Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I purchased the DR100 to record classical musicians on-location as a smaller and lighter replacement for a much larger hard disk recorder and a pair of external mic preamps. I was hoping that the built-in XLR inputs and +48 V phantom power would be all I'd need for quality 2-channel recordings. After some live recordings of professional musicians as well as a bit of bench testing, I have mixed feelings about the unit.
The good: Using the stereo line input, the DR100 is capable of creating very clean, low noise, low distortion recordings. The DR100 uses Asahi Kasei delta-sigma "Audio4Pro" digital converters which are excellent sounding and have a very low inherent noise spectrum and a S/N ratio of better than 100 dB. The Tascam v1.10 firmware upgrade allows for 96kHz-24bit recording using those converters and the resulting .wav files are superb. The recorder can use SDHC cards up to 32GB, with single files of up to 2GB, so long recordings are no problem. The line input matches any nominal -10 dBv preamp or mixer output. The menus are easy to navigate and the file structure is straightforward. The fast USB2 interface makes it easy to transfer WAV files to any DAW. When backlit, the LCD display is quite readable and the peak signal LED is fast and bright. The peak LED lights at -2dB and the bargraph meters cover a range of -49dB to -1dB where the device clips. The display never reads "0dB".
The "not-so-good": Having built-in, phantom powered preamps was one of the reasons I choose the DR100 over the many other available flash-memory recorders. I own a 24-channel, 96k-24 bit "portable" rack HD system as well as a laptop-based 8-channel recorder and wanted a high quality, but small and light system for 2-track recordings that could be used with high-end external mics. The DR-100's built-in unidirectional mics are probably OK for "snapshot" recordings, but are not acceptable for any serious professional use. During my initial testing using both an external small mixer and external mic preamps, (going in through the 3.5 mm line input) the DR100 worked very well. However, the internal mic preamps are not all that great. Although the V1.10 firmware update does provide for 24 bit, 96kHz sampling as well as 44.1kHz and 48kHz, it does not allow for 88.2 kHz recording, which generally is a better choice for final conversion to 44.1/16 bit for publication on CDs. Tascam should seriously consider adding 88.2kHz sampling, even if it means dropping 48kHz.
The preamp gain is adequate for most any modern condenser microphone and many, but not all dynamic mics. At higher gain settings the preamps do have a fairly high internal noise, which becomes audible when the preamp is switched to the "H" (high) setting and the recording level control is advanced into a usable range. This is when the unit is used for classical music recording with a fairly wide dynamic range of 40-50 dB. For compressed pop, and rock recording this is a non-issue. However, I've encountered a much more serious problem (for my use). So far, I've had problems when using the DR100's internal +48V phantom power with several sets of widely available phantom powered mics. I connected a pair medium-output (-70dBV/Pa) ribbon mics and was not surprised that the DR100 did not have enough gain. I then tried a set of "active ribbons" (with phantom powered internal amplifiers and found that everything worked fine if only one mic was connected, but connecting both mics caused a very audible (-30dB) high-pitched buzzing noise in both inputs. This only occurred when running on the fully charged internal Li-ion battery. When running on the PS-520 external power supply/charger, the noise disappeared, even with both mics connected. To me this indicates a weak +48V phantom supply. I tried another set of mics, a pair of very popular small diaphragm omni condensers and even running on the external power supply I had serious noise generated when both mics were drawing current from the DR100's phantom power source.
Please note that all of the mics I tried all work fine using any of my Mackie, SECK, Yamaha, True and Presonus mixers and preamps with absolutely no problems.
Bottom line: I'm keeping the Tascam, but will be carrying a couple of external mic pres or a small mixer with it.
For reference, I did document the recording levels at various gain settings using the internal mic pres.
The signal source was a balanced mic simulator signal generator. Output -41.5dB, one channel driven, phantom power OFF, limiter OFF. Signal = 700 Hz sine wave.
Levels listed are the indicated recording levels on the LCD display:
1. Coarse Gain Switch set to "L"
Gain dial setting vs (LCD displayed recording level)
dial 10 (-42 dB)
dial 9 (-42 dB)
dial 8 (-44 dB)
dial 7 (-47 dB)
2. Coarse Gain Switch set to "M"
dial 10 (-20 dB)
dial 9 (-20 dB)
dial 8 (-21 dB)
dial 7 (-24 dB)
dial 6 (-30 dB)
dial 5 (-34 dB)
dial 4 (-40 dB)
dial 3 (-45 dB)
3. Coarse Gain Switch set to "H"
dial7.5 (-1 dB) clipping
dial7 (-3 dB)
dial6.5 (-6 dB)
dial6 (-8 dB)
dial5 (-12 dB)
dial4 (-17 dB)
dial3 (-22 dB)
dial2 (-27 dB)
dial1 (-29 dB)
dial0 (-29 dB)
As noted above, the actual usable range of the attenuator dials is from "1" to "9" representing a maximum range of 29 dB. Changing the dial settings between "0" and "1" , and between "9" and "10" has no effect at all.
For actual acoustic recordings using a pair of sensitive, high output external cardioid mics, recording classical music with a peak acoustic level hitting around 85 dB SPL, I needed to set the coarse switch to "H" and the attenuator to "7.5" to get good recordings that peaked at around -4 dB or -3 dB on the DR 100 meters.
Other than the "wimpy" phantom power supply, I do like this recorder. It's capable of making fine, professional level recordings as long as you are aware of its limitations.
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Tascam DR100 Portable Digital RecorderA great choice for recordists--from musicians to podcasters--who need a reliable handheld recorder with advanced recording features, the rugged Tascam DR100 portable recorder offers four built-in electret condenser mics (two cardioid and two omni) as well as a pair of XLR mic ins with phantom power for adding pro condenser microphones.
The DR-100 includes a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, but can also be powered by AA batteries or an optional AC adapter. A built-in speaker allows for instant playback, and the metal enclosure includes a tripod mounting hole for recording flexibility. A wireless remote control is also included for remotely starting the recording.
Playback can be looped or slowed down without changing the pitch, and locate points can be added while recording. The DR-100 records to SD or SDHC cards, and a 2 GB card is included with the unit.
Key Features
Four microphones -- stereo cardioid and omni condenser mics
44.1k to 96k sampling rates for WAV file recording
MP3 and WAV file recording and playback
XLR Mic Inputs with Phantom Power
High-performance microphone preamp with 60dB of gain
Premium AKM Audio4Pro A/D converters with over 100dB signal to noise ratio
3.5mm line inputs and outputs
Low cut filter, analog limiter and auto gain control
Built-in speaker
Integrated microphone stand mount
Runs on rechargeable Li-Ion battery or AA batteries
Optional PS-P520 AC power adapter
Dimensions: 3.2 x 1.4 x 6 inches (WxHxD)
SpecificationsXLR MIC IN (L,R) inputs
Input impedance: 1.2 kΩ
GAIN HIGH setting
Standard input level: -58 dBu
Maximum input level: -42 dBu
GAIN MID setting
Standard input level: -36 dBu
Maximum input level: -30 dBu
GAIN LOW setting
Standard input level: -14 dBu
Maximum input level: +2 dBu
LINE IN input
Connector: 3.5mm stereo minijack
Input impedance: 1.2 kΩ
Standard input level: -10 dBu
Maximum input level: +6 dBu
LINE OUT input
Connector: 3.5mm stereo minijack
Standard input level: -10 dBu
Maximum input level: +6 dBu
Recording media
SD cards (64 MB - 2 GB) and SDHC cards (4 GB - 32 GB)
File system
FAT partition: FAT 16/32
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