I’ve been on the market for a more compact digital recorder that can use dynamic microphones. Dynamic mics like the Sennheiser MD46 are great for field interviews because they don’t pick up as much handling noise as a condenser mic but dynamics need a recorder with good preamplifiers that can boost sensitivity without introducing hiss–also known as the noise floor. I already have an Olympus LS10 and an older Marantz PMD670, which both work fine but the former is best used with condenser mics and the Marantz is pretty big. I’ve tested some of the popular Zoom and Tascam recorders but have found them all to have pretty noisy preamps. The only clear choice seemed to what NPR staff reporters and technical writers actually use, the Marantz’ $600 PMD661 portable. It’s too pricey for me.
Recently, Roland released the R-26 digital recorder for a street price of $450. The initial online reviews seemed very positive so I took a chance and ordered one. I figure that I’d return the R-26 if the preamps were noisy. So far, it’s outperforming any other digital recorder that I’ve worked with.
The R-26 is a 6-channel recorder, meaning that it can simultaneously record from all inputs at the same time. You can, for example, mic three people with lavaliere mics using the two of the XLR inputs and one mic off the 1/8″ mini jack port. You can then set the internal stereo mic to record background sound. Each channel also has its own limiter controls that can be set to automatically limit distortion when the sound gets too loud.
This recorder is designed to be used in your hand or flat on its back on a tabletop. You can’t hang this around your neck and monitor levels like you can on the Marantz portables since all of the controls are on the face. The physical controls are very basic with play, skip and record buttons, a peak light and two recording level dials. Most of the recorder’s operations are done on a sensitive touch screen that is separated into nine basic categories including mic configuration, sampling rate, system setup and play modes. I found the navigation to be easy to read and quick to learn. The low resolution screen itself is backlit and is high contrast enough to be readable in bright daylight. The levels are a simple five segment meter with a separate sixth bar for peaking. The recorder shows a separate set of bars for each channel set.
It’s not a small device but the R-26 is much more manageable than my full sized Marantz at 3.25″ wide by 7.1″ tall by 1.6″ thick. It’s slightly larger than the compact PM661 but both recorders, which are mostly constructed of plastic, weigh 14 oz. The left side of the R-26 has an SD memory card slot and full sized USB port that is protected with a plastic cover. There is also an on/off slider and a DC power port. On the right side is a plug in mic port, 1/8″ mini jack headphone port, a speaker grill and the volume dial for the headphones. The back of the recorder is the 4 AA battery compartment access (fairly easy, though contact springs make it more difficult to remove individual batteries) and a tripod socket.
Two XLR combo ports sit at the bottom of the recorder and they can accept TSR plugs (stereo jacks) as well. To my disappointment, the XLR inputs are held in with friction and are not locking. This doesn’t provide as stable of a connection and the lines can be accidentally pulled out. Roland seemed to have addressed this issue by putting the shoulder strap mounts near the bottom on each side that allows the recorder to be carried upside down with the XLR inputs pointing up.
The most important feature of any digital recorder is the quality of the preamps and I found the R-26 preamps to be very good in my initial tests. I was able to get a nice full bar sound from my Sennheiser MD46 at less than 3/4 gain and with a very low noise floor. Most of the portables that I’ve tried need the gain cranked up all the way and this introduces a lot of hiss. The R-26 also predictably worked great with all of my condenser mics. I’m currently using the R-26 on a radio story so should have more future updates.
