Edirol has given its R-09 digital audio recorder a bit of a shot in the arm to help it compete with the slew of other low-cost recorders on the market today. A few years ago when Edirol launched the R-09, it was one of just 2 or 3 prosumer level recorders available for under $500, and it got rave reviews. But since then, it's received plenty of competition. So it's about time we saw an update.
The Edirol R-09HR (for high resolution) looks a lot like its older sibling, and tha't s a good thing. It's designed to fit easily in your hand or pocket. The button layout does appear to have received a bit of a redesign. But the big changes are under the hood.
The R-09HR can support 24-bit 44.1/48/88.2/96KHz recordings, while the older model topped out at 48KHz. The R-09HR can also support SDHC media up to 8GB, while the original R-09 could only handle 4GB. Update: It looks like you can add support for 8GB SDHC cards to the original R-09 through a firmware update. The latest firmware update also adds the ability to split files while making a recording.
The new unit also has a rubberized case instead of the old plastic case, there's a new monitor speaker on the back of the unit, a remote control for triggering and pausing recordings from up to 10 feet away, and a playback speed control. The R-09HR also comes with Cakewalk Audio Editor LE digital audio editing software.
You can find out a bit more about the R-09HR by checking out this video from SonicState:
The R-09HR appears to be on sale in the UK for about £249.00, which is around $500 US. But it's not clear how much the recorder will cost in the US, as electronics tend to be cheaper this side of the Atlantic.
Related Posts from the Field Recorders category:
