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I'm looking for a digital recorder for use with dictation that allows for editing/insertion without the need to go to a computer. That is, I wish to be able to record something, then play it back, and at a point in the playback that I choose, press a button which allows me to insert a new section in the middle of the previous recording. The button could make it so the new section is inserted, or it could simply split the track into two pieces at that point. And I want to be able to do all this on the hand held recording device.
I also wish to be able to select sections in the middle of a recording to remove, splicing the ends together.
Do you know of any device that does this? Something along the lines of the Olympus LS-10? It seems to me it would be in demand for dictation/writing applications, and I see no reason why it could not be done with current tech. Any ideas?

Comments

TheJackAttack Sat, 06/05/2010 - 19:38

I'm not aware of any hand held devices that split/insert new material in the pro audio world.

Dictation is not common anymore at all except in the legal world so I'm not surprised at all you are having difficulty finding a small hand held device like this. Heck, the old tape style dictation machines didn't allow insert either. And here is the problem with splitting and inserting. The tail end of the track has to be held in a buffer until you finish the inserted section. It's more of a resource hog than you think.

hueseph Sun, 06/06/2010 - 01:12

fbrg, post: 349347 wrote: If it allowed one to split an already recorded track in two it would amount to the same thing. Then you would just record the section one wants to insert as a third track, and put it between the other two in the playlist. No buffering needed for that. Anything that would do that?

It doesn't work like that. It's not like a cutting block where you just split the tape and add a section in between and splice them together. You're asking a digital tape block to split the track and add "tape" in between in real time. The end that you are splitting away has to be held somewhere. I think a laptop would be the best solution.

anonymous Sun, 06/06/2010 - 19:22

hueseph, post: 349356 wrote: It doesn't work like that. It's not like a cutting block where you just split the tape and add a section in between and splice them together. You're asking a digital tape block to split the track and add "tape" in between in real time. The end that you are splitting away has to be held somewhere. I think a laptop would be the best solution.

Okay, some folks over at the Home Studio Equipment forum found some that have this function. For anyone else with this question, the Sony PCM-M10 and the Zoom H4n both do this.

hueseph Sun, 06/06/2010 - 22:06

TheJackAttack, post: 349499 wrote: The Zoom will split the track but not splice it back together. Or so I understand the manual. Re splicing would be a job for a DAW or editor of some sort.

+1

You may be able to punch in at some point in your dictation but won't you be upset when you find that you have recorded over a good portion that you wanted to keep? Yes you could create another track but all the splicing will have to be done on a dedicated audio editing program.