Olympus DS 40 Digital Voice Recorder
November 27, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Up to 134 hours recording time / 512MB Internal Flash Memory / High-sensitivity Microphone / Voice guidance / DSS Player v7.0 Podcatcher Software This Podcatcher can transfer new content to the recorder simply by connecting it to a computer by registering favorite Podcast programs in DSS Player Stores highly compressed WMA (Windows Media Audio) format voice messages Playback and store WMA and MP3 music files Five voice folders can save up to 200 messages per folder. Music, Podcast, and Audible folder are also available New, brighter high-contrast monochrome LCD panel with backlight Built-in Variable Control Voice Actuator (VCVA) function Timer Recording and Alarm features enable automatic recording and playing at a set time Index mark and temp mark features allow you to quickly find desired locations Noise Cancel Function and Voice Filter Function cut noise and enable clear audio playback Up to 32 hours of continuous operation with two AAA batteries Recording Time - ST XQ mode 8 hours 40 minutes, ST HQ mode 17 hours 20 minutes, HQ mode 34 hours 45 minutes, SP mode 68 hours 30 minutes, LP mode 136 hours 15 minutes Input Level - -70 dBv Practical Maximum Output - 250 mW Microphone Jack - 3.5 mm mini-jack, impedance 680 ohms Earphone Jack - 3.5 mm mini-jack, impedance 8 ohms or more Power Supply Rated Voltage - 3V DC Optional AC Adapter External Power Supply System Requirements - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, XP Professional, Home Edition, CPU Intel Pentium II class 333 MHz processor or more, RAM 128 MB or more (256MB or more is recommended), Sound Board Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 or 100% compatible sound card, Video Card and Display 800 x 600 pixels or more, 256 colors or more, Removable Drive 2x or faster, One Free USB Port, Audio Output Speaker or earphone output Dimensions - 4.37 x 1.48 x 0.63 inch (111 x 37.5 x 16 mm)
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars good buy
I purchased this to record piano and vocals. It does a wonderful job it’s just not so clear on the playback from the device. Also not being able to change the name of the recorded piece from the device itself is a pain. Still, it’s a wonderful little thing
5 Stars Perfect for students’ needs
I haven’t had a voice recorder since the old days of microcasette, so this is my first digital voice recorder. I read lots of reviews before choosing the Olympus DS-40, and I’m really happy with this little gem. I use it to record lectures at school, and for my purposes, it far exceeds all the expectations that I had.
Some pros: The sound clarity is great, and it even picks up questions from the back of the lecture hall. I like that I can vary the playback speed, but I wish it had more options than slow, regular, and fast. It is super small and lightweight; also looks pretty sleek in all-silver casing (though the entire casing isnt metal).
Some cons: I have to change batteries about every month, even though I only record 4 days a week, which leads me to think that I should’ve bought the a/c adapter for it. I also wish that you could stop and start your recording without it becoming a whole new file. Right now, I have to press the record button to pause the recording, and then press record again to restart the recording, which isn’t quite intuitive for me yet. It would also have been nice to be able to edit the recordings and rename them while they are still on the unit.
Overall, I’m VERY satisfied with the recorder and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a mid-range digital voice recorder. I think you definitely get your money’s worth for this one.
4 Stars Only *ONE* problem.
This recorder is fantastic. Small, easy to use, the USB connection is fantastic for downloading recordings to your computer.
The sensitivity is great (although I use the separate microphone and not the built in one) for meetings and class lectures (which is my primary use).
THERE’S ONLY ONE PROBLEM: this thing sucks battery juice like there is NO tomorrow! Why the manufacturer opted for AAA batteries instead of AA I’ll never know (I would have tolerated a slightly larger unit if it served this purpose).
Be warned: the battery indicator on the device is misleading. It’ll show 2 bars (out of 3) but that basically means you’ve got 1-2hrs left.
I use this thing to record roughly 5 hours of lecture 4 days a week and I replace the batteries every 2 weeks. Basically, you’ll get around 30hrs of recording time before it dies on you.
Not such a big deal you say? Well imagine you finish a 2hr lecture and realize the thing shut off from battery death 2 minutes into it. Yeah… it’ll tick you off.
The device gives no audio warning of any kind that it’s turning off so make sure you carry around extra batteries with you and keep an eye on it.
4 Stars Olympus DS40
Great little recorder. Only drawback is that I cannot create extra folders. Excellent quality and sound. Good buy for the money!
2 Stars Warning: Creates DRM-restricted files!
I have been mostly pleased with the DS-40 since I received it. It has a very good auto-record-level system and decent compression, however, there’s one big, major problem. The recorder creates Microsoft-proprietary-format .WMA audio files that have DRM (Digital Rights Management) restrictions on them. Why would a third-party company like Olympus marry themselves to a proprietary audio storage format? This puts restrictions on how you can copy and convert the files. If you are looking to record something in open-standards MP3 or WAV format, you’re out of luck. You may find tools to convert the format into industry-standard open-source formats or not (My copy of Nero refused to convert the WMA files into MP3 format citing they didn’t have authorization from Microsoft! - This is my recording!) I strongly condemn Olympus for choosing to store audio files in Microsoft’s proprietary file format. I urge everyone looking at ANY Olympus audio recording product to check and make sure that device isn’t also using .WMA files — DRM-enabled technology that puts limitations on what you can do with your own recordings!
