One of the biggest reasons why these devices are so handy is because they are so easy to use.  Back in the day, you used to have to carry a big contraption with you to record any interview or lecture.  These machines used to have all kinds of buttons and plug-ins for microphones and cassette tapes.  Now there are just a few buttons to record, play, pause, and stop.  The better digital voice recorders will give you the option to record in different qualities so as to make the recording time much longer.

This brings me to the next benefit of why these machines work so great for writers, and that is how nice and compact they are.  They are small enough to fit in your pocket somewhat like your cell phone.  You really won’t even know that they are there!

The compact size will allow many writers to have it handy so they can access it whenever they need.  This is great for the avid writers because you really just don’t know when you are going to need to record something.  This compact size can be a problem though for those who lose things easily. So take extra caution not to lose track of where you put it.

The digital recorders of today are much different than they were even last year.  They are much smaller and have plenty more features.  They have extended recording time, voice activated recording, and other digital storing capabilities like picture files and music functions.

The absolute best part about these digital recorder voice machines is the fact that they won’t cost you much.  You can buy them for as cheap as $10 or the best ones run in the hundreds of dollars.  These means that no writer anywhere should be without one!  You will have to do some shopping to see which one is going to work best for what you plan on using it for.

Before you do go out and spend money on one that you are sure that is going to work for you, be a savvy shopper and check a few different places to see what else there is to offer.  You will be absolutely amazed by the amount of selection there is in your local area and even more on the internet.

Before I can answer the question of the best digital voice recorder you must first figure out what you need the recorder for.  There is going to be a different answer depending on what functions you need the recorder to have.  For example, a student that is taking only the minimum number of credit hours at a university is going to use or require a different recorder than a professional journalist who makes a living reviewing dialogues and limitless amounts of interviews and press conferences.

All this considered, let’s take a brief look into some of the best and most popular voice recorders on the market.

Olympus WS-331M:

This is one of those voice recorders that not only is able to record dialogue but it also can operate as an mp3 player as well.  It holds 2 GB of memory which amounts to roughly 36 high quality and over 500 hours of low quality sound recording.  This Olympus recorder has a built in USB jack so that you will not need separate cables to be able to plug it in to your computer.  The other good news is that it will work on both Mac and PC computers.  It retails for around $100 and can be found anywhere where electronics are sold.  It is especially prevalent for sale online.

Sony ICD-MX20:

This nice model from Sony can be purchased for around $200.  It not only records audio optimally but it also comes made to work with Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred Voice to Print Software.  This means that you can convert your dialogue or anyone’s dialogue to text and print it out on your computer.  For writers or bloggers this software alone can be an excellent investment.

The Sony ICD-MX20 will also allow you to record at different quality levels depending on how long you need to record for.  You can even record to a flash drive or use the built in memory it comes with.  The best part about this voice recorder is the fact that it has a voice activated record function that will take all of the dull and quiet parts out of the dialogue and only include the dialogue itself.

I hope these two reviews of recorders give you a better idea of what to look for in the best digital voice recorder to fit your needs.  Both the Olympus and the Sony recorders will make great choices and they do make any other models in other price ranges as well.  Do a little more digging around to see what other offers there are.

Olympus Digital Voice Recorder VN 6200PC

Here’s a real sleek looking recorder that resembles more of a cell phone than it does a recorder.  The 6200PC model is PC because it is connectible to your computer and transfer and send files between the two.  You are able switch from high quality to standard and long playback for extended recording time.  Up to 444 total hours!

The voice activation system that it is equipped with allows you to record much more of the important stuff and no quiet time which will save you even more room to record.

And I said it looks like a cell phone because of its large LCD display which will show you the battery life, recording state, and to rummage through the other files.

This particular voice recorder is on sale and is currently the best seller on Amazon.

Sony ICD-PX720 Digital Voice Recorder with PC Link

This recorder too has capabilities to plug into PC systems to transfer file data.  There are plenty of functions that you can control from your PC like recording formats, the volume and sensitivity of the microphone, and renaming files.

Sony has made this digital recorder to also function as an mp3 player.  It has a head phone jack and all the capabilities that any mp3 player would have.

But the important part about this Sony digital recorder is the fact that the playback is so pristine and clear.  It will work great for students in a large class room with a low volume professor.

The Sony ICD –PX720 is the 2^nd best selling recorder on Amazon is for sale around $47.

Sony ICD-BX700 Digital Voice Recorder

I know what you are thinking and no, this is not a review of the same recorder.  Sony it appears has several models in this community that are selling like hot cakes and for good reason…these are both outstanding digital recorders.

The BX-700 does not link directly into your computer through a USB port.  This means that the transferability of files is done through the audio itself via a mini mic jack.  So if you wanted to transfer it to audio files on your computer, the recorded lecture, interview or whatever you have will literally take as long as the recording itself.

Besides that, the quality is great and it records up to 280 hours of time and detects sounds that its counterpart just won’t.

You’ll find this item #3 on Amazon for around $34.

A digital recorder in general is a handheld gadget that allows us to record sounds that are important enough to us that we want to access the sounds at a later time.  They are really beneficial for recording class lectures, certain interviews, or just personal sound notes that we might leave for ourselves.  When you are ready to record you would just push the record button and pause it or stop it when you are done.

Most of the tape versions didn’t allow for any deviation beyond the normal tape record, pause, stop, and playback.  When the tape was empty you would have to insert a new tape, and many times this would mean that you might miss an important part of the lecture while in the process of changing the tape.  That is if you even had another tape handy.

What the digital recorders now allow us to do is record for much longer and without having to ever change tapes.  This invention proved to be a huge benefit but there were still some drawbacks.  The memory still ran out, and when it did there was no way to record more unless you emptied the files that you do have onto a computer, erase something on their, or have another digital recorder there for backup.

As the advancements continued on these recorders, the memory and file space kept expanding as well.  The voice activated digital recorder is one of the latest advancements that are designed to turn off and on automatically as they hear the sounds.  This takes away the trouble of having to record and pause and pause and record during dead times in the lecture or presentation.  Not only that, but you also don’t have to listen to a lot of dead time and silence as you go back and listen to the playback of your recording.

This makes recording much easier and it solves the dilemma of the memory ever running out in one recording session.  Since it only records when it actually picks up sound, the recording life is going to be much, much longer.

A digital voice recorder is a machine that runs on batteries and is able to record sounds for an extended period of time.  Each recorder has different functions and capabilities so it is important to know what your options are before you spend any money.

Of course the quality of sound is going to be one of the most important determining factors in which recorder you buy, but there are other things you’ll need to consider as well.

Voice Recorder Digital Memory:

The digital versions of these newer voice recorders are impressive to say the least.  The memory and time you have available to record sounds is much longer than those of what the old tape recorders could do.  Some of the best voice recorder digital machines can record up to over 250 hours of recording time.

Even when you see a number of hours of how long they will record, don’t think too much into it being an exact or precise number.  Some of the recorders will allow you to record in different versions of quality, and the more you record in a higher quality setting, the less time you will have to record.  So keep that in mind as you look at all of the different features that each one has to offer.

Another thing to keep in mind is that some of these voice recorders operate as cameras as well and you will be able to take and store pictures along with the sound files.  This is very useful for school classes and business meetings where you need to recollect charts or visuals that will come in handy later.

Connectivity:

It’s always best to make sure that your new digital voice recorder is compatible with your home computer or laptop.  Most of the newer voice recorders will in fact come intact with a USB port so that you can connect it to your computer.  This will allow you to be able to swap the files that you have on your recorder to your computer which will have more memory to store and use.  This way you can free the amount of space you have on your recorder so you can record more

Added Features:

Make sure that when you do buy a recorder that it has all of the different functions, features, and capabilities to make your life easier.  As we move further into the future, technologically speaking, these voice recorders are just going to keep on getting better.  Today they are smarter and more advanced than they were yesterday, so it may it even be wise to get a new one to replace the old one you were using.

Some features include expanded file options, longer recording times, and smarter computer chips.  For example, today you can buy a voice recorder digital that is voice activated and only records when there is sound.  This way it will automatically turn off and on as the speaker is talking in order to optimize recording time.

Conclusion:

There are many different things to consider when finding the best voice recorder digital device.  Some of the best and most popular brands to consider are Olympus and Sony.  They just seem to be ahead of the field in capabilities and quality but there are many other brands that will suffice just the same.  Know what you need in a recorder before you make any buying decisions.