Review on SEO-Optimized Digital Recorder: Olympus DM-420 Voice Recording Device by Trevor Blazis

I needed this primarily for recording personal coaching sessions both in person and over the phone. I needed a stereo tape recorder that could store files in generic formats like WMA or MP3, and I needed one that could run on both external power and batteries. It is one of the very few recorders that meet these requirements. At first I was disappointed that by default you can't record while it's plugged into a power source. The default configuration assumes that you are actually transferring files and not writing them when the USB port is plugged into a power source. In this respect, my old Olympus DS-40 is better, since the external power supply is connected to a separate mini-jack from the USB port. Another non-intuitive difficulty I encountered when using the AC adapter is that it will NOT charge the internal batteries unless you hold down the STOP button while plugging in the AC adapter. Recorder files folder to find the "USB Connect” configuration settings where I could change the configuration to ask on startup if I'm charging the device in PC mode or Recorder mode. The printed Quick Start Guide does not contain this information. Honestly, I like the intuitive simplicity of the separate power connector better on the old DS-40. Also, the DM-420 manual states that regular alkaline batteries should not be left in place while the recorder is powered, and that the power will still not work if the batteries are removed. My old DS-40 can run on electricity with the batteries removed and doesn't care if the batteries are regular or rechargeable as it doesn't try to recharge them. So the ability to charge the batteries inside the DM-420 is a double-edged blessing. Since using a voice recorder in my office, which is always plugged into a power source, I have almost eliminated my contribution of dead batteries to the environment. In general, it is very unintuitive and requires running an external power supply while simply charging the batteries or recording them when they are off, acting as a backup for dead or missing batteries, or charging batteries while connected via a USB cable connected to a PC, and to transfer recordings carefully reading the instruction manual. . That shouldn't be that difficult, because my HTC smartphone, which I also use as a recording and playback device, is completely transparent to the use of an external power supply/charger, which is also connected via the USB port. My use of the recorder is not limited to the office only. I wear it to the gym, on walks and on the plane to listen to music and books on cassette. Thanks to the microSD card slot, I can store hundreds of hours of audio. The sound quality of the WMA and MP3 music files I've copied onto the unit is excellent, and the stereo recordings I've made in the office are excellent (using two separate left/right microphones connected via a stereo connected to mono Y-splitters). Recordings from the phone are monophonic but also quite clear as they are limited by the quality of the phone line and not the dictaphone. I strongly recommend all buyers of this device to at least scan the detailed (128 pages) PDF manual hidden in the folder. on the registrar. The recorder can be set up for a wide variety of recording and playback options, and those who don't read the manual are definitely missing out on a lot of opportunities. I copied the PDF to my computer and printed it all out using my printer's duplex and paper saving settings - it was worth it and only took 32 sheets of paper. The AC adapter/charger (Olympus A514) is NOT included with the DM-420 recorder shown here. You have to order it separately. Otherwise, you only need to charge the DM-420's batteries by connecting it to a computer's USB port. In summary, I think this is a great little recording and playback device despite the flaws in its user interface. . The complex user interface hides a high level of customization flexibility, which is only available after carefully reading both the quick start guide and the hidden guide. If you are one of those people who never read the user manual, I would not recommend this device to you. Correction: Some people have complained that when they drag and drop music to the recorder, they cannot find it and play it on the recorder. If you have a microSD memory card installed in your recorder, you may have copied music to the microSD card, but the recorder is still only looking at the built-in memory. I got the review from Dr. Jerry Stettheimer extensively commented on how to switch your recorder from onboard storage to microSD storage. I've been using the recorder for 12 1/2 months now, no problems. I have to say again - reading the manual is VERY important to get the most out of this device. A LARGE, DETAILED FULL manual (128 pages) is hidden in PDF format in a folder called OL_MANUAL in the onboard memory. You need to copy it to your computer and open it with Adobe and read it. The printed "quick start" introduces you to about 10% of the possibilities of this recorder. If you just read a quick start guide, you can buy an old cassette player.