Highly recommended for recording audio!
Written: Jan 05 '05
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Pros: Built-in mic, mic-in, line-in recording, good audio quality, FM radio, inexpensive, small & weighs little.
Cons: Can't set input level, you can't use stereo mics, so-so headphones, no belt-clip/arm band.
The Bottom Line: It's a great overall player/recorder. Even if you're not into recording a band, great to be able to record from radio, CD player, etc. Very light and small.
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| harplover's Full Review: EraTech EVR-500 (256 MB) MP3 Player |
I had some specific things that I was looking for, and the EVR-500 had pretty much all of them. I'm in a rock band and wanted something small to record practices and musical ideas. Decided against the minidisc option because it's a pain to keep track of the minidiscs and you can't download the file electronically/quickly to the computer (due to their stupid copy protection). That left a select few options. I could have gone with one of the hard drive MP3 recorders, like an Archos or Phillips. However, I didn't want to spend a lot of $ and, even though they're getting smaller, they're still considerably larger and heavier than the EVR-500. This thing weighs practically nothing and slips easily into a pocket without even being noticed.
You can set the level of recording quality up to a fairly high level. The internal mic is remarkably good at the highest setting for getting down musical ideas or recording the band to get a feel of the song. Of course, recording this way is not going to get you anything worthy of making a CD, but it's good for practice etc. A great feature is that the line-in also serves as a microphone in, so you can use your own mic. You have the option of setting it for mic (it has an internal preamp) or line-in. I tried several different mics with it and, surprisingly, the internal mic sounds as good as any of them. One thing I don't like is that, when you set it for a mic, you can only record in mono, so apparently you can't just plug in a stereo mic and record in stereo. Also, you can't set the recording level. It seems to take a pretty high level signal before overloading, so this might not be a problem, but I haven't tried it with the band blaring away yet.
But the best way to record is using the line-in setting. You can record at the highest resolution this way, at 44.1 Khz and up to 224 Kbps, in stereo. It records an MP3 file which sounds excellent and can be quickly uploaded to the computer. Even at this highest setting, you can record 2 1/2 hours of audio with the 256MB player. I hook it up to our mixing board to capture the band. The signal plays through the headphones while you record, so you can determine the proper volume of signal to send in without overloading the recorder. Also, you can use the line-in to record from other audio sources, like your stereo or a portable CD player.
Another feature that I like is the built-in FM radio. I've heard better radios, but it sounds fine and is remarkable that they packed it into such a tiny unit. It can store 20 stations and you can record the radio into an MP3 file. When you record this way, the audio quality of the MP3 file is not the best, but it's OK.
On of my favorite features is that the USB connector to the computer slides out of the player. You connect the player directly to the USB port of your computer, without needing a cable (although one is supplied also). I also appreciate that it operates on a single AAA battery. I prefer this because I use rechargable batteries and I can bring an extra if I need to, which you can't do if the battery is built in/rechargable. Also, Beatsounds has a website that contains the latest firmware, which you can download into the EVR-500. I downloaded it and now the menu offers several new features--but the instructions don't say what they do, so I'm at a loss as to how to use them
The headphones are only so-so. I'm using a better pair and it improves the audio quality. I've only had the EVR-500 for a week, so I can't say how it will hold up over time. But based on my week with it, I highly recommend it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 90
Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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Epinions.com ID:
harplover
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Reviews written: 1
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