external antenna (only included in home or car kits). it will not work well indoors or in areas with significant obstructions to the sky, just like any other receiver. and its built-in antenna does allow you to listen to it with headphones while walking around outdoors. the Stiletto 2 also has a built-in wi-fi connection, allowing you to listen Sirius over wireless internet networks.

LOOK AND FEEL: nice design, lightweight, easy access menus, color display...overall A+

MP3 PLAYER: cool bonus that allows you to switch between Sirius radio and mp3 modes. the product description claims 2GB worth of space. however, only 800 MB is available for downloaded music, as the rest is designated exclusively for recording live programming from the Sirius channels. if you want more room for your mp3's, you can plug in a microSD card (up to 8GB) with your music into the Stiletto 2 and increase the size of your playlist!

STAND-ALONE/ACCESSORIES: out of the box, the Stiletto 2 will only run using headphones or earbuds. if you want to play it in your car or home, you MUST get an accessory kit (either home or car). websites claim that the universal kits for Sirius radios are compatible with the Stiletto 2. THIS IS MOSTLY INCORRECT! the external antenna is standard, but does not plug directly into the receiver. a cradle (included in kits) is necessary to play Sirius through your car or home stereo. the AC/DC adapter is also a different size and voltage. if you buy the home kit, you can only connect to a stereo via audio cables. this is a change from other receivers, which allow either a wired connection or have a built-in FM transmitter. only the cradle that comes with the car kit allows you to connect to a stereo over an FM signal. my suggestion to those that want the Stiletto 2 to work on any stereo or have previous Sirius radio kits is to buy the Stiletto 2 car kit only, and use your previous antennae to run the radio at home using the car cradle.

i give the Stiletto 2 a three-star rating. it has very nice features and a good look, but some of its advertised capabilities are misleading. there is no reason that the unit should not be able to FM transmit to any stereo without a car cradle, other than to gouge customers out of another $50.

Transcend Information 8 GB Micro SDHC4 (TS8GUSDC4)

I like it and the price was fantastic. it is working as it should. told some friend about this item and they thought the price was awesome.

What can you say, it's a card at the right price. Works great in my phone and it was inexpensive.

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I have been using this for a long time and have no complaints. It works great fast speed great price and its very strong ive droped it a few times on concrete and its not even scratced so this is a Great Buy!

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Bought this SDHC for my galaxy tab and so far no complains the price is right the product work as expected and like always amazon shipping is the best.

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Received the SD card, along with several other items I ordered, in good shape.

Yup, its got a Life Time Warranty. Registration was easy but you will need a magnifying glass to see the S/N numbers.

I inserted the SD card in my HTC EVO 4G LTE and it works great. I loaded up several hundred pictures and songs which used up about 2GB. The pictures display fast and the music sounds great. I would recommend this SD Card.

Like the other review title says..., "Cant argue with under a buck a gig"

VideoSecu Day Night Vision Color CCD Infrared Video Bullet Security Camera Outdoor Indoor Weatherpr

This replaced a dying B&W camera that used the same connectors. The install was fast, and the new unit has sharp color and a crisp picture. It works very well in low-light, obviously defaulting to a B&W/infrared mode. It's durable and seems solidly-built, and the adjustable hood dramatically cuts down on glare I was seeing on the old camera.

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Sony ICD-SX712D Digital Flash Voice Recorder Includes Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice to Print Soft

இ Fuzzy Wuzzy's Summary:

ѾѾѾѾѾ Very highly recommended with warm fuzzies!

I work in high tech and I am also a musician who plays guitars, harmonica, and world-beat/ethnic percussion. So I find portable digital recorders like this to be highly useful on a weekly basis for recording everything from personal dictation of thoughts and ideas, to in-person meetings, to telephone conferences, to jam sessions with my other musician friends, to recording impromptu music ideas and vocals.

Prior to purchasing this Sony ICD-SX712, I frequently used a Sony ICD-SX750 2 GB Flash Memory Digital Voice Recorder (Black). And before that, one of my main portable digital recorders was a Sony MZ-NF810CK Net MD MiniDisc Recorder with Car Kit with a Sony ECM-DS70P Electret Condenser Stereo Microphone for recording music ideas, jam sessions, and rehearsals. Sony's MZ-NF810CK Net MD MiniDisc recorder offered CD-quality digital recording with a full 20Hz-20,000Hz +/-3dB frequency range, along with an AM/FM/TV/Weather tuner. But for years, my one big complaint with Sony's Net MD MiniDisc recorder was that the device had no 'Line Out' or easy method to transfer my digital recordings off of its MiniDisc so that I could perform further editing on the computer.

Even though the "712" number in this ICD-SX712 model is numerically smaller than Sony's previous model of ICD-SX750, I see this model as a substantially improved direct replacement for their previous ICD-SX750 model, which was also priced very similarly. Since I have both the ICD-SX750 and ICD-SX712 recorders, some of this product review will compare the two models.

With the advent of affordable digital recorders that use onboard flash memory and/or Memory Stick Micro (M2) and microSD memory cards, I find myself using my Net MD recorder less and less now. Note that the Sony line of "ICD" recorders are NOT really professional digital audio recorders for recording full-spectrum music, but this ICD-SX712 can still produce a very good CD-quality stereo recording for most kinds of music. Using its best LPCM 44.1 kHz 16-bit recording mode, the ICD-SX712 records a frequency range of 40Hz-20kHz. Depending upon the music that you are wanting to record, this may or may not be sufficient since a dedicated digital audio recorder will go down to 20 Hz. If you really want a digital audio recorder for music applications, I would highly recommend either the Sony PCM-M10/R Portable Linear PCM Recorder, 96-kHz/24-bit, 4GB Memory & USB High-Speed Port, Glossy Red, the Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder, both of which will record a pristine 20Hz to 20,000+ Hz frequency range at 96-kHz/24-bit recording mode, or one of the Tascam portable digital recorders. Sony's "ICD" recorder line is more optimized for recording voice (dictation, interviews, meetings), but this ICD-SX712 also does a very good job of recording music. There is not much musical content that goes below the 40Hz sub-bass low end that this ICD-SX712 can record: the low fundamentals of a bass tuba, and the fundamentals of a contrabassoon, harp, double bass, pipe organ, piano.

What is in the box package?

✵ ICD-SX712 Voice Recorder

✵ Two AAA alkaline batteries

✵ "Ear bud" stereo headphones

✵ Mini-USB-to-USB cable to connect the recorder to your computer

✵ Sound Organizer software CD (for Windows 7/Vista/XP only, no Mac support)

✵ Dragon NaturallySpeaking software CD ("Voice to Print" version, also known as the "Recorder Edition"; for Windows only, no Mac support)

✵ Soft carrying pouch sleeve

✵ Stand, with tripod mount, for positioning the recorder's microphone

✵ Highly detailed 155-page all-English 'Operating Instructions' guide

The voice recorder itself has size dimensions of 1 1/4 inches wide by 5 3/8 inches long with a thickness of 5/8 inches, and it weighs 2.3 ounces without batteries and 3.1 ounces with batteries. So it is a quarter-inch longer than my ICD-SX750 and a half-ounce heavier.

More of the ICD-SX712's features are described and rated below:

ѾѾѾѾѾ Excellent 5-fuzzies feature ratings:

ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorded sound quality is excellent with crystal-clear sound clarity, both in its directional and stereo microphone positions. Stereo recordings have excellent three-dimensional spatial imaging. And when the recording level is set to "High" microphone sensitivity, the recorded speech of a distant speaker in a large auditorium is excellent. Sony claims that this recorder can pick up sounds from 25 meters (82 feet) away when using its highest-quality LPCM recording format, and I do not doubt that claim.

ѾѾѾѾѾ Compared to my older ICD-SX750, the ICD-SX712's microphones are noticeably more sensitive for recording even the slightest low-level sounds. My acoustic guitar fingerpicking gets recorded with the subtle sounds of my fingers working the strings, speech and vocals get recorded with the slight sounds of breathing, and the directional recording of a person speaking at the far end of a room or a stereo recording of both nearby and distant birds chirping in the trees all get recorded with great clarity. This new recorder introduces Sony's newly-developed 'S-Microphone System', and it combines advanced audio processing technology with a highly sensitive new microphone that captures even faint or distant subjects with extra clarity while reducing background hiss. A 'S-Master Digital Amplifier' produces great accuracy, clear separation of signals, and balanced sound reproduction using digital-to-digital processing, and the recorded signal is taken through the full-digital DSP stage without additional digital-to-analog conversion.

ѾѾѾѾѾ This voice recorder has lots of features with a great deal of usefulness! Do not feel apprehensive about feeling like you need to read all of this recorder's 155-page 'Operating Instructions' guide. You do not need to read all the pages to begin using this recorder effectively. For quick ease of use initially, you just need to read/skim the first 39 pages. This covers the basics of setup, recording, listening, and erasing. If you will mainly use the recorder for one, two, or three main purposes (e.g. dictation, group meetings, and music recording), you just need to familiarize yourself with a handful of the recorder's options for adjusting its recording parameters to suit each situation. For example, I mainly use my recorder for the following purposes: personal dictation with speech-to-text conversion using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium 11, recording work-related phone calls, recording a group meeting, and recording musical performances either by me with friends or by others in a music rehearsal setting.

Like the previous ICD-SX750 model, this voice recorder comes with a thorough 'Operating Instructions' guide. On Sony's Web site, I did notice that there is also a simple 'Quick Start Guide' PDF that you can download. I do not know why this 'Quick Start Guide' was not included in the package, but perhaps since this product was only released a month ago, they did not have a printed 'Quick Start Guide' available for packaging at the time?

ѾѾѾѾѾ Setup is pretty simple. The recorder comes with two AAA alkaline batteries. I can also use my own rechargeable AAA batteries. When used with rechargeable batteries, the batteries will recharge whenever I connect the recorder to my computer using the supplied Mini-USB-to-USB cable. Alternately, I can use the USB cord to connect the recorder to a separately-purchased AC adapter, e.g. Belkin Mini Surge Protector Dual USB Charger or Sony's own Sony AC U50AD Power adapter. Rechargeable batteries take about 4 hours to fully recharge from an empty state. However, with the recorder connected via USB to a turned-on computer or to an AC adapter, I can charge the batteries while still using the recorder, which is very handy for very long recording sessions.

The ICD-SX712 can record in the following formats, listed with their approximate hours of recording time listed for using both fully-charged alkaline and rechargeable batteries, the maximum recording time that can be stored by the internal 2-GB flash memory, and the frequency range that is recorded:

LPCM 44.1kHz/16bit: 25 hrs alkaline, 19 hrs rechargeable; 3 hours 0 minutes; 40-20,000 Hz

MP3 320kbps: 22 hrs alkaline, 17 hrs rechargeable; 13 hours 20 minutes; 40-16,000 Hz

MP3 192kbps: 22 hrs alkaline, 17 hrs rechargeable; 22 hours 20 minutes; 40-16,000 Hz

MP3 128kbps: 22 hrs alkaline, 17 hrs rechargeable; 33 hours 30 minutes; 40-16,000 Hz

MP3 48kbps(MONO): 25 hrs alkaline, 19 hrs rechargeable; 89 hours 25 minutes; 40-14,000 Hz

MP3 8kbps(MONO): 25 hrs alkaline, 19 hrs rechargeable; 536 hours 0 minutes; 50-2,000 Hz

Note that this also means a fresh set of alkaline batteries will often provide significantly longer recording time than rechargeable batteries. This is especially true for rechargeable batteries that have been repeatedly recharged over a long period of time. Overall, this recorder has very good battery life.

Additionally, the recorder has a memory card slot that accepts either a Memory Stick Micro (M2) card of up to 16 GB, a microSD (FAT16) card up to 2 GB, or a microSDHC (FAT32) card from 4 GB to 32 GB. Along with its internal 2-GB of flash memory, I have also equipped my recorder with the Sony Memory Stick Micro M2 16 GB Flash Memory Card with USB Reader. When used with the two largest-capacity memory cards supported by the recorder, I can boost the recording time for each of the recording formats as follows:

LPCM 44.1kHz/16bit: 24 hours 15 minutes (16 GB), 48 hours 40 minutes (32 GB)

MP3 320kbps: 107 hours 0 minutes (16 GB), 214 hours 0 minutes (32 GB)

MP3 192kbps: 178 hours 0 minutes (16 GB), 357 hours 0 minutes (32 GB)

MP3 128kbps: 268 hours 0 minutes (16 GB), 536 hours 0 minutes (32 GB)

MP3 48kbps(MONO): 715 hours 0 minutes (16 GB), 1431 hours 0 minutes (32 GB)

MP3 8kbps(MONO): 4294 hours 0 minutes (16 GB), 8589 hours 0 minutes (32 GB)

And if this is still not enough recording time, I simply switch out the filled-up memory card and insert another empty memory card.

One big difference between the supported recording formats of the previous ICD-SX750 recorder and this ICD-SX712 is that Sony has discarded support for the five LPEC recording formats (STHQ, ST, STLP, SP, LP). LPEC is a compressed-sound codec that is proprietary to Sony. On the ICD-SX750, using a LPEC recording format allowed me to add a bookmark during playback of an LPEC recording, and I could also assign a 1-star, 2-star, or 3-star "priority" ranking to LPEC recordings. These were two nifty little features that I could not use with WAV or MP3 recording formats. But recording with LPEC format also meant that I needed extra Sony software in order to convert the LPEC format to a standard, and more portable, MP3 or WAV format (a function that was performed by the Sony 'Digital Voice Editor' software that was bundled with the ICD-SX750). So now, like Sony's professional line of digital audio recorders, the ICD-SX712 only supports industry-standard LPCM (WAV) and MP3 codec formats.

After inserting the batteries, I set the date and time, select the English/Spanish/French language option, and then I am ready to go!

ѾѾѾѾѾ I can either record the recorder's 2-GB built-in memory, or I can record directly to my installed memory card. Five folders are initially created in the memory card, along with the five initial folders in the built-in memory, and the folder structure is slightly different between the two. I can switch between recording to the built-in memory or to the memory card by pressing either the folder button or the [MENU] button. A nifty 'Cross-Memory Recording' option allows me to automatically continue recording onto the memory card after I have filled up the 2-GB built-in memory. The maximum number of folders that I can have is 400, and the maximum number of files is 4074.

ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorder has flexible file functions, including protecting files from being erased or edited, and moving or copying files. I can rename any of the folders using one of the 16 pre-defined folder name options.

ѾѾѾѾѾ Unlike the ICD-SX750, which had two stereo microphones and a mono/directional microphone located in between the two stereo microphones, this ICD-SX712 only has the two unidirectional stereo microphones. Both microphones have a directional response pattern when they are both pointed forward in a 0-degree angle, and they mimic a cardioid-like microphone response when I use my finger to flip them to face outward at a 120-degree angle for stereo recording. The 0-degree microphone position, with both microphones pointed forward, is great for uses like personal dictation, interviewing someone, or recording a speaker who is either in a conference room or auditorium, where you want to focus the recording in one direction. The 120-degree microphone position is great for recording all surrounding sounds in stereo, such as recording a group meeting or recording a live music rehearsal or concert. The stereo recording does a great job of picking up all left-right and near-far spatial information.

ѾѾѾѾѾ Recording parameters have been simplified with five 'Scene' presets. There are basically three recording parameters that you need to think about in order to use this recorder effectively: the recording format mode, the recording level microphone sensitivity, and whether to record in directional or stereo mode. All of the recorder's other features can be investigated later.

A new 'Scene' function now takes the uncertainty out of adjusting recorder settings to suit your recording situation, and it makes it tremendously easy to quickly switch between five different sets of recording parameters. The five 'Scene' modes are referred to as "Meeting", "Voice Notes", "Interview", "Music", and your own custom "My Scene" preset. For each of the five 'Scene' presets, you can define its own combination of settings for record mode, record level, low cut filter and limiter settings, voice-operated recording, and synchronized recording options. The default settings for each 'Scene' allow for the foolproof recording of clear, natural-sounding results for each situation. You can also edit the defaults for each scene to suit your needs. The 'Scene' terminology reminds me of the 'scene' modes that are widely used in digital cameras, especially the user-friendly point-and-shoot digital cameras, for using pre-programmed camera exposure setups for people who do not want to (or know how to) adjust the settings by themselves. Essentially, you get five easily accessible presets of recording parameters that you can edit, modify, save, and access. On my older Sony ICD-SX750 model, if I wanted to shift gears between personal dictation and recording a live music rehearsal, I had to go into the recorder's menu functions and manually switch my recording parameters each time.

The following describes the five 'Scene Select' menu options, the default recording parameters that are used, and some of my own recommended changes that I made using the 'Scene Edit' function.

✵ "Meeting" :: To record in a variety of situations, such as recording a meeting in a spacious conference room or a lecture in an auditorium.

Default setup: (REC Mode: MP3 192kbps), (REC Level: Medium), (Low Cut Filter: On), (Limiter: Off), (Voice-Operated Recording: Off), (Synchronized Recording: Off)

Notes: Point both microphones forward at a 0-degree angle to focus on one speaker, or at a 120-degree angle to record stereo sounds such as a group meeting where there are multiple speakers from different directions. Set 'REC Level' to "High", instead of "Medium", if the speaker is far away or not speaking loud enough.

✵ "Voice Notes" :: To record dictation with the microphone in front of your mouth. This is also the 'Scene' to use when recording dictation that is to be transcribed into text using Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

Default setup: (REC Mode: MP3 128kbps), (REC Level: Low), (Low Cut Filter: On), (Limiter: Off), (Voice-Operated Recording: Off), (Synchronized Recording: Off)

Notes: Point both microphones forward at a 0-degree angle. Because Dragon NaturallySpeaking needs high-quality recordings for accurate speech recognition transcriptions, I change the default 'REC Mode' to the better "MP3 320kbps".

✵ "Interview" :: To record another human being interviewed.

Default setup: (REC Mode: MP3 192kbps), (REC Level: Medium), (Low Cut Filter: On), (Limiter: Off), (Voice-Operated Recording: Off), (Synchronized Recording: Off)

Notes: Point both microphones forward at a 0-degree angle. I also use this 'Scene' when recording a phone call where I point the recorder at the phone's speakerphone.

✵ "Music" :: To record live music.

Default setup: (REC Mode: LPCM 44.1kHz/16bit), (REC Level: Low(Music)), (Low Cut Filter: Off), (Limiter: Off), (Voice-Operated Recording: Off), (Synchronized Recording: Off)

Notes: Position the microphones at the 120-degree angle to record stereo sounds from all directions. The 'REC Level' microphone sensitivity setting of "Low(Music)" is better for loud music such as band practice or rock music, or when your audio input is a CD player. A 'REC Level' setting of "High(Music)" is better for acoustic instruments, or when your audio input is a tape recorder or portable CD player.

✵ "My Scene" :: Use to store your favorite settings.

Default setup: (REC Mode: LPCM 44.1kHz/16bit), (REC Level: Manual, with the recording level set to "10"), (Low Cut Filter: Off), (Limiter: On), (Voice-Operated Recording: Off), (Synchronized Recording: Off)

Notes: This can be used to store your favorite combination of settings, especially if you use a manually-adjusted recording level that you have configured and want to re-use later. When manually adjusting the recording level, the 'Limiter' function is activated to prevent distortion due to sound bursts being too loud.

All of the 'Scene' recording parameters are displayed on the backlit LCD screen using words or graphical icons.

ѾѾѾѾѾ Compared with the previous ICD-SX750, the ergonomics of the new ICD-SX712's layout have been significantly improved, making it far easier to access all of the recorder's many functions, even if I have not used some of the functions for many months. The ICD-SX750 had a nice LCD display, but I had to access everything through its [MENU] button and all of its record/playback buttons were located on the recorder's right side. On the ICD-SX712, I can now directly access the folder structure from its own dedicated button, the 'Scene Select' option has its own [SCENE] button, and except for the 'VOLUME', 'ERASE', and repeat buttons on the right side, all record and playback buttons are located on the front below the LCD display. The recorder has a 4-way rocker switch that is very intuitive to use, and the menu system makes use of a layout that groups all functions under 5 main tabs, 'Recording', 'Playback', 'Edit', 'LCD Display Settings', 'Recorder Settings', and some tabs use sub-tabs.

ѾѾѾѾѾ A small LED indicator light turns green during playback and turns red during recording operations.

ѾѾѾѾѾ For recording a meeting room that has the background hum of an air conditioner, recording a speaker at a convention or auditorium where there is extraneous noise, or recording someone speaking during gusty winds, setting the 'LCF (Low Cut Filter)' to "ON" will cut out frequencies below 200 Hz (e.g. room ventilation, machinery humming, wind).

ѾѾѾѾѾ There is also an 'NOISE CUT' slider switch that can be used during playback of the recording to cut out both high and low frequencies, thereby focusing more on the midrange frequencies of human voices. This frequency filter can be set to either a "Maximum" or "Medium" mode to enhance human speech and reduce distracting background noise. Compared to the previous ICD-SX750 model's 'NOISE CUT' function, Sony calls their newly-developed filter an 'Intelligent Noise Cut' because, unlike other digital voice recorders that simply cut high and low frequencies, 'Intelligent Noise Cut' analyzes the fingerprint of background noise, removing unwanted frequencies to leave recorded speech sounding crisp and natural. This is highly useful, for example, if you are interviewing someone on a noisy sidewalk.

Sony advertises that this new ICD-SX712 model has a newly-designed acoustic isolation that cuts the transmission of mechanical and handling noise to both microphones from the main recorder. So its microphones are supposedly better decoupled from the main recorder body. But you really should have all of your recording parameters already thought out and set up before you begin recording as various movements of the recorder's switches, pressing of buttons to access and change various recording menu functions (via the backlit LCD screen), flipping the microphones between their 0-degree and 120-degree positions, or sliding of your fingers across the unit will still get included into the recording, even if the microphone sensitivity is set to "Low". Ideally, have the recorder fully set up before the recording, and use the included stand to prop up the microphone. Unless the situation warrants it (e.g. interviewing someone while standing up), try to avoid holding or adjusting the recorder once the recording has started.

ѾѾѾѾѾ Instead of a slider switch that is labeled "On/Off", the on/off switch on this recorder is labeled "POWER/HOLD". To turn the device on or off, I slide the switch to the left. Or I can slide the switch to the right to place the recorder in "HOLD" mode. The "HOLD" mode holds the recorder in whatever operation mode I am using (play, stop, pause, record). When the recorder is on "HOLD" during a certain operation, I cannot accidentally interrupt that function when I carry the recorder around or hold it in my hand. So using this "HOLD" slider switch protects me from inadvertently pressing the "pause" or "stop" button during an extended recording session since the recorder will not respond to the pressing of any buttons while it is in "HOLD" mode.

ѾѾѾѾѾ Whereas the previous ICD-SX750 had a 'DIVIDE' button to dynamically divide an ongoing recording into separate messages, the ICD-SX712 now has a more-flexible 'T-MARK' button to add track marks during recording, playback, or pausing operations. Track marks are used in both Sony's Net MD MiniDisc recorders and their professional audio recorders, and they function like bookmarks in a recording. I can add up to 98 track marks per recording file. I can use these track marks to jump to different positions in the recording during playback (especially useful for lengthy recordings), or I can use these track marks to later divide the recording into separate messages. I can also combine/add or overwrite sections of messages and recordings.

ѾѾѾѾѾ I can monitor an ongoing recording by listening to it through headphones connected to the recorder.

ѾѾѾѾѾ I can connect an external stereo microphone or external equipment such as a CD player to record from those sources. The recorder provides "plug in power" for use with an external microphone.

ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorder has a voice-operated recording function, which starts recording when sound is detected, and pauses when no sound is heard, so recording halts during silent periods.

ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorder has a 'SYNC REC' synchronized recording function that is similar to the voice-operated recording function, but is intended for connecting the audio output of other equipment (e.g. CD player) to the recorder's microphone jack. The recorder then pauses when no sound is input, and starts recording when you start playback on the external equipment's sound source.

ѾѾѾѾѾ The recordings can be played back either through the recorder's built-in speaker or through the headphone jack (headphones will obviously provide much better playback sound quality).

ѾѾѾѾѾ One playback function that I use a lot is the 'Digital Pitch Control'. On the older ICD-SX750, this allowed me to change the playback speed between 200% and -75% of a recording's normal speed. This is really useful for me when I am learning a really complex guitar riff that I recorded from a live rehearsal; I can slow down the recording to learn from it and practice along with it at a slower pace, and even at the maximum "-75%" slowdown in tempo, the pitch is not changed, which is awesome for music applications. And for a lecture where the speaker is talkiinnngggg reaaallllyy slow, I can speed it up without having the speaker sound like a Chipmunk. On this new ICD-SX712, this feature has been made uber-cool for musicians and singers, because in addition to being able to adjust the playback speed/tempo between 25% (or -75%) and 300%, I can also independently adjust the sound by up to six halftones (semitones) higher or lower. Using the 4-way rocker switch, I press the left/right buttons to decrease/increase playback speed, and I press the up/down buttons to change the key higher/lower. The LCD display shows an X/Y-axis graph of how you are adjusting the sounds, and the sharp/flat icon (#/b) is displayed if you are changing to higher/lower halftones.

ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorder has six very useful playback style settings: "Pop" (emphasizes middle ranges, ideal for vocals); "Rock" (emphasizes high and low ranges for a powerful sound); "Jazz" (emphasizes high ranges for lively sound); "Bass1" (emphasizes bass); "Bass2" (emphasizes bass even more); "Custom" (you can design your own custom sound using its 5-band equalizer).

ѾѾѾѾѾ Another cool playback feature, useful for lecture, seminar, and crowd environments is the 'Digital Voice Up' (V-UP). This function boosts and amplifies the low-level sounds in the recording, great for hearing low voices that were recorded from a distance out of range or away from the direction of the microphone. If you are recording in a spacious auditorium where you are seated towards the rear, you can set the 'REC Level' to "High" to record a sound located far away from the recorder or a low sound. And then if you still need additional volume from the low-level sound, during playback of this recording, you can use the 'Digital Voice Up' function at either its "Maximum" or "Medium" strength.

ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorder has an alarm clock function to play back a recording at a specific date and time.

ѾѾѾѾѾ A new and very useful feature that Sony added is that I can now search for a recording based on what date it was recorded. From the menu, the 'Calendar' option will display a monthly calendar, and the days when a recording was stored will be underlined on the monthly calendar display. So if I want to retrieve recordings of music rehearsals on a particular weekend or a Monday morning work meeting, this feature makes them easy to find!

ѾѾѾѾѾ When I plug the recorder into my computer using the supplied USB cord, the device looks like a 2-GB flash drive, with various folders containing the .WAV (for LPCM recordings), or .MP3 files. If the recorder's memory card slot has a Memory Stick Micro (M2) or microSD/microSDHC card installed, I can also access these folders just like any other external storage device; in this case, the built-in memory and memory card will display as two separate drive letters. I can use the recorder's flash memory simply as a USB flash drive to store text files onto it if I wanted to. And I can just drag-and-drop the files from the recorder's folders onto my computer's hard drive.

ѾѾѾѾѾ Using the Windows-only (not Mac-compatible) 'Sound Organizer' software, I can transfer files that I have recorded to my computer to manage and edit them. I can also transfer music files and podcast files stored on my computer to the recorder. I can also access the same editing and playback functions that are on the recorder itself, such as adding track marks and dividing a recording into pieces or using the 'Digital Pitch Control'. With Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition software installed, I can also start the transcribing of a recorded speech file from within the 'Sound Organizer' software. I select the recorded speech file that I want to transcribe, select the 'Dragon' menu option, Dragon converts the recording into text, and I make corrections in the pop-up 'DragonPad' Notepad-like text editor to both correct the transcription mistakes that Dragon made and to further (hopefully) train Dragon to learn and adapt from the corrected mistakes. 'Sound Organizer' also has rudimentary CD-burning functions that let me create an audio CD, MP3 CD, or data CD from the recorder's files. Even though this 'Sound Organizer' software is not Mac-compatible, Mac users do not need this to transfer the files from the recorder onto their computer.

One of the 'Sound Organizer' software options lets me start up Sony's great 'Sound Forge Audio Studio' software. HOWEVER, Sony no longer offers this bundled with their latest and greatest ICD recorder. Arggh.

My previous ICD-SX750 was bundled with a Windows-only 'Sound Forge Audio Studio 9 LE' that is geared towards music editing and production. This "LE" version is the "lite edition" of Sony's industry-standard two-channel audio-editing program for Windows, with some useful extras thrown in, and a nice $60+ package if you were to buy this software separately. With Sound Forge Audio Studio, I can perform a variety of digital audio editing functions: save and convert in many formats; change sample rate and bit depth; edit, cut, paste, fade-in/out; set markers and regions within a recording; apply frequency equalization adjustments, swap channels, and even play the audio in reverse. The "version 9 LE" comes with 11 sound processing effects that I can apply to the audio such as chorus, delay, reverb, wah-wah, and distortion. There is also a 'Vocal Eraser' plug-in which tries to remove the vocals from the mix to make a karaoke version of a song; this works with varying degrees of effectiveness. I can archive vinyl recordings and use its 'Vinyl Restoration' noise reduction and 'Audio Restoration' features to adjust the amount of clean-up of clicks and pops and unwanted hiss. Although this software does not offer true multi-track mixing, it does allow me to mix external audio tracks into a recording. And although this is not a video editing tool, I can edit audio files and then attach them to video files. I import the video file, and then edit the soundtrack by scrubbing, as if I had a jog/shuttle control, using the [J], [K], [L] keys on my keyboard to reverse, pause, or forward the playback. When I am finished with my audio editing, I can then burn a CD from the application, or I can also extract audio tracks from a CD for use within the application.

But it appears that Sony is now only bundling the "LE" version of their great 'Audio Studio' software with their more-expensive line of 96-kHz/24-bit Digital Field Recorders. I was hoping that they would bundle a "LE" lite version of their 'Sound Forge Audio Studio 10', but I have to purchase that separately... or just continue to use my existing 'Sound Forge Audio Studio 9 LE'.

NOTE: My review does not end here, but continues onto the 'Comment' section of this review. Amazon does not let me post my entire review in one piece, so I split it into two pieces :-( (continue to the 'Comment' section to keep reading :-)

The recorder works fine, and the recording quality is very good, although the internal speakers do not give an accurate indication of the recording level. Once you put the recordings on the computer, they are much louder than you'd think. The controls are not especially difficult to master.

The real problem here was the software. The only reason that I bought this one over the cheaper model was the included dragon software. The dragon software is NOT mac-compatible, even though there's nothing about that in the product description. Also, the software, like all dragon software must be trained to your voice. So if you're using it for transcription, and you can learn the dragon language of punctuation, etc., it might work, but it wasn't especially good at transcribing me, even after I trained it. But don't even think about using it to try to transcribe a conversation or interview.

I am returning this product, and buying the cheaper version.

Buy Sony ICD-SX712D Digital Flash Voice Recorder Includes Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice to Print Soft Now

I have been an Amazon customer for years and this is my 1st review. I benefited from consulting customer reviews to make informed purchases of my own in the past. So I felt obliged to return the favor with a review on this product.

I bought this Sony recorder for college. A few of my classes are heavily lecture-oriented. So writing everything down that comes out of my instructors' lips is a ridiculous and inconceivable endeavor. I was both paradoxically skeptical and optimistic about the Dragon transcription software. Optimistic because it would further streamline my note-taking capabilities 'if' it worked. Skeptical because 'if' it worked, then why isn't everyone else in class toting around a voice recorder of their own? Will I pioneer a new cutting-edge approach to lecture note-taking?...Eh, probably not.

Be informed, the Dragon software that comes with this Sony recorder is the 11th version "Recorder" edition. This edition's functionality is limited compared to the full edition which you can use to speak directly into a headset and have your computer act as an electronic secretary taking dictation. I do not know if the accuracy of the audio-to-text transcription for the full edition is more accurate than the "Recorder" edition that comes with this Sony Recorder. But I will explain the disappointing accuracy of the "Recorder" edition based on my direct experiences.

I will presuppose the initial configuration required for the "Recorder" edition is also a fundamental start-up procedure to operate the full edition as well (I may be wrong). By configuration I mean you must create a user profile to identify a particular speaker's voice you decide to associate with a user profile. A user profile must be created in order for any transcription to be performed with the Dragon program. Once a profile is established the meticulous task of updating that user profile to improve its transcription accuracy is an on-going and never-ending assignment.

This is what the process looks like. First, you are going to upload an audio file from the Sony Recorder to your computer. Then you open the Dragon program and create a user profile. Afterwards, you upload an audio file for transcription. This all sounds sweet. But be informed it takes time and energy to make lemonade with this lemon.

When I transcribed a few lectures, the Dragon program presented a feeble attempt at transcribing my audio files on its factory-installed notepad, a pseudo bootleg version of Microsoft Word. Mastering the user profile's configuration to transcribe audio files accurately requires the performance of constant manual corrections and automatically scheduled updates. I don't completely dismiss the 'chance' (emphasis on the word implying serious skepticism) that the software can produce reliable and accurate transcription. But I just don't have the extra time, perhaps know-how, and definitely patience to make that absolute determination. I come from the school of thought that says if I pay you the full price of what you propose, then give me a product that delivers everything I expect it's supposed to do without any small fine print encoded in technical jargon and extraneous time-consuming work attached.

I bought this Sony recorder with the expectation and intention to take it to class, record lectures, then take the device back home and use the Dragon software to produce a manuscript for notes. The Sony Recorder is a premium piece of equipment. I am happy with my purchase as far as the recorder goes. But I am disappointed with the Dragon audio-to-text software. The purpose of buying the transcription software is to the reduce the amount of time I spend on note-taking and optimize efficiency. The Dragon "Recorder" edition included with the purchase of the Sony Recorder is a nuanced program that impedes the process.

If I could turn back time and I knew then what I know now. I would have simply purchased the digital recorder alone and transcribed audio files on my own with Microsoft Word on my computer. I don't have the time to toy with the configuration nuances of multiple user profiles. I have multiple lectures to record and transcribe every day. For me, it's more expeditious to type the audio files by my damn self :)

Read Best Reviews of Sony ICD-SX712D Digital Flash Voice Recorder Includes Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice to Print Soft Here

There are a lot of competing products out there in the voice recorder market, including the ability to do many of these functions on smartphones like Google and Apple, but Sony's Digital Flash Voice Recorder in my mind is the as good as you may need. The lack of a full function set of software that can work with the Mac is the reason for the lack of five stars. This decision on Sony's part to only support Windows seems to continue a long running feud between Sony and Apple, though understandably it could also be argued that the size of the Apple market might not make the effort worth the cost. You can use this with Apple, and the MP3 files are easy enough to read by any system. None the less, the specs are presented elsewhere here, and what I would add is that the unit is industrial, very high design for form vs. function, if you are using Windows the unit does what it says it does and is simple to use. The unit has very long battery life, swivel mics, and ability to plug in outboard mic to get better sound quality, headphones and a micro SD slot.

The base unit has a USB connector to the computer, but the recorder also has a standard smaller USB jack, which can plug in without the base unit.

Software from Nuance, a specific version of Dragon, allows you to train the unit to your voice and have your dictation transcribed, though I have not used this function and can't evaluate how well it works. Menu system on the Sony is very simple and functional. Solid and well placed buttons allow you to quickly change scenes for settings of the mic for the appropriate recording venue.

Quality of the sound was excellent under all situations that I recorded to. While not specifically aimed at the music market, it is a good choice for a balance between the spoken word and music, though for high quality music recordings, choose a higher end product targeted for that, which Sony also makes.

All in all, I am extremely pleased with this rugged unit that can be thrown in a bag and not worry about the battery going dead over a couple of days on a shoot. It does use standard AAA batteries. It is a good addition to anyone doing interviews. I also have a number of higher end recorders, but rarely just have them with me. I carry the Sony SX712D with me in my backpack where ever I go. It's as light as a couple of pens.

Want Sony ICD-SX712D Digital Flash Voice Recorder Includes Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice to Print Soft Discount?

This recorder is amazing. It is easy to use and really helps to fill in the blanks after lectures. Important conversations also can be recorded, transcribed and saved for later. Very good at capturing the speeech, and not the extraneous noise. What can I say, it's a SONY!

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