Panasonic RN405 Micro Cassette Recorder with Voice Activation System and Tape Counter

Portable

Panasonic's RN-405 looks identical to the less expensive RN-305 in nearly every regard, but there is one key difference: the addition of a microphone jack. Sure, this device has other features like a tape counter on the front and a light that comes on when the device is recording, but it's the mic jack that really adds to its appeal.

The jack provides the obvious advantage of being able to connect the recorder to an external microphone, but we also were able to record phone interviews. The tape counter made it easy to mark certain parts of the tape while we were transcribing, and the simple controls were great for quickly shuttling back and forth. Pressing the fast forward or rewind button while the tape is playing lets users hear a high-speed rendition of the tape's contents, which was great when we were trying to find the beginning of a quote. The RN-405's built-in microphone is decent, and its voice-activated recording capability offers a great way to save tape and batteries, although it tends to clip off the first word of each sentence it records.

Unfortunately, one of the RN-405's most advanced features--silent auto-stop--is also its most annoying. When the tape ends (whether you're playing or recording), the unit silently powers down. This is great for preventing annoying warning signals from sounding in the middle of, say, a lecture, but it forces users to keep a constant eye on the device while its recording so they know when to change the tape. To make matters worse, the red recording light that's supposed to turn off at the end of the tape continues to shine for about five seconds after the reels stop turning.

Those problems aside, we had nothing but good experiences with the RN-405. It's quiet, runs for more than 12 hours on a pair of AA batteries if the fast-forward and rewind features aren't overused, and the inclusion of an input jack makes this unit a terrific choice for professionals. A jack for connecting the RN-405 to an external 3-volt power supply is also included, but an AC adapter is not. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Microphone input jack
• Decent battery life
• Tape counter is quite handy

Cons:

• Silent auto-stop can be more of a drawback than a bonus
• Voice-activated recording tends to miss the first word of each sentence

One-touch recording combined with standard controls such as cue, review, and pause make the Panasonic RN-405 a thorough microcassette recorder. The voice-activated system and built-in condenser mic allow for easy, automatic recording. The three-digit counter allows you to keep your place, and an LED indicator lets you know the unit is recording. There is a dynamic speaker for quality playback. Fast playback lets you speed up a tape by 20 percent. The Panasonic RN-405 runs on two AA batteries, and there are DC-in and headphone jacks. The slim design fits in the palm of your hand. It comes in a silver finish and has a one-year warranty.