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Tascam has been a serious player in professional-level field recording for many years. Their DAP-1 portable DAT machine was a very popular device for remote recording, and its digital successor, the HDP-2 (reviewed here>>) offered the same functionality, recording to Compact Flash media rather than digital tape. But the HDP-2 is big and expensive. Tascam has released three smaller, less-expensive SD card-based recorders, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but all offering good functionality and decent sound quality.

All three work very similarly: big red record buttons on the top put the machine into record-pause with one press, then begin recording with a second press. New tracks can be made during continuous recording by pressing the >> button. Record and playback settings are made via logically-arranged menus, which are easy to navigate with the scroll wheel on the face of each of the recorders. All have “home” buttons that exit the menus with one press, returning the display to the main screen, which features an easily readable display of levels, time elapsed and remaining, and file information. All three have playback features geared toward musicians, some of which, like variable-speed playback, might be handy to journalists as well. Others, like looped playback, tuners, etc. are easy to avoid if they’re not.

All three devices record only stereo files, although there are mono modes that send the same signal to both channels. This burns through disc space faster than the (rare) recorders that can record true single-channel mono files, but large SD cards are very affordable now, so space on the card is not at quite as big a premium as it once was. All three record several quality levels of MP3, as well as uncompressed wav files at 16 or 24 bit, 44.1 or 48 khz. As always, we advise making the original recordings at as high a quality as is practical, at least 44.1/16-bit .wav. The MP3 modes should really only be used for sound that’s not intended for broadcast or wide distribution. Save the compression to more efficient file formats for the very last step in production.

Transferring files to a computer for editing or archiving is simple: plug in a (supplied) mini USB-to-USB cable from the recorder to a USB jack on your computer. Do not plug into a USB hub, plug directly into the computer. The recorders will automatically go into USB transfer mode, and appear on the computer as a removable drive. Soundfiles are stored in a folder called “Music” and can be copied to another drive by dragging and dropping or any conventional file management technique.

The DR-1 and DR-100 can also charge their internal Li-Ion batteries while connected via USB, but it’s a slow process, allow several hours for a full charge using this method. Unlike some manufacturers devices, these recorders can NOT perform record or playback functions while connected via USB, so your computer or a portable USB battery pack cannot act as a back-up power source. One can purchase an optional A/C power adapter from Tascam, but none of the recorders ships with one.

The first model released was the DR-1. It’s medium-sized, about as large as the classic iPod, and targeted more toward musicians than reporters. It has a quarter-inch input that can be used for external mics or direct connection of guitars or other instruments, vari-speed playback, looping, and other functions that are most useful as a music scratchpad. But it also features built-in stereo mics, a stereo mini-jack for external mics, and uncompressed .wav file recording, which makes it a credible choice for journalistic field recording. Since then, Tascam has released the even smaller and less-expensive DR-07, and the larger and more professionally oriented DR-100.

The slim DR-07 is stripped-down to the basics: it’s got built-in stereo mics and a mini jack for an external mic, minimal switches and menu choices. It’s very easy to use, and the best news is that it generally retails for less than $200, making it an attractive choice for a first recorder, or as a back-up machine. Its compact size also makes it quite appealing as a device to carry around at all times, just in case one encounters some interesting sound – for instance, if while biking through Audubon Park in New Orleans, one encounters an island that’s home to hundreds of egrets and other water birds.

Listen: DR-07-ambience recording

The internal mics are of decent quality, although there is a noticeable amount of hiss when used to record quiet sources. Their position pointing out the end of the recorder make the DR-07 much better-suited for impromptu interviewing than the Zoom H2, another sub-$200 flash recorder that’s proved attractive to budget-minded recordists. The built-in mics are very directional, and so they’re pretty susceptible to P-Pops, wind and handling noise, so ideally, one would want to use an external microphone for serious interviews, but it’s nice to have the built-in mics for fast-paced run-and-gun circumstances. Tascam provides a foam windscreen that helps reduce the effect of wind on the mics, and it does help, but it only goes so far. Any hand movement on the case is very audible as well, so the built-in mics are not an ideal choice for interviews, but they can work well for recording ambiences and impromptu vox populi comments.

Listen: DR-07-built-in mics

There’s no switching required or menu settings to change when using an external mic, just plug the mic into the mini jack and the recorder automatically switches to that input. (There’s a menu setting to activate the separate line-level input.) The record volume for all inputs is set in two places: there’s a menu setting for low, medium or high gain, and then a volume knob on the side. Choosing high gain and then turning the input knob up high creates a problematic whiny buzz, so a high-output microphone is best suited for typical interviews. Popular dynamic omni mics, such as the RE-50, don’t have a loud enough output for this recorder, resulting in buzzy, or hissy background sound when levels are normalized at the mix stage.

However, this inexpensive recorder sounds pretty good with higher-output microphones. Condenser mics that get phantom power from internal batteries work very well with the DR-07, creating relatively low-noise recordings. There is a built-in limiter that can be engaged via a menu, and it doesn’t impact too negatively on the sound quality, but the Automatic Gain Control is pretty heavy-handed, and is best avoided if sound quality is an issue. This sub-$200 recorder’s sonic purity is not going to rival machines 5 to 10 times its price, but it sounds much better with external microphones than the other recorders in its price range.

Listen: DR-07-dynamic omni

Listen: DR-07-dynamic cardiod

Listen: DR-07-condenser omni mic-high gain

Listen: DR-07-condenser omni mic-medium gain

Listen: DR-07-condenser shotgun mic

The DR-1 functions very similarly to the DR-07, and has the same basic sonic behavior as well. The built-in mics are pretty good, but using them requires a steady hand, as handling noise and wind can be a problem. If an external mic is used, like with the DR-07, the DR-1 requires a fairly high-output model to avoid hissy background noise, unless one is recording loud events. But with a condenser mic, the DR-1 can make very good sounding recordings even of quiet sources like interviews.

Listen: DR-1-internal mics

Listen: DR-1-dynamic omni

Listen: DR-1-dynamic cardioid

Listen: DR-1-condenser omni

The DR-100 is a step-up from its smaller siblings, packing many of the features of Tascam’s full-size HDP-2 into a compact, hand-held package. It’s got XLR mic inputs, phantom power, a large input gain knob, and an array of hardware switches that allow quick changes and verifications of settings. It’s only barely still hand-held, significantly larger than the DR-1 and DR-07, chunky enough that it won’t fit into a pocket. But that size gives some benefits: it sports two XLR mic/line inputs, and the nice big input gain knob falls ergonomically beneath one’s thumb. The DR-100 also features two sets of built-in microphones: a pair of directional condenser mics pointing out the front, and a pair of omnidirectional mics facing upward on the recorder’s front panel, which don’t sound great, but could be useful for recording group conversations around a table, for instance. The pair of XLR mic/line inputs and a stereo mini line input, along with the two sets of microphones, makes four different pairs of inputs available at any given time.

In a refreshing change from most recorders, choosing which input is live does not require hunting through menus and sub-menus: there’s a hardware switch on the top of the recorder that allows easy selection and confirmation of the active input. Unlike the Zoom H4n, the DR-100 can only record from one pair of inputs at a time, which is pretty standard, and usually sufficient for most field recordings.

There are four more switches on the back of the DR-100, allowing one to set the gain-range of the input, turn phantom power on and off, engage or disengage the limiter or AGC, and turn the speaker off. It’s great to not have to hunt through menus to make changes or to simply confirm that the settings are correct.

Surprisingly, the DR-100 displays similar audio performance as its smaller relatives. The XLR jacks provide a more secure connection, and the phantom power allows a wider-range of microphones to be used, but the mic preamps still don’t have sufficient gain to make strong recordings with low-output mics. The preamps are a bit cleaner overall than the ones in the DR-1 and DR-07 – not pristinely quiet even with high-output mics, there’s a small amount of background hiss – but overall, the sound quality is quite good. But the DR-100’s performance with low-output mics such as reporter stand-bys the EV RE50, or 635A, leaves much to be desired.

The built-in unidirectional microphones are handy for recording music, ambiences and live events, but like the external inputs, they seem to be optimized for loud sounds. While these internal mics could be used for interviewing in some circumstances, there’s a noticeable whooshy background hiss, and a low-level pulsating high-pitch tone that’s clearly audible when recording in quiet spaces. Additionally, the microphones are very sensitive to P-Pops and wind, and handling noise from the case is readily transmitted through the mics, so in most cases, an external microphone is better for interview work.

Listen: DR-100-internal Unidirectional mics

The built-in omnidirectional microphones are almost useless; any recorded sound is muffled, buried in hiss and that pesky high-pitched tone. Still, there could be some practical use for these mics, as long as the recordings were not meant for broadcast or critical listening.

Listen: DR-100-internal omnidirectional mics

Listen: DR-100-dynamic omni

Listen: DR-100-condenser omni

Listen: DR-100-dynamic cardioid

Listen: DR-100-condenser shotgun mic

The DR-100 ships with a soft carrying pouch, which offers some protection, but sadly doesn’t have a pocket for cables or spare media, or even space for the foam windscreen. But it’s better than nothing, and can protect the unit from minor scratches and bumps.

One big difference between the three recorders is the powering scheme. The DR-1 is burdened with a proprietary rechargeable battery, not AA cells as has become fairly standard for these compact recorders. The battery is relatively long-lived, and can be removed, so carrying a spare is a possible solution, but it’s not nearly as convenient as being able to use readily-available AA batteries.

The good news is that the DR-07 and the DR-100, do not suffer from this problem. Two AA batteries power the tiny DR-07, and the more professionally-oriented DR-100 can run on either an internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery or two AA batteries. Even better than that, the DR100 can start recording with the one battery, then switch automatically to the other without interrupting the recording (although in our tests, we haven’t been able to make this seamless transition work!) If one is meticulous about recharging the internal battery, you may never need the AAs. But if recharging is not practical in the field, one can use easily-sourced AA batteries, either alkaline or rechargeable Ni-MH types. For long recording times, the two batteries can cascade. Tascam claims that the DR-100 can derive about 5 hours of record time from the rechargeable Li-Ion, approximately 2 hours from two Alkaline AAs, or about 4 from good quality rechargeable Ni-MH rechargeable AAs, and in our real-world tests, those numbers look pretty accurate. The DR-07 recorded over 9 hours on a single pair of Alkaline AA batteries.

As mentioned above, none of the recorders ships with an AC power adapter, but it’s available as an option. The DR-1 and DR-100 recharge when connected to a computer via USB, but recharging takes a LONG time (the DR-100 requires several hours to fully-charge this way) and the machines will not record while connected to a computer, so if one makes long recordings in places where wall outlets are available, it might be prudent to invest in the AC power cord.

All three models are welcome additions to the field of small flash recorders. They’re each very easy to use, even the inevitable menus are easy to navigate. The DR-1 sits rather uncomfortably in features between the other two: not quite small enough to be easily pocketed, not quite inexpensive enough to be a back-up or starter recorder, not quite flexible enough to be a professional’s main axe. And it’s crippled somewhat by the internal rechargeable battery; the other two have better powering schemes. The smaller and less-expensive DR-07 would likely be a better choice for most users, unless one desires the music-production-focused features. We can recommend the DR-07 as a good machine for a beginning recordist, or as a back-up for someone with more heavy-duty gear. And it’s awfully nice to just carry around to capture unexpected sounds. The DR-100 has enough professional features, like XLR inputs and the oversized gain knob shown above, that having a small(ish) flash recorder no longer feels like much of a compromise. It’s sound quality is good enough that it could serve as a primary recorder, or as a back-up to a more sophisticated deck like the Sound Devices 722.

The main downside of all three is that, like many of these inexpensive recorders, they seem to have been designed to record loud events, like live concerts or band practices. None of them play very well with popular reporter microphones like the Electrovoice RE-50 or Beyer M-58, but all three sound pretty good with high-output condenser mics. Recordings still display a small amount of background hiss, even when recording with high-output mics, but it’s low enough that it’s not a problem in most circumstances. None of these recorders will match a Sound Devices 722, or even Tascam’s own HDP2 for sound quality, but they’re much quieter with external mics than most of the other small flash recorders.

One can get completely useable results with high-output mics, just keep in mind that condenser mics must have an internal power source to work with the DR-07 or DR-1. The DR-100 can provide phantom power to condenser mics via its XLR mic inputs. None of the units’ built-in mics are pristinely quiet either, but they’re perfectly adequate for gathering stereo ambiences and you-are-there moments.

If one needs to record with a dynamic omni microphone like the EV RE-50 or Beyer M-58, then the Marantz PMD 661 or the Sony PCM D50 are probably better recorders for use with those mics. But if one is flexible about microphones, one of these Tascams can be a less-expensive, easier-to-use choice.

Recommended microphone for small flash recorders.

We’ve become fond of the Audio Technica 8010 microphone for use with small flash recorders, including these three Tascams. It has an omnidirectional pick-up pattern similar to the EV RE-50 or 635, but with a higher output level. Best of all it’s affordable, selling for approximately $160 at reliable retailers. If a directional microphone is desired, the Rode NTG2 shotgun mic works well with these recorders, but it costs about $100 more than the AT 8010. Plenty of other microphones can be good matches as well, but as a rule, a higher-output mic will give much better results with these Tascam recorders.

Official product pages:

http://www.tascam.com/products/dr-1.html

http://www.tascam.com/products/dr-07.html

http://www.tascam.com/products/dr-100.html

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