Selecting a digital voice recorder

[ag903]

Hi

I'm interested and purchasing a Digital Voice Recorder and want to get one that I can easily edit the files that it creates. Sony has the ICD-P520 digital voice recorder . Olympus has the VN4100PC which also looks good but people have said the software is bad. However, If I can use Audacity for the software then I don't really care if the software that comes with it is bad.

Does anyone have any experience with these two devices?
Are they any good? I want it use it to record phone conversations and voice conversations in meetings.
Are they both compatible with Audacity? I think the Olympus uses ADPC but have know idea what the Sony uses and haven't been able to find the specification listed on their web site.

Thanks

[kozikowski]

You can always capture the voice from the device to your computer with an analog cable. I know that's not manly, but it works. Cable the headphone output of the device (turn the volume up) to the Line In of your computer. PC Laptops tend not to have a Line In connection, so that wouldn't work for them.

Koz

[Macloo]

We've been using Olympus recorders for Web audio at my university for two years. They record in WMA format, CD quality, stereo. You need an external mic for really nice results, but if you are only recording for yourself, the built-in mic is okay.

We have used the WS-200S (discontinued) and the WS-100 (http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_secti ... oduct=1170) with great results in the field. The new WS-110 looks nice (http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_secti ... oduct=1321).

Of course, the quality of your external mic does play a big part.

We use Switch (free) or EasyWMA (Mac only, $10) to convert the WMA files to WAV before we open them in Audacity.