Tascam DR-05X Stereo Handheld Digital Audio Portable Recorder and USB Audio Interface, Pro Field, AV, Music, Dictation Recorder

You know when i got it? I was a little disappointed cuz it look kinda cheap. The built in speaker doesn't give it any faith either. BUT!! i ordered some stereo small headset so i don't look suspicious out n about. Girl! U gotta use it with headsets to really hear the crazy quality behind this beast! I have it at 50% input n i can still hear myself breathing! The audio captured with this device is impressive as hell! I been capturing things my own ears cant! Literally picks up cars running at 2-3 blocks away. I am in my room n it picks up the motor of my fan at 10 feet away from it. Tried vaping in the room and at 1-2 feet away it picks up the button press, the heat up mechanism and even the circuitry powering on! Thats crazy! The left n right channels are very sensitive, u can walk around it n its like i am whispering to myself. This is the best pull of a trigger investment i ever done! To use with your phone? Dont forget to get a usb cable and a usb male c/lightning to usb A and power. Then go to settings and activate usb options. Your blogging will go up like crazy. I paired my rig with a bluetooth mic and i dual record environments and high quality sound effects. My door does like a very light creek sound but this thing turns that gentle sound into horror movie quality. If you are an audiophile? This is the best not to expensive option! Sd is up to 128gb no biggie u can just buy a stack for cheap. Would had liked it to be bluetooth but i know the usb will deliver just fine. No latency delay or crackling just raw audio. I highly recomend for anybody wanting a high quality mic option u can just strap to your body or camera n get better audio quality with phones etc. u may have to play with input, at lower input your voice sounds crisps n cleaner due to not picking up things miles away. Full input? Get yourself headphones that can handle the high pitch of everything all at once. I tested it in my room with close door. It picks up conversations through walls coming from the tv in the living room! Dont forget to buy the furry wind thingy it does not bring one. I chose no case option n just bought a pair of fleece socks. They keep my baby safe n cozy. Easy to take out and keep the accessories in the other sock.

I’m absolutely blown away by the Tascam DR-05X. As someone who’s been into recording for years, I was looking for something portable that didn’t compromise on sound quality, and this does not disappoint. The stereo microphones capture incredible detail, whether I’m recording music, field audio, or dictations. It’s compact but feels sturdy and professional. Plus, the USB interface feature makes it a breeze to connect to my computer for direct recording or editing. Highly recommend for anyone who needs an all-in-one recording solution!

I bought the DR-05 back in 2011 and frequently used it for live band recordings. It died last week after 10+ yrs. I was tempted to try another brand but since I was happy with the quality of the TASCAM recordings, I stuck with TASCAM. For editing software, I use free Audacity and Studio One. Some of my recordings sound excellent. I also recorded my drums for youtube videos with the DR-05. This DR-05X has some extra features like brighter screen and added effects like reverb. I like the portability of the unit as it fits in my drumstick bag easily. The interface is very easy to use. The unit comes with batteries but does NOT include micro SD card and cable for PC. So, right out of the box, you cannot use the recorder unless you have a micro SD card on hand. The unit has no built-in memory. But for under a hundred bucks, I can't complain. I'll be happy if I get at least another 10 years out of this new unit. You can spend more on other recorders, but this little recorder is a great buy at this price point. One small issue - I had to return the first DR-05X I received due to the display light flickering. Amazon provided a replacement right away which works fine.

This review is ONLY for the "Tascam DR-05X Stereo Handheld Digital Audio Portable Recorder". I have a few of the TASCAM products in this series, mostly the somewhat fancier DR-07X. I recently purchased a DR-5X as a donation to a local museum that has a large collection of old LP records that they from time to time wish to convert parts of to digital format for use in their presentations. I also donated a modern good quality "record player" which has "line level" outputs using RCA Phono type connectors. The idea was to use this DR-05X, connected to the record player, to do the analog-to-digital conversion, without the staff needing to have a computer handy or skill in using that. They would save the recorded digital files (in WAV format) to the recorder's microSD memory card, pop that into their computer in another room, and insert the sound bites into their PowerPoint presentations, etc. The problem is, that TASCAM inexplicably designed this entire series of handheld digital recorders WITHOUT line level inputs! The earliest handheld digital recorders has this ability, so I don't know what they were thinking. TASCAM is also cagey about the input capabilities of this series, saying only that, in addition to the built-in stereo microphones, these products have a combination MIC/EXT IN jack, without mentioning that the "EXT IN" part of that is NOT line-level compatible; it is for certain low level signals that apparently some digital video cameras can produce. Even with the DR-05X's input (recording) volume set to its lowest level, any line-level signal is MUCH too loud and all you will get is badly distorted audio if you try to connect line-level sources to this MIC/EXT IN input. OK, I knew that issue already, so I do was I have done for my other DR series recorders, and that is to also purchase a suitable LINE-to-MIC attenuator to reduce the line-level signal to the low-level microphone signal that the DR series expects. The ones I usually used have a 43dB attenuation. But for this one purchase, I was in a hurry and could not obtain the preferred attenuator in time, so I bought a cheapo adjustable attenuator from Amazon, the "Cubilux 3.5mm Line Level to Microphone Level Attenuator Cable, 1/8-Inch TRS Line Out to MIC in Attenuation Cord for DSLR Camera Camcorder Recorder, 1 Feet. Because this attenuator has a 3.5mm (1/8") TRS "phone" plug on each end, I also needed to purchase an adapter cable to go between the two RCA phono plugs on the record player and the 'input' plug on this attenuator product. Well, it kinda works, but the quality is not too good, and the thumbwheel attentuation adjustment makes crackling in the audio, and also unevenly attenuates, make the right channel softer than the left channel, and there is not way to dial that out on the attenuator OR the DR-05X. Well, at least the umbalance can be fixed in any digital editing software, but which the museum does now have. The upshot is the above is that, if you want to use this DR-05X with line level inputs, think again or at least plan to use it with a good quality attenuator of some kind. The other caveat I want to mention is that this product does NOT come with a memory card. You will have to purchase one or more micro-SD memory cards to use with it, and unless your computer also sports a micro-SD card slot/reader, you will want to also obtain a micro-SD adapter that allows the small cards to plug into a standard SD card slot/reader. Having said this, the DR-05X does have a USB port on it, so you can alternately connect it directly to a computer. I have not tried this so see how well it works (some others have reported issues with their computer recognizing it). Finally, I strongly recommend using ONLY lithium AA cells in this DR-05X, rather than alkaline ones. The lithium ones perform better, will power the device for longer, and won't leak corrosive liquids inside the DR-05X. It runs just fine on lithium cells (battery).

All the features I want. None of the ones I don’t (or, if they’re there, they’re buried in menus - where they belong). Direct to MP3 recording is helpful to me (and saves on card space). I use this at our medium size church where I often need to record smaller classes, etc. This is perfect to place on a podium or music stand to capture a leader’s message or whatever. The mp3 recording uses a comparatively much smaller file size, so I never worry about running out of storage. I can set up the recorder hours before an event, start recording, and grab it the next DAY to import the audio to the DAW to edit. Auto gain works great (both for the built in mics and for line-in recording). Controls are straightforward and much less fussy than most of the other portable recorders I’ve used through the years. If this recorder breaks today, I’ll buy another one tomorrow.

The first unit I received had a 2.5 dB difference in volume between the two microphones. I sent it back for a replacement, and the replacement had a 1.0 dB difference between the two microphones. Wondering if perhaps I was expecting too much, I pulled out two bare $5 electret microphone elements and wired them to a 1/4" TRS connector and plugged them in. The levels were within 0.1 dB of each other. So it's not a problem with the ADC in the device, it's just the internal microphones not being well-matched to each other. Figuring that I wouldn't get anything better, I kept that one, thinking that I could just replace the internal microphones with my own electret microphones if I'm ever sufficiently bothered, but so far I've just been fixing the difference between the two channels with software. There's a lot of videos on the internet complaining about radio interference but I haven't had that problem, which makes me think Tascam fixed it. The recording quality is great. I record in 24-bit PCM mode, and just set the recording volume to 48 and forget it. It's low enough that even the loudest sounds won't peak the recording, and high enough that even the quietest sounds the microphone can detect are a mile above the noise floor of the ADC. So I can just record without worry and then, later on a PC, try to get the volume level perfect. Unfortunately the limited range of the on-screen volume meter, and the fact that it makes you press record twice, really tries to encourage you to do otherwise, but trust me, just set it to 48 and try not to forget to press record twice, and your recordings will always sound perfect after you amplify them to whatever volume you actually want them to be. Other than that, the software on the device seems good enough. The menus are logically ordered and while it's a bit confusing to try to play back recordings and seek through them (though there are two modes for this, with which one is better depending on whether you have one long recording or many short recordings to go through), it does work and for the most part I just want to copy files to my PC and listen to them there anyway. Overall I'm quite happy with the device and would definitely just buy another one if this one were to stop working someday, but I do hope that if that happens, though I do hope that, if that day comes, Tascam is shipping them with microphones that are well matched to each other.

This is exactly the portable recorder that I was looking for. I use it to record live music and rehearsal sessions. The good things: - It's the right size. - It has a good range of easy to use features. Easy to navigate menus. - I can operate it with one hand using a thumb. - The recording and sound quality are quite good for my use. - It's a Tascam product - I have had good experience with Tascam and don't need to save a couple of bucks by buying a knock off or copycat. - It records WAV and a variety of MP3 densities. No proprietary format that must be converted! - It stores files on a removable Micro USB card, not on board. Files can be easily transferred by USB cable or simply transferring the card to a computer. - It uses two AA batteries (included) which means I am not tethered to a charger. This is perfect for longer recording periods as I can swap out new batteries on the fly so to speak. I was able to record / playback for over 40 hours on the supplied set of batteries. - It has a mounting screw port and can be attached to a mic stand or desk mounted stand. - It is cheap enough that if I lose it or break it I won't freak out. Could be better: - A bluetooth I/O link would be nice (it is available on more expensive recorders) - You'll need to use a stereo capable 1/8" jack patch cord if you want to use an external speaker or patch into another device. - Being a small device with a small screen, setting recording levels can be a bit tedious. - Settings are lost when the recorder is turned off. Notable mentions: - I ended up purchasing and returning a Refurbished recorder. Typically I have had good success with refurbished items but this item was "locking up" as I browsed recordings and switched menus quickly. - I have had one instance of Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) while recording. It comes across as a clicking sound. I wasn't able to isolate what was causing the interference but it was not a guitar or bass amp. The RFI was transient and only occurred once in 78 recordings on the unit that I returned. - Amazon handled the return as they always do. Efficient and easy. - The lack of a micro-USB card with the recorder is not a big deal. Many people including myself have several micro-usb cards from other retired devices I could use. Memory cards are quite inexpensive these days and you can just order one when you purchase the recorder. Get a 128Gig card because if you are like me you will use it. Although the packaging that it comes in will provide great protection when it's not in use, I am purchasing a case that can fit spare batteries, a short USB cable, and the 1/8" stereo output cable in one place.

I chose the Tascam DR-05X over the comparable Zoom H1n recorder because the Tascam is capable of recording to microSDXC cards, which enables it to record for a longer time period without switching cards. However, I now regret my decision, and I am returning the Tascam to Amazon. Why? The sound quality is terrible. I play in a band, and the sound volume caused the recording to clip even when the Tascam was set to the lowest possible recording level. When I put on the built-in limiter, the recording no longer clipped...but the sound quality was incredibly poor. Muddy and muffled. I literally got a much better-sounding recording with my smartphone. I would add that the Tascam's user interface is very poorly designed and counter intuitive. And the built-in light goes off very quickly to save batteries. That's great, except it goes off SO quickly that you don't have time to find what you're looking for before it goes off. By the way, both the Tascam and the Zoom recorders say you can transfer sound files directly from the device onto your computer. Not true -- not if you have a Macintosh anyway. However, you can take the SD card out of the device and use that to transfer files to your computer, using the adapter that comes with the SD cards.