I started my journey with the DR-1 by reading the instruction manual for about ten minutes. Since I am a “hands-on” person, I tried to navigate through the DR-1 as instructed by the manual. I found out very quickly that the hardest thing to do with the DR-1 is dubbing, and even that is super easy! I was off and recording within 15 minutes of opening the box.
After my first “test recording,” I realized that this little handheld recorder sounded better than some of my other equipment. And that’s before I even mixed anything! By being able to point the variable-angle stereo microphones right in between my guitar and my mouth, I was able to capture a smooth mix of guitar and vocals. And, with the functionality of being able to record in both WAV and mp3, the DR-1 is an interface too! You can easily record separate tracks into the DR-1 and then transfer them straight into your DAW for mixing and mastering. Or, you can do what I did and record a completely acoustic album directly to mp3. No need to master at all. I recorded twelve songs, and within two hours, had a great album with songs on my web site to boot! The DR-1 allows anyone, at any age, to record very easily anywhere that they want!
Another key feature is that the DR-1 records to an SD card. I was skeptical about this at first because I wasn’t sure if there was going to be a quality issue. But I quickly had a change of heart. SD cards are so convenient! My computer has an SD slot in the tower, so I didn’t have to mess with a USB cable transfer which is generally a slower process. I just put the SD card in the slot, highlighted the files in the folder, dragged, and dropped. It was that easy.
I will and already have recommended the DR-1 to any person who is musically inclined. Everyone wants to hear their creation come out of a stereo or iPod! But, I would also recommend this product to other professionals or hobbyists. A journalist, for instance, could use the DR-1 for story information, or to record an interviewee. Or, if you’re like me, your best writing ideas come to you when the world is completely void of pens and paper! Whatever your recording purpose is, the DR-1 has you covered!
