Portable Audio Recorders

Updated August, 2025. Technology moves fast!

Today’s portable audio recorders are incredible devices that allow you to capture high fidelity audio easily and affordably. Read information on selecting an audio recorder.

The recorder I use most often and have been very pleased with is the Tascam Portacapture X8.  This is the recorder I use in my classroom and for recording my concerts. The Tascam really nice touch screen with presets that make it simple to record in different scenarios. One of the biggest features of this recorder is the touted 32-bit float recording technology which is ultra-high fidelity and helps reduce issues with clipping when recording levels are set too high or too much noise when levels are too low.

The unit retails for about $400 and can be used as a stand-alone recorder with its built-in internal stereo microphone capsules, but also is expandable to accomodate 4 XLR/TRS combo connectors to attach additional external microphones or other equipment.

The unit records to micro SD cards and has got a lot of great features like the ability to use it attached to your computer as a USB microphone/audio interface, etc. The unit will record up to 6 tracks at a time and will also record a mixed down “safety track” (-6dB) in case the levels peak too high and are clipped/distorted.

Recording in 32-bit float mode makes clipping and worrying about levels a thing of the past. Anything recorded in 32-bit float can be fixed in post.

Please let me know if you have any questions about audio recorders. I’m happy to consult with you about your needs and comfort level. My advice is to just try and see what you can do. It’s fun!

What do you use for recording your concerts?

This is a question I get from friends and colleagues frequently, so here goes…

Typically I use my Tascam Portacapture X8. I record with the internal capsules for classroom rehearsal recordings, and use four external cardioid condenser microphones attached to the units 4 XLR combo jacks for concert recordings. My microphones of choice are two matched pairs of Rode NT-5’s (4 mics total). These are high-quality, yet inexpensive microphones and retail for about $450/pari. The unit will provide the 48V phantom power to the mics which is necessary when using condenser microphones. If the price point of the NT5’s are too high for your budged, I’ve also use and had good luck with the lower priced Rode M5 matched pair (~$180/pair). They also sound great!

One pair of NT5’s is used in the center as an ORTF stereo set up using a Rode SB20 microphone stereo bar. The stereo bar puts two microphones on one stand and allows you to angle and space the microphones properly. ORTF is a microphone technique that uses two cardioid microphones at 110 degree angles, spaced 17cm apart. The pair of mics are spaced A-B, meaning spaced apart about 12-15 feet apart or so, depending on the size of your group.  See my diagram. You can see the A-B pair are split about 1/3 of the way across the group length wise.

All of the microphones are mounted on high stands that end up being 6-7 feet above the orchestra. To achieve this, I use very tall studio light stands that fit with a thread adapter to mount them. The light stands don’t have the standard 5/8″ threads like a microphone stand. The stands are placed about 4-6 feet on the floor in front of my stage. The distance you choose depends of the acoustics of your concert hall and the sound you are looking for. Experimentation with mic placement to find the best mix of direct/reflected sound is best. Be careful not to move the microphones too far away from your ensemble, because you will lose bass response.

I record all 4 tracks of each microphone separately or use the unit’s stereo linking mode. This links tracks 1&2 and 3&4 into two stereo audio files. Then I import the tracks into Apple Logic (you can use Garageband too) and adjust the output on the microphone pairs to get the sound I like. Once the balance is correct, I write or “bounce” those tracks into a stereo file and edit in Amadeus Pro or Audacity.