Olympus VN-3600 Digital Voice Recorder

Rating:
Summary: Question on editing voice files on digital recorders
Review: I bought the Olympus VN1800 and used it for about a week, and found my biggest frustration is that you can't edit any voice files that you record. In other words, if you wanted to add on to an existing file, you can't. You have to create a new file to record more information. In addition, you can't edit any portion of the file, for example, if you had a long list of items to do for a given day, you can't edit the file to remove those that you took care of, and don't want on the recorder anymore. Are there any recorders with this capability, and if so, which are they? Thanks much.

Rating:
Summary: Great value
Review: I ordered this product new from a third party seller on amazon, and I was more than pleased with the product once it arrived. As is always the case, the LP setting isn't the greatest, though in a pinch one could use it for, say, a personal interview in a quiet room, if one needed more than the 2.5 hours afforded by the SP setting, which sounds fine in most lecture/interview/meeting situations.

The folders are a tool I didn't think would be useful to me, but have since come to love. I can file interviews for several articles I'm working on at a time, and when I'm done with one, simply erase the whole file.

When I was shopping for one of these things, I almost went with a mini-cassette recorder. Don't make that mistake. Digital gives much better sound quality simply because you don't get the hiss of the tape in the recorder. It is also incredibly small and light. Batteries last longer since there isn't a motor.

Some reviewers have asked about getting files onto your computer. The only way to do that with this unit is to plug the earphone output into an audio input and record the audio in realtime. I haven't found any need to archive old interviews so this hasn't been an issue. If you will need to archive, either go for a mini-cassette recorder or pay through the nose for USB connectivity.

There isn't a jog-dial as the description says. There is a four-way circular button. I don't know of any personal voice recorders with a jog-dial. Searching through audio is incredibly easy and fast, though.

I used to carry a notebook around everywhere, now I have my mini-recorder in my pocket at all times. I use it as a journalism student as I don't know shorthand, and as a music student to record my private lessons and review them later. The sound quality is fine, and the amount of audio that this little thing holds is simply staggering.

Rating:
Summary: Question
Review: I wonder whether there's any PC interface, such as USB port available in this recorder??

Rating:
Summary: It does what it should
Review: It's very good gadget. Before buying, keep in mind what the use would be. For memos/reminders/thoughs its great, and for lectures/interviews too. You can use the LP mode to have 6 hours available, but I recommend this mode only for memos, or things that you don't need to keep crystal clear; the recordings in LP mode are understandable.

Rating:
Summary: Great value, great interface.
Review: This item is all it says it is. Small, lightweight, easy to use (the jog dial and record button above it are all you need!), and a not too complicated LCD interface. Recording capacity (and options) are terrific. It's easy to play back, erase (but not TOO easy - you have to hit ERASE and then confirm by hitting ERASE again), and record files. The built-in microphone is VERY powerful (no need to hold the unit anywhere near your mouth, or head for that matter!). This truly could be used to record meetings, etc. The playback volume is extremely powerfull as well (and powered only by 2 AAA batteries). I only wish Olympus made a case / cover available for this item, and provided an optional hands-free mic.

Rating:
Summary: Few frustrating flaws
Review: Yes it is a nice and small recorder, and certainly one with the best recording time in it's price. But the Olympus VN-3600 Digital Voice Recorder has a few frustrating flaws.

First of all, forget about using low quality recording. You can hardly make out the voices. You can still get 2.5 hours of decent sound out of it at medium quality. That should be plenty for most users.
What's really driving me crazy is the joint buttons for skipping to the next file and for fast forward. Supposedly, if you hold the button, you'll fast forward, a single push will skip. But since both play/pause, next track, previous track and stop are on jog-dial-style button, you can accidentally press stop when you want to fast forward, or fast forward when you want to pause.
Why is this frustrating? Imagine you have recorded an one hour interview and are listening to it. Accidentally pressing next track or stop will skip you from the current point in the recording to the next track or make it stop. You'll have to fast forward to the point where you ended up. And since FF is really that fast, it take a frustrating amount of time. Seperate buttons for fast forward and fast backward would have solved this issue, although there isn't any space for them on the device (since it's so nice and small...)
Maybe this is less of a problem if you've got small finger, although I don't consider mine to be extrodinarily big.
Had I know about this issue in advance, I definately would have opted for another make/model!

Rating:
Summary: LP Mode -- Unusable for me
Review: Yes, this unit is small and compact. And it does record great in the 'high quality' or 'standard mode', but if you need to record a long meeting in the 'LP- long play" mode, you may be very frustrated. I attest to a previous reivew -- this mode is "too muffled" unless you have very acute hearing and have a good sense for what the person was saying. Thus, for me, LP mode is terrible and i find it unusable and I have fairly good hearing. I've even tried earphones -- still unusable. Finally, the buttons to fast forward and skip can be very frustrating to use. It takes a deft touch to operate them correctly.

Rating:
Summary: LP Mode -- Unusable for me
Review: Yes, this unit is small and compact. And it does record great in the 'high quality' or 'standard mode', but if you need to record a long meeting in the 'LP- long play" mode, you may be very frustrated. I attest to a previous reivew -- this mode is "too muffled" unless you have very acute hearing and have a good sense for what the person was saying. Thus, for me, LP mode is terrible and i find it unusable and I have fairly good hearing. I've even tried earphones -- still unusable. Finally, the buttons to fast forward and skip can be very frustrating to use. It takes a deft touch to operate them correctly.