Sound recorders

The following sound recorders have been owned and used by Hans Sundgren.

Plexgear Soundsaver cassette recorder

Image courtesy: Kjell & Company

Technical data

  • Memory: SD/SDHC card up to 32 GB
  • File format: MP3, 128 Kbps
  • Interfaces: Line, earphone
  • Speaker: None
  • Power: 2×AA or 5 V via USB
  • Dimensions: 113×82×32 mm
  • Weight with batteries: 225 g

Documents

October 2021

Hans still has some old compact cassettes, some with music, some with personal recordings. He wants to digitize the tapes and tries his cassette deck Yamaha KX-260. But the speed of the player is to slow, distorting the sound. Alsa, the overall quality is not good. So, he buys the only digitizing player he can find at this time, a small one with both good and bad review comments.

Hans buys the recorder 2021-10-11 from Kjell & Company Erikslund for 499 SEK..

Good

  • Small, can be power by internal batteries of 5 V USB.
  • Quite good sound quality.

Bad

  • OK, it is plastic, but that doesn't matter when it comes to digitzing quality.
  • –
Aputure A.lav ez microphone

Image courtesy: Aputure

Technical data
  • Polar pattern: Omni-directional
  • Frequency range: 50 Hz to 20 kHz
  • Output impedance: 600 ohm
  • Dynamic range: 114 dB (per IEC651)
  • Sensitivity: -41 dB ±2 dB rel 1 V / Pa @ 1 kHz
  • Signal/Noise: 65dB SPL (@ 1 kHz, rel 1 Pa per IEC651)
  • Cable length: 3 m
Documents

pdf, restricted Product manual

March 2017

Hans have several devices for sound recording, but lacks a small microphone. This one seem to have decent specification and price according to the manufacurer: "a broadcast-grade omni-directional lavaliere microphone designed for mobile use".

Hans buys the microphone 2017-03-05 from Scandinavian Photo for 316 SEK.

Faktura

Good
  • Long cable
  • Good sound quality
Bad
  • ???
  • ???
Olympus DP-311, recorder

Image courtesy: Olympus

Technical data
  • Microphone: 1 mono electret condenser
  • Speaker: ⌀36 mm, 200 mW
  • Memory: 2 GB built in and SD card up to 32 GB
  • Interfaces: Microphone ⌀3.5 mm impedance 2 kohm, Earphone ⌀3.5 mm impedance 8 ohm
  • Power: 3×AAA
  • Dimensions: 111×53×20 mm
  • Weight: 96 g including batteries
Documents

pdf Data sheet

pdf, restricted Instructions

May 2016

Hans has a nice sound recorder already, the Zoom H2n, but it is a little bit too complicated to operate and bulky. Therefore Hans wants a compact, easy to use recorder. Olympus has exactly what he wants and he buys the DP-311 from Dustin 2016-05-31 for xxx SEK.

Good
  • User friendly quick operation
  • Long operation time on battery
Bad
  • No USB interface, sound transfer via SD-card only
  • ???
Zoom H2n, recording microphone

Image courtesy: Zoom

Technical data
  • Microphones: 5 in different configurations
  • Memory: SD/SDHC card up to 32 GB
  • Display: LCD 128x64 LCD
  • Interfaces: 1 USB2, mic/line input, line output, remote control
  • Power: 2 x LR6/AA
  • Dimensions: 114×xx×42 mm
  • Weight: 130 g without batteries
Documents

pdf Data sheet

pdf, restricted Operation manual

pdf, restricted SW version history

June 2013

Hans needd a more user friendly digital recorder than the Sony and buys this 2013-06-16 from Teknikmagasinet Västerås for 1490 SEK.

Good
  • Easy to use
  • Long operation time on battery
Bad
  • ???
  • ???
Forus FSC-1000 digital recorder
Technical data
  • Memory: SD/SDHC card up to 32 GB
  • File format: MP3
  • Interfaces: Line, earphone
  • Speaker output: 1 W
  • Power: xxx
  • Dimensions: 90×60×55 mm
  • Weight: 200 g
Documents

pdf Data sheet

pdf, restricted Operation manual

July 2012

xxxxx.

Good
  • ???
  • ???
Bad
  • ???
  • ???
Sony IC digital recorder ICD-UX80

Image courtesy: Sony

Technical data
  • Microphones: 2, stereo
  • Memory: 2 GB built-in
  • File format: MP3
  • Display: LCD
  • Interfaces: 1 USB2, mic input, headphones
  • Speaker output: 90 mW
  • Power: 1 x LR03/AAA
  • Dimensions: 99×34×13 mm
  • Weight: 48 g with battery
Documents

pdf, restricted Operating instructions

August 2008

Xxxxxxxx.

Good
  • ???
  • ???
Bad
  • ???
  • ???
Diasonic, digital recorder
Technical data
  • Microphones: 1
  • Memory: xxx
  • Display: xxx
  • Interfaces: USB 1.1
  • Power: x x LR6/AA
  • Dimensions: xxx
  • Weight: xxxx
Documents

pdf, restricted Instruction manual

September 2003

xxxx.

Good
  • ???
  • ???
Bad
  • ???
  • ???
Telia Axezz, telephone answering machine
Technical data
  • xxx
  • xxx
Documents

pdf, restricted Instruction manual

Xxxx 199x

xxxx.

Good
  • Solid state memory for outgoing message
  • Remote control from any other telephone
Bad
  • Can only store 3 minutes per message
  • Failed to work 2006
Aiwa TP-S101 cassette recorder, mono
Technical data
  • xxxx
  • xxx
  • xxx
  • Dimensions: xxx
  • Weight: xxxx
Documents

pdf, restricted Operating instructions

 

Xxxxx 1983

Hans purchased the recorder in London 1983. It was not available on the Swedish market.

Good
  • Stereo recording
  • Touch controlled mechanism
Bad
  • High power consumption
  • Easy to trigger the touch controls unintentionally
Philips cassette recorder, mono
Technical data
  • xxxx
  • xxx
  • xxx
  • Dimensions: xxx
  • Weight: xxxx
Documents

 

 

Xxxxx 197x

This standard type of tape recorder was used to record Klas first noise.

Good
  • Used tape cassettes instead of tape reels
  • Xxxxxx
Bad
  • Xxxxxx
  • Xxxxxxx
Miniature tape recorder, mono
Technical data
  • xxxx
  • xxx
  • xxx
  • Dimensions: xxx
  • Weight: xxxx
Documents

 

 

December 1967

This was a very small tape recorder at that time. No recordings from this time is left.

In the end the recorder was dismounted into pieces. With this recorder Hans learned how a tape recorder was designed. The erasing "head" was a permanent magnet that was moved towards the moving tape.

Similar tape recorders are: Cambridge model 501 and Sandy Deluxe Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorder Player, but they are more advanced.

Good
  • Inexpensive
  • Easy to understand and learn how a tape recorder functions.
Bad
  • Small tape reels with only 15 minutes recording time
  • Xxxxxxx