Editor's Choice Voice Recorder
Olympus DS-50 Digital Voice Recorder
Reviewed by Angie Kibiloski
The Olympus DS-50 Digital Voice Recorder (Retail $249.99) is a very handy tool, for capturing a compelling lecture, conducting an interview, or dictating your own thoughts. The compact size makes it easily portable, and the many features contained within make it extremely functional.
The DS-50 is very easy to use. At its most basic, all you need to do is scroll down to choose a file folder to record into, point the recorder at whoever is speaking, and press record. The DS-50 will automatically name your file and store it to the chosen folder. Accessing the file is just as simple. All you need to do is highlight the file and press play to hear what you have just recorded. Transferring the data to you computer is easy with the software and USB plug included with the product. The controls on the device are easy to understand and clearly labeled. Were the high points to end here, this would still be a great product, but the additional features make it exceptional.
There is a stereo microphone that fits to the top of the recorder, so that you can choose between mono and stereo recording. You can take the microphone off and affix it to a remote control, that can be placed closer to the source of sound, like on a lapel for example, or the edge of a conference table. This remote control can start and stop recording with the flick of a switch. During recording, you can lock the keys on the recorder so that even when carried in a pocket they will not be accidentally pushed. The device can be used as a USB microphone or speaker. The recorder comes with a lanyard, case, earphones, and batteries.
Internal features include settings to alter sound quality, remove background noise, and so on. You can set the recorder to be voice activated, to start recording only when the sound level reaches a certain set point, and turn off again when it gets quieter. This would be great for dictation or in any situation where the subject matter to be recorded will be separated by spaces of silence. You can turn on the noise reduction, to cancel out ambient sound, and clarify voices, during recording or during playback. You can choose the sensitivity to sound, depending on how far away your subject is from the device, as well as the quality of the final sound file.
Depending on the quality of sound chosen, the recording capacity of the DS-50, with its 1 GB of memory, can range from 17.5 hours in the highest quality up to 275.3 hours in the lowest quality. During playback you can choose to play a single file or an entire folder, and whether to play it once or repeatedly. You can also mark specific spots in a file, to begin and end playback at points other than the true beginning and end of a file. This feature is helpful if you need to quickly reference a specific point in the recording and do not wish to have to repeatedly fast forward or rewind through the entire file. With the included software, in addition to downloading recordings to your computer, you can upload files to the recorder, along with music MP3 files.
The Olympus DS-50 Digital Voice Recorder really is a great product. With so many features, and ways to use the recorder, the DS-50 is a product for just about everyone. The sound quality is very clear, the device is extremely user-friendly, and the cost is affordable. For business or for fun, Olympus has provided a product that is sure to please. You can also find the similar models DS-40 (Retail $199.99), with 512 MB memory, and DS-30 (Retail $149.99), with 256 MB memory.
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