Olympus WS-311M Digital Voice Recorder

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Product Features:

• • 138 hours recording time• 512MB internal memory• USB Connection• Five file folders, each holding up to 200 files, provide unparalleled organization• LCD Screen• Voice Activated• Microphone and ear phone soc

Customer Reviews:

• 
  2008-04-03
  By Mr. NF Taylor, Cardiff, UK
  I bought this item for the purposes of interviewing people and using it in the classroom. Overall, I am impressed. There's ample storage space and the design is fantastic. It weighs virtually nothing. Other reviews of very similar products have complained about the battery clip. I think it's all about the care taken over changing the battery - if you value your product you will be careful with it.
  I have two small criticisms. Firstly, I wished it recorded straight into .wav format or .mp3 format. If it is possible to do this I've not found it in the manual. The built-in microphone is OK, but for quality interviews I would suggest investing in a decent mic as you'll get more punch in the lower frequencies and conference mode will work better. These points are why I've awarded 4 and not 5 stars.
  My final point has not influenced my star rating as that's for the product. But... I wasn't impressed by the supplier. OK the product arrived in reasonable time 6 days rather than 1-2, but I wasn't in a rush. My problem was with the packaging. No branded Olympus casing was there. The recorder was simply clunking around in a white box with a manual, cable and battery enclosed. As a result the device has 2 or 3 scratches and dents on it. The manual was also torn. If I was even more sceptical I would possibly dispute whether or not I was the first owner? On the box was a sticker saying "1 year exchange warranty -no question asked" - all sounds a bit back of a lorry to me!
  
  
• 
  2008-04-11
  By anon, London, UK
  i just got this recorder and find it superb. the device is tiny, light and "dupont lighter"-stylish. i particularly like the metal buttons, much more tactile that plastic one - i know it is a small thing. I like the five-line display which provides a lot of information compared to another device i used.
  now for the great part, the integrated micros are great, and the stereo effect is really a bonus. This is especially the case if you later listen with earphones.
  the time elapsed versus the length of the file are displayed clearly and legibly.
  i did invest in a little carry case and i am glad i did because that way i can throw the recorder into a bag and still keep it pristine.
  i find the 'hold' button more positive and better protected. this is important because it saves you battery life.
  i really like the indexing facility. if you use the device to learn language where you need to reiterate the same sentence again it is really effective. you mark the begining and jump back with the arrow button - right to the correct location every time in one click. nice!
  
  
  the things i am not a big fan of are the recording format which seems to be wma only. having said that it plays straight on windows media on my pc so no problem. the other aspect is the five folders on the device are a bit naff - unless it was possible to rename them and to move the file across as required. small stuff really.
  
  
  
• 
  2008-11-04
  By poolkas, Tyrone
  I bought this item as an aid to learning to play the button accordion. The tutor plays the tune and I can go home and practice, slowing down the music as necessary. Beats recording on my mobile any day. I have been to traditional music sessions and used it to record tunes which I downloaded to my PC then onto CD and gave to a lady who wanted to learn the tunes. It was so light I could carry in in my shirt pocket and with a bit of practice I could turn record on and off with no difficulty without removing it. I took it to a concert recently and sat at the front (having first obtained the permission of the virtuosos about to play. I recorded about two hours of music, returned home and using the USB connection (no leads, just like a memory stick) downloaded it then burned it to CD and passed to another button accordion fan. OK it sounded as if it was in a hall, I didn't have a full battery of recording instruments and it wasn't a studio sound but everything came over so clear. It was a fabulous record of a great concert. The CD played over speakers or in the car is great. It is a very sensitive device so you will pick up noise if you move about too much. For my purposes an excellent bit of kit. I have checked this item out on other sites including France where it is about 90 quid. If you want quality at a reasonable price this is the one. Oh and you can use it for dictation as well!