Portable Digital Recorders

What is a portable digital recorder?

A portable digital recorder is a compact, battery-powered device that’s capable of creating high-resolution digital audio recordings. Most portable digital recorders feature high-quality, built-in microphones, but some only have inputs for connecting external audio signals. Recordings are stored on either internal memory or removable media (such as SD cards). Portable digital recorders enable you to make incredible-sounding recordings and then easily transfer the audio files to a computer (which was a very time-consuming process in the past).

Why would I use a portable digital recorder?

People use portable digital recorders for many different purposes. Musicians use them to record rehearsals and performances, filmmakers use them to record sound for their shoots, journalists use them to record interviews and ambient sound, students use them to record lectures and to take notes, podcasters use them to record in the field; there are many practical applications for these recorders. Being able to create and share high-quality recordings easily benefits a wide range of users.

Is there a difference between a “portable digital recorder” and a “voice recorder”?

There’s an entirely different product category of small handheld gadgets called “voice recorders,” which are often confused with portable digital recorders. Voice recorders were designed solely to capture low-quality voice memos. Portable digital recorders are high-quality devices with excellent sounding built-in microphones, better signal-to-noise ratios, more inputs and outputs and more options for recording high-resolution or compressed audio files.

What kind of inputs and outputs will I find on portable digital recorders?

There are a number of different kinds of jacks found on portable digital recorders: XLR inputs and outputs, “combo” inputs, line-level inputs and outputs, S/PDIF inputs and outputs, headphone outputs, mini-plug mic inputs, red and white RCA jacks, remote control ports, USB ports and external AC power connections.

What are XLR inputs and outputs, and why would I need them?

An XLR jack is a three-pin connector which is used on professional microphones and other kinds of equipment. XLR jacks are desirable because they lock into place and provide a more secure, richer-sounding audio connection. If you’re using a portable digital recorder to capture the audio for an HDSLR video shoot, you’ll likely want a recorder that features either balanced XLR microphone inputs or a combo input, because they both enable you to connect professional shotguns and wireless microphones to the recorder.

What are combo inputs, and why would I need them?

This kind of jack combines a three-pin XLR input and a 1/4" input into a single socket (a 1/4" connector is the same size as a standard electric-guitar cable). Combo inputs look unfamiliar at first, because they’re visually different from both XLR and 1/4" inputs, yet they accept both kinds of plugs. You can use them to connect microphones or various kinds of audio equipment and instruments to the recorder.

What are line-level inputs and outputs, and why would I need them?

The principle behind a line-level audio signal is simple. A line-level audio signal is much stronger than a mic-level signal, and therefore the jack that a line-level signal gets connected to needs to be outfitted to accept this stronger signal. If you plug a line-level audio signal into a mic-level input, the audio signal will be too strong and it will sound overdriven and distorted. Conversely, if you connect a microphone to a line-level input, the audio will be too faint to be heard or recorded.

Line-level inputs and outputs are found on most portable digital recorders. On handheld recorders, the line-level connections are often 3.5mm mini-plug jacks. One example of how you can use a line-level input is by attaching it to the line-level output of a field mixer or the DJ mixer at a wedding or an event. Line-level outputs are useful for connecting powered speakers to the recorder. On many handheld portable digital recorders, a single output acts as both the headphone output and as the line-level output.

What are S/PDIF connectors, and why would I need them?

S/PDIF is simply a digital audio format. Just think of S/PDIF as a digital version of an analog audio signal. S/PDIF stands for Sony/Phillips Digital Interconnect Format. The most common kind of S/PDIF connector is a coaxial jack (digital coaxial jacks look exactly like analog RCA jacks). A single S/PDIF connector can pass a two-channel stereo signal. An S/PDIF signal can also be sent through an optical TOSLINK connector, but optical connectors aren’t commonly found on portable digital recorders. In fact, S/PDIF connectors aren’t common in portable digital recorders, but you do see them on occasion. Connectors like these are only useful if you have other equipment with S/PDIF jacks. They enable you to pass a digital audio signal to or from the portable digital recorder without needing to down-convert the audio a generation to analog. You can maintain higher audio quality if you avoid converting the signal from digital to analog.

What kind of microphones can I use with a portable digital recorder?

If you want to use an external microphone with a portable digital recorder, you must determine whether or not your recorder features an external microphone input. External microphone inputs on portable digital recorders are either 3.5mm mini-plug inputs, XLR inputs or combo inputs. There is a variety of wired and wireless handheld, lavalier, shotgun, headset and stereo mics available at B&H for every kind of microphone input. It should be noted that certain kinds of condenser microphones require “phantom power” to operate.

So, what is “Phantom Power” and why would I need it?

Some mics run on batteries, others don’t require any power at all, and some need to be fed power from the device into which they’re plugged. “Phantom power” is the electricity the device supplies to power the mic when it’s plugged into the device. Most of the portable digital recorders that feature XLR or combo mic inputs will also supply phantom power. Because only certain kinds of mics require phantom power, recorders usually feature a switch to turn it on and off. Besides being called phantom power, it is also referred to as “+48V.”

How many tracks can a portable digital recorder record?

Typically, a portable digital recorder will record two separate tracks (one track for stereo left and the other for stereo right). However, there are some portable digital recorders that can record four, six, eight and even more isolated tracks of audio simultaneously.

How long can I record on a portable digital recorder?

The amount of audio that you can record into a portable digital recorder is dependent on the amount of memory that’s available—internal as well as memory cards—and the amount of life in your batteries. If you’re recording CD-quality audio (44.1 kHz 16-bit), you can typically fit about 90 minutes of audio onto 1GB of memory. If you’re recording compressed MP3 audio, you can typically fit about 17 hours of audio onto 1GB of memory. Resolution and compression settings make a big impact on file sizes.

How does a portable digital recorder connect to my computer?

Most portable digital recorders feature a USB port to connect to a computer. However, there are some models that feature FireWire connectivity. If you’re recording onto a removable media card, it’s also a common practice to extract the card from the portable digital recorder and slide it into a card reader that’s connected to a computer.

Can I mount a portable digital recorder on my camera or tripod?

Some (but not all) portable digital recorders come with a built-in 1/4"-20 tripod thread, which makes it possible to mount them directly to a tripod (or to the shoe of a camera with the addition of an accessory shoe adapter).

Can I connect the output of a portable digital recorder to my camera?

If a camera features a mini-plug mic input, you can connect it to the headphone output of a portable digital recorder, but only if you use a specially designed cable for this task. The headphone output of a portable digital recorder is a line-level signal. As was explained earlier in this guide, if you connect a line-level signal to a mic-level input, you’re going to get overdriven and distorted sound. That’s why when you connect the headphone output of a portable digital recorder to a mic-level input, you need to use a cable that has a built-in signal attenuator.

There are special cables made by Sescom and Whirlwind specifically for this purpose. The cables have attenuators that reduce the level of the audio signal by 25dB, and they’re labeled to show you which end to plug into the portable digital recorder and which end to plug into the camera. Because the cable consumes the headphone output jack of your portable digital recorder, there are versions of this cable available that offer a “headphone tap,” which will enable you to monitor the sound in the portable digital recorder as you work.

What are some useful features to look for in a portable digital recorder?

Because different kinds of people use portable digital recorders for varied purposes, there are features that may appeal to some more than others. If you’re a musician, there are many recorders that feature built-in effects like reverb and echo, guitar tuners and the ability to loop a section of audio and slow it down (which is useful for learning how to play a piece of music). The ability to slow down the playback of a recording is also useful for people who use their recorder to take notes, so you can listen to rapid-fire oratory at your own pace.

Another handy feature to have is larger hardware dials to control the input levels. When you need to adjust the gain up or down on the fly during a recording, it’s very satisfying to be able to do so without having to search for the level controls. One or two models can even double as computer audio interfaces and USB microphones.

What accessories should I get for my portable digital recorder?

Batteries and memory cards: It’s always good to have extra batteries and memory cards on hand when you’re recording in the field.

Cases: Because you usually bring a portable digital recorder along with you on your travels, it’s also a good idea to have a case for it.

Wind Protection: Some portable digital recorders come with a foam windscreen to keep wind noise from disrupting the audio quality when used outdoors, but it’s a good idea to buy additional wind protection (such as a fuzzy topper) for these mics.