Olympus Digital Voice Recorder (VN 6200PC)
Transfer audio files quickly and easily to a computer with the convenient PC link.Voice activation extends recording time by recording only when the microphone senses sound. Record up to 444 hours of uninterrupted audio in LP mode. Select from three recording modes to meet your specific needs: HQ for high quality; SP and LP for extended
recording. Index marks let you specify a particular point in a recording or playback for easy retrieval. Large LCD for easy, quick viewing of file locations, recording status and battery life. Slow and Fast Playback modes let you listen to audio 25 percent slower or 50 percent faster than real time. Contains five folders that each hold up to 200 files. Alarm Playback: Playback a pre-selected file at a specific time for reminders or wake-up calls.
Olympus Digital Voice Recorder (VN 6200PC) Review
I got this recorder to record tutoring sessions which I do with local high school students. After installing the batteries and setting the date and time, I did a quick test recording. I set the recorder on a table in Record mode. My position at the board was about 12′ away, with an angle to the mike of about 45d. The distance to the student area was 5-7′, with the mike angle from 45d to a full 90d. Tests from all of these areas provided a clear Playback.
I then plugged the USB cable into the recorder and the computer (Windows XP Home, USB 1.1). After automatically installing standard drivers, Explorer showed the device as just another drive – like a flash drive. Using Explorer, I copied the test WMA file onto my hard drive, then opened Windows Media Player and played it back – perfect, with excellent volume and clarity. To finish, I just right-clicked the recorder drive in Explorer and clicked on "Eject", unplugged the recorder from the USB port, and that was that.
All this using only the factory-default settings. I’ll play with those later.
The only problems:
1. The batteries were plastic-encased. Until you realize this and remove the plastic, they won’t work well.
2. I agree with others that labelling what is essentially the on-off button as "Hold" is idiotic.
3. I also agree the USB cable is really short – too short. This isn’t a problem for me but may be for you.
4. The recorder controls are difficult to read and in a low-lit room, you’d better have them memorized.
5. As others have noted, the format is WMA, which is fine if you have Windows Media Player. If you need WAV format, I "beethink" you can find a good free converter program for Windows.
Added note – WMA files are small and fast – I can attest to that. If you need to convert to WAV, you may find the conversion time very slow, and the new file very big. Consider downloading a WMA-compatible player. The last I checked (Sep ‘09) Windows Media Player V11 is free (25MB download), and if still so, download and install it. I think the first time you go through a WMA->WAV conversion, the long Windows Media Player download will look a lot more attractive.
All the above aside, this little thing works perfectly for what I intended it to do. For my use, great product.
Olympus Digital Voice Recorder (VN 6200PC) For Sale
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