Portable recorders are an invaluable tool in your audio arsenal and you probably have been in a situation where you needed one. So whats the best portable recorder for musicians?
To cut straight to the chase…
the portable recorder we ranked as number one on our list is… the Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder
We can’t wait to give you the full details on this later in the post! Here are some quick details on the Zoom H6 to get you started:
- Recording directly on to the SD cards up to 128GB
- Interchangeable Capsules
- Control gain, pads and phantom power easily
- Mounts directly to DSLR cameras
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Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder
1 – Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder
The Zoom H6 Six-Track portable recorder is the self proclaimed “most advanced portable recorder ever”. We can see that it actually defends its claims very well.
Features
The H6 features capsules that are interchangeable and come with X/Y and Mid-Side stereo microphones. This portable recorder is an excellent choice for live recording, vocal recording, and music production.
You can record six tracks simultaneously and it also features 4 mic/line inputs. As far as the recording goes, you can record the audio data directly to SD, SDXC and SDHC cards. The limit for these cards is up to 128GB. This is a lot of space even when recording in a higher quality setting.
The H6 requires 4 AA alkaline or NiMH rechargeable batteries.
The H6 also allows easy mounting to a DSLR camera. The configuration is easy and the sound quality is amazing.
Included Capsules
The H6 includes 2 capsules: The XYH-6 and the MSH-6.
The XYH-6 is a stereo X/Y configuration capsule that allows you to record a stereo image at 90 degrees or 120 degrees. The difference between the degrees is how focused the sound is. The 90 degree configuration allows the sound to be more focused and centered while the 120 degrees captures a wider sound.
The MSH-6 is a forward facing, unidirectional mic and a side-facing, bi directional mic in one. This intelligent hardware allows you to record both the mono and stereo signals of a sound source. This is great when it comes to post processing in your audio editor of choice.
Sound
The sound quality on the H6 is second to none. The sounds are crisp clear and accurate. The highs also seem to be very clear and not over exaggerated.
This digital recorder is also very sensitive as well if you adjust the gain to be louder. When testing it was able to pick up sounds from way down the street. Because of this, you can tell the dynamic range is large.
Verdict
This is an excellent portable recorder that you will be proud to own. The sound quality is second to none. The build quality is fantastic. The additional capsules are excellent and the features are amazing. This is a quality portable recorder that is number one on our list for a reason. It gets the job done in a phenomenal way and to us, this is the best portable recorder for musicians.
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Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder
2 – Tascam DR-05 Portable Handheld Digital Audio Recorder
Features
The Dr-05 features a lightweight and compact design that makes it easy to store and carry around everywhere. The build quality and the texture of the portable recorder is very nice as well. It features a textured black finish that allows you to grip the device without it easily slipping out of sweaty palms.
You can easily record WAV and MP3 over 24-Bit/96 kHz. The recordings are stored in either MicroSD or MicroSDHC cards.
One thing to note is that unfortunately on this digital recorder, there is no interchangeable capsule.
Connecting an External Mic
If you want to connect an external microphone then you need to have a mic that can plug into a 3.5mm port. Lavalier mics are best used for these.
Sound
The sound quality on this digital recorder is excellent. Things very clear and in your face. The audio reproduction was very accurate and i can hear very intricate details in the recording. We were not disappointed when listening back to the recordings.
Verdict
If you are looking for a portable recorder that is high quality and affordable, then the Tascam DR-05 is a great choice. You wont go wrong if you choose this digital recorder. This to us is hands down the best portable recorder for musicians.
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Tascam DR-05 Portable Handheld Digital Audio Recorder
3 – The Zoom H5 Four-Track Portable Recorder
This recorder features:
- Interchangeable input capsules
- 4 Track simultaneous recording
- 2 Mic/Line inputs
- Detachable X/Y capsule
- Built in 48V phantom power
The Zoom H5 was introduced in 2015 and it hasn’t been updated since. Why you may ask? Well, the answer is, its just that good that it didn’t have to go thru a physical hardware update.
Build Quality
The recorder feels very high quality. It has a rubber like feel that will allow you to grip it well with out it slipping out of your palms. It doesn’t feel cheap and it has some weight to it.
The included X/Y capsule also feels very great and is built well. The X/Y capsules are actually shock mounted meaning that if there are any movements or if anything hits it, it will be able to properly accommodate the “shock” and evenly distribute that.
You will notice that the gain knobs have a metal bar in front of them. The reason for this is so that there are no sudden gain changes if this is in your pocket or anything else similar.
The build quality overall is great.
Sound Quality
The audio quality you get out of this digital recorder is very excellent!
The mic can handle sound levels up to 140dB. This is very loud. Because of this the dynamic range is great and the stereo reproduction is phenomenal.
The digital recorder features XLR inputs as well so you can always attach a microphone to it, like a condenser microphone, and it will sound amazing
RELATED: Best Microphone Cable for Vocals
Verdict
The Zoom H5 is an amazing digital recorder with amazing quality. If you do decide to buy it, you wont regret it at all as its a solid choice.
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Zoom H5 Four-Track Portable Recorder
4 – The Tascam DR-40X Four-Track Digital Audio Recorder and USB Audio Interface
The last recorder on our list is the Tascam DR-40X Four-Track Digital Audio Recorder and USB Audio Interface.
This is another quality digital recorder on our list that gets the job done and sounds great as well.
Here are some features:
- XLR/TRS combo inputs
- Built in 48V Phantom Power
- 4 Channel recording
- Mid-Side Decoding
The Tascam DR-40X is a versatile four track recorder. It can be used in many applications including music, film, dialog, podcasting and so on.
Build Quality
The build quality on this alright. We won’t lie, the main frame of this does feel kind of cheap. The sides of the Tascam DR-40X have a grip that allows you to hold it with out it slipping out of your hands. It can withstand a lot of beatings you throw at it.
There is a metal protecting guard on the X/Y microphone as well.
The only difference between this digital recorder and the others already listed (the Zoom ones) is the fact that there is no interchangeable capsule. The microphone configuration here is permanent.
Sound Quality
The sound quality on this microphone is great as well! The stereo reproduction of this digital recorder was great and we could easily hear everything.
Recording from an external sound source as well is great. We plugged in a guitar and we were happy with the way things sounded.
The sample rate on this digital recorder can go up to 96kHz and record at 24 Bit. The dynamic range on this is great as well allowing you to hear sounds at all kinds of levels.
Verdict
This is a great microphone that gets the job done. Although the build quality is alright, the sound quality is really really good. If you are looking for a budget microphone that really sounds good, this ia a great choice.
The best portable recorder for musicians
The best portable recorder for musicians to us is clearly the Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder. It’s just an overall beast when it comes to digital recorders. With 6 tracks, interchangeable capsules, excellent sound and much more features, How can you go wrong with this choice? To us, its really worth it.
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Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder
The other choices as well are great options as well so check them all out and let us know what you went with!
