Voice Recorders

Digital vs tape

From our point of view, there really is no debate between digital voice recorders and the old tape recorders. Unless you are a nostalgic reporter and have a microphone you can trust and feel like lugging around with you, digital recorders are the new standard.

Oodles of options

But which to get? You'll find models ranging from $20 to over $300. Glancing at viewer ratings provides a reliably uninformative point of view from people who may or may not have used the product.

The breakdown

Ultimately, what you are looking for is sound clarity, space, and USB connectivity. Though USB II has been around for a while, be sure that this is the connection used in your digital recorder, otherwise be prepared to wait during file transfers to your computer.

For the vast majority of us, eight hours is plenty of space for all the sound we need to record. Where some digital recorders lack is in the ways sound can be stored. For example, an inexpensive model has eight hours of space (16 MB), but only four folders. That leaves only four ways to organize your memos, which can be tedious.

Nicer items have up to 300 folders and voice-operated recording that turns on and off when activated by voice. These are for the pros and generally reach hundreds of dollars in price. Look for somewhere in the middle range and you'll probably be satisfied.