Though the ubiquitous smartphone can serve as a capable audio recorder, there are times when quality counts. Roland previewed a new high resolution handheld at CES in January, with multiple recording modes and the ability to control functionality using a smartphone or Apple Watch. Now the R-07 is on sale.
Of course it is possible to get high quality recordings using a smartphone, but you'd likely need to plug in something like a lapel microphone rather than rely on the mobile device's built-in mic. If you're having to opt for audio recording accessories anyway, and if high resolution is your buzz phrase, then you may as well plump for a dedicated handheld recorder.
Roland's new R-07 features stereo microphones and supports mono and stereo WAV recording at up to 24-bit/96 kHz resolution, and MP3 at up to 320 kbps. One touch scene presets are handy when you're in a hurry, or if you're not too concerned about controlling every parameter and setting before you hit record. And dual recording allows for two simultaneous recordings to be captured, at different volume levels.
This essentially means that if the main audio track suffers from clipping at certain points in the recording, it can be replaced with the lower-level copy. You can tackle this yourself in post-processing, or there's a hybrid limiting feature built-in that can handle it automatically. Recordings are stored on a microSD.
The 2.4 x 4 x 1 inch (61 x 103 x 26 mm), 6 oz (150 g) audio recorder has four types of reverb on tap, should you wish to add some big room ambience to your small office recordings, and is powered by two AA-sized batteries for up to 15 hours of use. Or it can get the juice it needs from a USB bus.
While users can keep tabs on what the R-07 is up to via the 128 x 64 dot LCD graphic display, thanks to Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology, the recorder can be left at the front of a press conference or lecture hall and controlled, levels monitored and settings changed using an iOS/Android app on a smartphone or Apple smartwatch.
And if you have some Bluetooth headphones in your kit bag, you can wirelessly stream recorded audio and benefit from aptX audio technology while you're at it.
The R-07 audio recorder is available now for US$230. The video below overviews the main features.
Source: Roland