Sound Gear

         Today I will be reviewing some equipment I have had the opportunity to work with out in the field. It is important for field recording to have the right set of gear in order to capture the best sounds you can.

          I would like to talk a little bit about the Tascam DR-40 Digital Recorder. This is a great intro level recorder that I like. It is simple to use, easy to setup, and rugged enough for the toughest jobs. It has a pair of condenser mics on the end that can support either X-Y or A-B setup. Simply flipping the mics will set the recorder into either mode. While small in size, they do a decent job of picking up some clean sounds. It also has a set of XLR connections on the bottom to support external microphones (which I prefer). The Tascam can also be screwed in to a stand (with the use of an adapter) to provide you with an almost hands free experience.

        What I really love about it is the memory card slot. It can support an impressive 32GB worth of memory (has to be SDHC class card). Recording is simple, just hit the record button and you’re off. Hitting stop, then record, will continue to record on the same track. If you would like a different track, just hit the stop button twice then record again, this will make a new track. To play back, just select you take and use and headphones you wish. One thing I did not like about this recorder is the volume. What you hear is not what the recorder hears. There are basically two different volumes, input and headphones. So make sure to keep an eye out on incoming levels and make sure you don’t clip.

         The DR-40 isn’t just for field recording either. In the studio, it does a great job at capturing singing or voice acting. It is also capable of supplying phantom power to any microphone that might require it.

         Overall this digital recorder does its job, and does it well. Battery life is great, but do keep on eye on it (they’ll die in the worst possible time). This would be a great investment for singers, musicians, field recorders, or anything that involves sound. I highly recommended it.