Olympus VN-4100PC Digital Voice Recorder
by Olympus
Digital product summary information
Manufacturer: OlympusRelease Date: 2007-05-15
Platform: Windows
Model: VN-4100-PC
Color: Silver
Product features:
- Robust and versatile digital voice recorder with USB PC link
- Up to 144 hours recording time; 256 MB internal flash memory
- Organize and store recordings in four separate folders
- Specify particular point in recording or playback with index marks for easy reference
- 25-hour battery life
- Olympus KA 333 - Audio cable - mini-phone 3.5 mm (M) - sub-mini phone 2.5 mm (M)
- Olympus ME-51S Stereo Microphone
- Olympus ME-15 Microphone
- Olympus E-99 Transcribing Headset
- Olympus ME-52 Noise Cancellation Microphone
Digital camera reviews of Olympus VN-4100PC Digital Voice Recorder
Digital camera Review: Good Investment
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been using this device for about 18 months, primarily to record lectures and classes at school.
In general, it is a decent little unit: easy to use and the sound quality and capacity are acceptable. It's proven itself to be very durable - having lived most of it's life at the bottom of a backpack filled with heavy books & etc., as well as coming through several inadvertent trips from my desk to the floor without even a scratch.
The user interface is a bit quirky and takes some getting used to. For instance, I'm still puzzled by the power on/off switch's behavior - which is labeled "Hold" and works differently depending on whether a recording is in progress or not. This has led to me occasionally accidentally draining the batteries due to the unit still being "on" when I thought I'd turned it off.
The included recording-file download & management software is reasonably easy to use, and seems to be more stable and usable than most vendor-supplied "helpful" software tools. The only real issues I have with it are the no-frills functionality and the speed with which it copies files from the recorder. On the other hand, I'd much rather have this unit's simple, basic, stable functionality than a quirky and buggy feature-rich alternative!
As for sound quality, the voice recordings are clear, and the microphone works well even in large rooms with a soft-voiced teacher. I usually have some "hiss" and background "warbling" in the recordings; but then again, I'm not looking for concert quality - just the ability to replay a lecture or perhaps share it with a fellow student who missed class that day.
The only two significant issues I have with the unit are: First, that the "clock" stops while the battery is being changed. In light of this, the unit requires you to verify the time whenever the batteries are replaced - annoying when you're trying to change batteries during class.
This leads to the second point, which is that the "low battery" indication is almost useless. There is no "meter", just a chime and onscreen indicator warning you of a "low battery" at a single preset point. When using alkaline batteries, the span in time between the warning and the batteries dying is just a minute or two - which means you WILL get stuck from time to time, having to change batteries in the middle of a lecture. Using extended life batteries works much better - not only for having to face this conundrum much more rarely, but also the time delay from warning to battery death is much longer - usually 10-15 minutes - often enough to at least get me to a class break before the batteries die.
This unit has proved to be good "safety net" for going back to catch important comments I missed while taking notes in class, and has been a good rehearsal tool for presentations. I could see it being equally useful in meetings.
All in all, this unit - while not perfect - does the job well, and without alot of fuss. I'll give it four stars.
Summary of Olympus VN-4100PC Digital Voice Recorder
Olympus VN-4100-PC 256MB PC digital voice recorder features 4 recording modes (XHQ, HQ, SP, LP), thumb-pad navigation, and easy file managment with index marks. Other key features include up to 144 hours recording time of uninterrupted audio in LP mode, timer recording, alarm playback, and comes standard equipped with an LCD screen. The VN-4100-PC digital voice recorder also allows users to transfer audio files quickly and easily to a computer with the included PC link. Operates on 2 AAA batteries (included) for up to 25 hours of recording/play.Record over 144 hours of uninterrupted audio on the Olympus VN-4100-PC 256MB PC Digital Voice Recorder and then transfer the audio files to your PC with speed and ease with the included USB PC Link. With one simple cable connection, files can be transferred to a computer for easy organization, playback, and emailing to friends and coworkers. The easy-to-use thumb pad allows for quick and convenient navigation of functions like file management, choosing recording modes, and more while the included timer recoding and voice activation modes provide added versatility. Depending on the quality of the desired recording, the VN-4100PC is able to record in four recording modes to meet your specific needs: XHQ for extra high quality, HQ for high-quality, and SP and LP modes for extended recording. Just above the easy-to-use thumb pad, users will find a large LCD screen for easy, quick viewing of file locations, recording status, and battery life. The thumb pad also allows you to control the slow and fast playback modes, allowing you to listen to audio playback at 25-percent slower or 50-percent faster than real time. The unit's storage capacity is divided into four folders, and each folder can store up to 100 files. Easy file management functions allow you to erase single files, multiple files, as well as transfer files between folders. An on-board voice activation feature extends recording time by recording only when the microphone senses sound while the easy-to-use index marks let you specify a particular point in a recording or playback for easy reference. Use the timer recording option to set a start and end time for a particular recording. Measuring 4.0 x 1.5 x 0.8 inches, the VN-4100PC weighs only 2.2 ounces.
What's in the Box
VN-4100PC digital voice recorder, Digital Wave Player software, USB cable, two AAA alkaline batteries, and instruction manual.
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