இ Fuzzy Wuzzy's Summary:
ѾѾѾѾѾ Very highly recommended with warm fuzzies!
I work in high tech and I am also a musician who plays guitars, harmonica, and world-beat/ethnic percussion. So I find portable digital recorders like this to be highly useful on a weekly basis for recording everything from personal dictation of thoughts and ideas, to in-person meetings, to telephone conferences, to jam sessions with my other musician friends, to recording impromptu music ideas and vocals.
Prior to purchasing this Sony ICD-SX712, I frequently used a Sony ICD-SX750 2 GB Flash Memory Digital Voice Recorder (Black). And before that, one of my main portable digital recorders was a Sony MZ-NF810CK Net MD MiniDisc Recorder with Car Kit with a Sony ECM-DS70P Electret Condenser Stereo Microphone for recording music ideas, jam sessions, and rehearsals. Sony's MZ-NF810CK Net MD MiniDisc recorder offered CD-quality digital recording with a full 20Hz-20,000Hz +/-3dB frequency range, along with an AM/FM/TV/Weather tuner. But for years, my one big complaint with Sony's Net MD MiniDisc recorder was that the device had no 'Line Out' or easy method to transfer my digital recordings off of its MiniDisc so that I could perform further editing on the computer.
Even though the "712" number in this ICD-SX712 model is numerically smaller than Sony's previous model of ICD-SX750, I see this model as a substantially improved direct replacement for their previous ICD-SX750 model, which was also priced very similarly. Since I have both the ICD-SX750 and ICD-SX712 recorders, some of this product review will compare the two models.
With the advent of affordable digital recorders that use onboard flash memory and/or Memory Stick Micro (M2) and microSD memory cards, I find myself using my Net MD recorder less and less now. Note that the Sony line of "ICD" recorders are NOT really professional digital audio recorders for recording full-spectrum music, but this ICD-SX712 can still produce a very good CD-quality stereo recording for most kinds of music. Using its best LPCM 44.1 kHz 16-bit recording mode, the ICD-SX712 records a frequency range of 40Hz-20kHz. Depending upon the music that you are wanting to record, this may or may not be sufficient since a dedicated digital audio recorder will go down to 20 Hz. If you really want a digital audio recorder for music applications, I would highly recommend either the Sony PCM-M10/R Portable Linear PCM Recorder, 96-kHz/24-bit, 4GB Memory & USB High-Speed Port, Glossy Red, the Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder, both of which will record a pristine 20Hz to 20,000+ Hz frequency range at 96-kHz/24-bit recording mode, or one of the Tascam portable digital recorders. Sony's "ICD" recorder line is more optimized for recording voice (dictation, interviews, meetings), but this ICD-SX712 also does a very good job of recording music. There is not much musical content that goes below the 40Hz sub-bass low end that this ICD-SX712 can record: the low fundamentals of a bass tuba, and the fundamentals of a contrabassoon, harp, double bass, pipe organ, piano.
What is in the box package?
✵ ICD-SX712 Voice Recorder
✵ Two AAA alkaline batteries
✵ "Ear bud" stereo headphones
✵ Mini-USB-to-USB cable to connect the recorder to your computer
✵ Sound Organizer software CD (for Windows 7/Vista/XP only, no Mac support)
✵ Dragon NaturallySpeaking software CD ("Voice to Print" version, also known as the "Recorder Edition"; for Windows only, no Mac support)
✵ Soft carrying pouch sleeve
✵ Stand, with tripod mount, for positioning the recorder's microphone
✵ Highly detailed 155-page all-English 'Operating Instructions' guide
The voice recorder itself has size dimensions of 1 1/4 inches wide by 5 3/8 inches long with a thickness of 5/8 inches, and it weighs 2.3 ounces without batteries and 3.1 ounces with batteries. So it is a quarter-inch longer than my ICD-SX750 and a half-ounce heavier.
More of the ICD-SX712's features are described and rated below:
ѾѾѾѾѾ Excellent 5-fuzzies feature ratings:
ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorded sound quality is excellent with crystal-clear sound clarity, both in its directional and stereo microphone positions. Stereo recordings have excellent three-dimensional spatial imaging. And when the recording level is set to "High" microphone sensitivity, the recorded speech of a distant speaker in a large auditorium is excellent. Sony claims that this recorder can pick up sounds from 25 meters (82 feet) away when using its highest-quality LPCM recording format, and I do not doubt that claim.
ѾѾѾѾѾ Compared to my older ICD-SX750, the ICD-SX712's microphones are noticeably more sensitive for recording even the slightest low-level sounds. My acoustic guitar fingerpicking gets recorded with the subtle sounds of my fingers working the strings, speech and vocals get recorded with the slight sounds of breathing, and the directional recording of a person speaking at the far end of a room or a stereo recording of both nearby and distant birds chirping in the trees all get recorded with great clarity. This new recorder introduces Sony's newly-developed 'S-Microphone System', and it combines advanced audio processing technology with a highly sensitive new microphone that captures even faint or distant subjects with extra clarity while reducing background hiss. A 'S-Master Digital Amplifier' produces great accuracy, clear separation of signals, and balanced sound reproduction using digital-to-digital processing, and the recorded signal is taken through the full-digital DSP stage without additional digital-to-analog conversion.
ѾѾѾѾѾ This voice recorder has lots of features with a great deal of usefulness! Do not feel apprehensive about feeling like you need to read all of this recorder's 155-page 'Operating Instructions' guide. You do not need to read all the pages to begin using this recorder effectively. For quick ease of use initially, you just need to read/skim the first 39 pages. This covers the basics of setup, recording, listening, and erasing. If you will mainly use the recorder for one, two, or three main purposes (e.g. dictation, group meetings, and music recording), you just need to familiarize yourself with a handful of the recorder's options for adjusting its recording parameters to suit each situation. For example, I mainly use my recorder for the following purposes: personal dictation with speech-to-text conversion using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium 11, recording work-related phone calls, recording a group meeting, and recording musical performances either by me with friends or by others in a music rehearsal setting.
Like the previous ICD-SX750 model, this voice recorder comes with a thorough 'Operating Instructions' guide. On Sony's Web site, I did notice that there is also a simple 'Quick Start Guide' PDF that you can download. I do not know why this 'Quick Start Guide' was not included in the package, but perhaps since this product was only released a month ago, they did not have a printed 'Quick Start Guide' available for packaging at the time?
ѾѾѾѾѾ Setup is pretty simple. The recorder comes with two AAA alkaline batteries. I can also use my own rechargeable AAA batteries. When used with rechargeable batteries, the batteries will recharge whenever I connect the recorder to my computer using the supplied Mini-USB-to-USB cable. Alternately, I can use the USB cord to connect the recorder to a separately-purchased AC adapter, e.g. Belkin Mini Surge Protector Dual USB Charger or Sony's own Sony AC U50AD Power adapter. Rechargeable batteries take about 4 hours to fully recharge from an empty state. However, with the recorder connected via USB to a turned-on computer or to an AC adapter, I can charge the batteries while still using the recorder, which is very handy for very long recording sessions.
The ICD-SX712 can record in the following formats, listed with their approximate hours of recording time listed for using both fully-charged alkaline and rechargeable batteries, the maximum recording time that can be stored by the internal 2-GB flash memory, and the frequency range that is recorded:
LPCM 44.1kHz/16bit: 25 hrs alkaline, 19 hrs rechargeable; 3 hours 0 minutes; 40-20,000 Hz
MP3 320kbps: 22 hrs alkaline, 17 hrs rechargeable; 13 hours 20 minutes; 40-16,000 Hz
MP3 192kbps: 22 hrs alkaline, 17 hrs rechargeable; 22 hours 20 minutes; 40-16,000 Hz
MP3 128kbps: 22 hrs alkaline, 17 hrs rechargeable; 33 hours 30 minutes; 40-16,000 Hz
MP3 48kbps(MONO): 25 hrs alkaline, 19 hrs rechargeable; 89 hours 25 minutes; 40-14,000 Hz
MP3 8kbps(MONO): 25 hrs alkaline, 19 hrs rechargeable; 536 hours 0 minutes; 50-2,000 Hz
Note that this also means a fresh set of alkaline batteries will often provide significantly longer recording time than rechargeable batteries. This is especially true for rechargeable batteries that have been repeatedly recharged over a long period of time. Overall, this recorder has very good battery life.
Additionally, the recorder has a memory card slot that accepts either a Memory Stick Micro (M2) card of up to 16 GB, a microSD (FAT16) card up to 2 GB, or a microSDHC (FAT32) card from 4 GB to 32 GB. Along with its internal 2-GB of flash memory, I have also equipped my recorder with the Sony Memory Stick Micro M2 16 GB Flash Memory Card with USB Reader. When used with the two largest-capacity memory cards supported by the recorder, I can boost the recording time for each of the recording formats as follows:
LPCM 44.1kHz/16bit: 24 hours 15 minutes (16 GB), 48 hours 40 minutes (32 GB)
MP3 320kbps: 107 hours 0 minutes (16 GB), 214 hours 0 minutes (32 GB)
MP3 192kbps: 178 hours 0 minutes (16 GB), 357 hours 0 minutes (32 GB)
MP3 128kbps: 268 hours 0 minutes (16 GB), 536 hours 0 minutes (32 GB)
MP3 48kbps(MONO): 715 hours 0 minutes (16 GB), 1431 hours 0 minutes (32 GB)
MP3 8kbps(MONO): 4294 hours 0 minutes (16 GB), 8589 hours 0 minutes (32 GB)
And if this is still not enough recording time, I simply switch out the filled-up memory card and insert another empty memory card.
One big difference between the supported recording formats of the previous ICD-SX750 recorder and this ICD-SX712 is that Sony has discarded support for the five LPEC recording formats (STHQ, ST, STLP, SP, LP). LPEC is a compressed-sound codec that is proprietary to Sony. On the ICD-SX750, using a LPEC recording format allowed me to add a bookmark during playback of an LPEC recording, and I could also assign a 1-star, 2-star, or 3-star "priority" ranking to LPEC recordings. These were two nifty little features that I could not use with WAV or MP3 recording formats. But recording with LPEC format also meant that I needed extra Sony software in order to convert the LPEC format to a standard, and more portable, MP3 or WAV format (a function that was performed by the Sony 'Digital Voice Editor' software that was bundled with the ICD-SX750). So now, like Sony's professional line of digital audio recorders, the ICD-SX712 only supports industry-standard LPCM (WAV) and MP3 codec formats.
After inserting the batteries, I set the date and time, select the English/Spanish/French language option, and then I am ready to go!
ѾѾѾѾѾ I can either record the recorder's 2-GB built-in memory, or I can record directly to my installed memory card. Five folders are initially created in the memory card, along with the five initial folders in the built-in memory, and the folder structure is slightly different between the two. I can switch between recording to the built-in memory or to the memory card by pressing either the folder button or the [MENU] button. A nifty 'Cross-Memory Recording' option allows me to automatically continue recording onto the memory card after I have filled up the 2-GB built-in memory. The maximum number of folders that I can have is 400, and the maximum number of files is 4074.
ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorder has flexible file functions, including protecting files from being erased or edited, and moving or copying files. I can rename any of the folders using one of the 16 pre-defined folder name options.
ѾѾѾѾѾ Unlike the ICD-SX750, which had two stereo microphones and a mono/directional microphone located in between the two stereo microphones, this ICD-SX712 only has the two unidirectional stereo microphones. Both microphones have a directional response pattern when they are both pointed forward in a 0-degree angle, and they mimic a cardioid-like microphone response when I use my finger to flip them to face outward at a 120-degree angle for stereo recording. The 0-degree microphone position, with both microphones pointed forward, is great for uses like personal dictation, interviewing someone, or recording a speaker who is either in a conference room or auditorium, where you want to focus the recording in one direction. The 120-degree microphone position is great for recording all surrounding sounds in stereo, such as recording a group meeting or recording a live music rehearsal or concert. The stereo recording does a great job of picking up all left-right and near-far spatial information.
ѾѾѾѾѾ Recording parameters have been simplified with five 'Scene' presets. There are basically three recording parameters that you need to think about in order to use this recorder effectively: the recording format mode, the recording level microphone sensitivity, and whether to record in directional or stereo mode. All of the recorder's other features can be investigated later.
A new 'Scene' function now takes the uncertainty out of adjusting recorder settings to suit your recording situation, and it makes it tremendously easy to quickly switch between five different sets of recording parameters. The five 'Scene' modes are referred to as "Meeting", "Voice Notes", "Interview", "Music", and your own custom "My Scene" preset. For each of the five 'Scene' presets, you can define its own combination of settings for record mode, record level, low cut filter and limiter settings, voice-operated recording, and synchronized recording options. The default settings for each 'Scene' allow for the foolproof recording of clear, natural-sounding results for each situation. You can also edit the defaults for each scene to suit your needs. The 'Scene' terminology reminds me of the 'scene' modes that are widely used in digital cameras, especially the user-friendly point-and-shoot digital cameras, for using pre-programmed camera exposure setups for people who do not want to (or know how to) adjust the settings by themselves. Essentially, you get five easily accessible presets of recording parameters that you can edit, modify, save, and access. On my older Sony ICD-SX750 model, if I wanted to shift gears between personal dictation and recording a live music rehearsal, I had to go into the recorder's menu functions and manually switch my recording parameters each time.
The following describes the five 'Scene Select' menu options, the default recording parameters that are used, and some of my own recommended changes that I made using the 'Scene Edit' function.
✵ "Meeting" :: To record in a variety of situations, such as recording a meeting in a spacious conference room or a lecture in an auditorium.
Default setup: (REC Mode: MP3 192kbps), (REC Level: Medium), (Low Cut Filter: On), (Limiter: Off), (Voice-Operated Recording: Off), (Synchronized Recording: Off)
Notes: Point both microphones forward at a 0-degree angle to focus on one speaker, or at a 120-degree angle to record stereo sounds such as a group meeting where there are multiple speakers from different directions. Set 'REC Level' to "High", instead of "Medium", if the speaker is far away or not speaking loud enough.
✵ "Voice Notes" :: To record dictation with the microphone in front of your mouth. This is also the 'Scene' to use when recording dictation that is to be transcribed into text using Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
Default setup: (REC Mode: MP3 128kbps), (REC Level: Low), (Low Cut Filter: On), (Limiter: Off), (Voice-Operated Recording: Off), (Synchronized Recording: Off)
Notes: Point both microphones forward at a 0-degree angle. Because Dragon NaturallySpeaking needs high-quality recordings for accurate speech recognition transcriptions, I change the default 'REC Mode' to the better "MP3 320kbps".
✵ "Interview" :: To record another human being interviewed.
Default setup: (REC Mode: MP3 192kbps), (REC Level: Medium), (Low Cut Filter: On), (Limiter: Off), (Voice-Operated Recording: Off), (Synchronized Recording: Off)
Notes: Point both microphones forward at a 0-degree angle. I also use this 'Scene' when recording a phone call where I point the recorder at the phone's speakerphone.
✵ "Music" :: To record live music.
Default setup: (REC Mode: LPCM 44.1kHz/16bit), (REC Level: Low(Music)), (Low Cut Filter: Off), (Limiter: Off), (Voice-Operated Recording: Off), (Synchronized Recording: Off)
Notes: Position the microphones at the 120-degree angle to record stereo sounds from all directions. The 'REC Level' microphone sensitivity setting of "Low(Music)" is better for loud music such as band practice or rock music, or when your audio input is a CD player. A 'REC Level' setting of "High(Music)" is better for acoustic instruments, or when your audio input is a tape recorder or portable CD player.
✵ "My Scene" :: Use to store your favorite settings.
Default setup: (REC Mode: LPCM 44.1kHz/16bit), (REC Level: Manual, with the recording level set to "10"), (Low Cut Filter: Off), (Limiter: On), (Voice-Operated Recording: Off), (Synchronized Recording: Off)
Notes: This can be used to store your favorite combination of settings, especially if you use a manually-adjusted recording level that you have configured and want to re-use later. When manually adjusting the recording level, the 'Limiter' function is activated to prevent distortion due to sound bursts being too loud.
All of the 'Scene' recording parameters are displayed on the backlit LCD screen using words or graphical icons.
ѾѾѾѾѾ Compared with the previous ICD-SX750, the ergonomics of the new ICD-SX712's layout have been significantly improved, making it far easier to access all of the recorder's many functions, even if I have not used some of the functions for many months. The ICD-SX750 had a nice LCD display, but I had to access everything through its [MENU] button and all of its record/playback buttons were located on the recorder's right side. On the ICD-SX712, I can now directly access the folder structure from its own dedicated button, the 'Scene Select' option has its own [SCENE] button, and except for the 'VOLUME', 'ERASE', and repeat buttons on the right side, all record and playback buttons are located on the front below the LCD display. The recorder has a 4-way rocker switch that is very intuitive to use, and the menu system makes use of a layout that groups all functions under 5 main tabs, 'Recording', 'Playback', 'Edit', 'LCD Display Settings', 'Recorder Settings', and some tabs use sub-tabs.
ѾѾѾѾѾ A small LED indicator light turns green during playback and turns red during recording operations.
ѾѾѾѾѾ For recording a meeting room that has the background hum of an air conditioner, recording a speaker at a convention or auditorium where there is extraneous noise, or recording someone speaking during gusty winds, setting the 'LCF (Low Cut Filter)' to "ON" will cut out frequencies below 200 Hz (e.g. room ventilation, machinery humming, wind).
ѾѾѾѾѾ There is also an 'NOISE CUT' slider switch that can be used during playback of the recording to cut out both high and low frequencies, thereby focusing more on the midrange frequencies of human voices. This frequency filter can be set to either a "Maximum" or "Medium" mode to enhance human speech and reduce distracting background noise. Compared to the previous ICD-SX750 model's 'NOISE CUT' function, Sony calls their newly-developed filter an 'Intelligent Noise Cut' because, unlike other digital voice recorders that simply cut high and low frequencies, 'Intelligent Noise Cut' analyzes the fingerprint of background noise, removing unwanted frequencies to leave recorded speech sounding crisp and natural. This is highly useful, for example, if you are interviewing someone on a noisy sidewalk.
Sony advertises that this new ICD-SX712 model has a newly-designed acoustic isolation that cuts the transmission of mechanical and handling noise to both microphones from the main recorder. So its microphones are supposedly better decoupled from the main recorder body. But you really should have all of your recording parameters already thought out and set up before you begin recording as various movements of the recorder's switches, pressing of buttons to access and change various recording menu functions (via the backlit LCD screen), flipping the microphones between their 0-degree and 120-degree positions, or sliding of your fingers across the unit will still get included into the recording, even if the microphone sensitivity is set to "Low". Ideally, have the recorder fully set up before the recording, and use the included stand to prop up the microphone. Unless the situation warrants it (e.g. interviewing someone while standing up), try to avoid holding or adjusting the recorder once the recording has started.
ѾѾѾѾѾ Instead of a slider switch that is labeled "On/Off", the on/off switch on this recorder is labeled "POWER/HOLD". To turn the device on or off, I slide the switch to the left. Or I can slide the switch to the right to place the recorder in "HOLD" mode. The "HOLD" mode holds the recorder in whatever operation mode I am using (play, stop, pause, record). When the recorder is on "HOLD" during a certain operation, I cannot accidentally interrupt that function when I carry the recorder around or hold it in my hand. So using this "HOLD" slider switch protects me from inadvertently pressing the "pause" or "stop" button during an extended recording session since the recorder will not respond to the pressing of any buttons while it is in "HOLD" mode.
ѾѾѾѾѾ Whereas the previous ICD-SX750 had a 'DIVIDE' button to dynamically divide an ongoing recording into separate messages, the ICD-SX712 now has a more-flexible 'T-MARK' button to add track marks during recording, playback, or pausing operations. Track marks are used in both Sony's Net MD MiniDisc recorders and their professional audio recorders, and they function like bookmarks in a recording. I can add up to 98 track marks per recording file. I can use these track marks to jump to different positions in the recording during playback (especially useful for lengthy recordings), or I can use these track marks to later divide the recording into separate messages. I can also combine/add or overwrite sections of messages and recordings.
ѾѾѾѾѾ I can monitor an ongoing recording by listening to it through headphones connected to the recorder.
ѾѾѾѾѾ I can connect an external stereo microphone or external equipment such as a CD player to record from those sources. The recorder provides "plug in power" for use with an external microphone.
ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorder has a voice-operated recording function, which starts recording when sound is detected, and pauses when no sound is heard, so recording halts during silent periods.
ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorder has a 'SYNC REC' synchronized recording function that is similar to the voice-operated recording function, but is intended for connecting the audio output of other equipment (e.g. CD player) to the recorder's microphone jack. The recorder then pauses when no sound is input, and starts recording when you start playback on the external equipment's sound source.
ѾѾѾѾѾ The recordings can be played back either through the recorder's built-in speaker or through the headphone jack (headphones will obviously provide much better playback sound quality).
ѾѾѾѾѾ One playback function that I use a lot is the 'Digital Pitch Control'. On the older ICD-SX750, this allowed me to change the playback speed between 200% and -75% of a recording's normal speed. This is really useful for me when I am learning a really complex guitar riff that I recorded from a live rehearsal; I can slow down the recording to learn from it and practice along with it at a slower pace, and even at the maximum "-75%" slowdown in tempo, the pitch is not changed, which is awesome for music applications. And for a lecture where the speaker is talkiinnngggg reaaallllyy slow, I can speed it up without having the speaker sound like a Chipmunk. On this new ICD-SX712, this feature has been made uber-cool for musicians and singers, because in addition to being able to adjust the playback speed/tempo between 25% (or -75%) and 300%, I can also independently adjust the sound by up to six halftones (semitones) higher or lower. Using the 4-way rocker switch, I press the left/right buttons to decrease/increase playback speed, and I press the up/down buttons to change the key higher/lower. The LCD display shows an X/Y-axis graph of how you are adjusting the sounds, and the sharp/flat icon (#/b) is displayed if you are changing to higher/lower halftones.
ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorder has six very useful playback style settings: "Pop" (emphasizes middle ranges, ideal for vocals); "Rock" (emphasizes high and low ranges for a powerful sound); "Jazz" (emphasizes high ranges for lively sound); "Bass1" (emphasizes bass); "Bass2" (emphasizes bass even more); "Custom" (you can design your own custom sound using its 5-band equalizer).
ѾѾѾѾѾ Another cool playback feature, useful for lecture, seminar, and crowd environments is the 'Digital Voice Up' (V-UP). This function boosts and amplifies the low-level sounds in the recording, great for hearing low voices that were recorded from a distance out of range or away from the direction of the microphone. If you are recording in a spacious auditorium where you are seated towards the rear, you can set the 'REC Level' to "High" to record a sound located far away from the recorder or a low sound. And then if you still need additional volume from the low-level sound, during playback of this recording, you can use the 'Digital Voice Up' function at either its "Maximum" or "Medium" strength.
ѾѾѾѾѾ The recorder has an alarm clock function to play back a recording at a specific date and time.
ѾѾѾѾѾ A new and very useful feature that Sony added is that I can now search for a recording based on what date it was recorded. From the menu, the 'Calendar' option will display a monthly calendar, and the days when a recording was stored will be underlined on the monthly calendar display. So if I want to retrieve recordings of music rehearsals on a particular weekend or a Monday morning work meeting, this feature makes them easy to find!
ѾѾѾѾѾ When I plug the recorder into my computer using the supplied USB cord, the device looks like a 2-GB flash drive, with various folders containing the .WAV (for LPCM recordings), or .MP3 files. If the recorder's memory card slot has a Memory Stick Micro (M2) or microSD/microSDHC card installed, I can also access these folders just like any other external storage device; in this case, the built-in memory and memory card will display as two separate drive letters. I can use the recorder's flash memory simply as a USB flash drive to store text files onto it if I wanted to. And I can just drag-and-drop the files from the recorder's folders onto my computer's hard drive.
ѾѾѾѾѾ Using the Windows-only (not Mac-compatible) 'Sound Organizer' software, I can transfer files that I have recorded to my computer to manage and edit them. I can also transfer music files and podcast files stored on my computer to the recorder. I can also access the same editing and playback functions that are on the recorder itself, such as adding track marks and dividing a recording into pieces or using the 'Digital Pitch Control'. With Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition software installed, I can also start the transcribing of a recorded speech file from within the 'Sound Organizer' software. I select the recorded speech file that I want to transcribe, select the 'Dragon' menu option, Dragon converts the recording into text, and I make corrections in the pop-up 'DragonPad' Notepad-like text editor to both correct the transcription mistakes that Dragon made and to further (hopefully) train Dragon to learn and adapt from the corrected mistakes. 'Sound Organizer' also has rudimentary CD-burning functions that let me create an audio CD, MP3 CD, or data CD from the recorder's files. Even though this 'Sound Organizer' software is not Mac-compatible, Mac users do not need this to transfer the files from the recorder onto their computer.
One of the 'Sound Organizer' software options lets me start up Sony's great 'Sound Forge Audio Studio' software. HOWEVER, Sony no longer offers this bundled with their latest and greatest ICD recorder. Arggh.
My previous ICD-SX750 was bundled with a Windows-only 'Sound Forge Audio Studio 9 LE' that is geared towards music editing and production. This "LE" version is the "lite edition" of Sony's industry-standard two-channel audio-editing program for Windows, with some useful extras thrown in, and a nice $60+ package if you were to buy this software separately. With Sound Forge Audio Studio, I can perform a variety of digital audio editing functions: save and convert in many formats; change sample rate and bit depth; edit, cut, paste, fade-in/out; set markers and regions within a recording; apply frequency equalization adjustments, swap channels, and even play the audio in reverse. The "version 9 LE" comes with 11 sound processing effects that I can apply to the audio such as chorus, delay, reverb, wah-wah, and distortion. There is also a 'Vocal Eraser' plug-in which tries to remove the vocals from the mix to make a karaoke version of a song; this works with varying degrees of effectiveness. I can archive vinyl recordings and use its 'Vinyl Restoration' noise reduction and 'Audio Restoration' features to adjust the amount of clean-up of clicks and pops and unwanted hiss. Although this software does not offer true multi-track mixing, it does allow me to mix external audio tracks into a recording. And although this is not a video editing tool, I can edit audio files and then attach them to video files. I import the video file, and then edit the soundtrack by scrubbing, as if I had a jog/shuttle control, using the [J], [K], [L] keys on my keyboard to reverse, pause, or forward the playback. When I am finished with my audio editing, I can then burn a CD from the application, or I can also extract audio tracks from a CD for use within the application.
But it appears that Sony is now only bundling the "LE" version of their great 'Audio Studio' software with their more-expensive line of 96-kHz/24-bit Digital Field Recorders. I was hoping that they would bundle a "LE" lite version of their 'Sound Forge Audio Studio 10', but I have to purchase that separately... or just continue to use my existing 'Sound Forge Audio Studio 9 LE'.
NOTE: My review does not end here, but continues onto the 'Comment' section of this review. Amazon does not let me post my entire review in one piece, so I split it into two pieces :-( (continue to the 'Comment' section to keep reading :-)
The recorder works fine, and the recording quality is very good, although the internal speakers do not give an accurate indication of the recording level. Once you put the recordings on the computer, they are much louder than you'd think. The controls are not especially difficult to master.
The real problem here was the software. The only reason that I bought this one over the cheaper model was the included dragon software. The dragon software is NOT mac-compatible, even though there's nothing about that in the product description. Also, the software, like all dragon software must be trained to your voice. So if you're using it for transcription, and you can learn the dragon language of punctuation, etc., it might work, but it wasn't especially good at transcribing me, even after I trained it. But don't even think about using it to try to transcribe a conversation or interview.
I am returning this product, and buying the cheaper version.
Buy Sony ICD-SX712D Digital Flash Voice Recorder Includes Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice to Print Soft Now
I have been an Amazon customer for years and this is my 1st review. I benefited from consulting customer reviews to make informed purchases of my own in the past. So I felt obliged to return the favor with a review on this product.
I bought this Sony recorder for college. A few of my classes are heavily lecture-oriented. So writing everything down that comes out of my instructors' lips is a ridiculous and inconceivable endeavor. I was both paradoxically skeptical and optimistic about the Dragon transcription software. Optimistic because it would further streamline my note-taking capabilities 'if' it worked. Skeptical because 'if' it worked, then why isn't everyone else in class toting around a voice recorder of their own? Will I pioneer a new cutting-edge approach to lecture note-taking?...Eh, probably not.
Be informed, the Dragon software that comes with this Sony recorder is the 11th version "Recorder" edition. This edition's functionality is limited compared to the full edition which you can use to speak directly into a headset and have your computer act as an electronic secretary taking dictation. I do not know if the accuracy of the audio-to-text transcription for the full edition is more accurate than the "Recorder" edition that comes with this Sony Recorder. But I will explain the disappointing accuracy of the "Recorder" edition based on my direct experiences.
I will presuppose the initial configuration required for the "Recorder" edition is also a fundamental start-up procedure to operate the full edition as well (I may be wrong). By configuration I mean you must create a user profile to identify a particular speaker's voice you decide to associate with a user profile. A user profile must be created in order for any transcription to be performed with the Dragon program. Once a profile is established the meticulous task of updating that user profile to improve its transcription accuracy is an on-going and never-ending assignment.
This is what the process looks like. First, you are going to upload an audio file from the Sony Recorder to your computer. Then you open the Dragon program and create a user profile. Afterwards, you upload an audio file for transcription. This all sounds sweet. But be informed it takes time and energy to make lemonade with this lemon.
When I transcribed a few lectures, the Dragon program presented a feeble attempt at transcribing my audio files on its factory-installed notepad, a pseudo bootleg version of Microsoft Word. Mastering the user profile's configuration to transcribe audio files accurately requires the performance of constant manual corrections and automatically scheduled updates. I don't completely dismiss the 'chance' (emphasis on the word implying serious skepticism) that the software can produce reliable and accurate transcription. But I just don't have the extra time, perhaps know-how, and definitely patience to make that absolute determination. I come from the school of thought that says if I pay you the full price of what you propose, then give me a product that delivers everything I expect it's supposed to do without any small fine print encoded in technical jargon and extraneous time-consuming work attached.
I bought this Sony recorder with the expectation and intention to take it to class, record lectures, then take the device back home and use the Dragon software to produce a manuscript for notes. The Sony Recorder is a premium piece of equipment. I am happy with my purchase as far as the recorder goes. But I am disappointed with the Dragon audio-to-text software. The purpose of buying the transcription software is to the reduce the amount of time I spend on note-taking and optimize efficiency. The Dragon "Recorder" edition included with the purchase of the Sony Recorder is a nuanced program that impedes the process.
If I could turn back time and I knew then what I know now. I would have simply purchased the digital recorder alone and transcribed audio files on my own with Microsoft Word on my computer. I don't have the time to toy with the configuration nuances of multiple user profiles. I have multiple lectures to record and transcribe every day. For me, it's more expeditious to type the audio files by my damn self :)
Read Best Reviews of Sony ICD-SX712D Digital Flash Voice Recorder Includes Dragon Naturally Speaking Voice to Print Soft Here
There are a lot of competing products out there in the voice recorder market, including the ability to do many of these functions on smartphones like Google and Apple, but Sony's Digital Flash Voice Recorder in my mind is the as good as you may need. The lack of a full function set of software that can work with the Mac is the reason for the lack of five stars. This decision on Sony's part to only support Windows seems to continue a long running feud between Sony and Apple, though understandably it could also be argued that the size of the Apple market might not make the effort worth the cost. You can use this with Apple, and the MP3 files are easy enough to read by any system. None the less, the specs are presented elsewhere here, and what I would add is that the unit is industrial, very high design for form vs. function, if you are using Windows the unit does what it says it does and is simple to use. The unit has very long battery life, swivel mics, and ability to plug in outboard mic to get better sound quality, headphones and a micro SD slot.
The base unit has a USB connector to the computer, but the recorder also has a standard smaller USB jack, which can plug in without the base unit.
Software from Nuance, a specific version of Dragon, allows you to train the unit to your voice and have your dictation transcribed, though I have not used this function and can't evaluate how well it works. Menu system on the Sony is very simple and functional. Solid and well placed buttons allow you to quickly change scenes for settings of the mic for the appropriate recording venue.
Quality of the sound was excellent under all situations that I recorded to. While not specifically aimed at the music market, it is a good choice for a balance between the spoken word and music, though for high quality music recordings, choose a higher end product targeted for that, which Sony also makes.
All in all, I am extremely pleased with this rugged unit that can be thrown in a bag and not worry about the battery going dead over a couple of days on a shoot. It does use standard AAA batteries. It is a good addition to anyone doing interviews. I also have a number of higher end recorders, but rarely just have them with me. I carry the Sony SX712D with me in my backpack where ever I go. It's as light as a couple of pens.
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Delivered timely. Has been problem free mechanically. I would have given 5 stars except that the software that comes with it cannot be installed on the same machine as the full Dragon Naturally Speaking software. Luckily I have more than one computer, otherwise I would not have been able to convert the recording automatically to written text without uninstalling the full software version. Also, the microphone jacket used to cut wind noise is easily lost as it pops off too easily when putting the device in and out of my pocket. The device itself is excellent quality and picks up sound clearly on the other side of the room!
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This case is very good. High quality, well done, and perfectly fits my Nokia E7.
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