JJTNC
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2023
I have been using this specific model for years now and have personally purchased 3 and purchased 6 more through my different employers for their equipment kits. It auto-levels and is super efficient on battery use. I think the updated ones can do -6db and -12db which is cool, but I would probably never use -12dBMy only gripes: I wish the bit rate was higher than 24, just to get a little more dynamic range as peaking can definitely throw you off every once in awhile even with auto leveling.And also I wish the belt clip was not so stiff/hard to clip on. Sometimes it’s difficult to attach to clothing or I’m afraid it will actually damage dresses/ clothing that I clip the mic pack on to other people.Anyway, if you’re tired of all the baggage and glitches that come with radio-transmitted sounds and you are a one-man videography band I highly recommend.
Kevin
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2021
I've been a video professional for 25 years and I really like this mic! The sound quality is great. I love the dual-record option. And it's so compact. I included a pic of it next to the AAA battery that powers it for scale.I typically use a rechargeable battery that I recharge after a day of shooting so I can't really say just how long the battery will last. But you can shoot at least all day on one battery with no problem.It's ideal for location recording because you don't have to worry about using a transmitter/receiver pair (especially on really compact cameras that you can't mount a receiver on). Just use the camera's built-in mic to get scratch audio and sync up this audio in post.The on/off/record switch takes a little getting used to. But I get that it's designed to avoid anyone wearing the mic from accidentally stopping recording or powering it off. Overall a great mic! Especially for the price and it coming w 2, 32GB cards.
Janet Dradso
Reviewed in Australia on April 28, 2020
Best purchase for filming weddings I have made!
Kim Borzatti
Reviewed in Australia on October 20, 2019
Love this recorder. Crystal clear audio, super compact and easy to use, I have 2 now and wouldn’t be without them.10/10
Sugano Pro
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2018
This microphone is perfect for those situations where you cannot Use a wireless microphone due to the frequencies used at the venue. These microphones are technically wireless, but do not transmit any signals that can interfere with other signals. One downside is that you cannot monitor the audio unless you are within a cord’s reach away with headphones. But they are reliable enough so that once you set the levels, you are good to go.
George
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2018
This unit is simply great. It solves a lot of problems that wireless systems have including RF interference and distance limitations. My wireless units required 2 AA batteries each for the transmitter and the receiver. This unit requires 1 AAA battery. My tests show that after 4 hours of recording, the alkaline battery was about 1/2 charged. The amount of battery usage is dependent on the settings. A lithium battery should do even better. The quality of the sound is very good. After 4 hours only about 1 GB of storage was used. Because I am not recording the production sound at the camera location I have to synch up in post. (In camera I just record 'reference' sound.) But there is some help with this. One of the options of the unit is to create a new WAV file every 15 minutes. So if the time is the same in the camera and in the DR-10L, then I can quickly associate the video with the sound. Using a "clapper" always helps too. The menu system operation is pretty easy once you take a few seconds to read the manual, which is good. In the back of the manual are detailed descriptions of each option. I found that it was best to go through each option before using the unit. It is in kind of a basic state when you receive it, so you will want to modify the settings. This includes the date and time setting.
zeth1560
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2018
I have used several brands of wireless lavs in the past, and have encountered more than a few issues from interference. These circumvent that issue entirely! The recorder is great, and the mic that comes along with it is pretty decent. Not great...but good. I love the ability to record two tracks simultaneously at different volume levels, which helps make up for the lack of ability to monitor the recording when they are attached to another human being. Controls are simple to use, but at the same time offer great protection from being accidentally switched off in mid-recording. Battery life is also very impressive. All in all...a very solid bit of audio kit!
Customer
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2018
Used professionally at only two weddings, but constantly for personal projects. This thing is INCREDIBLE. The included microphone is a bit bulky, but perfect for most scenarios. The two 32gb micro sd cards mean you get about 60 hours of high quality recording with a backup track, limiter, and so much more. Read the description if you want to know the amazing things it does soooo well. Just the fact that the groom or officiant would have a hard time turning it off or stopping the recording once I start it is enough for me, much less that the mic likely won't be in the shot, the recorder hides easily under most clothing, I don't have to worry about wireless interference, the AAA battery lasts FOREVER, and the custom options for file naming lets me keep everything super organized when I load everything onto my computer after a shoot. Buy these. Buy 6 of them. Or 50. Mic your family at Christmas morning. Mic yourself on your next date to hear how dumb you sound. Stop worrying about where to place your microphone when you record your youtube videos and just lav yourself up. If you film weddings, mic up the groom, the bride, the officiant, random guests, the dj... idk. The point is these things are some of the most well-crafted pieces of gear ever and you need to have them in your kit, if for nothing else than being able to film yourself from 50 feet away, but still have perfect audio.