Portable digital recorders are very useful devices for those on the move, seeking high quality audio. For a long time now, Olympus has been the undisputed king when it comes to the manufacturing of professional quality, portable digital voice recorders or dictation devices. The LS-100 Linear PCM Recorder is a new addition to the its already existing line of digital recorders. Built with two 90-degree directional microphones which are the stereo condenser types, this is definitely going to be the ideal tool to thrill musicians and audio enthusiasts alike. Even a glance at it makes a favorable impression in the mind of the onlooker.
What is it?
The LS-100 is a Linear PCM recorder which provides extremely high audio quality. The over-dubbing facilities and the capability for an eight-track recording ensures that you can make a complete, final audio mix in the palm of your hand! With the ability to support up to almost 140 dBspl of sound pressure, the recorder has the amazing ability to capture both – the low bass frequencies and the high ones along with the sounds that are loud. According to claims by Olympus, the device hosts the best-ever recording facilities to have ever adorned an Olympus recorder and there will be almost no clipping in sound. The recording happens in a very high quality of an uncompressed 96kHz/24bit PCM wave.
Key Features
1. The Olympus LS-100 has been built with a couple of 90 degree directional stereo condenser mikes which can capture an amazingly large range of frequencies. You can connect to it either through the RCA jack or through its XLR input ports.
2. It is a portable audio-recording studio with its ability to make multi-track recordings of the highest quality. Thus, broadcasters and musicians will find their tasks getting a lot easier, technically. In fact, it has been officially named as the “musician’s toolbox”.
3. The device comes with a built-in 4 GB memory that is expandable via an SDHC card till 32 GB or an SDXC card till 64 GB.
4. A 2” backlight, LCD display makes life a lot easier.
What is innovative?
Many times, when a recording is done, the first few seconds of the recording gets missed out. The LS-100 has an innovative solution to this problem. The Pre-Recording function that is built into the device helps to capture the 2 seconds prior to hitting the record button also. This means that you will no longer miss out those crucial opening words. The Voice Sync feature allows you to set a voice level at which the LS-100 will automatically start recording. This ensures that the waster chatter is automatically filtered out and the none of the real talk ever gets missed.
Price and Availability
This innovative and high-quality recorder is available for purchase from the Olympus website at the price of $400.
Accessories
The following accessories make up the complete kit that comes along with the recorder.
1. LI-50B Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery
2. A-514 AC Adapter for USB
3. CS-141 Case
4. Hand Strap
5. KP-22 USB cable
6. Case
7. USB Conversion Connector
8. Instruction Manual
The up side
There are many things to cheer about in this device. It would be good to list them down.
1. The digital tuner and the digital metronome help to ensure that the all the instruments and singers are always in tune and in the right pitch. It will also take care of the rhythm and beat of the music.
2. The Lissajous function, built into the device, can be invoked when needed to display the detected phase difference between the left microphone and the right microphone from the source of sound.
3. Professional mikes can now be directly plugged into the recorder which comes with a phantom power boost. The high signal/ low noise ratio ensures that this is the most versatile and portable high-quality sound recorder.
The down side
There seems to be nothing bad in the product and so one can complain about the price. The tag of $400 may seem a tad too much to pay for the device.
The bottomline
This device is really a small miracle that will offer s professional studio experience on your palm-top! For musicians seeking to write music, rehearse them, make demos or even capture the live shows, the Olympus LS-100 Linear PCM Recorder will really be a godsend. The onboard metronome, tuner and Lissajous function will surely be handy for the musician. Those apart, its ease of use and amazingly clear and high quality recording leave nothing more to be desired. Designed to be an all-rounder, the LS-100 proves to be one too.
