I’d forgotten how much I liked Olympus products until the day I went shopping for a podcast-quality digital recorder and discovered the LS-10.
As a journalist, I’ve burned through countless tape recorders – from microcassettes to doorstop-sized models I used to record phone interviews. Usually, I wore out the gears by continually rewinding while transcribing notes. I bought my first Olympus, the Pearlcorder S810, about 20 years ago. A slick little number, it featured the latest technology: 24 cm-per-second tape speed and a cue mark button.
Well, I’ve fallen in love with Olympus all over again, and this time it’s the LS-10. It has tons of features I haven’t even used yet, but what sets it apart from other digital recorders in the same price range ($399) is how it feels in the hand. It has a compact, sleek and smooth aluminum body that, at 165 grams, has just enough weight to make you feel you’ve got a hardworking, professional piece of equipment.
The LCD screen is a good size, and there’s nothing wimpy about the navigation buttons. It has a 2 GB built-in memory as well as an SD slot. It even has a music folder where you can download songs and podcasts.
I use it to record my own podcasts and phone interviews, but it can easily handle situations like conferences where you want to zone in on a podium speaker. I love that the USB connection lets me easily transfer my recordings onto my Mac.
Now if only I could get it to transcribe my notes.
Angela tweets as @AngelPEK. Her most popular post this year was Globalive Mobile Aims to Yak with Mature Consumers. Mrs. Claus wasn't pleased to be referred to "mature"…but she IS thinking of finally getting a cellphone.