TechGearLab

The Tascam DR-05X is a recorder with a musical bent and a strong following in the podcast and YouTube world. The audio can be rich and put you right in the middle of the scene when you get it right. Like the Zoom, it records uncompressed WAV files up to 96 kHz/24-bits and compressed MP3 files. Unlike some products we tested, there are no templates to set the precise recording levels for common scenarios like interviews, dictation, or recording music. Your options are to adjust the input manually, or you can choose the auto level mode and let the recorder adjust to sound levels automatically. You can also apply a low-cut filter to edit out the lowest frequencies and limit sound distortion from loud noises by setting a limiter or peak reduction. If you want to get fancy with features like overdubbing, which lets you record new sounds over a playback track, you'll need the more detailed online reference manual. There is also a jack for an external microphone if you need it and an option to add up to 128GB of memory.
The Tascam offers all of the most common playback features, like the "T" bookmark and A-B looping playback. You can also alter your playback speed or use dictation mode to create transcriptions from your recording easily. Equalizer presets can adjust the playback to optimize the sound of the human voice. And it includes more complex editing features like letting you overdub or layer new audio over old tracks, and punch out a section of your audio and replace it with a new recording. Still, the Tascam doesn't match the number of functions and flexibility offered by the Zoom HN4's with its two XLR/TRS microphone and instrument inputs. And when we tried to adjust the Tascam manually, we didn't always nail it. It takes time to learn. While the audio didn't match the quality captured by the Zoom HN4's fancy microphones, it's still impressive in its own right. This is a great option for a producer on a tighter budget. 

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