Tried and true digital voice recorder: WS-310M

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 03/20/2007 4:15 PM | Life

Zatni Arbi, Contributor, Jakarta

Two years ago I talked about the benefits of digital voice recorders compared with analog cassette recorders.

For the last year or so, I was using an Olympus WS-310M. I truly liked it, and I swore by it. I did not want to conduct any interviews without it. Like my cell phone, I was never without it. If you saw me with a tiny gadget hanging around my neck like a pendant, it meant I was ready for some serious work.

But recently, someone stole this Rp 1.4 million device from me. What could I do? Before my next interview appointment, I had to get a replacement.

To tell the truth, once you have used this gadget, you wouldn't use anything with lower specifications. An analog cassette recorder would only be an option when no other options were available.

So, I went to Mal Mangga Dua in Jakarta to get a new digital voice recorder. The store where I had bought the WS-310M told me they did not have the model in stock anymore. They would get a new shipment on March 2, which would be too late for my needs.

They said they could try to find one at another store, but I would have to pay a bit more. I told them I would try my luck first.

The next shop I visited did not have it either. But they had an Olympus DM 20. The quote price, after discounts, was Rp 2 million. It comes with a stereo microphone, a carrying pouch and a docking station. It uses two AAA batteries, as opposed to WS-310M's single AAA battery. I was very much tempted.

Luckily, I did not make a rush decision. I checked the specs first.

One problem was that it came with only a 128 MB memory -- enough for four hours of digital recording. I needed a much longer recording capacity.

Besides, the gadget was actually designed as an MP3 player with the Digital Voice Recording (DVR) function added. The buttons are much better than those on the WS-310M.

But the docking station doesn't serve as a battery charger as you would expect. And you would need to install the bundled software on your PC to transfer the recording files.

Finally, I decided to go back and ask the guy in the earlier store to go ahead and find a WS-310M for me. Although he took some commission for his effort, I still ended up paying a mere Rp 1,370,000 for the WS-310M due to the strengthening rupiah against the U.S. dollar. Not bad.

The WS-310M is not super-perfect, of course. It has its strong and weak points.

It was designed more as a data storage device and comes with 512 MB of memory. It can record up to 17 hours at the highest quality level, which is Stereo High Quality (ST-HQ).

It may not be necessary to use this quality level, though. With non-stereo HQ, you can record up to 35 hours of conversation. For recordings of up to 138 minutes, you can set the recording quality to Long Playback (LP).

The device uses the compressed WMA file standard, so no conversion is necessary if you want to play the files back on your PC or Mac.

What about the true audio clarity? In one word, stellar. I can sit anywhere in a large conference hall and the WS-310M will pick up the speaker's voice clearly. There are two microphone sensitivity levels to choose from, one for a large room and the other for close-ups like dictations.

Transferring the files is just like copying files from a flash disk, which it is actually is. Just slide out the lower battery container of the WS-310M and insert a USB plug to connect to your computer. You can also erase files from the device once they are moved to the hard disk, so you will be ready for the next 17 hours of recording. Windows Explorer is enough for these operations, so you don't need to use proprietary software.

The WS-310M is very lightweight, too. You can switch to the Music mode to listen to the MP3 files you've saved on it. There are two RCA jacks on top, one for an optional external microphone and the other for the headphones.

By the way, I highly recommend downloading Creative MediaSource from Creative Technology. I have found it to be very convenient in tackling the most boring part of any interview: the transcription. We don't have to rely on the mouse to control playback, we just use Ctrl-P for Play, Shift-Ctrl-P for Pause, Ctrl-S for Stop. I have version 2.20.10 on my PC.

To make my job easier, I have also connected my PC to a compact stereo system. I would only listen to the recorded interviews on my headphones if the two women of the house insist on watching a DVD in my cozy study.

What about downsides? It has plenty, actually.

First, the control buttons can be hard to press. While this may prevent you from accidentally pressing the wrong button, you will need to check, for example, that the device is actually recording your interview. A small red LED will glow to indicate it is, indeed, recording. On and off buttons do not exist, you just use the sliding Hold button.

Another terrible feature is the tiny LED display. People with poor eyesight like myself may need a strong magnifier, although the display has some backlighting. And menus such as Format and Variable Control Voice Actuator (VCVA) are only accessible through the display.

The battery indicator is almost useless. The bad news is that you will be reminded of low battery power just five minutes before it blinks out. So my next recommendation is to keep several fresh AAA batteries in your bag or pocket when using this recorder at work.

The new model, the Olympus WS-320M, comes with 1GB of memory. I have not seen it here yet, but if you can grab one at places like Singapore's Sim Lim Square, just do it.

For now, I really recommend the WS-310M to those who need a digital voice recorder -- like reporters, students, lecturers and even secret agents.

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