Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I'm a rookie at sound recording, but wanted to get started learning on a machine with enough decent features and capabilities that I would not run into too many limitations. With simple controls, the ability to use an external mic and to record up to 24 bit/96KHz this extremely compact recorder looked like the one for me, especially since it included a case with a sturdy tripod mount, a wireless remote, an AC power cord, and sound editing software. Unfortunately, the first one had a defective mic input as well as creating severe dropouts when set to the 24 bit/96KHz quality level. I returned it to try again; the second one worked well with an ext mic but still could not make a clean recording at 24/96, so I've exchanged it for a Tascam DR-1.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I spent $500 on the Roland R-09 in 2007, loved it from the moment I got it, and was pleased to get five years of life from it after putting it through a lot of vibration and torture. Its replacement, the R-09HR is half the price, has the same features and a few more than the R-09 offered, and, most importantly, is ruggedized. The R-09, while doing a great job to capture audio at incredible quality levels, was light, plastic and something to worry about if dropped. The R-09SH must weight 3X as much (still light), and has the feel of something that will go 10 years before needing to replace. The case is also really nice--a lot of thought went into it, compared to some of the light covers I've seen on other brands. A no-brainer purchase.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

It is portable, pocket size, as a player & recorder.
Excellent sound quality.
This the 4th one I bought.
Chai Staten Island

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

Easy to use, good construction quality, good performance.
However please note the space for the batteries is too tight, and some AA batteries don't fit.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I didn't think the original R-09HR could get any better, but it has. The button layout and functions, along with menu setup is the same as the initial R-09HRs, but the software has been greatly expanded. The menus now give you the options to, among other things, use a digital metronome and a tuner function. Amazing.

Simple to use, ergonomic, and it comes with a huge manual that answers every question that you could have about the device.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I have bought about a dozen of the R-09HR recorders for use in recording projects in difficult field conditions. They are so simple even an amateur can make great recordings. The only con I have listed is unnecessary functions for the recording I am using them for. Some may like and use the metronome and other convenient functions which are not needed for my use.

B&H gave great service as always. I recommend both the Edirol and B&H for good price and excellent knowledge and service.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I'm an electronic music producer and I bought this to sample sounds to use in my music. It was easy to use right out of the box. Very intuitive. It picks up a lot of sound, which is great...but even if my laptop is running on the other side of the room it will pick up the sound of the fan. I also use it to record lectures. I can put it in my front shirt pocket and it records the speaker, about 15 feet away, very nicely. Overall, I'd say this is the most bang you'll get for your buck in field recorders.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I use this recorder to record live interviews for the Construction Industry Podcast. It is absolutely easy to use, reliable and the sound quality is fantastic.

I highly recommend it.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

Internal speakers, remote control and overall quality of this machine.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I was happy with this recorder right out of the box. I use it for recording meetings, music, and live concerts.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

Easy to use. Long Battery Life. Great Quality audio.
I own 4 of these recorders and wouldn't hesitate to purchase another if I needed it.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I record my sermon either on the pulpit or connected to the sound mixer.
This product is perfect for those uses. If you have just a regular microphone, connect this to the 'MIC' and the sound quality is super.

It has mp3 format, so you don't have to convert the files.
I recommend you to keep one for you too.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

We use this mainly for recording at home for students of violin, voice and piano. I have not known a better device on the market for this purpose since the cassette and minidisk recorders and this has a big advantage over those with versatility in transferring data. This is so easy to use, with little need for a manual except for more advanced functions when it is very useful and clear to understand. The recording quality is very high, even if you want to record in MP3 instead of WAVE to be able to transfer data more easily. The in-built mics work very well in a studio (possibly too well if you don't have soundproofing and don't want to hear the birds outside during recording!) and in a larger space, the recorder works well with a plug-in mic. One of the advantages of the R-09HR over other similar recorders is the editing functions, allowing easy cropping/dividing/combining/converting/etc of a file directly on the recorder so files do not need to be transferred to computer software for basic editing. For more advanced editing, software is provided on a CD-ROM along with the recorder. We have so far had no use for this yet so cannot comment on the software. I especially like that whenever a file is edited directly on the recorder, the original file is saved. This gives you the option to go back to the original if needed. The only con I've come across is that the speed-change function seems to have a problem with syncronisation, creating an echo and making this function almost useless. The only time I have found sync not to be a problem is when speeding up mono recordings. Apart from this one criticism, I consider this device to be very well-designed from sound-quality to ease of use and its tough external design. It is highly valuable for musicians and is also great for recording birdsong, besides other things!

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

o Voice with piano accompaniment

o Sound quality is great - good separation despite close-set microphones

o Need to remove cover to get to input/output jacks

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

Nice looking easy to use versitle recorder for anyone. Record anything you can hear. Built in microphones highly sensitive with gain control and mic jack to plug your other microphone.

down side is hefty unit reminiscent of older technology. Supplied SD card is only 2 GB.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I have pretty much never used sound equipment before, so I'm not sure how much my opinion counts for! I bought this recorder to do "homemade Story Corps" -- interviewing relatives in 45-minute segments to get some of their stories recorded. I have done one such interview so far.

The recorder seems to be high quality. I read the instructions through thoroughly, and thought they were well-written. The settings I have used are straightforward. I've only recorded a few voice snippets using the built-in microphone; of these, the last one came out high quality, after I had learned where to hold the recorder/microphone in relation to the person being recorded. For my 45-minute interview I used an external mike, and the sound quality is great. For the built-in monitor speaker, the only good way I could find to use it was like with a little transister radio back in the 60s -- with the recorder pressed to my ear. But as a monitor, it did its job. With headphones, of course, everything sounded great. My version of this recorder has a "rehearsal" function, which automatically sets the recording levels while auditing prior to recording. I tried this a couple of times, and it seemed like the levels that it set for talking were too low, so I just set levels myself manually. However, I will experiment more with this feature. Basically, the recorder is very handy, and seems like high quality, and I look forward to using it a lot more.

Not so great was the complete absence of a remote indicator light: when you are operating the recorder remotely (it comes with a remote control), this light lets you know when you are in recording standby mode, and also blinks in a way that you can see where to set recording levels remotely. This indicator is shown and its function is explained in the manual, but it is a feature completely missing from my recorder.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

Recording quality is really good. Small enough to carry around to record in the concert halls.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

This is a fine product - I have used it for recording music and created high quality pod cast for the web.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I'm a wedding videographer and use this product to capture audio from the groom, bride, and officiant. The sound quality is excellent. Very sturdy build, too. My only small beef is the placement of the mic port at the bottom side of the recorder, so when you plug in a lav mic its difficult to place in a pocket because the it sticks out a few inches. Should have the mic port on top of the recorder. Despite that, I love the it, sound quality outweighs that.

Comments about Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder with Case:

I am a professional musician and use this to record live music for my own practicing and reference. I don't review too many items, but I like this one enough to do so.

So far I have recorded small orchestras, my jazz group, and myself alone. Oh--and a mockingbird near my house last night.

It is amazingly easy to use and the buttons are quite 'intuitive' (though reading the book helps a lot with certain functions). There is an excellent balance of having enough buttons to avoid too many cumbersome "menus" with not having too many to be complicated. Recording can happen quickly: Turn it on-and push record twice. Levels can be adjusted either in the standby mode or on the fly while recording--this is great.

The quality of the stereo microphone seems very good; the sound of the recordings is excellent. (Haven't compared it to using another mike yet though. Of course, there are microphones which are better--and cost many times what this machine does by themselves.)

The leather case (seemingly available only in the kit at B & H) has a built-in tripod mount, which is a good surprise since the recorder doesn't have one. Also then the mount is padded to lessen vibrations.

There is software included on a disc that allows editing and burning of cds. I have had a lot of trouble with the software, especially the editing functions. It seems to have a lot of glitches and it is not so easy to use, at least at first. Was able to burn cds with it from my files, but the edits did not take.

Also it is frustrating that files downloaded directly to Windows Media Player are not able to be converted to cds by WMP--(no permission!).

Editing is possible on the recorder itself, though they take quite a long time to complete, so it is not very practical to use. For instance when you want to divide a track that is already recorded, the machine takes a good minute or two to complete that function. However, tracks can be marked while you are recording, so if you do it that way it is much more efficient.

As far as how professional the recording can sound, I have discovered that placement is crucial. Placing the unit on the floor greatly overaccentuates the bass. Out in the open, not near a wall or floor, is best, probably on a mike stand or tripod. But for "field" use, a little baby tripod is good--still best avoiding being on the floor. For interviews and such it could even be handheld with good results (if you don't move a lot).