Wirecutter is reader-supported. Dolby secret tested a professional music recording “234” last year, and on the same lines released Dolby On for on iOS.… If your smart speaker is a Google Home, here are the best devices that work with it. … Just Press Record doesn’t allow you to name folders and organize them; it automatically creates folders of recordings by date. It also offers a better collection of features than the other models we tested, with an easy-to-navigate menu system, a bright backlit screen, 39 hours of recording time (in MP3 format), 27-hour battery life, voice-activated recording to pause and restart after silences, and a pop-out USB 3.0 connector that lets you recharge the recorder and transfer files to a computer easily. *At the time of publishing, the price was $63. The only people who should consider spending more are professionals who need to publish the audio they record, and they likely already know which recorder is best for their specific needs. For the office scene, Anna read a different Seinfeld monologue in a quiet room in her house to mimic dictation, placing recorders on a table 2 feet away from her mouth. Your choice will come down to features versus convenience, and your particular needs. Our listening panel gave Just Press Record the highest audio-quality scores for an iOS app. It’s always exciting to start a new project or launch a new product line, … If you’re on a budget, we recommend Sony’s ICD-PX470. Learn more. So if you’re trying to type up a lecture or interview with a particularly fast-talker, you can slow down the voice speed and save yourself the trouble of rewinding the same 15 seconds over and over. Olympus introduces a ton of technical features that help it stand out too, including an “Intelligent Auto Mode” function that automatically adjusts microphone pickup and sensitivity based on how loud someone is speaking. Portable voice recorders are enormously helpful tools in many settings, whether you’re a college student recording a lecture, a musician recording a particular melody, a journalist recording an interview, or a professional recording an important meeting. Oddly, you won’t be able to use the A-B Repeat to replay the same section repeatedly in transcription mode. Choosing the best voice recorder was a challenge because many of the high-end voice recorders are designed with a specific audience or purpose in … In our tests, only recordings made in quieter environments like a home office had decent transcription accuracy, so you can’t rely on Just Press Record to transcribe everything, but it’s a nice option for dictation or interviews in quieter settings. The Philips recorder lacks this function altogether; on the Olympus, Anna was able to rename files and folders from her Mac, but the device no longer saw them (the Olympus manual does warn against this possibility). Sharing Files: In addition to large storage space, we look for devices with easy file-sharing capabilities so you’re never struggling to transfer a recording to your computer. Start your vinyl music journey here with our picks for turntable, receiver, speakers, and more. Sony ICDUX560BLK voice recorder. The PX470 has a battery life of 55 hours, which is longer than that of our main pick, but it doesn’t have a built-in rechargeable battery; it uses AAA batteries. The recorder comes with 4 GB of storage, which allows for roughly 39 hours of recording time using MP3 format at 192 Kbps; that’s comparable to what you get with most of the recorders we tested. If you can’t find the Sony UX560, or its price increases dramatically, we also like the Olympus WS-853 for its superior combination of storage space and battery life, each of which was better than with everything else we tested. During our testing, noise cancellation was effective at reducing background hiss, clangs, and the noise from the coffee grinder, while the voice balancer did even out recorded levels though it made voices sound flat. Choose from a “noise cut” filter (which rolls off both low and high frequency sounds) or a low-cut filter to reduce boomy lower frequencies and rumbly sounds alone. The Best App For Recording Meetings Isn’t A Voice Recorder In the US alone, there are between 36 and 56 million business meetings held every day, and on average, employees attend 62 meetings … We also paid close attention to the availability of each model we were considering, and we excluded any recorders that companies couldn’t confirm were still being made. The Olympus has one of the largest screens of the models tested, larger than that of our main pick. It also has a built-in USB 3.0 plug for easy file upload. The UX560 is also the slimmest recorder we tested—at 0.43 inch thick it can easily fit in a shirt or pants pocket. If you don’t want a physical recorder, or need to only occasionally make recordings, we also have picks for the best iOS and Android voice-recording apps. To find out what makes a good recorder, we spoke to two experts: Jerad Lewis from TDK, and Rob O’Reilly at Analog Devices. The Sony UX560 ranked roughly the same as two other models in two of the three recording settings. It has a noise-reduction chip to enhance human voice recording and most people agree that the sound quality produced is excellent. It rated poorly in the lecture test, however, as listeners said that background and foreground noises overpowered the speaker’s voice. For supported versions, you can synchronize Dragon Anywhere with your desktop and do voice work on your computer as well. Want more Rolling Stone? But with 8 GB of internal storage, 130 hours of recording time, and a battery the company claims lasts 110 hours when recording in MP3 format, the WS-853 has the best storage and battery life of the recorders we tested. The Olympus is made of shiny plastic and has raised buttons that some people will find easier to use. It also has longer battery life than the UX560 at 55 hours, but it isn’t rechargeable—you have to remember to keep AAA batteries on hand. The best part: this voice recorder doubles as a music player, with the ability to play MP3 files through the built-in speakers or by plugging in a pair of headphones. Like the other Sony models, the PX470 can record in a range of uncompressed high-quality and space-saving compressed formats, and it has voice-activated automatic recording, noise cut and low cut filters, and scene options to quickly optimize for varied recording situations you might encounter. Listeners said of the coffee shop sample, “Wow! The audio files from the voice recorder have been notably better than the ones her smartphone has captured, and she hasn’t had any problems or durability issues. Wirecutter writer Anna Perling recorded MP3 audio at the highest bit rates available on each device in order to get the best possible audio quality—this showed what each recorder was capable of. Multiple buttons at the top of the home screen make it quick to adjust recording settings. The screen on the UX560’s fades and eventually shuts off during recording, which is a little disconcerting, but an LED indicates that you’re still recording. Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant make listening to radio, controlling smart devices, and creating reminders as simple as asking for it. Audio Quality: Excellent audio quality is a must. Like the UX560, the Olympus has a voice-activated recording setting to automatically stop and start recordings based on volume levels so you don’t have to manually pause if you’re recording a lecture or conversation with lots of breaks. Playback controls let you slow down or speed up your recordings for easier transcribing. Like other picks, this recorder has a voice-activation function, as well as power-on password protection which is useful for any sensitive recordings. Its 4 GB of memory records up to 57 hours of audio, but this can be expanded by adding a micro SD card for an additional 32 GB2 of memory. Editor’s Pick: Sony PCM-D100. But no problems with durability—it has held up fine thrown in a backpack.”. Its small size fits neatly in a pocket and its intuitive design makes it easy to use right out of the box. That meant 192 Kbps for all recorders except for the Olympus, which maxes out at 128 Kbps (though even this should be good enough for voice recordings). While most people won’t need these features, Hi-Q also scored the highest in our audio-quality tests of the Android apps we tested. These included Jerad Lewis, a field application engineer working at TDK, which manufactures microphones, including MEMS mics (microelectromechanical microphones for smartphones), and Rob O’Reilly, a senior member technical staff at Analog Devices (which makes a range of audio and video electronic devices). The WS-853 also has voice-activated recording to stop and restart recordings after silences, and a pop-out USB 3.0 connector for easy recharging and file transfer. As with the Sony UX560, a pop-out USB 3.0 plug lets you easily upload files to a computer and recharge the two replaceable AAA batteries, which takes about 3 hours. Recordings are noted by cassette-like icons instead of a list, and an animation of a cassette spins while you’re recording, which is unnecessary. We then used the following criteria to choose our finalists: Based on recommendations and this criteria, our final app list consisted of: For our 2017 update, we tested the voice recorders and apps in three settings: sitting at the back of a college lecture hall during class, in a loud coffee shop to simulate an interview, and in a quiet room to mimic dictation. A covered but easily accessible microSD slot allows for 32 GB more of storage space if you need more recording hours. At that size, it’s not as convenient to carry around in a pocket. That said, audio heard through earphones is much superior to the sound produced by the built-in speaker. The PX470’s buttons and navigation system are very similar to that of the UX560, but our listening panel didn’t rate the PX470’s audio quality as highly. The Olympus doesn’t have quite as many high-quality recording options as the UX560, but it still has a range of formats that let you optimize quality or maximize storage space. Anna then conducted a blind listening panel: Four Wirecutter staffers listened to 15-second samples of each unlabeled recording and rated the overall audio quality and intelligibility of words for each. Smartphone apps can record understandable audio, which may be all you want in a recorder or app. Wirecutter staff writer Anna Perling has been using our top pick, the Sony UX560, to record interviews over the past year. When you need to take notes for school or work, a digital voice recorder can make the task much easier. Sign up for our newsletter. In most cases, the simplest way to do this is with a usb plug-in. The UX560’s other playback options, however, made it overall a better choice than the Olympus for people looking to transcribe interviews or lectures: an A-B Repeat function lets you go back and replay the same section repeatedly, and digital pitch control lets you adjust the playback speed if you need to listen more closely to difficult-to-decipher passages. It does best in quiet settings with minimal background noise. You can share files to Gmail, messages, and Facebook Messenger, and transfer files via Bluetooth. Great separation of background noise from foreground. There are a few basic functions you’ll want from a good voice recorder, including superior audio quality, a size that is convenient to carry, plenty of storage space, and the ability to easily share and edit files. For the fall 2017 update to this guide, Wirecutter’s Anna Perling spoke with several experts to learn what makes a great recorder. Digital Voice Activated Recorder by Dictopro- Easy HD Recording of Lectures and Meetings with Do… It has 4 GB of storage with a microSD slot if you want to add memory—similar to what you get with our top pick, but less than what you get with our runner-up. Easy Voice Recorder does have noise suppression, echo cancellation, and automatic gain control, but our top Android pick offers these features for free, and was a more reliable app overall. Parrot has the most ways to fine-tune recording and playback out of the free apps we tested. The Sony UX560 received the highest overall scores from our listening panel, and it has the best combination of features of any recorder we tested. The PX470 is also slightly larger and bulkier—while the UX560 is about the thickness of an iPhone, the PX470 is closer to the thickness of two iPhones. The Parrot app for Android has the best range of recording options and the cleanest interface of the free Android apps we tested. The Sony UX560’s extra features make an already-great recorder stand out from the rest. Simple Record and Stop buttons at the top of the home screen are intuitive to use. Zoom H1n Handy Portable Digital Recorder Bundle. Just Press Record’s interface is intuitive and easy to use—as the app implies, you just tap Record and Stop to create recordings. Voice Recorder, Portable 16GB Recorder Device Voice Activated Recorder with Playback, USB Audio Recorder for Lecture, Meeting, Interview 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 $38.99 $ 38 . Lets deal with efficiency first. Anna Perling is a staff writer covering kitchen gear at Wirecutter. Now New Changes Could Destroy Sex Workers’ Livelihoods, See Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band’s Joyous ‘SNL’ Performance, From Pour Overs to a Moka Pot, Here Are the Best Ways to Make Coffee Manually, The Best Novelty Mugs to Give as Gifts (or to Get for Yourself). Soniclear recorder provides a clear voice quality of even the softest voice around the room. But it lacks a USB plug (it requires a USB dongle to connect to your computer), making it less convenient for file upload and storage, and has the fewest recording options of the stand-alone recorders we tested. Browse a wide range of conference and meeting recording equipment, software, and systems at StartStop. Transcribe converts speech (recorded directly in Word or from an uploaded audio file) to a text transcript with each speaker individually separated. (This feature was on all of the recorders tested, though you’ll probably prefer to manually pause and restart recordings to make sure you’re getting the audio you want.). The Sony PX470, the budget pick, barely edged out the UX560 in a quiet office. We skipped over the Sony ICD-PX333 for this round of testing in favor of the comparable, newer PX470. While playing back audio, the WS853 can compensate somewhat for problems you might have run into while recording: a noise-cancellation setting can reduce overall background hiss (though this comes at the expense of battery life), while a voice balancer setting can even out recordings that were made with the mic sensitivity set too low or high by compressing the overall level for a more even sound (though you might run into increased noise). ), We recorded with noise cut (high- and low-pass filters) enabled on the recorders that had it (all of our test models except for the Philips) and scene-setting features appropriate for a given test situation turned on, based on the recommendations of our experts. It recorded the most intelligible audio of all the recorders we tested and offers the most useful collection of features: It’s rechargeable via USB; it has a legible, backlit screen; and its menu system is the easiest to navigate. © Copyright 2020 Rolling Stone, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. The ability to slow down audio makes it great for transcribing interviews or taking notes. The voices were the tiniest bit unnatural, but overall this is definitely my favorite sample so far.”. For example, you can access mic source and effects by tapping the on-screen Settings button once. The Best Voice Recorders for Lectures, Interviews and Meetings 1. Smartphone microphones and noise-cancellation systems are optimized for close-up voice capture as well, and while some apps will let you tweak settings for better recording quality, you can generally get better results from a dedicated recorder. 8.6. But if you can’t risk losing a recording, spend the $5 for Just Press Record. One panel participant said that audio recorded in the coffee shop was “very clear, the background noises were pleasantly balanced with the foreground, and I felt like actual voices had a pleasing quality to them.” In the lecture setting, listeners commented that while the recording picked up background noise, the lecturer was still understandable. We also like the robust 16GB of memory, which allows for up to 1160 hours of recordings. Navigating the menus is also more difficult than on our top pick. The Olympus didn’t do as well as the UX560 in our listening tests, ranking lowest overall for audio quality by our panel, though its recordings are still understandable and it scored well on the lecture test, tying with the UX560. This software allows you to easily … When I started my career and acquired my habits, there wasn’t an alternative. You should also be able to skip ahead or skip backwards in small increments in case you need to repeat a section or find a particular moment. The UX560 was the easiest recorder to navigate and use among those tested. Fully Grasp New Projects. Noise-cancellation technology helps to filter out ambient noise — say, traffic or an air conditioner — so you can clearer playback. For the lecture scene, Anna sat in the back of Sahithya Reddivari’s engineering class at Georgia State University in Clarkston, Georgia, and lined recorders up next to each other, with the mics facing toward the lecturer. Its bright, color screen makes looking at folders and files easy. Genius!But how well do they really work? If you mainly record voice memos in your office, or interviews in quiet rooms, you can save some money by choosing the Sony ICD-PX470. 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