Olympus WS-311M Digital Voice Recorder and WMA Music Player

I bought this little gadget mainly for recording meetings and live music. Previously I used a Sony MD-recorder, which is also quite good but required MD-tape and the sonicstage software for transferring and editing isn't exactly very updated.

The recording quality is quite clear. One tip in recording is that make sure that both the left and right mics are equally expose. I put the recorder sideway (I originally thought that one side of the mic facing up would be ok already) in my bag when recording live music and the left and right stereo sound turned out to be a bit unbalanced.

I've compared a meeting recording between Sony MD and Olympus, which were placed next to each other, and discovered that the vocal in MD is louder but there is also sort of a background hum, whereas the vocal in Olympus is quieter but no background hum. Both recordings are quite clear so no real big issue there.

The transfer to computer is also very easy. Just plug the recorder in the USB and copy and paste the files. No need to install driver or use additional software at all.

Generally, I am quite satisfied with this recorder. It's easy to use and the recording quality is quite good. I gave it 4 star because I think that the recording quality could be better. However, keep in mind that various variables will affect the quality of the recording: how close you are to the speaker, the position of the recorder, the size of the room, etc so it's hard to judge whether it is good enough. I've done 2 recordings of the same live show from different position and received different results. Also, it would be great if the audio file could be recorded other format such as mp3 or wav and not just WMA.

Purchased product after several weeks of research a few weeks ago; for use in large lecture hall at Law School; though I sit in the front of the class nearest the professor, I doubt product couldn't be used anywhere in the hall if you pleased; I am a MAC user; simply download FLIP FOR MAC for free at MAC Downloads which allows you to play the WAV files; connect product to MAC and just click and drag files into a folder; I've designated folders respectively for Civ. Pro and Contracts; be aware of the voice filter settings and the noise canceling option: as both tend to drain the battery; otherwise you'll run for nearly 8-10 hours on one AAA. Good luck with the search, but you have landed on a nice product here.

I purchased this recorder to use for class and it works very well. My husband also uses it to record his ministry sermons. The music we record also sounds very well when I connect the device to my computer speaker. The price I paid through Amazon was much better than Best Buy. I saved about $35.

This is a very good recorder. Its small and fits in my pocket. WAYYY better than my old sony, I sit in the back of the class and I can still record perfectly..IT doesn't pick up side noise and people talking, I love this. I just think the battery runs out too fast, u have to carry a spare everywhere u go, atleast u only need one battery, but in this day and age u shouldn't need any..

I purchased the digital voice recorder for about $75 from Amazon, while I saw it on the BestBuy website the same day for $130. The device itself is very small and light. It is even a little difficult to try to find a place to hold the device when I am trying to separate it (to download files). But I love that I can just plug it right in to the computer and I don't need a cable. It downloads quickly and is very user friendly.

The variable voice control is supposed to save space and battery life, but for one particular professor I can't use it. The lecturer talks quietly and she likes to trail off at the end of her sentences. This device isn't sensitive enough to pick up even when I am sitting in the front of the class, so I turn off the variable voice control. For the quiet parts of lecture I listen to it with headphones and I can hear everything really well. I've also taped 9-50 minute lectures and play around with it and the battery meter is still "full".

The device came with a pair of decent headphones, a battery, and a short USB 2.0 adadaptor cable.