Tascam DR-08 Portable Digital Recorder

Comment: This is a perfectly good recorder, although it's easy to overlook the fact that the microphone is really sensitive. If you're only doing recordings sitting down in a room, it works. But as soon as you're moving and at the same time touch the recorder. You will be dissapointed... every sound of touching and breathing is recorded, and I higly recommend bying some windsscreen at the same time. Also I'm waiting for a case of protection, to make it easier to carry around.

Comment: This is my first digital recorder, so I can't fairly compare it to others on the market, but for what it is, I am very happy with it. The sound quality is excellent, and the microphones are pretty decent. Very small and light. Recording quality goes up to 24-bit, 96kHz, although I can't imagine why I'd need that; I don't have an audio application that will work with files of that quality. But, you can select from various MP3 and PCM qualities.

A couple of things though. First, the new lithium batteries cannot be used -- only alkalines and rechargeable NiHM batteries. I haven't done an exhaustive test, but it seems that the AAA alkalines last less than an hour. There is no power adapter available, although the USB port and supplied cable can be used to provide bus power from either a computer or one of those little USB power adapters that plug in an outlet.

Second, the unit is likely to only work with the tested microSDHC cards listed on the Tascam Web site. It comes with a 2GB card but, depending on your needs, you might want more storage. Check the list first. Also, although I installed an 8GB card, the "time remaining" still shows what it would be for a 2GB card. Not sure if that's a problem yet.

Third, while it's nice to have the microphones that rotate out to provide wider stereo separation when recording, they feel a little delicate. In the wrong situation, I can see them breaking off.

Otherwise, nice device, great recording quality, some useful features that may not ever be needed...and a pretty sweet price.

Comment: I'm a do-it-yourself singer/songwriter and recording artist. I bought the DR08 largely for capturing ambient sounds to include in my home recordings and for recording band rehearsals and gigs. Overall I'm happy with the DR08. The interface is simple and intuitive to use. It's done a good job capturing and representing band rehearsals and live music. Of course, it's not what a pro would use to mic a show, but for my purpose of providing fairly faithful feedback of what the music sounded like at a particular position in the room, it does the job well. The ambient stuff I've grabbed has been solid fidelity with minimal background noise/hiss--to my ears, definitely good enough to incorporate into DIY recordings. I've also recorded some interview-type conversation, which sounded great.

Key problems are two-fold: the device is highly sensitive to wind (even light breeze) noise and to noise from the hand holding it. Which leads to my biggest disappointment...the lack of practical tips-and-tricks TASCAM could have included in the Manual. The Owners Manual covers the technical stuff clearly, but it offers little practical guidance on how to get good recordings from the device for the non-super-techy/audiophile (who, I suspect, based on where this falls in the spectrum of products and prices, is TASCAM's market for the product!). I'm left wondering...

How to deal with wind noise? No mention at all of this as a potential problem (which it is for outdoor recordings) in the manual. Do they sell a windscreen for this product? Would pantyhose or some home-made contraption help?

The device is very sensitive to picking up noise from the hand holding it. Not a shocker, but it would be great to have some tips on dealing with this issue besides the obvious one of setting it on its back on its stand--a so-so solution that is (1) often not practical based on the recording situation and (2) can create the issue of picking up reflected noise from the surface it's on). Are any of the "Low-Cut" settings meant to help here?

When, specifically, might I want to apply the different "Low Cut" settings of 40/80/120? What do those settings even mean? What difference in result can I expect? Some examples/scenarios would be appreciated.

For the EQ boost feature, when, specifically, might I want to use the TREBLE/MID/BASS boost feature? Again, some common examples/scenarios would be great.

There are three different mic positions. For each position, where exactly is the field of sound capture? In other words, which direction do I want to point/orient the devices to best capture certain types of sounds? How close/far should I be to capture the most "real" sound?

I realize I can and will figure this stuff out with extensive experimentation, which, sure, is part of the fun. But who wouldn't want some practical tips for a head start? If you're like me (and I'm guessing you are if you're considering buying at this product level/price point), then I'd say just about everyone would benefit from a more instructive "Manual."

So overall, a good product at a good price for the hobbyist/semi-professional, but it comes with a frustrating lack of guidance on how/when/why to use the technical features and get the most out of the device.