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 The Roland CD-2e Portable Audio Recorder
Basic Types of
Portable (Field) Recording Devices:
On today’s market
a musician can find three basic types of portable recording devices.
The first type uses recordable CD media as an output medium. The
second type of portable recording device uses flash memory such as
the kind used in most digital cameras. The last type of field
recording device is a hybrid of the first two, combining the
flexibility of both types into one compact unit.
CD Based Portable
Recording Devices:
Products such as the
Superscope
and the Roland
CD-2 have been around for quite some time now and can
be found in thousands of band and music rooms world-wide. These
devices are about the size of a small shoe box and often have built
in stereo microphones. Users can optionally plug in external
microphones through XLR jacks built into the units. Some recorders
even provide phantom power for driving condenser microphones that
require an external power source.
 The Yamaha PocketTrak 2G
Flash memory is a very
cheap and compact way to store information, and the latest portable
recording products have incorporated this solid state memory in place
of internal CD-Rom burners. The compact size of the flash memory
means that the device can be shrunk down as well. A new field
recorder from Yamaha named the PockeTrak
2G is only slightly bigger than a pack of chewing gum
yet has a large storage capacity and an excellent built in stereo
microphone. Other similar units such as the very popular Edirol
R-09 are also useful and fit into the palm of the hand
or hang around the neck for easy transport. Audio is downloaded from
the unit into a computer for processing, editing, and optional output
to a recordable CD-Rom disc.
Flash and CD Based
Hybrid Recording Devices:
The final option in
portable digital recording is hybrid devices that use both types of
storage media. Devices such as the Roland
CD-2e record audio first to the flash memory installed
in the device, then later burn that audio out to the CD after the
recording session has completed. There are several benefits to this
setup. First, there will be no ambient motor noise picked up by the
microphones as the recorder burns the CD. Second, it is a failsafe
backup. If the power goes off during a CD burning session the disc
will be rendered useless, but if the music is already stored on the
flash memory a second or multiple discs can easily be created using
the same digitally stored data.
A user should weigh the
benefits of size over portability when making any portable recording
device purchase. With a little research it is very easy to find a
recorder that will fit the needs of almost any ensemble recording
situation.
Tags: portable recorder audio recorder record audio handheld recorder pockettrak 2g cd-2e yamaha roland microphone
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