Inexpensive podcasting audio recorder?

Published by in digitalstorytelling, podcasting on October 16th, 2006

I am on the hunt for a new mp3 audio recording device. When I left my last job I gave up my university-owned iPod and recording adapter, so it has been only thanks to the generous loan of Miguel Guhlin’s personal iRiver audio device that I’ve been “equipped” at conferences like the one I attended today to record and share presentations by others as well as my own.

I’m looking at the Cowon iAudio U2 recorder as a possibility.

List prices range from $80 to $130 for 256 MB through 2 GB versions. I have liked the iRiver T10 device because of its portability and size (it has a handy necklace so I can wear it when presenting and recording) but REALLY DISLIKE the fact that it is WinXP compatible only. It does not work on Mac or Linux platforms because of the Microsoft DRM included in it. For some reason I have not been able to get it to work via Parallels and WinXP on my MacBook yet– I am going to try updating the firmware from a PC tomorrow and see if that resolves the problem. For now, it’s a pain to copy the mp3 files on a WinXP computer from the iRiver to my iPod shuffle, so I can then edit and publish them from the Macbook. I have published some podcasts I’ve recorded with it from the Windows side, but I find it to be more cumbersome and not as fast (and I prefer podcasting with Ubercaster now, which is Mac-only) — so I opt for editing and publishing on the Mac side. Whatever device I settle on, it MUST be cross-platform capable and not have a restrictive DRM like the iRiver T10.

The iAudio U2, on the other hand, DOES work with both Macintosh and Linux computers. I am very interested to know if anyone has experience with the iAudio U2 or a similarly priced audio recording device suitable for podcast recordings. If I had more $$$ I’d opt for the M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 ($500 list) or a new Video iPod ($349 list for 80 GB) with a TuneTalk Mic ($80). I don’t have that extra $$$ right now, however, and I am also wanting to use an audio recording solution that is more reasonably priced because something closer to $100 is going to be more realistic for students in schools to use, as well as kids at my church who I will be podcasting with next spring. At some point I hope to work with teams of students (in different contexts) who will use portable audio recording devices like this to capture documentary interviews “in the field” with a variety of people. I love iPods, but I think the devices we use for this purpose need to be less expensive and smaller than iPods are currently.

If you have experiences, recommendations, or opinions on these ideas, I’d love to hear them. :-)

On this day..

5 Comments »
  • Steve

    I just purchased an iAudio U2 2GB device and so far I love it. One of the reasons I purchased it was for the FM radio which has been great when I am outside, but not so much in. I must say I am a novice at best audio recorder, but I did use the device to record a speech from the back of a large classroom. I think with a little help from Audacity I could polish up the white noise and have an acceptable recording.

    The device is small and like the iRiver has a necklace so you can wear and record while presenting. I also like the fact that it has two different USB connectors. While both do the same thing, I believe the keychain adapter makes the U2 into a passable USB Flash drive.

    I wish I could share a few more examples of how I’ve actually used it, but so far I’ve only downloaded a few podcasts and added an mp3 or two to listen to.

  • http://www.wesfryer.com Wesley Fryer

    That is great Steve, I am glad to hear your experiences with the iAudio U2 have been positive. The USB flash drive functionality with the keychain adapter is good to know about too!

  • http://www6.district125.k12.il.us/staffdev/ Charlene

    Wes,
    I’m wondering about the Creative Zen recorders such as:
    http://tinyurl.com/tx5q4

    The description says drag and drop (software not required) but does not specifically list Macs as the OS compatible. Have you looked at these?

    PS… great job on the online conf!!

  • http://www.edprogress.org Norm Garrett

    Wes,

    I recently bought the MAudio Microtrak and I love it. It is professional grade sound, can take professional mics (but has an included one that is great) and it is not very large (about the size of a deck of cards). It has a rechargeable battery and a lot of settings. There is an educational price on it that is quite a bit below retail. I don’t remember exactly what we paid, but I think it was right around $400. It’s still not cheap, but that 20% under retail.

  • http://www.wesfryer.com Wesley Fryer

    The MAudio MicroTrack would definitely be my top choice if I had the extra cash! I want to find something very inexpensive in part because I want to share it with lots of teachers, who may want to purchase a device like this themselves. I’d love to buy a Roland R-09 too, but like the MAudio it’s on the pricey side. Thanks for the feedback and suggestions, though.

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