Sony TCM-200DV Cassette Recorder with Dual Power Source

I am in charge of fixing the horrible distortions
that happen in converting low-sample-rate recordings of poetry
readings from a camera to MP3 (terrible kazoo buzzing noise).

I discovered that good old analog tape, via an attenuating patchcord (-60db), convert very smoothly, and the PCM/16-bit 11khz audio format even rolls off tape hiss and keeps a beautiful natural tone. Using an electret microphone outboard also gets rid of the tape machine motor noise.

Anyway, I got this TCM-200DV at Target on sale for $25 to
back up the garage-sale recorder I was using. The first
wonderful surprise was that you can plug a common
external-powered PC condenser mic straight in! Sony
says they supply the bias, and they aren't fooling.
The level is quite sensitive too; excellent for poetry
at 1-2 ft distance, so 'pops' are avoided. The sound is
brilliant, even at the half-speed. I would have gladly
traded that for a tape counter. I am worried about
how all the switches dealing with the tape speed will age,
but I'll keep the thing in a bag to avoid dust.
The 25-hr batt life is cool.
Analog recordings of speaking events are very important at this
time, since the true 24-bit//96khz PCM recorders needed to
avoid conversion distortions are still very expensive. This
recorder does a super job for voice, and is a great feed
to the PC for digital recording. If I had to make it
perfect (albeit for a little more money), I would
drop the mutlispeed, add a counter, and add a
pop-up microphone wand with mechanical isolation from
vibrations (a PC mic on folded fleece suffices now).
A side-monitor (2 earphone plugs) would be nice too.

Thanks for saving my poetry group from hellacious distant
camera audio recordings, Sony!

This is a nice little recorder and the price is right. I got it for my folks because they wanted to be able to record my niece and nephew and because the new digital technology was a little overwhelming. This is a very sturdy little player/recorder, easy to use, and great if you still have cassettes lying around.

So far I have no reason to think this is not the high Sony quality we are used to. And the price was very reasonable.

The 15/16ths IPS speed has gotten hard to find; Radio Shack no longer stocks them, so the quick local in-person pickup of a recorder that does half speed is gone; on-line seems to be the way to go. This recorder has it. When my clients sent me half-speed tapes and my old recorder that had this capability failed, I had to hustle to find this one.

The machine's failure to have a head-adjustment hole in the case is one shortcoming, hence my four rather than five rating. Many other makes and models do have this; others I have to modify with a small saw to give me this adjustment ability, which can make a large difference in playback quality (typically when the machine a tape was recorded on is slightly differently aligned than the playback machine).

The "dual power source" capability being highlighted I find "curious," because it seems to me that DC (battery) or AC (AC-to-DC adapter) capability is a standard feature. It may be becoming less standard than we have gotten used to, though, particularly in the very small digital recorders, which are the wave of the future (and present), which I assume is why Radio Shack's (as a "for instance") line of cassette recorders is dwindling, as their line of digital recorders grows.

So, on-line shopping and buying is the way to go. And maybe buy an extra item or two to put "into inventory" for when the machine you're using fails and you don't want a one or two-day delay in your work schedule while you wait for the UPS or FedEx truck to arrive.

This is a great recorder, I highly recommend this to anyone who does day-to-day recordings. The playback is exceptional with the ability to monitor the speed level of the sound.

i'm a 17 year old filipino student writer/filmmaker and when an idea pop into my mind, im always armed with a pen and paper to write my ideas and to review it later. there were also times when pen and paper are not appropriate, while in the bath, while sitting at the toilet, while walking, etc. so I decided to buy a voice recorder to record my ideas everywhere and anytime. I'm considering a digital voice recorder but it is out of my budget. microcassettes however are good and small in size but it cant be played in ordinary cassette players. i originally bought a cheap 375 pesos or about $6 Platinum cassette recorder but the microphone is so bad so i needed a replacement. im considering an aiwa model with Voice activated recording, 2x recording time and a tape counter for about 34 dollars but because of sony's clear voice recording, i got this tcm-200dv tape recorder for 36 dollars. i really love the cool features such as 2x recording time, speed control VOR or Voice activated Recording, Clear Voice system which filters sound to make it more audible and its design. the microphone in the aiwa model is positioned in the hood of the recorder which is very bad because you cant direct the microphone to the sound source you want; sony however, positioned it excellently in the body facing up so you can direct it easily to the sound source. the VOR also is nice but it needs a litte practice to use and is so sensitive. the only thing lacking in this product is a tape counter. the recording is excellent and you can use it on meetings and during class because the mic is sensitive enough to "hear" sounds from a distance. overall, i recommend this product for students and professionals. you will really deserve what you pay for.