Which Digital Voice Recorder suits me? Lectures, conferences and on the run interviews.

This week we will look at small compact digital voice recorders that are light weight but still pack a punch when it comes to audio quality and sound pickup.

These recorders would typically be used by students to record lectures, attendees at conferences who want to record conference speakers, journalists to grab sound bites or market researchers doing out in the field interviews or focus groups.

Below is a brief summary of what this typical user needs:

• I want to record single speaker (i.e. only me talking) recording my notes.
• I will be recording interviews and meetings with a few people both in my office or out and about with background noise.
• I am a journalist and need to grab sound bites while out and about.
• I am a student and want to record lectures I attend.
• I am going to a conference and want to record the audio at a conference.
• I want the ability to record directly to my computer hard drive bypassing the inbuilt memory.
• I do not need the ability to rewind audio, hear what I just said and then tag audio on the end, much like the old style analogue dictaphones. I am happy just hitting record to start and stop to end the recording.
• I use a Mac. I use Windows XP. I use Windows Vista.

The best recorders for you would be the WS-311M, WS-321M or WS-331M.

All three units function exactly the same way, the only difference is the unit colour and the amount of onboard memory which effects the total amount of audio recording time.

All voice recorders come with multiple recording modes, we always recommend that you use the highest quality recording mode for your audio, in the case of these recorders that is STXQ (STereo eXtra High Quality). The maximum recording time for these three units on STXQ is:

WS-311M - 512Mb storage - 8hrs 45mins
WS-321M - 1Gb storage - 17hrs 40mins
WS-331M - 2Gb storage - 35hrs 30mins

These recorders are not just all round excellent recorders but they can also store your files and photos on their inbuilt memory and even have the ability to play back MP3s.

For more information on the WS series recorders from Olympus please contact the team at Dictate Australia - sales@dictate.com.au

Which Digital Voice Recorder Suits Me? Focus Groups & Meetings

Each week The Transcription People will be giving advice on digital voice recorders that would best suit certain individuals and circumstances. Last week we looked at a digital voice recorders that suit a single speaker, note and letter taking professional, these types of recorders are commonly known as digital dictaphones.

This week we are looking at a digital voice recorder that can be used to record focus groups or meetings. The key with recorders for this type of scenario is that they have to pickup large numbers of speakers spread across a fairly wide area. Maybe five ors six people around a table, 14 people in a boardroom or a large number in a classroom o lecture hall.

Below is a summary of what this typical user needs:

• I will mainly be recording large meetings or focus groups.
• I may want to record single speaker notes and letters but I do not require a rewind/review function. I record in one take.
• I am ok using a recorder with batteries but I also want the ability to plug my recorder into mains power.
• I want the ability to record directly to my computers hard drive bypassing the inbuilt memory (Windows only).
• I do not need the ability to rewind audio, hear what was just said and then tag audio on the end, much like the old style analogue dictaphones. I am happy just hitting record to start and stop to end the recording.
• I use Windows XP. I use Windows Vista. I use a Mac.

Then the recorders best suited to you are:


The Olympus DS-30, DS-40 or DS-50 all offer outstanding audio quality and pickup and are perfect for focus groups and large meetings. They record in .WMA (Windows Media Audio) format which can be easily played back on any Windows or Mac computer.

Any questions about the Olympus DS-30/40/50 can be directed to the friendly people at Dictate Australia who are always happy to help with advice an information.

Which Digital Voice Recorder Suits Me? Single Speaker Note Taking & Letters

It is difficult to find a Digital Voice Recorder that best suits you and your needs as there is so much information and the choice can be very overwhelming. At The Transcription People we receive audio daily from a range of clients all with different needs when it comes to their audio.

Each week we will blog post more information on Digital Voice Recorders to suit the needs of various individuals.

In this post we will look at professionals who need a digital voice recorder for individual note taking and/or letters. Traditionally these are doctors or lawyers although professionals from other industries are now embracing note taking. These types of individuals usually have alot of experience with older analogue or tape dictaphones and therefore need similar functionality in their digital recorder. Making the leap from trusty old tape dictaphones to the digital world can be very daunting. Here is a typical summary of this users needs:

• I am a professional, I need a digital dictaphone to record notes and letters.
• I need to be able to rewind what I have just said and add audio on the end. I stop and start my dictation due to interuptions like phone calls or clients.
• I will be mainly just recording single speaker audio and the occasional interview.
• I want to be able to power my recorder by battery or mains power.
• I want to put my recorder into its dock and have it automatically recharge itself and send the audio to my typist or online transcription business.
• I use a Mac. I use Windows XP. I use Windows Vista.

The best recorders for you would be the Olympus DS-2300, DS-3300 , DS-5000 or DS-5000iD models.

The functionality of the above recorders differs. For free, no hassle, information and advice contact the team at Dictate Australia at sales@dictate.com.au