Need something easy to use and very portable to record your band or small ensemble?  John McLaren has written a very useful and practical review of the Edirol R-09 MP3 Recorder manufactured by Roland.  You may also wish to visit the PORTABLE AUDIO RECORDER BUYERS GUIDE here at MusicEdMagic to compare the various brands of recorders side by side.

 

One of the latest innovations in recording is the Edirol (made by Roland) R-09 Mp3 recorder. It records as a 24-bit wave signal in digital format.

What is so amazing about it is the size and sound quality of the recording itself. The R-09 is the size of a pack of cigarettes. It can be powered by 2 AA batteries or with a AC adapter. It comes with a 64 MB SD storage card (will not record much), but I have upgraded to 1 Gig, so storage is not a problem.

The sound quality of the recording is fantastic. I have recorded my band marching at halftime and recorded concerts and rehearsals. The playback is very nearly studio quality. It is simply amazing how this small package puts out such a good sound. It has built in mics, but external mics can be added. A stand for holding the R-09 is available. The recording volume is adjustable. Reverb can be added (haven't used this yet).  It has a jack for headphones (small jack) with volume control for playback.

It comes with a USB connector to plug into your computer.  Information can then be stored on your PC to free up space on your SD card for more recording.

The R-09 is pricey. I bought mine for $399.00. The investment is more than offset by the ease of recording and the quality of the recording. Research the R-09 and I think you will see how good this product is.

John McLaren is the Director of the High School Band in Crossett, Arkansas.  This article appears here on MusicEdMagic with his permission.