It’s September, which means Halloween is just around the corner. Cool weather, bonfires, and ghost hunting with your friends are just a few activities to do.
If you’re planning to capture those haunted sounds, you need to have a good recorder, whether you’re hunting for fun or taking it seriously. A smartphone won’t cut it.
Even if it’s real-life horrors, such as building a case against a rude neighbor, quality recording is everything. That’s why we’re comparing two recorders, the Tascam DR-40 and the Sony PCM-M10.
Which is the better value? Let’s find out.
The Price
As of this article, the DR-40 is going for about $145 on its Amazon page, with a 16GB memory card bundle going for $162. Meanwhile, the PCM-M10 sells for $245, with no extra bundles.
That’s quite a noticeable price difference. Usually, a more expensive recorder means more options, but there are some cases where the extra price is a waste of money. Let’s look at other features to see if that’s the case.
Storage
As we said before, the DR-40 comes with external storage, and you can get a 16GB bundle, which should last you a long time. If you don’t buy the bundle, it comes with 2GB.
Meanwhile, the PCM-M10 comes with 4GB of memory. Not too shabby, however, both recorders don’t come with too much storage.
Battery Life
A good recorder needs to have slow-draining batteries. Nothing’s more annoying than having to change your batteries constantly, or having your recorder die during a moment when you need it the most.
The DR-40 requires three AA batteries, which provide you with 15 hours of battery life. Meanwhile, the PCM-M10 just needs two batteries, but the product page doesn’t specify the exact battery life.
Other Features
Both recorders have similar microphones and sound quality. Adjustable microphones, different formats, and playback are just a few features you’ve come to expect from these recorders.
The DR-40 does come with a feature called overdub mode, which allows you to record over a previous recording. The PCM-M10 seems to contain more features to deliver you better sound quality, including automatic adjustments and noise filters.
Also, both recorders do have USB transfer, allowing you to put the recordings onto your PC without having to take out the memory card by yourself.
Which is Better?
Both recorders provide you with quality, but when it comes to the better value, we have to go with the DR-40.
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The DR-40 is less expensive than the PCM-M10, and we haven’t seen too much to warrant the extra price. Perhaps the sound quality is a bit better, but it’s not too much different than the DR-40.
By the way, if you’re going to buy the DR-40, avoid the memory card bundle. It’s $20 more and includes a 16GB card. You can buy 16GB cards for much less than 20 bucks.
We hope this article allowed you to make a more informed decision in choosing a recorder. Happy shopping!
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