Tascam DR-70D 4-Track Portable Audio Recorder for DSLR Camera

Well made and of sturdy construction, being surprisingly heavier than anticipated but that is so much better than being light and flimsy. The case is made from a mixture of metal and plastic and has a sturdy camera mounting plate on the top. The Tascam DR-70D is designed to sit under a DSLR. However, I have purchased it to work with my Canon Legria HFG25 Camcorder which is a semi-pro device with poor audio facilities, hence my purchase of this unit.The menu hierarchy appears quite easy to follow having a rotary control to maneuver around the options that you can also press to confirm selection. However, this is let down by the failure in the manual to point out that the user also has to press the forwards and reverse keys to move around sub menus, which took a few minutes to work out by trial and error. The unit is quite easy to set up giving the user several options on how they may wish to employ the device.The tracks each have their own level control which is nice and the recording can be setup in several ways employing the tracks separately, in stereo or a mixture of the two. Many of the settings are set up through the menu system which could prove tedious but one must remember this device has intentionally been designed small to sit under a DSLR set up on a video rig. There is therefore not space for numerous occasional controls.You can download the manual before purchase which gives you a lot of information about the DR-70D capability so I won't reiterate it here but save it to say, this little baby does offer a formidable recording facility that far, far out ways the audio capability on pretty well any camera or camcorder.The user who employs this device regularly, will soon become conversant with the control regime and will not be dissatisfied with the quality of the recorded sound file especially if one takes the time to set up the various filters if needed.Some have compared this unit with the ZOOM 6 Handy Digital Recorder, wrongly saying that the DR-70D is a better value out of the two. This is not the case as the Zoom 6 has 6 tracks not 4 like the DR-70D and despite its similar physical size, Zoom have managed to fit a lot of the controls on the front panel and there are more control facilities overall on the Zoom 6. They are both good value but are different animals in terms of capability. They both need a sizable SD card if your going to record large files. The SD card is extra i.e. not included in the original purchase price.The connections are varied and quite well thought out. As on the Zoom 6, the DR-70D sports dual-purpose sockets each capable of accepting XLR and TRS plugs in the same socket. If using XLR, then you can set a phantom voltage of 0, 24 or 48 volts for your mic if required. Another useful facility is the ability to route from and to your camera from the DR-70D and also monitor with headphones. You can also mix down your 4 tracks to a stereo out put if so desired. I recommend down loading the manual before purchase to fully acquaint yourself with the DR-70D capability.If 4 tracks suits your needs go for the DR-70D you'll not be disappointed.

Great piece of kit especially when used with a large USB battery pack (of the right voltage). It would be even better if a future firmware update enabled a magnified view of the audio levels to make it easier to see peaks.

Estuve probando la grabadora y hasta el momento no he tenido ningun problema. Es ena excelente opción para uso profesional en la producción audiovisual. NOTA: Si vas a comprar esta grabadora ten en cuenta que consume muy rápido las baterías AA. Siempre deberás tener por lo menos 2 kits de 4 baterías.

Super 4 channel recorder.Better than zoom H6.Without more noise and easy to use . It have more better recording options than H6.

It's amazing how far digital recorders have advanced in the past few years. I was very impressed by the recording quality, both with condenser and dynamic mics. Noise levels are very low, even with the gain turned right up. The small size of the unit limits the number of controls, so there are a few reasonable compromises. Channels are turned on or off through a menu rather than dedicated buttons, but the control knob (which functions as both selector switch and button) makes this a quick process. The built-in microphones allow convenient recording without external mics—useful in a pinch, and quality seems fine.A rear panel covers the battery compartment and SD card. The panel attaches with a silicone strip. It looks flimsy, but I suspect is more robust than an actual hinge.The recorder can be mounted under the camera using the attached bracket. This bracket can also be removed, revealing a standard cold-shoe mount. The underside has a 1/4" hole for easy mounting on a tripod.As many reviews have noted, battery life is a weak point. It doesn't come with an AC adapter (a standard USB adapter will work). Tascam sell an external battery pack (using AAs) with a mounting bracket. However, a simpler solution is to add one of those USB power packs used to charge phones.Two sturdy handles could allow easily mounting of a shoulder strap, although Tascam don't seem to make one (another strange omission).The recorder seems to be fussy about which memory cards it uses. Some users report odd glitches which may be the result of using an incompatible card. The recorder doesn't come with a card, and it's worth checking Tascam's site and ensuring that the precise model of SD card you intend to buy has been tested for compatibility. The results are surprising. In some cases, a fast card of one size is compatible, while the same card in a different size causes problems.While this recorder has its quirks, overall it is well-designed, packing a remarkable number of features into a small, lightweight recorder, at a bargain price. So far, I am very impressed.

I come at audio for video with a pretty strong audio background. Tascam has a reliable reputation in the audio industry so when I needed an audio recorder I favored the DR100 mk2 over other brands like say Zoom that have tended to be sort of cheapo equipment in that other industry. The 100mk2 had several major flaws:1. It's form factor and construction - though great for a handheld audio recorder, it was super awkward to mount with camera hardware, wireless mic receivers, etc... on top of this it had sort of cheap feeling construction2. It's gain attenuator switch applied to both recording channels instead of having individual controls which created all sorts of havoc working with microphones with radically different gain expectations3. The inability to partial use of onboard mics along with external was annoying too.The reason I list these issues is because the DR-70D handles all of these problems and more. It's form factor could not be more perfect for working with other video gear. Even if you don't use the feature of screwing it into your camera's tripod attachment (which is genius btw), you can use that feature bolt the d70 into a camera strap or use the screen guards as a convenient attachment for other shoulder straps. Plus it's built tough! The 70D has very discreet controls for each recording channel. You can freely assign inputs and input gain. On top of all that, they've added combo connectors so quarter inch feeds off of a sound board don't need to be converted to xlr, there are 2 more connectors and corresponding tracks, and there are a bunch of other bells and whistles like safety track recording and stereo mapping. The onboard controls are very intuitive too. Finally, the fact that the device outputs 4 discreet audio files when you transfer files to your editor is a nice touch. The simplicity of being able to just drag and drop the files into an editor without splitting them or having to worry about pan settings and whatnot was a great piece of forethought on the engineers part. All this and it's a really inexpensive device! All this is to say that I am very impressed and Tascam is fully redeemed in my eyes.

Ora su propósito, es la mejor grabadora en relación precio calidad; las pilas se van muy rápido pero con recargables resuelves.