Which Digital Voice Recorder Is Right For Me?

Buying a digital voice recorder can be a little perplexing. The range of models, features and price varies and requires quite a bit of Googling to work out which model does what.

We try to take some of the pain away by having a "compare" box on the left side of the website to give you as much detail as possible about all the recorders. Here are the links:

Compare Olympus VN2100-PC & VN3100-PC - Basic Notetakers
Compare Olympus WS Series Digital Recorders
Compare Olympus DS Series Advanced and Pro Digital Voice Recorders

We can also help you narrow down the right model for your needs. Just give us a call, send us an email or grab us via the live chat on our website. If you are shy and don't like the idea of talking to someone who is excited about digital voice recorders (er .. thats me) then here is a simple guide for you.

• I want to record single speaker (i.e. only me talking) recording notes and letters.
• I want to record one on one interviews that will always be carried out in a quiet office across a desk.
• I do not need the ability to rewind audio, hear what I just said and then tag audio on the end, much like the old style analogue dictaphones. I am happy just hitting record to start and stop to end the recording.
• I use a Mac. I use Windows XP. I use Windows Vista.

The best recorder for you would be the Olympus WS-110.

• I want to record single speaker (i.e. only me talking) recording notes and letters.
• I will be recording interviews with two or three people in my office and in quiet environments.
• I do not need the ability to rewind audio, hear what I just said and then tag audio on the end, much like the old style analogue dictaphones. I am happy just hitting record to start and stop to end the recording.
• I use a Mac. I use Windows XP. I use Windows Vista.

The best recorder for you would be the Olympus WS-210S.

• I want to record single speaker (i.e. only me talking) recording notes and letters.
• I will be recording interviews and meetings with a few people both in my office and over lunch or in a cafe with background noise.
• I am a reporter and need to grab sound bites while out and about.
• I am a student and want to record lectures I attend.
• I am going to a conference and want to record the audio at a conference.
• I want the ability to record directly to my computer hard drive bypassing the inbuilt memory.
• I do not need the ability to rewind audio, hear what I just said and then tag audio on the end, much like the old style analogue dictaphones. I am happy just hitting record to start and stop to end the recording.
• I use a Mac. I use Windows XP. I use Windows Vista.

The best recorders for you would be the WS-311M, WS-321M or WS-331M.

• I want to record single speaker (i.e. only me talking) recording notes and letters.
• I will be recording large board meetings or focus groups.
• I don't want to worry about batteries and want the ability to plug my recorder into mains power.
• I want the ability to record directly to my computer hard drive bypassing the inbuilt memory.
• I do not need the ability to rewind audio, hear what I just said and then tag audio on the end, much like the old style analogue dictaphones. I am happy just hitting record to start and stop to end the recording.
• I use Windows XP. I use Windows Vista.  *I use a Mac.

The best recorders for you would be the DS-30, DS-40 or DS-50.

* The DS-30 / DS-40 / DS-50 can be used with a Mac, the software provided with the recorders can not. 

Click Here for a YouTube video explaining.

• I am a professional, I need a digital dictaphone to record notes and letters.
• I need to be able to rewind what I have just said and add audio on the end.
• I will be mainly just recording single speaker audio and the occasional small meeting.
• I want to be able to power my recorder by battery or mains power.
• I want to put my recorder in its dock and have it automatically recharge itself and send the audio to my typist or online transcription business.
• I use a Mac. I use Windows XP. I use Windows Vista.
  

The best recorders for you would be the DS-2300, DS-3300 or DS-4000.

*As of 1st September 2008 the DS-4000 has been discontinued and replaced by the new DS-5000 and DS-5000iD model.

However, please call to discuss your exact requirements as each models has different levels of functionality.

That is just a very rough guide. It is always best to call or live chat us on our website to discuss your exact needs.