As mentioned in a previous installment of this column, I’m spending more time with music (and related tasks) again. To get some raw material for new samples, I started recording in the field. The best device I can recommend in the mid-budget region is the Tascam DR100 recorder — this device comes with an aura of “work, not play”; unlike the famous Zoom devices which I found to be very plastic and unreliable. The killer features of the Tascam DR100 for me are:

1. Built-in rechargable Li battery
2. 2 XLR inputs w/ 48V phantom power
3. 4 built-in microphones, two uni-, two omnidirectional.
4. Simple UI, lots of dedicated buttons.