| Digital voice recorder technology has advanced | | | | can be used as a jump drive. |
| rapidly in the last few years. There are many | | | | Consider What Features You Need: Will you use |
| new digital voice recorders on the market. Due to | | | | your recorder for professional transcription |
| the large selection of digital voice recorders | | | | purposes or use it to record memos? You will |
| available it is important to choose the recorder | | | | generally pay more for digital recorders that have |
| that fits you or your business needs. Many people | | | | transcription features and less for digital recorders |
| will use a digital voice recorder for simple things | | | | that don't. Compare the digital voice recorders |
| like meetings/memos while others may need a | | | | that you are considering and focus on which |
| digital voice recorder with transcription capabilities. | | | | features you need and don't need. |
| This is a short guide to help you pin point things | | | | Recording time for Digital Voice Recorders: Most |
| you should consider before purchasing a digital | | | | digital voice recorders advertise their highest |
| voice recorder. | | | | possible recording time; some boast as much as |
| Digital Recording vs. Tape Recording: Digital Voice | | | | 555 hours with 2 GB's of memory. Don't put too |
| Recorders are the new standard in voice | | | | much stock in this because this recording time is |
| recording. No longer do you have deal with buying | | | | only on the lowest quality setting, which is awful, |
| multiple tapes, a broken tape, or poor audio | | | | in fact I don't know why anyone would ever |
| quality. Digital audio lasts longer than tapes and | | | | choose to record at the lowest quality. On the |
| you also can't feed a tape into a PC. Many tape | | | | highest audio quality setting the same 2 GB's of |
| recorder models are being phased out and | | | | memory will record only 35 hours of audio. Be |
| development has slowed down. A digital voice | | | | sure to verify how long you can record in all the |
| recorder is definitely the way to. | | | | quality modes before you purchase. Also, if you |
| Connecting a Digital Voice Recorder to your PC: | | | | are planning on transcribing your recordings with |
| Most base model digital voice recorders don't allow | | | | voice to print software or voice recognition |
| you to connect to a pc for downloading audio files. | | | | software it will require high quality audio |
| However, you don't have to pay an arm and leg | | | | recordings. |
| for a recorder that has PC connectivity. The | | | | Transcribing your Recordings: In order to |
| majority of the mid to upper range voice | | | | transcribe your recordings you will need some |
| recorders allow you to connect to a PC via USB | | | | type of software. Some digital voice recorders |
| cable, docking station or direct connection. I would | | | | come with voice recognition software such as |
| highly recommend buying a recorder that has PC | | | | Dragon NaturallySpeaking (Sony ICD-SX57DR9, |
| connectivity. | | | | Sony ICD-BM1DR9, Sony ICD-MX20VTP). You can |
| Data Storage of Digital Voice Recorders: Most | | | | hook your recorder up to Dragon |
| digital voice recorders these days can handle | | | | NaturallySpeaking and it will type out on your |
| storing other types of data in addition to recorded | | | | computer what you have dictated into the |
| audio. Most recorders have built in flash memory | | | | recorder. Other recorders will come bundled with |
| and can double as a USB mass storage device | | | | there own transcription software or in some |
| similar to a jump drive that you can store files like | | | | cases you will need to purchase software |
| documents or images. The Olympus WS series | | | | separately. Along with software you will need foot |
| voice recorders actually split apart and one half | | | | pedals and headphones for manual transcription. |