Professional Recorders

Higher quality audio necessary for broadcasting

Those hoping to broadcast or share recordings with a wide audience need a digital recorder capable of both capturing a wider range of audio frequencies and producing clearer recreations of voices and music. While podcasting doesn't require recording-studio quality, you will want something that will deliver respectable playback. That means podcasters will want something better than a basic recorder, and without the heavy compression and dictation features of voice recorders. In this class, we found the best reviews for the Roland Edirol R-09HR (*Est. $400).

Mark Nelson of O'Reilly Digital Media provides the most comprehensive review of the Roland Edirol R-09HR, which he describes as an improvement over its predecessor the R-09. Enhancements include a wireless remote control, improved microphones, reduced noise, a built-in speaker, an OLED screen, better build quality and a table stand. But perhaps the most notable change is the ability to support WAV files at up to a 96 kHz sampling rate, which led to adding "HR" (high resolution) to the model name. In addition to this top-of-the-line spec, the Roland Edirol R-09HR supports memory cards of up to 32 GB, more than any other model discussed so far. As with its predecessor, the Roland Edirol R-09HR can also record MP3 and VBR files. Nelson also likes the Roland Edirol's intuitive interface, enabling easy file management and selection. Although Nelson makes a policy of never choosing one digital recorder over another, he does say that the Roland Edirol R-09HR is "one of the easiest recorders to use and it is a good choice for anyone wanting to capture songs at a music festival, record lectures, or create podcasts."

For nearly half the price of the Roland Edirol R-09HR, the Samson Zoom H2 (*Est. $165) offers many of the same features and makes an excellent budget choice for those seeking high-quality recordings. Like the Roland Edirol R-09HR, you can expand the 512 MB of memory that the Samson Zoom H2 comes with by replacing the SD card, but the limit is 16 GB, half that of the Roland Edirol R-09HR. The Samson Zoom H2 also records WMA, MP3 or VBR recordings at several quality settings. While it doesn't include a speaker like the Roland Edirol R-09HR, there is a headphone jack (with basic earbuds included), and you can also connect it to speakers with a stereo cable. The Samson Zoom H2 is compatible with PCs and Mac systems, and expected battery life is about four hours on two AA batteries.

Mark Nelson at O'Reilly Digital Media provides the most thorough review of the Samson Zoom H2, describing not only the ins and outs of its features but also tips on how to use it and sample audio files so you can get a sense of the quality of its recordings. Nelson makes it clear that the Samson Zoom H2 is not ideal for professional recording, but he implies that it is the most affordable recorder capable of "acceptable" music recordings. A September 2007 review by Germany's AudioTranskription.de says that the plastic casing looks a bit cheesy, but the Samson Zoom H2 is the best choice in its price class for ''broadcast-recording quality, pleasing journalists as well as researchers and musicians."

A couple reviews did point to some challenges with the Samson Zoom H2 digital voice recorder, making it clear why the Roland Edirol R-09HR is the better choice if you have the additional money to spend. CNET appreciates the high-end features that the Samson Zoom H2 digital recorder gives you for such an affordable price, but notices that the recording quality is not as good as one might expect from a professional recorder and that the build quality is not quite first rate. Although the Samson Zoom H2 has four microphones, a unique feature at this price and one that enables 360-degree recording coverage, this digital recorder can't produce genuine "surround sound" recordings. In contrast to the Roland Edirol R-09HR's easy and intuitive interface, David Strom of TomsGuide.com notes that the Samson Zoom H2's "user interface is a bit quirky." Strom also says the type size on the controls on this recorder is too small, which makes it more challenging to control recording levels on the fly.