Want info on digital recorder, AC/DC that can be plugged in

[Bill Parsons]

I am looking for a digital recorder to record the speakers at a couple of groups that I belong to.

I do not trust batteries. So I want an AC/DC capability so that I can plug the digital recorder into an electric outlet.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thank you.

Bill

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

I also don't rely on batteries and plug in everything. My Olympus, an older model, DM-1, has AC/DC. I have 3 of this model. The original was purchased in 2003 for $209, a second one on ebay in 2004 for $101, and a third one in 2006 for $70 from a CR who didn't need it. One is going strong, a second one is questionable, and the third is waiting in the wings. I can't tell if the one that is totally fine is the original purchased from Martel or the ebay item.

So after my little story, I say check out higher end Olympus models and make sure you get a second AC cord. Don't want to be scrambling for that a year or two or three later when you might need it.

Marge

[Bill Parsons]

Hi Marge,

Many thanks for advice regarding Olympus. I will start looking in that direction.

Best Regards, Bill

[Rhonda Hall Breuwet, RDR CRR CLR]

Bill, I just got a Marantz PMD 620. It is THE most crystal clear audio recording I have ever heard. Not cheap, but it's well worth the money.

[Cindy L.A.]

I've used the Olympus DS40 every day for backup for 2 1/2 years. It comes with an optional adapter which I just plug into my electric strip along with everything else. Don't want to mess with batteries. I did for a short while, but bought the plug immediately....and no worries. I wouldn't be without it and the sound is incredible! I just transfer into my laptop every so often and keep that audio backup file forever. I even use it for bench conferences with a headset and I don't have to move from my chair/laptop/machine, and, again, the sound is incredible.
Cindy L.A.

[Bill Parsons]

Rhonda and Cindy,

Many thanks for your recommendations. I hope to be getting digital recorder soon now that I have so much info.

Best Regards, Bill

[Kyung]

I have a Olympus ds. Don't remember the number. I bought an a/c adapter from "The Shack."

[Jennie Ann]

I am coming late to the party with my input, but here I go.

The Olympus is a very popular digital recording device, and I do not think you can go wrong with an Olympus. I do wonder how difficult it is to download the audio from the Olympus. I have the Olympus software on one of my desktop computers because several clients who recorded interviews with the Olympus and needed them transcribed could not get the audio off of the recording device. They sent me their Olympus to transcribe the interview, not the audio file. LOL!

One client of mine had a Sony digital recording device, and he said the Sony model he used had a USB plug at the end of it, and he just plugged the Sony recording device into his desktop and downloaded the audio file. It sure did seem easy.

You may end up going with the Olympus, but don't rule out the Sony. Check it out, if you have time. :-)

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

Anyone who sends the recorder rather than the digital file is a real dummy. Or maybe they lost their USB cable and they don't want to spend $10 to get another one!

1. Turn on recorder
2. Plug in USB cable to one end of recorder and other end in USB port of computer
3. Open Olympus software
4. Click "download all"
5. Rename the file by right-clicking on the Olympus-generated name and changing it to this type of name: 9-18-09.dss
6. Now put the file in an easily accessed folder:
a. highlight the file
b. click file\export\My Documents\sound files\work\work 2009

Step number 4 takes the most time, depending on the size of the file. If it's an all-day file, it could take 4-5 minutes. The rest of the steps take about 45 seconds all together.

[Jennie Ann]

Marge, the first time I received an Olympus digital recorder was via FedEx. The client sent the digital recorder to me because they claimed they could not get the audio off of it.

I went to the Olympus website and read and read and read. Soon I realized that you needed the SOFTWARE. Without the software, you can just fuggettaboutit.

I have an Olympus digital camera, and I even tried to use my USB cable from that on the Olympus digital recording device, which, of course, did not work. Without that Olympus software, you ain't getting that audio off of that Olympus digital recorder.

Some people buy the Olympus digital recorders and, for whatever reason, don't understand that they need to be sure they can get that audio off of it. What good is the recording if you can't get it off the recording device? LOL

I have had at least a dozen digital recording devices sent to me from clients who could not get the audio off. Now that I have the Olympus software on my desktop computer, it's no problem. However, before I got that Olympus software, I had to plug in an eighth-inch-plug patch cord to the Olympus digital recorder, with the other end plugged into my computer, and actually re-record the digital recording. What a time-consuming task. One lady gave me an Olympus digital recorder with 12 hours of audio that I had to re-record. She was doing an oral history of her father who was in his eighties.

Though this is a seemingly easy task to get the audio off the recorders to the professionals on this forum, you would be surprised how many clients out there don't have a clue how to do it.

Last week, I received a recording from a well-known magazine who needed an overnight transcript of a high-profile interviewee. They had a standard tape recorder as a backup to the digital recording device. After they realized they couldn't get the audio off of the digital recording device, they sent me the standard audiocassette tape to transcribe.

I just printed your step-by-step instructions, Marge, for future reference in case I get another call from a client who experiences this problem. Thanks for providing it. It is very easy to understand, the way you have written it.

[Rhonda Hall Breuwet, RDR CRR CLR]

the easiest thing is to just buy a digital recorder that has a removable disk that you can then put in the computer. Then, even if you don't have the software, you can attach the file to an e-mail and send it to the transcriptionist/scopist who does have the software.

This new Marantz PM620 I got has a USB to transfer, or I can pop the SD card out. My other option is to use the foot pedal I got for it. You just plug the foot pedal straight into the recorder and it becomes a transcriber.

[Christy Fagan, CRR, RMR, CSR]

The Olympus DS-50. I have two of them. Work great, sound is superb. I record on super high quality/conference style I think it is, which only lets you record 17 hours before you need to decide you're safe to erase one or more files because you've already downloaded them to your computer and/or uploaded them to online storage if you need to keep them for a long time. You use the USB cable that comes with it to download the audio and I use StartStop transcription software to listen to it with a footpedal. Very easy to do and you can hear whispers with it.
I take depos, and as soon as the depo has been transcribed and turned in, I delete the file off my recorder. Then you can delete the file off of your computer whenever you feel like you're running out of memory or just whenever you feel you won't need it. If you're wanting to be able to hear any proceeding better because of a soft-spoken witness or just bad acoustics for the room you're in, plug in the earphones that come with it while you're recording and you will never miss another word. It's like wearing a hearing aid, I suppose, where everybody's voice is instantly turned up as loud as you want. Just use the volume up and down buttons to adjust so it doesn't hurt your ears!