These are just some examples:
Zoom H5, Hn4, H1
Tascam Dr5, Dr4*
Roland R-26
Sony PCM-D100
I’m looking for something that can record stereo line input. Something portable that will be easy to bring anywhere.
What does everyone use as a portable recorder?
What do you not like about what you have? What do you like?
Tascam DR5 is good value for the money!
Recording Octatrack headphone out into line in of the Tascam. You just have to pull down the volume of the headphone out.
Sony PCM-D100
I have this one. very happy with it
[url=“http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-audio/resource.latest.bbsccms-assets-cat-audio-solutions-pcmm10.shtml”]Sony PCM-M10
I have the Tascam DR-40. I’ve mostly used it for field recordings and crappy on-stage mic’d recordings (the microphones are fine, I’d just place it somewhere bad), but have recently started using it to record messing around with the Monomachine or Machinedrum on the couch.
I also finally tried using it to do a semi-proper live recording using its 4 track mode. Used the ‘tape-out’ of my little on-stage mixer to the external inputs, and used the internal mics. It outputs two stereo WAV files and I just mix those on the computer and have a great live recording.
The DR-40 is a few years old by now. There may be newer/better options. But it’s certainly quite solid especially if you can get a good deal on the price.
+1
Very small/light, battery lasts a very long time, excellent recording quality/options and decent built-in limiter.
Zoom H4n is cheap, rugged, and reliable. Has some digital effects available for music purposes but they’re fairly crap. Onboard mics are reasonably good, ditto onboard converters for external signals. I’ve used one for years for recording movie dialog and so on, much better than the concrete-block-size DAT recorder I used to rely on. I like all the Zoom gear. Not the world’s greatest converters, but you’re not recording opera or someone playing a Stradivarius. The quality of the microphone capsule you attach to the device inputs is going to have a much greater impact on the sound. Just record everything at 24 bits/48Khz and you’ll be happy.
+1
Very small/light, battery lasts a very long time, excellent recording quality/options and decent built-in limiter.
[/quote]
i´m very happy with that recorder, too. it´s always on standby - batteries still last for weeks or months.
I picked up a Tascam DR-40 last year and love it.
Boss MICRO BR ‘BR-80’
8 tracks playback, 2 track record, drumkits (808 etc), relevent guitar and vocal efx. Only downside is 44/24bit limitation.
But for a sketchpad on the road or on a sofa, it’s the best out of anything mentioned so far.
Thanks for the input. I jumped on the Zoom H5. I will be in trial mode testing it out.
I may have to try the Tascam DR-44WL in a similar price range.
Got an iPhone or iPad?
Because this: UCA202 Audio Interface
plus this: Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter
plus this: Tascam PCM Recorder MK II on the App Store
only costs about $60 and totally does the trick.
I also use the UCA202 as line out for my iPad when I sample it with the OP-1.
Bonus: recording instagram and youtube phone videos with true stereo line in and not the crappy phone microphone. Your viewers will appreciate it.
I use a cheapo Zoom H1 to record my finished creations from Octatrack. And while it’s not a singing microphone, it’s line out connection works fine for recording stuff straight to OT.
Pros: Really good value for money (in my opinion)
Cons: Plasticky build quality, sensitive to handling noises at field use.
I can also recommend its cheap accessory kit, which has a case, a small tripod etc.
nice thread… so anybodys 2ct on my “project” … live drummer, 1 bass guitar, 1 lead gutar, and me on the A4/OT,
.
.
would like to record all of us as cheap as possible, no laptop around. was thinking of :
putting recorder no1 on the drums (real loud drums) and use another input for the guitar. (connected with a cable…TS)
and
another recorder where I record the bass player (mono like the guitar) and another (mono) track from my A4 / OT.
.
that seems to be the cheapest option since I d like to have as many individual instruments for later editing and eq…
.
2 cheap ass recorder, not 1 recorder (which does not exist) which records stereo microphone input (for the drums) and 1 mono for bass guitar, and 1 mono for lead guitar, and ideally 1 stereo for my OT A4 combo.
,
.
yeah sync I know …cry 
Anyone recording into their ipad through line input? What interface are you using?
Uca202.
Pcmm10 as a recorder, love that thing.
Uca202.
Pcmm10 as a recorder, love that thing.[/quote]
Same here. I found a cheap used 5S to have more “portable” recorder than ipad. Work well.
Used a few stuffs…
Ipad 3 with Behri UCA202, & also IS202 dock recording into Hokusai. both worked but bulky & downvoted the flakey camera kit & cabling. Also my Ipad was short on storage GB for longer recordings.
Zoom H4n… better but still too big and didnt like that line level stuff had to go through the Preamp. Handling noise while field recording wasn’t great. Poor battery life.
Last 18 months: Roland R-05… cheapish, takes standard sd, same size as compact camera, batteries go for ages, line level input & pretty good limiter… Built in mics been happy with, records for as long as your card memory & can split files into 2gb segments automatically. Would have bought the Sony PCM M10 if I wanted to fork more $ & was using mic more than line input…, but the R05 has its advantages too & fits the OP parameters.
Uca202.
Pcmm10 as a recorder, love that thing.[/quote]
Thanks just ordered one on Amazon. I already have a Roland BR864, but this is nice to sample loops into the iMPC Pro and get to work. Also I get in the groove sometimes and the iPad is a little lighter than the br864 to record my hardware jams.