Last Updated: August 26, 2019 (Refresh Now)
Tascam DR 05 Stereo Portable Digital Audio Recorder
Last Updated: August 26, 2019 (Refresh Now)
7.9
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
994
Old Reviews
749
Unverified
62
Spam Test
PASS
Yes
USB
4096 GB
MEMORY
Micro SD
SD CARD TYPE
Review Analysis - 183 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Sound Quality
55audio, recorder, tascam, dr, easy to use
+82%
-18%
" ... We choose two to compare side by side, and determined that while the sound capability of the Tascom DR-05 and the Sony ICD-UX560 are equal, the Sony beats it in size, weight and internal memory capacity (recording time exceeds by double). ... Tascom sound quality is very good, almost indistinguishable, and very crisp. ... "
" ... Surprisingly, this does a very good job and automatically compensates for the varying sound levels. ... "
" ... I bought this for my ASMR channel and the sound is great. ... You can run the track through audacity, but then you will lose the beautiful, crisp original sounds :( Anyways, I've had it for about a month and it's still working great (still on original battery). ... "
" ... The Tascam DR-05 is a great sound recorder. ... "
" ... I just like it, not a sound professional but it is very easy to use and is doing what I wanted to do. ... "
" ... So many options to help get the best audio ever. ... "
" ... I recommend this to any working musicians out there who are trying to get good sound for your live videos. ... "
" ... Excellent build quality and sound. ... "
Ease of Use
27recorder, learn, intuitive, easy, operate
+93%
-7%
" ... Great product and easy directions. ... "
" ... It's easy to use, especially since I am not a tech type and sounds great. ... "
" ... So far, the Tascam DR-40 is the perfect recorder for my usage: small, yet powerful and easy to use. ... "
" ... It's easy to use. ... "
" ... Easy to use . ... "
" ... This device was easy to learn (about an hour with the instructions) ... "
" ... Great recorder for the price easy to use. ... "
" ... It's pretty intuitive to use. ... "
Microphone
23audio, recordings, recorder, record, tascam
+83%
-17%
" ... Good music recorder ... "
" ... The clarity of the recordings are great! ... I can already tell I'm going to be able to get much better sound-recordings with this than any of the cameras I've been using up to now. ... "
" ... Works great I use it for recording church picks up every sound has great playback worth it would definitely recommend ... "
" ... Easy to set up and use with outstanding audio recording quality ... "
" ... The Tascam DR-05 is a great sound recorder. ... Recordings, in my opinion, sounds even better than the newer Tascam recorder coming out (eg. ... "
" ... Great for recording music sessions or anything else. ... "
" ... I take it to concerts with me and when I burn a DVR it sounds like a professional recording. ... "
" ... Recordings sound great but come out with buzzing sound after the first 4 uses. ... "
Controls
14button, recording, levels, tascam, record button
+50%
-50%
" ... Tascam has some really huge quality control problems. ... "
" ... Difficult complicated controls. ... "
" ... There is no separate file/track that has JUST the piano on it. ... "
" ... The only workaround is to leave the menu open when recording, which removes the sound, but obviously prevents you from monitoring levels. ... "
" ... When the music levels change from song to song, or group to group, you have to change the recording level of the DR40, sometimes in the middle of a song. ... Unfortunately, the designer included a "level up" button and a "level down button" which have to be pushed several times, which produces very loud audible clicks in your recording every time either button is pressed. ... It would have been so easy to include a rotary knob (similar to the volume control on portable cd players) which would have eliminated this problem and moved it to 5 stars. ... "
" ... I give it two stars because when it worked it worked great but eventually you will start having issues with the power button and eventually it will just never turn on again. ... "
Product Reliability
12stopped working, 2018, years, working, tascam
+33%
-67%
" ... I bought it in January 9th, 2019 and it stopped working today. ... Overcomplicated junk product. ... "
" ... I got my replacement unit on the 29th of March, and this time both of the built-in microphones were faulty. ... So two units, defective upon arrival, withing a month. ... "
" ... I liked it but it broke after a few months. ... Broke after a few months again too. ... "
" ... I couldn’t get it to power up after 2 months old. ... "
" ... Used maybe 3 times a month for the last 3 months. ... "
" ... Died September 2018. ... July 2018 - September 2018 ... We should have read the 1-star reviews: Dead product within a few uses. ... "
" ... Then, Friday night, the device just up & died. ... "
" ... Died in less than one year - and the problem is well known to Tascam. ... "
Price
9recorder, money, worth, tascam, penny
+67%
-33%
" ... The dr-50 is good for the price. ... "
" ... This is by far the best portable recorder for your money. ... "
" ... Unit is decent Considering the price. ... "
" ... - The pair of integrated mics are very high quality considering the price. ... "
" ... Especially for the price. ... "
" ... Great little audio recorder for the price. ... "
Video Playback
8youtube, honestly, watched, video, needed
+100%
" ... Saw a couple of videos. ... "
" ... Recommend for Youtube Videos ... "
" ... Georgeous instruments for profesional videos! ... "
" ... The ease of use is not there, you're gonna have to watch tutorial videos, but it's so good, honestly. ... "
" ... There was definitely a learning curve for me, but I honestly watched a half dozen youtube videos and I learned enough to use all of the features I needed to make this work for me. ... "
" ... I recommend this to any working musicians out there who are trying to get good sound for your live videos. ... "
" ... Makes all videos sound so much better. ... "
" ... I use this for all my video projects and absolutely love it. ... "
Features
8recorder, many, lots, level, dr
+88%
-13%
" ... Lots of features, which I will attempt to learn, but it does the job straight outta the box. ... "
" ... Real shame, 'cause I love the features of this unit. ... "
" ... I was really tempted by the DR-05, but the number of extra features of the DR-40 more than made up for the extra $40. ... "
" ... There are so many features that allow me to tailor my recording environment to whatever situation I am in. ... "
" ... Auto Tone: Off ... "
" ... I did a lot of research for a mid level audio recorder and this is definitely the best one I could find many great features, great build,high quality audio, overall just great. ... "
" ... I did a lot of research for a mid level audio recorder and this is definitely the best one I could find many great features, great build,high quality audio, overall just great. ... "
Storage
6card, microsd, memory card, memory, tascam
+83%
-17%
" ... And I like that the DR-40 uses a full-size SD card, unlike the Tascam DR-05's microSD card. ... "
" ... It uses standard SD sized memory cards which is a plus and a minus - label your cards so you don't confuse the cards used in this device with the cards used in your camera. ... "
" ... With a 32GB microSD/microSDHC Memory Card, hit record and forget the unit for up to 16 hours, it will catch the entire meeting or presentation in great quality audio. ... "
" ... - External SD memory card slot is great, and it comes with a 4-GB card. ... "
" ... Large recording capacity even though the memory card is small. ... "
Size
6size, carry around, small, recorder, portable
+83%
-17%
" ... It's small enough to carry in anything. ... "
" ... So if size is not an issue, this one is great. ... "
" ... It's a good, inexpensive, little recorder you can easily carry around in a jacket pocket. ... "
Display Clarity
5screen, outdated, menu, lcd, interface
+80%
-20%
" ... the display is large and easy to read ... "
" ... The display is big enough to easily see. ... "
" ... I turned OFF the monitor Mix in the menu and Voila! ... "
" ... It works great but then one day I just took it out of the bag and the screen was broken so I don't know how sturdy it is ... "
Device Compatibility
5device, connects, computer
+100%
" ... Other than that, great device! ... "
" ... Monitor Mix is enabled ... "
" ... It's way easier to just use my iphone. ... "
" ... This is perfect--I use it for dictation, it connects seamlessly with my computer and Dragon, and I can transcribe each 30 minute session within minutes. ... "
" ... Excellent recording quality and easy transfer to other devices. ... "
Fit
5tripod, fit, xlr, survive, pocket
+100%
" ... and it has built-in "guard rails" that offer a lot of protection for the microphones as you cram the recorder into coat or pants pockets. ... "
" ... It's small enough to fit in a pocket, but big enough to have two XLR connectors. ... "
" ... I needed a balanced line recorder for my MG16XU mixer, and the TASCAM DR-40 fit the bill perfectly. ... "
" ... It also was handy to attach it to a tiny little tripod, which doubled as a grip. ... "
" ... This hand held recorder has more than served its purpose! ... "
Comfort
5hands, hand held, feels, olympus
+80%
-20%
" ... One is to get two windscreens - a foam one for the inside (note - it has to be wide enough to cover both of the small mikes at the top - and two, to get a furry windscreen for outside where the wind is stronger. ... "
" ... This hand held recorder has more than served its purpose! ... "
" ... Really feels sexy in your hands. ... "
" ... Really feels sexy in your hands. ... "
Build Quality
5thin, tab, survive, plastic, months
+40%
-60%
" ... Broke after a few months again too. ... "
" ... I have low expectations now and wouldn't be surprised if it literally falls apart. ... I expected something that would be a little rugged because of its intended purpose, but we hat I perceive is a flimsy and cheap device. ... "
" ... I have low expectations now and wouldn't be surprised if it literally falls apart. ... I expected something that would be a little rugged because of its intended purpose, but we hat I perceive is a flimsy and cheap device. ... "
Setup
4learn, instructions, engineer, service, repair
+50%
-50%
" ... I was a recording engineer for a long time. ... "
" ... The toll-free number they have for me to call to find Authorized Repair service does not work. ... "
Volume
4low, level, recording, loud, input
+25%
-75%
" ... (although volume is far too low) ... "
" ... Unfortunately, the designer included a "level up" button and a "level down button" which have to be pushed several times, which produces very loud audible clicks in your recording every time either button is pressed. ... "
Ports
4powered, mini usb, via, recorder, cable
+75%
-25%
" ... I recently started using this Tascam with a couple of mics going into the XLR ports for remote interviews and such. ... "
" ... The unit is small enough to be pretty much unobtrusive sitting on a table or with the right patch cable, tie it into the house sound system through a direct line connection, no technical knowledge required. ... "
" ... In Japan, I used it alongside a plugin separate USB battery (which I rubber banded to the recorder), and this worked just fine. ... "
Returns
3unfortunately, returned, replacement
-100%
" ... I’m convinced that the microphone is the issue and unfortunately I missed the return date by 4 days. ... "
" ... Ultimately I returned this item for some of its [many] problems. ... I returned it for this reason alone. ... "
" ... Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to use this out of the box for over a year so I doubt I can return it. ... "
Defective Delivery
3product, defective, condition
+33%
-67%
" ... So two units, defective upon arrival, withing a month. ... "
" ... This is an item that had never been opened and there was nothing loose in the box. ... "
Zoom
3recorders, recorder, zoom h1, product, like
+67%
-33%
" ... It is better than the equivalent priced recorder from Zoom and others. ... "
" ... It is better than the equivalent priced recorder from Zoom and others. ... "
Video Recording
3quality, excellent, best
+100%
" ... Hooooo the best recording ... "
" ... Excellent recording quality. ... "
Charging
3usb, battery, batteries, recording, recorder
+67%
-33%
" ... I power it was a rechargeable small gadget like I would use as external power to charge my cell phone in the field. ... "
" ... In Japan, I used it alongside a plugin separate USB battery (which I rubber banded to the recorder), and this worked just fine. ... "
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Specifications
Connectivity
USB: Yes
Memory
Memory: 4096 GB
SD Card Type: Micro SD
Recommendations
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