Sony ICD-PX820 Digital Voice Recorder Review

Posted on January 29, 2011 by admin

Sony ICD-PX820 Review

The Sony Digital Voice Recorder ICD-PX820 provides people with an artful way to record lectures and other audio needs to be used as a resource for a later date. Voice recorders have advanced dramatically in technology over the years and now have resulted in the effective and unique quality and simplicity of use. The Sony Digital Voice Recorder is no exception and is capable of supplying quality voice recording to assist people with audio needs.

With all of the features packed into this unit it’s pretty amazing that the Sony Digital Voice Recorder can be yours for under $50.00. It contains a 2GB flash memory which will allow a heavy load of audio recording to be stored for convenience and maximum use. There is no conversion format necessary to make it adaptable to an MP3 player and is able to be readily used.

Click Here for the BEST price on the Sony ICD-PX820

The following features provide superior service to owners of the Sony ICD-PX820 Digital Voice Recorder.

• Smooth black color and seamless design which is non-intrusive
• 2GB flash memory
• Noise-cut function reduces background noise while recording
• 535 hours of voice recording time
• Optional microphone and radio/stereo recording
• Price under $50.00
• Online ordering and direct shipping

The Reviews

There is a reason Sony has a reputable name as a leading brand in electronics. This tried and true company has consistently produced cutting-edge electronics and has gained momentum in consumer loyalty and satisfaction. With the introduction of the Sony Digital Voice Recorder, Sony plants its stamp in yet another item. The portable audio recording device boasts generous-sized front speakers and easy-to-use divide and delete options which will provide for optimal editing options. The microphone has a sensitivity selector to enable it to control which noises it picks up.

Consumers who have purchased the Sony Digital Voice Recorder have had varied things to say about this product. One consumer reports that the recorder was used in a large conference room with many people and the audio was crystal clear and picked up all the desired sounds with clarity and proper function.

The consumer did report that the voice recorder occasionally had problems picking up softer voices but this can easily be rectified by placing the recorder closer to the person when speaking is being recorded. Soft-voiced people can be viewed as murmuring background noise by the sensitive editing device on the Sony Digital Voice Recorder. Simply adjusting the microphone and placing it at a closer range to people who speak in softer than normal voices will quickly take care of this problem.

Other consumers who have purchased this product report it to be extremely user-friendly and to have an advanced headphone set which provides great audio quality. The simplicity of the buttons and the interface has made it viewed as favorable and a good purchase by users who desire a user-friendly product. The fact that it is already MP3 ready has allowed it to receive positive reviews by the majority of consumers who have purchased the Sony Digital Voice Recorder.

Click Here to find the best price on the Sony ICD-PX820 Digital Voice Recorder and I hope you enjoyed my Review!

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A New Look For Portable Digital Recorders Site 2011!

Posted on January 9, 2011 by admin

Hey Guys,

I’m currently in the process of moving a lot of things around on the site right now so it’s a little out of wack. I’ve changed up the look quite a bit and I’m going for an easier to read, simpler look that I hope will do a better job of just providing good information.

I’m interested in buying another recorder to do a review on and if there is something that you would like to see reviewed please leave me a comment, i’ll buy the recorder and do a good review with recording and video for the most popular one!

In the meantime, I’ll be updating information, changing the overall layout and hopefully making things better for my visitors. Keep checking back often!

Cheers!

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Zoom H1 Review – A Strong Contender

Posted on December 3, 2010 by admin

Looking at the new Zoom H1?

I’ve been doing my research and playing around with one for a little bit and I’ve gotta say that they’re definitely a good unit in this price range. Anyone who has read this blog at all knows that I’m certainly a huge fan of the Zoom H4n and I think the Zoom H1 will easily go head to head with some of the digital voice recorders from the Olympus line that are in a similar price bracket.

So far I think it’s a pretty cool recorder thats going to be very versatile in a lot of applications.

Click Here to find out how you can save up to 38% On the Zoom H1 Digital Recorder

Keep reading for my likes and dislikes:

Likes:

  • Price Point – The Zoom H1 is definitely at an attractive price point. At around $100 US it’s set to compete with the likes of the Olympus DM-420 and in my humble opinion I think it will out compete this device easily. Zoom has got it down with the two cross mounted stereo mics and the recording quality on this unit is just superior.
  • Microphone Guard – This was one of my major gripes with the Zoom H4n, glad to see they got something in place on the H1. They have a nice little circular guard installed around the mics that won’t inhibit your recording but will protect them in case of a fall. Good Stuff!
  • Included 2GB Card – Zoom have built their reputation on quality products with everything you need right out of the box and this is no different. Including the 2GB MicroSD card was a great move on their part and should give lots of space for a unit like this.
  • Built-In Tripod/Camera Mount – Again, to have a built in tripod mount on a unit this size and price range was great thinking by the company. Perfect for mounting to the top of a good video camera for capturing excellent audio to go along with that great HD image. For anyone that does a lot of video blogging or home video work this thing is a no brainer.
  • Same Technology as the H2 – Yep, this thing boasts the same frequency and SPL handling of the Zoom H2 which is one of their most popular and great sounding recorders.

So in a nutshell that is what I think are some of the best things about it. But as with any piece of equipment that is lower in the price range, you are going to find some stuff you wish it had. Zoom obviously had to cut costs a little to keep it in this price range but heres what I think they could’ve done better.

Dislikes:

With the Zoom H4n, they truly over-delivered. And I think they could’ve done a bit better in this area with the H1 even though we’re talking a very low price.

  • Accessories – This is what set the H4n apart and unfortunately we don’t see it with the H1. There is a nice accessory pack for 25 dollars which I suppose might have been the best they could do but it would’ve been nice to see the case and the microphone adapter included in purchase price. Also you need the accessories to get access to the adapter (the Zoom H1 does run for a long time on one AA battery though so it’s really not a huge deal!).
  • Controls – Zoom claims their easier to use then ever but I disagree. It feels a little too close together for my liking and I think they should have just modeled after the H4n in some respects. Better than the H2 but not quite perfect!
  • Construction -Ok, I’m really nitpicking here. This is a $100 digital recorder that is going to out compete a lot of the $150 units from Olympus and Tascam. You just can’t get amazing build quality at this price but Zoom has really set the bar pretty high with the H4n so it would’ve been nice if they could’ve come up with something a little more awesome for this device.

Overall

It’s a great recorder at an awesome price and the quality is definitely better than that of you’re regular voice recorders. Perfect for amateur guitar recordings, band practice, lectures, interviews etc…

I’ve only had the chance to play with it so far at my local music store but I’ll get a sound sample up as soon as I can, if any of you guys have a sound sample that you’d like to share with me it would be greatly appreciated!

Click Here to Purchase From Amazon.com

Cheers Guys and Good luck with your new Zoom H1!

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iPod Nano 6th Generation Review – Ipod Nano 6g

Posted on October 7, 2010 by admin

Interested in the iPod Nano 6th Generation? I know I sure am, in fact I absolutely love it! Apple has more than done it again with this, probably the coolest iPod to come out since the original iPod nano! Read on for my personal review!

Click Here To Purchase The iPod Nano!

Features:

The iPod Nano 6th Generation really changes things up from previous versions and it’s pretty obvious from first glance that this isn’t your typical iPod. First of all the controls are now based on the iPod touch model and everything is done via the touch screen (which actually rotates based on the angle is is held!). It includes all the standard functionality that you’re used to in an iPod including the built-in FM radio tuner and pedometer that were introduced in the 5th generation. The 6th gen iPod does not have video playback however podcasts and videos can still be synced to the device allowing for audio play-back only. New features like the shake feature (shuffles randomly with a shake of the device) and the music genius (automatic creation of music mixes) help to make the new nano even cooler and battery life is an amazing 24 hours of music playback on a single charge!

Click Here to find out how you can save up to 10% On The iPod Nano 6th Generation.

While all the internal software features are really pretty awesome, and the ability to shuffle through songs via a ‘swipe’ make this unit a pretty cool device where it truly shines is in the new form design. Like it’s name implies the iPod nano should be SMALL, previous designs were definitely small but this takes it to a whole new level and with the clip built right into the design it’s obvious that the iPod nano 6th generation is designed for people at the go. This device is the ultimate for jogging, weight training and working out in general or just going for a brisk walk around town. It’s so small that you won’t notice it on your clothes yet has the storage capacity to carry around many albums worth of music right on your sleeve.

My Thoughts

For me this is perfect, I never cared about video playback (who wants to watch a video on a tiny screen anyways), external speakers (couldn’t be heard over a conversation), or an internal microphone. All I want my mp3 player to do is NOT GET IN THE WAY, and MAKE MUSIC! Apple has accomplished this in spades with the iPod nano and I think it will be one of the most successful iPod nanos that we have seen to date.  Working out with my second gen nano was always sort of a pain, I had to hold it in my hand while jogging and the inevitable sweat just ended up getting into the controls. I never found that an arm band was all that comfortable and it just never seemed to blend in to a part of my workout… I always knew it was there. This is not the case with the new iPod nano 6th generation, it becomes a part of your work-out, walk, or whatever routine your using it with, and thats the way it should be. Once it’s clipped to your shirt, pants, or where-ever, it disappears, and all you are left with is awesome music, I LOVE IT!

Click Here To Save 10%

In Conclusion

I don’t need to ramble on about the new nano, Apple is great, everyone knows it and you can be sure that this device will be no different. If you’re looking for a new mp3 player, I think you’ll be hard pressed to do any better than the new iPod Nano 6th Generation!

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Digital Recorder Reviews | Sound Samples, Reviews, Real Information!

Posted on August 31, 2010 by admin

Hey Guys,

Looking for Digital Recorder Reviews? We have an awesome selection of some of the best reviews and articles on both the latest portable digital recorders such as the Zoom H4n as well as many different older models including the Olympus line and the Tascam DR07 Portable Digital Recorder.

We always try and offer the best and most biased digital recorder reviews possible and while yes, we are obviously trying to make some money we pride ourselves in offering real information that will hopefully be helpful to you!

Always search around when you are looking for digital recorder reviews as well, don’t just take our word for it! There are a million sites out there that offer great information from real users. Sites such as Harmony Central have been around since the dawn of time and provide an excellent service to all their visitors. If you’re ever thinking about buying any sort of digital recorder or music related product than I would highly recommend you check them out! (then come back here and buy it from us!).

Sorry for the selfish plug, but we’re coming up on our 6 month anniversary fairly soon and are prepping for some pretty cool things. I want to see everything organized better and definitely offer some better sound samples etc… it’s been slow going but if you’ve ever done any web design you know that these things take time :) Also… I know that there are at least 40 or 50 of you that have bought recorders through this site… Where are your reviews?? Feedback?? Come back, drop us a line, we would love to hear from you!

Good luck in all your searches for information and don’t forget to always check back for here for new and awesome digital recorder reviews!

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Cheap Guitars – What You Should Know Before You Buy!

Posted on July 20, 2010 by admin

There are many cheap guitars available these days! I’m a university trained classical guitarist and teacher with 15 years experience and I have seen hundreds of different cheap guitars in my many years teaching and playing.

Some of these guitars have been excellent deals for the money, others have been downright pieces of crap! If you are in the market for a cheap guitar and don’t want to get burned please read through this article and devote a little time to doing some research on the instrument you plan to purchase. I’ll also make a few recommendations for the best cheap guitars that I have either owned or have experience with through my students.

Solid or Not?

SOLID – Always try for solid. This is doesn’t really change whether you are thinking of acoustic or electric. The real cheap guitars have a tendency to have their bodies or sound boards made out of particle board which is nothing more than a small step up from cardboard. You want to play a cardboard guitar ;) ? I know I don’t. While you may end up with a decent sounding electric guitar that isn’t made of solid wood, there are options out there for solid bodies so you should always consider them first.

THE ONE EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE

The Yamaha C40 is laminate top, but for ~$140.00 dollars it is a VERY playable nylon string guitar. I currently own one and due to the fact that the laminate top doesn’t produce a great deal of volume it makes an excellent practice guitar for later in the evening!

Types Of Wood

This is a pretty common question and it’s really a pretty simple answer, don’t expect to find any sort of mahogany or ebony in these cheap guitars. Most likely the body will be Alder if it is an electric guitar or spruce/cedar top if it is an acoustic.  Try and go for a rosewood fretboard! Especially in an electric. There are many cheap guitars out there that don’t even mention what the fretboard is made out of so do some searching and see if you can find the ones that have rosewood fretboards… they do exist! (I’ll recommend a few at the end of this article).

Electronics and Pickups

There are lots of cheap electric guitars available that have a variety of different pickups and in this case you want to use your own personal preference and combine that with as many reviews as you can find. For those of you just getting started here is the rule of thumb: Humbucker pickups produce a fuller deeper sound that is more suited for heavily distorted guitars (think ACDC, Black Sabbath, Metallica) whilst single coil guitars generally produce a tone that is lighter and “twangier” (think Country Music, Pop music, Chilli Peppers etc…) Now that is not to say that either guitar can’t be used for a specific style but this is just a general rule to follow. The electronics in most of these cheap guitars are usually pretty good and if something does happen to go wrong it’s usually a very inexpensive fix from your local music shop!

Other Things to Consider

  • Most of the time these cheaper guitars are generally pretty well setup from the factory and shouldn’t need much work but it’s never a bad idea to take them in to a shop to have them setup.
  • Be careful buying cheap guitars or “knock-off” guitars through Chinese wholesalers. Yeah they look cool, and sometimes you can get a real gem, but other times… you don’t wanna go there. I’ve seen some pretty terrible stuff and it’s a real pain to have to ship something back to China (not worth it!!).
  • Generally electric guitars are going to be the better deal when it comes to cheap guitars but there are some very good acoustics for beginner players to start out with. Gone are the days when “cheap guitars” meant “unplayable guitars”
  • Shop around, do some research and have fun with your new instrument!


Some cheap guitars I recommend:

TIP: For quality and overall craftsmanship at great prices YAMAHA have it nailed when it comes to cheap guitars!

Here’s a little classical guitar played by myself for your listening pleasure ;)

If you liked this article please be sure to check out the Top 5 Cheap Electric Guitars!

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Top 5 Cheap Electric Guitars | Reviews and Information

Posted on July 18, 2010 by admin

Updated for 2011: Checkout the Top 5 best Cheap Electric Guitars available today! Join me, A university trained guitarist with 16 years of experience as we take a look at some of the most playable, usable and enjoyable cheap electric guitars. Purchasing a quality instrument no longer costs an arm and a leg and it’s easy for a beginner to get started on an instrument that won’t be too difficult to play due to poor quality workmanship!

Ever wanted to play guitar but were too scared of the costs involved? Looking to add another axe to your lineup but don’t have unlimited funds? Think that you need to pay mega dollars to purchase an instrument that will be worth playing? Think again! There are plenty of very cheap electric guitars out there that have incredibly low price tags yet are still very playable decent sounding instruments. Sure they’re not gonna replace your old Les Paul but they can make an excellent stage backup or practice room guitar! Lets check a few out!

Best Cheap Electric Guitar Packages (Updated Feb, 2011)

Fender – Stop Dreaming, Start Playing Guitar Package

Of course, no list would be complete without a mention of the Fender guitar packs. Fender pretty much started this whole thing back in the 90′s with their gig-packs and they still have a top notch product.

One of my students recently got this exact package for Christmas so I can vouch for it 100%

The guitar was immediately playable out of the box and while the amp isn’t going to win any awards, it does a nice job providing a clean or a “distorted” sound. I was also very impressed with the sensitivity of the volume control which could easily be rolled on or off to add more or less crunch to the sound. This is something you don’t usually find in cheaper guitars.

It’s pretty hard to go wrong with fender and this is probably the best all around choice for people looking to start out with the electric guitar.

Click Here to find out how you can save up to 43% off of the Fender guitar pack.

Silvertone SS10 Citation Starter Package

This is one of the best selling guitar packages right now and for good reason. You get everything you need to start playing and the instrument plays very well compared to the old Silvertones that I started on!

Reviews are generally very good for this package with over 80% of the user reviews I researched being 4-5 star and very positive.

People love the over-all fit and finish of this guitar and I was very pleased to hear that almost everyone who has purchased it has remarked on how well it comes setup straight from the factory.

The main complaint with this package is the gig-bag, and lets face it for $100 you’re not going to get top of the line quality in this department. But it will certainly do until you can afford a better case. The other complaints I read were from people who obviously are just getting started out and had to do with the setup of the guitar. If you receive any electric guitar and it’s not playing properly or buzzing, just take it to your local guitar shop and they will be able to fix 99% of all problems for under $20! Don’t blame the guitar!

I would highly recommend this package if you’re looking to get started or even if you needed a backup axe!

Click here to find out how you can save up to 63% on this package!

Dean Vendetta Starter Pack with Vendetta XMT Guitar

This pack is definitely a step up from the most basic beginner packages. Dean is a well known guitar company that has produced some pretty amazing and unique looking guitars over the years.

They definitely specialize in hard rock/heavy metal and the Vendetta XMT is no exception.

As with all packages you get everything you need including the tuner/amp/gig bag and of course the guitar.

This guitar features a solid-body construction made out of Paulownia wood which definitely makes this guitar worth the extra cash. Solid body electrics are generally more expensive because they will give a better tone and have better sustain. You also get humbucking pickups and the whammy bar which is great for metal and hard rock!

There aren’t a great deal of user reviews on this guitar package yet, but any that I have found are generally very positive. I’ve used Dean guitars myself in the past and can vouch for their quality so I would have no problem recommending this guitar package.

Click Here to save 24% On the Dean XMT Vendetta Package

(Older Packages)

1 – SX SST 3/4 SE WT Electric Guitar White (Discontinued)

The SX SST is definitely one of the best cheap electric guitars available! At $69.95 I have recommended it to many of my younger students. Keep in mind that this is mainly for a smaller child or possibly to use as a cool little travel guitar! It features a humbucking pickup, decent hardware and get this a Solid wood (alder) body!! No plywood here. Pretty unbelievable at this price!

2 – Traditional Sunburst Electric Guitar Pack

I wish these type of deals were around when I was a kid! I ended up playing my first 3 years on and old ‘silvertone’ that we got at a yard-sale for 50 bucks and I didn’t even have an amp! Now you can the full package for 90 dollars. This package contains everything you need to get started playing electric guitar. Nice sunburst finish, 10 watt amplifier and humbucking pickup for a bigger sound than single coil with less background noise. One of the best cheap electric guitars with amps out there.

3 – The Silvertone Revolver!

Remember that old Silvertone guitar I just mentioned? Well it was nothing like this, Silvertone has come a long long way! Again it’s a full package deal with amplifier and everything else you need to get started and this guitar flat out rocks. One of my teenage students purchased this package awhile back and he and myself are very impressed. It was setup very well from the factory, but I did help him change the strings to Ernie Balls right away. This guitar is modeled after the Fender Stratocaster and even has the wammy bar (tremolo system). I would use this guitar as a stage backup or for alternate tunings any day! While this may be a cheap electric guitar, when you play it there is nothing cheap about it!

4 – Dean Playmate EVO Jr.

This cool little 3/4 size guitar is an excellent deal for the money. Dean has been known for building some of the wildest and most original guitars that the world has ever seen (Dimebag Darrell anyone?). It’s nice to see that they have an offering in the cheap electric guitars range. This guitar has two humbucker pickups which is amazing for the price plus a real rosewood neck AND a SOLID BODY! And with a name like Dean you know you can expect a certain level of quality.

5 – Maxam 40 Electric Guitar

Now here is one of the lesser known cheap electric guitars available online and I just had to mention it. A good friend of mine actually bought three of these because he uses each one for a different tuning! Basically for the price of one of the lower priced “brand-name” models he got THREE guitars that play just as good as a cheaper fender! It has a really nice sunburst finish, and the action was setup great from the factory. This guitar has all the qualities of the Fender Squire Stratocaster at about a third of the price (at least!).

Keep in mind that if you don’t get a package deal there are lots of cheap electric guitar amps available online as well! And also a great selection of cheap acoustic electric guitars for all you acoustic players out there! These are just a sampling of what I think are some of the cooler guitars available on the net but you should always do a search around, just remember that you want to try and find something with a solid body wherever possible and a rosewood fretboard as well. As long as you have decent woods in an electric guitar it is pretty unlikely that it will sound “bad”. Keep in mind that with some of these guitars the setup may not be perfect right of out of the box (although the ones I tested were pretty damn good!) so you may want to invest another 25 dollars and have your local music store set the guitar up for you.

I hope this was of some use to you and good luck in all your guitar playing endeavors! Please leave me a comment, I’d love to know what you think. Good luck and enjoy your search for cheap electric guitars!

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The Best Tascam DR07 Portable Digital Recorder Review

Posted on July 14, 2010 by admin

Welcome to the latest Tascam dr07 portable digital recorder review for 2011. Checkout our likes and dislikes regarding one of the best offerings from the Tascam corporation!

The Tascam DR07 portable digital recorder is a nice little unit for producing home recordings or conducting interviews, recording lectures etc… The built in electret stereo microphones do a good job of producing a clean clear sound and the unit is on par with offerings from various other companies such as the Zoom H2 for around the same price range.

Click Here to get the best price on new and used DR-07`s.

Accessories are limited compared to some other products like the Zoom H4n but one should take into account that the price of the Tascam DR07 portable digital recorder is less than that of the H4n. The DR07 includes A windscreen (but you should still go out and buy a redhead screen), USB Cable, 2GB SD Card (Zoom is only 1GB), 2 AA batteries for operation, warranty card and manual. All in all a pretty good set of accessories for the price you are paying (around $140 on Amazon!). So while the H4n might have more included accessories keep in mind that the DR07 is around half the price!

Sound quality is very good, comparable with the Zoom H2. As with all of these flash recorders much of the noise has been reduced but there is still a small amount of hiss if you listen VERY closely, probably due to one of the preamps. Noise can be reduced by adjusting input volume as well and admittedly i didn’t have as much time with the unit as I would’ve liked to really find the sweet spot for what I was recording (classical guitar).

I would’ve liked to see a built in speaker for playback but the headphone jack will suffice. A very nice feature of the Tascam DR06 digital portable recorder is the ability to loop mp3 fragments and slow them down without altering pitch. This is a very useful tool for analyzing a recording or learning your favorite guitar solo!

The SD memory is a great option and I feel that every recorder should stick to this format. 2GB isn’t a lot of space but you can upgrade to (at least) 32GB with readily and cheaply available SD Cards and that makes this recorder a winner. I wish Sony would take a cue from most of the other big names around them and get rid of their crappy Sony memory stick!

Ease of use is about the same as with any other recorder in this category, really, if you can run a remote control for your television, you can use this unit! Nice boot-up time and crisp clear response from the buttons. Overall however the unit feels a little flimsy or light when compared to some of the Zoom and Olympus products and it would be nice to see a little more heft in an updated version. Time will tell if they follow in the path of the H4n.

Overall this is a great unit and provides excellent recording quality for the price. Not comparable with the Zoom H4n but definitely with it’s little sister the H2. A strong contender in this price range and worth some serious consideration. Cheers and should you decide to buy I hope you enjoy your Tascam DR07 portable digital recorder!

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Wireless Router For Sale Review Page

Posted on July 12, 2010 by admin

If you are looking for a wireless router for sale than you have come to the right spot. We have a large selection of the best wireless routers currently on the market at very competitive prices, try us out before you try the rest!

Wireless routers are essential components of any home network and also should be a critical component in any home recording studio. If you are using various computers in your studio than it is essential that they are networked together properly and speedily!

In the old days it wireless technology could be quite a pain to configure and maintain but the latest generation of wireless devices are fast, easy to setup and easy to maintain. Security features make sure that your network remains safe and high transfer speeds make wireless streaming videos and transferring files across networks a breeze.

According to the TopTenReview site for wireless routers the top 10 wireless router for sale are:

1 – Linksys E3000

2 – Belkin Play Max Wireless Router

3 – D-Link Xtreme N

4 – Netgear WNDR 3700

5 – Apple Airport Extreme Base Station

6 – ASUS TR-N16 Wireless-N

7 – Cisco M20 Valet Plus

8 – SMC Barricade N

9 – Buffalo Nfiniti Wireless-N

10 – ZyXel Wireless Router

We here at portable digital recorders recommend the top wireless router for sale – The Linksys E3000.

It is the best working router that we have ever used and Linksys has been a large name in wireless routers since the technology came available. The configuration couldn’t be easier and doesn’t require a degree in computer networking to set up, Most of the setup is all plug and play and the most you should have to do is setup some encryption to protect your network from people trying to piggy back on your connection.

When it comes to complete network security we recommend that you enable MAC address filtering and setup your network so that only your specific devices have access. This can be a pain if you are constantly hooking up different laptops or devices to your network but if that isn’t and issue than MAC address provides the most secure and efficient way to protect your wireless router from being penetrated.

Check back often as we will be writing a series of posts on a different wireless router for sale!

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The Best Zoom H4n Review

Posted on July 7, 2010 by admin

Checkout my 1 year Zoom H4n Review for 2011

October 14 2010 UPDATE: I just dropped my Zoom H4n Recorder off my desk on to the hardwood floor microphones first… I’m pleased to report No Damages :) It’s definitely standing up to the abuse that is bound to happen to a piece of gear like this

The Zoom H4n Recorder is one of the best new portable units on the market today. Zoom put the product together after listening to their customers likes and dislikes regarding their previous unit the Zoom H4. They couldn’t have done a better job researching and fixing the issues found in the first generation and this unit truly stands out above all the other portable recorders available today. The H4n even out competes units that are a few hundred dollars more expensive such as the Sony PCM-D50.

Click Here For The Best Price On A Zoom H4n (this is how I got mine – 49% off retail price)

I have been using my Zoom H4n recorder for approx 6 months now (Feb, 2011 update: almost 1 year!) and have recorded everything from solo classical guitar to live symphony performances and it has stood up to every challenge that I have presented it. I wanted to make sure that before I wrote my Zoom H4n review that I had taken the time to really become familiar with the unit. The included accessories and features make the unit incredibly easy to use and you never feel like it is getting in the way of your enjoyment of the recording process.

Here is a sample of one of my classical guitar recordings (YES this is actually me):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCKn04NVMQw [/youtube]

First of all, the sound quality of this unit is excellent! Very crisp life like recordings of whatever you capture. If you put the unit outside just to capture ambient noise it provides an amazingly life like experience when listening back through headphones. The recording level is adjusted easily by a dial on the side and has a very usable range.  I have noticed the same thing mentioned in various other Zoom H4n Reviews.

Ease of use is paramount with a device like this and the Zoom H4n is definitely easy to use. All you have to do is power the unit on, make a few adjustments to the recording level and you are ready to record. If you want to change the format that you are using to record this can be done very simply by accessing the menu and since this is probably one of the most common features it is located front and center on the menu. The rest of the controls are very easy to understand however it can be a little bit time consuming since there are so many features to figure out!

The features on this unit are unbelievable! There is a tuner for all your stringed instruments, true 4 track recording, XLR/Quarter Inch jacks, Mini Stereo Jack, Speaker for playback, headphone output, digital guitar effects, great big bright screen, rubberized coating, and it includes a mic stand adapter, case and windscreen! There is also an optional remote control and unlike the previous generation H4 this portable recorder will mount to a tripod with no extra accessories necessary!

As far as dislikes go, the load time of this unit is very long and I’m hoping that Zoom can possibly fix this with a firmware upgrade in the future. It would have been very nice to have them put a cage around the microphones like Sony did with the PCM-D50 as well. These are minor issues however and if you make sure to use the included case while transporting the Zoom H4n you will have no problems with busted microphones.

If you enjoyed reading my 6 month review please check out my original Zoom H4n Review!

I would highly recommend the Zoom H4n to anyone looking for a good portable recorder. Personally I purchased the bundle package with the tripod, larger memory and remote control and couldn’t be happier! Happy searching and I hope you enjoyed this Zoom H4n review.

Buy Zoom H4n – 49% Off Retail Price



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