Tascam DR-100 Portable Digital Recorder

June 24, 2011

For podcasters, musicians, lecturers and audiophiles alike, the Tascam DR-100 Portable Digital Recorder may be
the solution for audio situations that require dire use of a portable and easily accessible device. Featuring one of the most compact and affordable designs of the company, Tascam has designed this product for audio recordings where the action is.

This portable device has four built-in microphones, two of which are stereo cardioids and the other two are omni-condenser microphones. It offers a range of 44.1 kilohertz to 98 kilohertz of music recording and playback quality. A pair of XLR microphone inputs can be phantom powered through the mixing board. The microphone preamp has at least 60 decibels of gain and the AKM Audio4Pro A/D enables conversion with almost 100-decibel signal to noise ration. The 3.5-millimeter line inputs and outputs provide microphone extensions for farther and more focused recordings. The low cut filter, analog limiter and auto-gain control enables the user to shape his audio recordings. The built-in speaker is also good for playback listening without the use of headphones. It also has an integrated microphone stand mount. The whole device runs on a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, a pair of AA cells, or the optional PS-P520 AC power adapter. It has a USB 2.0 jack and an SD card port for up to 32 Gigabytes of space. It also comes with a wireless remote.

Pro 1: Clean Recording

The device is amazing in its capability to capture clean audio recordings that have low noise and low distortion. The Asahi Kasei delta sigma Audio4Pro digital converters are also a good addition because they have a low inherent noise spectrum and a signal to noise ration better than 100 decibels.

Pro 2: Easy Interface

The product has an extremely easy interface with interpretable displays, controls, and labels. The portable device is a perfect tool for professionals and beginners alike in the music or recording business without any difficulty or hassle. The buttons are clear and require only the user’s intuition to manipulate and tinker.

Pro 3: Portability

For users who want to carry their recording device anywhere they want to go, then this device is definitely for them. It measures at least 3.2 inches in width, 1.4 inches in height, and 6 inches in diameter capable of fitting inside any person’s pocket. It weighs only two pounds, so it is not actually a hassle to carry around.

Pro 4: Flexible Recording Modes

With the included two stereo cardioids microphones and the two other omni directional microphones, the user gets to experience the flexible recording modes of the device. The omni directional microphones are used for meetings or seminars, while the stereo cardioids microphones may be used for instrument recordings.

Con: Battery Consumption

With all the features of the device, it simply does not have enough juice with just its rechargeable lithium ion batteries. The battery consumption of the device may prove as a hassle for some users especially in long interviews or board sessions. For that, it seems that users would be required to purchase a power supply to solve this.

What Others Are Saying About The Tascam DR-100 Portable Digital Recorder

After researching the product extensively, I found dozens of satisfied customers for the Tascam DR-100. The majority of these customers gave this product a 5 star rating, indicating the highest rating. Here are some of the comments I found:

“This is simply the finest portable recorder that I have used. I have used Sony, Yamaha and other Tascams. This one beats the lot, for clarity of sound, ease of use, compactness and neatness. I use it set to the highest quality with external condenser microphones and together they produce “professional” quality tracks.”

“Used for voice overs for News PKGs. Great little MP3 recorder when paired with a Shure SM7 mic. Recorder mounts on desktop and just drag and drop files to the bin you are editing out of, easy peasy.”

“Great product and best price through Amazon.com I have the tascam Dr-1 and it is great but had to use headphones to review music. With the Tascam 100 I can check out the music through the speakers. I am a musician and use it to learn new songs also a great practice tool.”

“To be put simple, its simple and easy to use–Its like having a high functioning microphone that records on you at all times–whether your home, on the road, or in the forest–its quality in the fullest–Im at a point in my musical journey where quality is vital–simply put, this is Tascam and Tascam is quality—its pricey a bit, but it will go to good use–buy the adaptor ps520–its vital to have it–very compact and nifty–the best small recorder I have ever owned—”

Final Thoughts: Solid, Portable Recorder

The DR-100 Portable Digital Recorder, despite its despicable nature to eat a lot of battery energy in such a short time, is a solid, portable recorder because of its numerous features and functions that manage to clearly record interviews, board meetings, instruments and other audio samples without the unnecessary noise.