I bought the Olympus DM-10 voice recorder primarily to record business meetings, but have found that it has many other applications. It can be easily used to record classroom lectures, choir recitals, even concerts!

FEATURES
~4 recording modes (long play, standard play, high quality, and with the purchase of the optional stereo microphone (as seen at https://emporium.olympus.com/innards/empProdDetails.asp?sku=145035-410>), super high quality)
~record, stop, play, fast forward, rewind, and playback volume buttons
~voice (recording) mode and music (mp3 playback) mode
~conference recording and dictation recording modes
~noise cancellation mode (for playback only)
~fast playback, slow playback, and standard playback
~64 MB recording capability
~supports WMA (Windows Media Audio), DSS, and mp3 formats
~compatible with both MAC and Windows
~comes with USB port cradle for computer uploading
~playback via included headphone or built-in speaker
~records, according to Olympus, 22 hours, but in practical terms, it is much less (details to follow)
~voice activation is optional
~hold button to preserve battery life
~takes two standard AAA batteries
~has five voice recording folders that can store nearly 200 files
~comes with free computer software for Windows and MAC

I will take on these features on at a time, giving you the official Olympus spiel and then telling you the truth!

Recording modes
Olympus claims on the plastic clamshell packaging a recording capability of 22 hours. What they don't tell you? That recording time is for LP mode, or long play mode. Long play mode is the lowest possible recording mode. I recorded one meeting in LP mode and it sounded like the lecturers were talking underwater. The distortion was ridiculous and the sound quality was terrible.

The next best mode, SP or standard play, gives you a recording time of about ten hours. Yet, the recording capability is only marginally better than LP mode. An interesting point to note is that most commercially available digital voice recorders only offer LP and SP modes, which is why I chose this particular recorder.

The best mode available on the DM-10 without purchasing the optional stereo microphone is the HQ or high quality mode. This is the mode that I use for nearly all my recording tasks. You get about 4 and a half hours of recording time, which is certainly sufficient for my recording tasks, and the sound quality is SUPERIOR to the SP mode.

I have purchased the stereo microphone, which is the only way to record in SHQ or super high quality mode. The sound recorded by SHQ mode is frankly fantastic, producing the clearest tones with the least distortion. The microphone runs $60, so you have to decide for yourself if you need the admittedly better quality for that cost. Also, you only get about 2 hours of recording time in SHQ mode, which puts all of my meetings over the time limit!

Recording/Playback modes
The DM-10 records in voice format and music format. In the LP and SP modes in voice format, your files when uploaded to your PC are DSS format. They can be converted to WMA format if you want to burn them to CD, but the conversion process is tricky and painful. In HQ and SHQ format, your files when uploaded are WMA format, which is very easy to convert to mp3 or standard audio for CD burning. The music format records only in mp3 format, and you cannot record externally in this format. The music format is for uploading mp3 files from your computer to the DM-10 for playback, giving the DM-10 extra value as an mp3 player.

Playback
Playback is done in three ways with the DM-10: by the included earbud headphones, by the built-in speaker, and by uploading to your PC and playing back your file in the included program software. Additionally, you can burn your files to CD and listen to them anywhere.

Voice recording modes
The DM-10 records in two formats: conference and dictation. Conference mode is meant for lectures, meetings, concerts, and the like where the sound is coming from a distance. Dictation is meant for closer sounds, such as you recording personal memos in a quiet room.

Noise Cancellation
The noise cancellation feature is used for playback only. There are three modes for noise cancellation: off, low, and high. I tend not to turn on this feature, because the noise cancellation feature often blocks out the far sounds (say, my boss talking) and this makes the close sounds (say, my co-worker sneezing) more apparent. It is more useful for dictation mode than conference mode.

Playback speed
You can play your files back at three speeds: fast, slow, and standard. Fast playback is handy for skipping over extraneous matter, slow is handy for catching sentences you might otherwise miss. The sound is slightly distorted in both modes because you are altering the digital signal of the original recording.

Computer compatibility
The DM-10 and the included software are compatible with both MAC and Windows. I use Windows myself, as does most of the free world, so I can't offer you any perspective on MAC operation. The unit and program do work very well on Windows, though. I first started using the unit with Windows 2000, and have since upgraded to Windows XP, and the unit and software function equally well under both operating systems.

Uploading to the computer is done via the included USB connected cradle. You push the DM-10 into the cradle, make sure it is seated properly, and you click a few buttons in the program on the computer. It takes perhaps 2 minutes to upload a 15 MB file to the computer (which is a 2 hour meeting in practical terms), so the uploading speed is very good. Uploading files to the DM-10 takes about twice as long for voice files and four times as long for comparable music files.

Batteries
You can use standard alkaline AAA batteries, or you can get optional rechargeable Ni-MH batteries. I have never had a problem with battery life in seven months of use, so I stick with good old Duracell. I get, with standard recording usage, about two weeks per set of batteries. If you play back your recording by the integrated speaker, your battery life lasts only hours, as the speaker requires much more power than the recording mode. If you intend to playback by the speaker a great deal, go ahead and get those rechargeables. The hold button on the side of the unit allows you to turn the unit off to conserve batteries, but I haven't ever had a problem leaving the unit on. In a 1-month stretch where I miraculously didn't have to attend one meeting, the batteries lasted just fine, using only about half their strength.

HOW TO USE

The DM-10 is very easy to use. The operation is almost intuitive, and I found myself referring to the instruction manual only for more complicated functions such as noise cancellation and playback speed. The playback and recording function buttons, located on the right side of the recorder, are standard to any tape recorder (stop, play, fast forward, reverse, record, and volume) and I was recording a sample voice clip within 1 minute of inserting the batteries. The buttons on the back of the unit (the hold and music/voice button) are actually slide switches, which makes them hard to switch by accident. The buttons on the front are Display/menu, Index/EQ, Folder/repeat, and erase. I will describe the function of each button one at a time.

~Record
This button allows you to start recording. Pressing it while recording allows you to pause.

~Stop
This button stops recording, playback, fast forward, and reverse.

~Play
This button allows you to play your files. Pressing the button once during playback starts the fast play mode. Pressing twice during playback starts the slow play mode. Pressing the button three times during playback returns you to standard play mode.

~Fast forward and reverse
These buttons allow you to skip forward or back through your recording, but you probably figured that out for yourself. I told you this unit is intuitive!

~Volume
This button is a double-sided button. Pushing on the top of the button raises the volume, and pushing on the bottom of the button lowers the volume.

~Hold
Hold is the "off" function for the unit. Sliding the switch up puts the DM-10 in Hold mode. Sliding the switch back down returns the recorder to readiness.

~Music/Voice
Music/voice switches the DM-10 between voice recording/playback and music (mp3 playback) mode. You slide it up for music and down for voice.

~Display/Menu
When you are not playing a recording, this button switches the display mode on the LCD screen. You can alternate between a time and date screen, a recording length screen, a recording date screen, a recording time screen, a recording time remaining screen, and a comment screen. When you are not playing a recording, you can hold this button down until your menu appears on the screen, and you can choose between the following options: VCVA (voice activation or manual activation), recording mode (LP, SP, or HQ), Mic Sense (conference or dictation), Lock (which locks your file functions in place), back space (when editing comments), all play (which plays all the files on the recorder, which is handy if you don't remember which file you're searching for), time and date (which allows you to edit the time and date information), format (which formats the integral flash memory--DON'T MESS WITH THIS BUTTON!), contrast (which lightens and darkens the LCD screen), beep (which allows you to turn the function beep noise on and off-mine is ALWAYS off), backlight (which controls the backlight of the LCD screen-you can turn it on and off), external input (which allows you to connect a USB cable to the device), comment (in which mode you can enter comments about the recording, such as date and time), folder name (if you choose to name your folders. The five folders are labeled A,B,C,D, and E by default), and finally, alarm (which sets a beeping alarm, a feature that has come in VERY handy more than once!). During playback, the display/menu button is held down until the noise cancellation prompt shows on the screen, and you can use the noise cancellation function.

~Index/HQ
This button is used while recording or playing back a file to place an index mark, or reference mark, at an important point in the file. You can only use 16 index marks per file.

~Folder/Repeat
The folder button switches between the five folders, so you can choose which folder to record or play back your files. During playback, this button, when pressed, enables you to repeat playback of the recording until you stop the playback.

~Erase
The erase button is used for erasing files, obviously, and this button is recessed so it's hard to push by mistake. Additionally, there is a built-in safety feature, and you have to verify that you do indeed want to erase the file before it can be erased. You thus have to push the erase button twice before your file is deleted.

The top of the unit features a headphone/microphone jack, the internal microphone outlet, and the function light. ~The headphone/microphone jack is used for headphones and any of the three optional microphones. The three extra microphones, which must be purchased separately, are the remote microphone, the stereo microphone, and the noise cancellation microphone. The remote microphone records mono sound (uni-directional) and features all the recording and playback buttons. This is useful only in a seminar setting; if you place your recorder near the lectern for the best possible sound recording, you can operate it from a distance. The stereo microphone records in stereo, and this is the only way you can record in super high quality. The super high quality mode is activated instantly as soon as you plug the stereo microphone into the jack. The noise cancellation microphone is useful if you do a lot of dictation, because it cancels out extraneous background noise during recording.
~The internal microphone outlet is where the sound enters the recorder, and you must obviously keep it clear when recording.
~The function light lights up green during playback and red during recording, so you can tell at a glance if the recorder is performing the proper function.

The bottom of the DM-10 features the battery cover and the USB cradle jack. The battery cover slides to the left to allow you to change batteries, and the USB cradle jack connects to the USB cradle to allow uploading to your PC.

The back of the unit features the playback speaker, which measures a scant inch in diameter, and the hold and voice/music buttons.

The right side of the DM-10 features the recording and playback buttons, and the USB cable jack. You can plug the unit directly into the computer with a compatible USB jack. The USB jack is covered by flexible rubber. The left side of the recorder features a jack for use with an AC adapter, which really saves on the battery life during playback.

The DM-10 is tiny, measuring only 1 1/2 inches in width by four inches in length by 1/4 inch in depth. It weighs next to nothing (85 grams with batteries according to Olympus), and comes with a woven nylon carry strap that connects to the unit on the left side.

What I love about this recorder:
~It offers the HQ recording mode, which most recorders do not.
~It can function as an mp3 player, and I use it very often for that purpose.
~Ease of operation.
~Battery life.
~Size and weight are minimal.
~Connects to PC quickly and easily.
~Uploading files takes mere minutes.
~Durable. I've dropped the recorder on two occasions and the function has not been affected.
~Fantastic value for price. I purchased my DM-10 online for $144, which included free shipping.
~With the purchase of the stereo microphone, SHQ mode offers the best sound quality on the market.

What I HATE about this recorder:
~Noise cancellation feature is a pain to utilize.
~Speaker is poor quality and use of the speaker drains battery life too quickly.
~Only 64 MB of storage. This works well for recording meetings, but you can only store 1 hour of mp3 music.
~Adding comments to your files is a pain on the DM-10, but you can get around that by adding the comments in the software on your PC and uploading the file back to your DM-10.

I have used this recorder in many business meetings with admirable results. The quality of the recording is such that you can discern every voice in a heated discussion without distortion. I have used this recorder to capture my son's band concerts (with the stereo microphone) and the sound quality was fantastic. I have even used this unit to record a professional concert with the artist's permission (with the stereo microphone) and the results, when burned to CD, sound comparable to any live CD on the market. Please note that you should not record professional concerts unless the artist allows it! Recording professional concerts is a copyright violation!

I recommend buying the stereo microphone in tandem with the DM-10 to get the best possible sound, and a CD burner is also very useful, as it allows you to play back your recordings on much better speakers than either the DM-10 or your PC offers. If you do a lot of dictation, a good voice-recognition software package is another useful tool.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 144.00