One of the best things you can do to gauge your current playing level is to record yourself when practicing and rehearsing. I regularly record myself on the computer when practicing but was looking for an affordable, easy to use recorder for use during band rehearsals. I found what I was looking for in the Tascam DR-05 Linear PCM Recorder.
The Tascam DR-05 has built-in high quality stereo omnidirectional microphones, peak reduction, variable speed playback and level align, plus a chromatic tuner. It runs on 2 AA batteries, which in use, last from 10-15 hours of recording/playback time. The unit comes with a 2 GB micro SD card, however larger capacity micro SDHC cards can be used if desired. It can record in 44.1/48/96 l\kHz, 16/24-bit linear PCM WAV format or 32-320 kbps MP3 format. It also features a built-in .3 W monaural speaker, which is actually pretty crappy but does the job if you find yourself without headphones. Other cool features include auto level control, limiter, low-cut filter, and a peak reduction setting. The DR-05 connects to your computer via USB for easy drag and drop transfer and can be powered via USB if desired.
In use I have found that the Tascam DR-05 provides a high quality recording, in a simple, easy to use package. I’ve mainly been recording to MP3 format as that the files are smaller and I have no need for super high quality. Typically I set the recorder on a shelf in our practice space and hit record. Sometimes I’ll let it run for the entire session, usually 2 hours, which gives me one long track. When I want to break things up more I’ll hit stop between each song we do, which allows me to create a new track for every song as we record. All in all the Tascam DR-05 is a cool little recorder that sound great.
DR-05 SPECIFICATIONS
- Handheld Portable Recorder
- Built-in Stereo Condenser Omnidirectional Microphones with sensitivity up to 125dB SPL
- Up to 96kHz/24-bit WAV (BWF) linear PCM recording
- Stereo MP3 recording from 32-320 kbps bit rate
- Peak Reduction function, optimized for music recording, automatically sets the gain of while recording
- Limiter and low-cut filter to help prevent distortion
- Automatic or manual level setting
- Self timer recording starts recording 5 or 10 sec. after pressing the record button for waiting until you are ready
- Auto and manual track increment
- Variable speed playback (50%-150%) without changing the pitch
- Loop and repeat playback
- Level Align feature prevents uneven volume levels during playback
- Playback EQ setting
- Editing function (Divide and delete)
- Up to 99 mark points on each file
- Chromatic tuner
- 1/8” stereo mic/line input
- USB 2.0 port for transfer to PC and external power
- Up to 2-second pre recording buffer
- Jump back function returns to previous point with one action (1-10, 20, 30 sec.)
- 1/8” headphone/line output
- Built-in speaker
- microSD (64MB – 2GB)/microSDHC (4GB – 32GB) card slot (2GB card included)
- Powered by 2 AA batteries, AC adapter (optional: PS-P515U), or USB bus power
- Tripod socket hole
- Dimensions: 2 3/8” W x 5 9/16” H x 1” D
- Weight: 4 1/16 oz