Amazon.com Product Description The Olympus DM-20 stereo digital voice recorder/music player packs 128 MB of built-in flash memory to give you nearly 45 hours (2,680 minutes) of voice recording or two hours of near-CD-quality music in either MP3 or WMA formats. The DM-20's compact, lightweight design and smooth, silvery finish make it an ideal travel companion. Measuring a mere 4.31 x 1.56 x 0.6 inches (H x W x D) and weighing in at a mere 3 ounces, the attractive and ergonomic DM-20 fits comfortably in the hand of the on-the-go professional or exercise enthusiast.
The DM-20 has 5 separate file folders capable of holding 199 files each, so you can organize nearly 1,000 files according to subjects like "work," "personal," and "to do." When recording, simply capture your high-quality voice files in either WMA or DSS (Digital Speech Standard) format and then place the recorder in the included USB docking station to begin downloading hours of audio to a PC or Macintosh computer. Stereo voice recording is possible with an optional stereo microphone.
Alarm playback will alert you to meetings, dates, show reminders, or wake-up times. You can simply dictate reminders into the DM-20--such as "Time to pick up the kids!"--and assign a time for this message to sound, like an alarm clock's buzzer.
Built-in WOW sound enhancement produces rich bass, and three-dimensional sound, while a user-selectable 5-setting equalizer lets you tailor the sound to your taste or environment. Olympus's innovative noise-canceling technology makes the sound even clearer. removing unwanted hiss and background noise.
The unit offers a built-in condenser microphone, and a .125-inch microphone jack gives you the option to use a high-quality external mic (not included). A .125-inch earphone jack and supplied stereo ear bud headphones let you monitor your files during or after recording. To suit various sound conditions, you can adjust the microphone's sensitivity. The recorder can be viewed in low-light situations, such as at a lecture hall or during presentations, thanks to its easy-to-read backlit LCD.
After capturing recordings you can erase them or move them between folders. The DM-20 also lets you set up to 16 index marks per message, during recording and during playback. This way, you can locate specific sections of individual dictations quickly and easily. The individual files may be played back at three different speeds: normal, fast, or slow, through either the built-in speaker or the supplied earphones. In addition, with the Repeat Playback function, the DM-20 can repeatedly play back a particular user-selected section of audio recording--ideal for transcribing dictation.
The unit's Variable Control Voice Actuator (VCVA) ensures that recording begins only when sound occurs, while its security lock prevents accidental deletion of sensitive files.
The DM-20 is perfectly suited to meet varying professional needs. You can easily attach voice files to e-mails or forward them to others for transcription. The optional AS-3000 transcription kit (DSS Player Pro transcription module with foot switch and headset) can further streamline this process. The DM-20 is also compatible with most voice recognition software, including IBM's Via Voice.
What's in the Box
Voice recorder, docking station, USB cable, stereo ear bud headphones, a CD-ROM, a user's manual, and warranty information.
Product DescriptionOlympus DM-20 Digital Voice Recorder - Comes with Instruction Manual; Case; Strap; 2 x AAA Battery; CD-ROM: DSS Player 2002 & Windows Media Audio Player; Earphones (Stereo); Remote Controller w/built-in Microphone; USB Cable; Dock Cradle. This pocket-sized, all-metal device supplies up to 45 hours voice recording time or two hours of CD-quality music. It can also be combined with the Olympus AS-3000 for the ultimate transcription solution, capable of playing back audio from the left or right microphones independently, or both simultaneously (An optional two-channel microphone is required for playback audio independently). Included remote control doubles as an external microphone. Noise Cancellation mode reduces ambient sound for improved clarity. WOW audio technology provides rich bass and 3-dimensional stereo sound during music playback. Manage your voice files in 5 folders and music files in 2 folders capable of storing up to 199 files in each. SHQ, HQ, SP and LP modes provide recording flexibility. Voice activation capable Index marking Large, backlit LCD Speaker Built-in 23 mm round dynamic speaker. Microphone Jack 3.5 mm mini-jack / Earphone Jack 3.5 mm mini-jack Batteries required - Two AAA (may use alkaline (up to 16 hours) or NIMH rechargeable (up to 12 hours per charge) Supports - Windows - Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000 Professional, XP Professional, Home Edition / Macintosh - Mac OS 9.0/9.1/9.2/10.1/10.2 for data transfer
Awful for voice recording (Rating: 1 out of 5) My recorder keeps going mysteriously into a mode where it stops recording if the person stops talking (assuming you are recording voice), which is supposed to conserve your storage space. But what happens is that the recorder cuts off the person prematurely, making the recording virtually USELESS. This is a disastrous problem.
Also, the interface is not at all intuitive.
Device Permanantly Reverts to Japanese Language (Rating: 2 out of 5) If you are considering this device, be aware that it will revert from English language to Japanese if it sits around without being used for a few months. Olympus is aware of this peculiar behavior but charges you to fix it. Having owned the device for several years, I finally got around to sending it in to take care of this. Unfortunately, there is a charge of $95 to give it a 'hard boot' - according to the technician. Since it works fine otherwise, I elected to have it sent back and I'll just have to find another brand I can rely on when this one falls apart.
I'm giving this 2 stars because it is light and easy to carry and discreetly set on a lecturn. Those are its good features. However, the logic of the buttons is not intuitive at all and the 'self-directed, non-reversible language adjustment' is simply unacceptable. I'm just glad I learned how to use it before it made that adjustment! Since I drag the wav files to my iPod anyway, I'm going to explore that avenue for recording presentations in the future.
We are very happy with our purchase of the Olympus Digital Recorder DM-20. (Rating: 5 out of 5) We are very happy with our purchase of the Olympus Digital Recorder DM-20. Tiny, hand-held recorder, that you can record for hours on and don't have to change the tape every 45 minutes. It is user-friendly, so you don't have to be a technical wizard to have a great recording and then easily download it to your computer.
The software could be more user-friendly, because it has its' own folder system that doesn't work to good with the Windows folder system on my computer.
I like that when you plug a microphone in, it automatically goes to High-Quality recording. It's a smart design. The built-in mic is a good one. You can set it on a table in the room and record the whole room. We have not used it for recording music or that facet of it, but the voice recording is crystal clear.
We've used re-chargeable batteries almost exclusively, and that is a good thing because it does run down batteries quickly. But when you compare it to the old-fashioned kind of tape recorders, the battery power is minimal. The fact that it never really turns off is because it goes into a mode similar to that of a digital clock, which actually is great because it keeps track of the time and date without having to re-set it between recordings.
The technology is progressing so fast now, you can get better recorders for less money than when we first purchased it. Doesn't make us any less pleased with the one we have.
Good for lectures (Rating: 5 out of 5) Excellent unit for large lecture halls with 100+ people. It works great with my Mac and I've downloaded the audio files with no problem. It does eat through batteries quite rapidly. I have it set at the highest quality for some of my lecturers who tend to mumble. It picks up the lecture voices very well, but I can only get about 16-18 hours of recording from it. Nonetheless, I think it was a worthwhile purchase.
Spend the extra to get quality, dependability (Rating: 5 out of 5) I started with an Olympus DM-10 DVR, using it daily for recording college course lectures that I converted to CDs I could listen to on my daily drive. The DM-10 model was very adequate for my needs, and I especially appreciated the voice-activated feature, which cut my actual recording time (and thus playback time) in half. I loved this model, although I occasionally had to be sure to download and clear the memory due to space limitations. Unfortunately, I either lost mine or it was stolen. :-(
After 6 weeks of searching in vain for my beloved DM-10, I gave up and opted for a replacement. While perusing my options, I can across the Olympus WS-300M 256 MB Digital Voice Recorder. Its nice compact size -- and especially, it's incredible memory -- made for an enticing offer I couldn't pass up. Sadly, after a few weeks of trying various settings on the WS-300M, it became clear that this mini unit wouldn't do the trick. (See my scathing review of the WS-300M!)
After returning the WS-300M (a major pain, since I'm waiting on the seller to return my money!), I looked into paying the extra bucks for the DM upgrade (DM-20). Although the DM-10 price has nicely dropped from what I paid for mine, I noticed the 20 model has considerably more memory plus all the reliable features I could count on for my old DM-10. I live on graduate student loans, so money is incredibly tight. However, I've learned my lesson from the WS-300M (and from an even cheaper Sony model picked up at, and hastily returned to, Walmart). Sometimes, the $$$ is worth the savings on my playback time and frustration!
My DM-20 model has been great so far! It's got the familiar sturdy feel of my DM-10, but with considerably more memory space. Its buttons are solid and in intuitive locations. The lackluster recording quality of the WS-300M is a thing of the past. It even comes with a carrying case (although the case isn't designed for use while recording, which is a minor flaw to this model). In short, I'm smiling again and appreciative of my new recorder.
Although I'm home on holiday break, I have one thing I'm excited about in the coming new semester: My new DM-20!
Spring 2007, bring it on! :-)
P.S. I've been using this new version for the past four months, and although the quality is exemplary -- it does tend to drop the ball at times when on the voice activated recording mode. It may in part be due to the fact that the professor is very soft spoken. Just the same, this same professor recorded nicely in my previous DM-10 last year. This could be an idiosyncratic issue with the specific DM-20 I bought. I haven't touched base with the manufacturer about this yet, as I'm buried in coursework. I probably will do that at some point, though -- after I try moving the recorder closer to the prof to see if it makes a difference. I suspect it won't, considering it's a small room and I sit up toward the front.
Has anyone else who bought this had a similar problem?
P.S.S. I figured out what the issue was with the voice-activated mode: AFTER you push the record button and it starts recording, THEN push the volume button to increase or decrease sensitivity. The manual doesn't tell you this. So, apparently there are extra features you just have to tinker around with to figure out. :-)