Best Field Recorders in 2023: A Professional's Opinion
Discover the best field recorders on the market in 2022 with advice from a professional.
Choosing the best field recorder in 2022 is a challenging task.
Besides some of the best options being recently discontinued, the many options still available makes the decision difficult, especially for those new to field recording.
With all of the technical jargon and specifications associated with field recorders, determining which field recorder is best for your needs can be burdensome and may pose a large enough barrier to entry that you give up before even getting started!
I faced the challenge of learning about field recorders with zero audio background.
Now, after many years of practicing the craft, I’ve become a professional nature field recordist and I’d like to share what I’ve learned with you to help make choosing a field recorder simple.
In this post you’ll learn:
Every field recorder on the market today
My professional opinion for each option
Important field recorder specifications and features
If you’re new to field recording, I suggest you read this article from top to bottom. After reading, you’ll have a full understanding of field recorders, what sets them apart, and what you need to look for to satisfy your unique needs.
For those of you with a solid background in field recording already, let’s start with a brief overview of available field recorders.
2022 Field Recorders
Before getting into the field recorder options available in 2022, I’d like to point out that the results are split into 2 categories:
Handheld Field Recorders - All-in-one recording products with internal microphones.
Dedicated Field Recorders - Strictly for recording, require external microphones.
Handheld Field Recorders
Every single handheld field recorder on the market in 2022, sorted from lowest price to highest.
1. Zoom H1n
The Zoom H1n is the perfect field recorder for beginners.
Self noise is acceptable, the user interface is very simple and intuitive, good RF protection, extremely small, dedicated dial for adjusting gain, and it’s the cheapest field recorder on the market!
The only downsides are: cheap build quality (though better than the Tascam DR-05X), triple-A batteries offer shorter life than other options ( ≈ 10 hours), and fixed X-Y microphone configuration.
Professional Opinion: If you’re new to field recording and want to get started without spending a ton of money, the Zoom H1n is for you.
2. Tascam DR-05X
The Tascam DR-05X’s greatest feature is support for scheduled recordings. You can set specific times for the recorder to start and stop recording. However, the pros stop there.
The DR-05X is extremely prone to RF interference, made of cheap plastic, and has high self noise.
Professional Opinion: I would only purchase a DR-05X if scheduled recordings were absolutely necessary for my work and I was on a serious budget. Overall, the H1n is a much better device and cheaper.
3. Tascam DR-07X
For about $20 more than the DR-05X is the Tascam DR-07X. The best features on the DR-07X are the swiveling capsules allowing for either X-Y or wide stereo configurations.
However, with high self noise, the DR-07X is best suited for capturing loud signals such as dialog and busy environments. Not recommended for ambience work.
Professional Opinion: The Tascam DR-07X is good for beginners with a limited budget who want to experiment with different stereo widths without having to buy any extras. However, without any protection for the capsules while in wide stereo configuration, make sure nothing hits them. The cheap, plastic construction won’t hold up against rough use.
4. Tascam DR-40X
The Tascam DR-40X is the cheapest handheld field recorder with support for XLR inputs (x2).
However, with high self noise, the DR-40X is limited to recording loud signals and sounds at very short distances without background hiss.
Professional Opinion: The Tascam DR-40X is a great, low-budget option for recording loud signals such as dialog for podcasts/YouTube and music. For quieter environments, the DR-40X simply is not capable of capturing them without an overwhelming amount of hiss that will overpower your subject.
5. Zoom H4n Pro
The Zoom H4n Pro is the first real step-up in audio quality from the previous field recorders on this list.
With swiveling capsules for X-Y and 120° wide stereo, two XLR inputs, and far less noise than any of the previous options, the Zoom H4n Pro is a versatile and powerful field recorder appealing to musicians, songwriters, filmmakers, sound designers, and content creators.
With a noise floor of -120 dBu, it is quiet enough for some ambience work, but still benefits from denoise plugins.
Professional Opinion: The Zoom H4n Pro offers great value for its relatively low price. With features like unlimited overdubbing, amp simulation, and built-in effects (reverbs, delays, flangers, chorus, reverse effects), it’s particularly attractive to musicians with a little more to spend.
6. Zoom H5
The Zoom H5 is a somewhat strange extension of the “H” line of recorders.
Though costing more than the H4n Pro, the H5 does not include swiveling mics or built-in music effects (the only “effects” on the H5 are low-cut filter, compressor, limiter, and tuner).
However, the H5 did see some “quality of life” updates in the form of a more intuitive user interface, independent gain adjustment knobs for the XLR inputs, and interchangeable microphone capsules.
Virtually all other features remain the same between the two devices.
Professional Opinion: If you’re a musician and want to experiment with adding effects to your recordings without any computer processing, stick with the H4n Pro. The quality of life updates on the H5 are really only worth it for podcasting, content creators, and location sound recordists that will benefit from the independent gain adjustment knobs to compensate for different microphones or different speaker volume levels (you can still set independent gain levels on the H4n Pro, you just have to dive into the menus).
7. Zoom H6
The Zoom H6 adds two additional XLR inputs (for a total of 4), and a full-color LCD screen to the H-series line.
All other features and specifications are identical to the H5, including independent gain knobs for all four XLR input channels, and interchangeable microphone capsules.
Professional Opinion: The Zoom H6 is a good, low-budget option for users needing more XLR inputs. Ideal for podcasts with multiple guests, small music groups, and filmmaking work with multiple miked subjects.
8. Zoom H8
The Zoom H8 adds yet another two XLR inputs (for a total of 6), and a touch-screen, full-color interface to the H-series line.
The new “app-driven” touchscreen provides easy access to three optimized modes:
Podcasting - Four mic channels + two sound pad channels. 13 pre-loaded sounds to trigger sound effects and music beds. Can upload your own custom sounds.
Music - Record up to 10 input tracks, overdub, mix, and enhance recordings with EQ and compression.
Field Recording - Large meters for every track, quick access to input type, low-cut filters, compression, limiter, and noise gate settings.
Professional Opinion: Though I feel that touchscreens make devices less accessible, fragile, and limit life expectancy (useless when the touchscreen inevitably loses accuracy), the Zoom H8 is an affordable solution for users seeking more XLR inputs: large podcasts, full bands, larger location sound productions.
9. Tascam Portacapture X8
The Tascam Portacapture X8 is the only handheld field recorder capable of 32-bit float resolution.
With a large touch-screen, four XLR inputs, swiveling capsules, and “app-driven” controls, there’s a lot to like.
However, the implementation of these features is poor.
Units suffer from backlight bleeding, ultrasonic noise, fragile plastic capsules, laggy touch-screens, and confusing menu navigation.
Professional Opinion: I would not buy the Portacapture X8. Although it was a good idea, it was poorly executed, and seems rushed to market. If you want the benefits of 32-bit float, the Zoom F3 is actually cheaper than the Portacapture and is what I use. However, it’s a dedicated recorder with only two XLR inputs. If you need additional channels and 32-bit float, have a look at the Zoom F6.
Hopefully a new, handheld field recorder capable of 32-bit float will be released soon because the Tascam Portacapture X8 is not it.
Dedicated Field Recorders
Every single dedicated field recorder on the market in 2022, sorted from lowest price to highest.
1. Zoom F2 (Mono Only)
The Zoom F2 is a ultracompact, body-pack recorder capable of 32-bit float resolution.
It includes a lavalier microphone, foam windscreen, and microphone clip.
This no-frills option is simple, well-designed and runs on 2 AAA batteries. If it were made of aluminum it would be perfect. Instead, it is made out of cheap plastic.
Professional Opinion: 32-bit float is a very attractive feature for location sound recordists and solo content creators. Simply plug it in and start recording for worry-free audio that will never clip.
However, reviews of the Zoom F2 make it difficult to recommend. It seems that the F2 was rushed to market and not properly thought out. Many users complain that the lavalier microphone connection is not solid and recordings are unreliable. Additionally, the plastic battery cover is a major weak point in the design and will inevitably break with normal use.
I would purchase the Zoom F2 if my budget was extremely limited and I wanted the benefits of 32-bit float. If I had some extra money, the Tentacle Sync TRACK E is the more reliable option.
2. Tentacle Sync TRACK E (Mono Only)
The Tentacle Sync TRACK E is a professional body-pack recorder capable of 32-bit float.
It includes a lavalier microphone, foam windscreen, and microphone clip.
Additionally, the TRACK E supports timecode and multiple units can be jam-synced together for universal timecode for larger film sets.
Professional Opinion: The Tentacle Sync TRACK E is the best 32-bit float body-pack recorder on the market. Offering worry-free audio on set and timecode support for multiple units, it is the premier option for professional location sound recordists.
3. Zoom F3
The Zoom F3 is the smallest 32-bit float field recorder available (with support for stereo) and is built for professionals.
Featuring the same, ultra low noise preamps (-127dBu) as the rest of the F-series, the Zoom F3 has a very low noise floor, making it great for recording quiet ambiences like nature sounds and room tones.
The body is built from aluminum with robust side bars and has non-slip rubber feet on the bottom.
Professional Opinion: I own and use a Zoom F3 and absolutely love it. It’s small, lightweight, rugged, extremely quiet, and easily accepts external power via its internal USB-C port. I only wish it used full-sized SD cards and not micro. microSD cards are fragile and difficult to handle; very easy to drop and potentially lose/break when swapping in the field.
4. Zoom F6
The Zoom F6 is very similar in performance to the MixPre 6 II from Sound Devices but with several differences.
The F6 is smaller, more affordable, and supports L-series batteries and ambisonic recordings without having to purchase additional accessories or plugins.
One tradeoff between the F6 and the MixPre is preamp noise. The F6 preamps come in at -127dBu while the MixPre is quieter at -128dBu. However, this difference is virtually impossible to differentiate by ear.
Similar to the MixPre Series, the Zoom F6 also supports 32-bit float recordings and timecode.
Professional Opinion: The Zoom F6 is the most affordable 6 input dedicated field recorder on the market with few drawbacks. With its near best-in-class preamps, 32-bit float, and ultra portable size, the F6 is great for ambisonics and production audio on set.
5. Sound Devices MixPre 3 II
The MixPre II series features the quietest preamps on the market at -128 dBu.
The MixPre 3 II has three XLR inputs capable of recording mono, stereo, and mid-side.
With built-in Bluetooth, the MixPre-3 II can be wirelessly controlled with the Wingman app from Sound Devices to start/stop recordings, edit metadata, arm/disarm and rename tracks.
The MixPre 3 II has timecode support.
Professional Opinion: With three XLR inputs, extremely quiet preamps, timecode support, and USB-C port for external power, the Mix Pre 3 II is a fantastic choice for field recordists, and location sound recordists for smaller productions/music groups.
6. Sound Devices MixPre 6 II
The MixPre 6 II is nearly identical in specifications to the MixPre 3 II, but with one additional XLR input.
This makes ambisonic recordings possible, however requires the purchase of a plugin from Sound Devices for internal file conversion.
Professional Opinion: If you require the absolute best preamps on the market, 32-bit float audio, and need one additional XLR input for your work, or are interested in ambisonics, the MixPre 6 II is for you.
7. Sound Devices MixPre 10 II
The Sound Devices Mix Pre 10 II has eight XLR inputs with ultra-low-noise preamps.
The Mix Pre 10 II also supports advanced timecode syncing options:
Internal (standard)
Word Clock
Ext LTC
Professional Opinion: For professional videographers, field recordists, podcasters, and Ambisonics enthusiasts who need pristine audio capture of up to eight microphones, the Sound Devices MixPre-10 II multitrack field recorder is an ideal tool.
Field Recorder Specifications To Know
In this section you’ll learn about the field recorder specifications I think are most important to understand before purchasing one for yourself.
Here’s an outline of the subjects covered:
Handheld vs Dedicated
A field recorder is at the heart of every field recordist’s kit. It is the device that will actually record the sounds you’d like to capture.
There are lots of different options available, but for this overview, we’ll split them into two categories:
Handheld field recorders
Dedicated field recorders
My collection of handheld field recorders.
Handheld field recorders are all-in-one recording devices that are small enough to fit comfortably in your hand. They have built-in microphones and are capable of recording sounds straight out of the box.
Because they need few accessories and are simple to operate, they are popular field recorders for beginners.
Although they generally don’t offer the sound quality of dedicated field recorders, there are ways around this and it is possible to get amazing recordings with handhelds.
Pro:
Small size
Require few accessories
Simple to operate
Con:
Limited features
Lower sound quality
Sound Devices 702T dedicated field recorder.
Dedicated field recorders are strictly for recording audio and require the additional purchase of external microphones in order to work.
They’re typically much larger than handheld recorders but offer many powerful features and settings that could make your workflow much easier.
Dedicated field recorders are made for professionals and are often used for recording sound for TV and film.
Pro:
Advanced settings
Awesome sound quality
Rugged construction
Con:
Bulky
Heavy
Require accessories
Self Noise
All field recorders and their microphone preamps have some level of self noise. Some have more than others and the total amount is important when recording quiet sounds below 40 dB.
Under these circumstances, self noise is arguably the most important factor to consider when choosing a field recorder because it directly impacts the overall sound quality.
Diagram of common sounds and their associated decibel levels. Use this diagram to determine how loud the sounds you want to record are.
Too much self noise can ruin a recording with overbearing static hiss.
My first field recording was of a quiet woodland captured with the internal microphones of a Tascam DR-40.
When I got home and listened to the sounds, the hissing self noise of the DR-40 overpowered the woodland ambience and was extremely distracting.
Know what self noise level is acceptable for your purposes so this doesn’t happen to you.
For researching field recorder self noise levels, I recommend this fantastic resource from Avisoft Bioacoustics. They have independently tested and measured the self noise values for most commercially available field recorders.
For the tests, they use equivalent input noise (EIN) to measure the amount of self noise.
Self noise ratings for the most commonly used measurement methods are listed below:
| Self Noise (dBA) | EIN (dBu) | SNR (dB) | Rating | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 12 |
-130 | ≥ 82 |
Ultra Quiet | Extremely low self noise. Undetectable even under the most critical recording conditions. |
| 16-13 | -126 | 78-81 | Very Good | Very slight noise discernable when recording the quietest signals. |
| 20-17 | -119 | 74-77 | Good | Good enough for most purposes. Noise noticeable in quieter recordings. |
| 24-21 | -110 | 70-73 | Fair | Noise obvious when recording anything below speaking level. |
| ≥ 24 |
-100 | ≤ 69 |
Poor | Not recommended unless you only record waterfalls, alarms and jets (very loud signals). |
Size and Weight
Field recorders come in many different sizes which often correspond to weight. If you have limited space, travel often, or weight requirements, size will be an important specification to consider when choosing a field recorder.
For example, as a nature field recordist, I need my field recorders to be small and lightweight. I often camp and record for multiple days in one location and with all my backpacking gear, my pack is already heavy and lacks space for recording gear.
Recording scenarios where size and weight are important:
Have far distance to carry equipment
Require many recording accessories
Require additional equipment outside of strictly recording
On the other hand, while having lighter, smaller, and less gear is always nice, some field recording settings allow you to lug in as much gear as you want.
Recording scenarios where size and weight are less important:
Have short distance to carry equipment
Have few additional accessories
Sole purpose is to record audio
Material
Field recorders are constructed from either plastic or metal. The most common metal used in field recorder construction is aluminum.
Both have their pros and cons so let's cover each material so you can decide which is best for you.
Plastic:
The Zoom H1n, a plastic field recorder.
Field recorders made of plastic have the following benefits:
Cheap
Less handling noise
Lightweight
Plastic is a very inexpensive material for manufacturers to use for constructing the body of field recorders. This savings is passed on to you (the consumer) and results in a more affordable device.
Another benefit of plastic is less handling noise. Plastic helps to deaden the vibrations created by the subtle movements of your hand while holding the recorder.
While practice and a balanced grip are still required for noiselessly holding a plastic
recorder, a plastic body makes this much
more feasible.
Lastly, plastic recorders are lighter than their aluminum siblings by about 50%.
Plastic field recorder cons:
Less durable
Prone to RF interference
Durability is the main downside of plastic field recorders. While some recorders are made of denser plastic than others, they all fall short to metal-bodied recorders when it comes to durability.
If you’re tough on gear, record in extreme environments, or travel frequently to record, plastic is not recommended.
A lesser drawback of plastic field recorders is their vulnerability to radio-frequency (RF) interference. Without additional RF protection, plastic-bodied field recorders will record RF interference as loud clicks, pops, and static.
These interference noises are only an issue if you’re recording in an environment with sources of RF interference. The closer your recorder is to these sources, the larger the risk of interference. Possible sources include:
Cell phones
WiFi
Bluetooth devices
Power lines and transformers
Power cables
Fluorescent light fixtures
2-way radios
If your recording environment contains these sources, consider going with an aluminum-bodied recorder or conducting research on a plastic-bodied recorder’s RF protection.
Aluminum:
The Sony D100, an aluminum field recorder.
Field recorders made of aluminum have the following benefits:
Great RF protection
Very durable
Aluminum naturally has a high resistance to RF interference. Aluminum-bodied field recorders block RF interference and make them a great choice for recording in urban areas.
Aluminum field recorders are also very durable. Although they may become scratched, they will handle drops, dings, and general wear much better than plastic field recorders.
Aluminum field recorder cons:
Expensive
Sensitive to handling noise
Heavier
Because aluminum costs more than plastic and is more difficult to work with, aluminum field recorders are more expensive than plastic ones. If you’re on a tight budget, you may not be able to afford an aluminum recorder.
Aluminum field recorders are also more sensitive to handling noise. Every slight movement of your hand, even the creaking of your joints, is transferred to the microphones and audible in the final recording. However, with practice, it is possible to noiselessly hold an aluminum recorder while recording; it’s just more difficult.
Lastly, aluminum field recorders are heavier than ones made of plastic. As previously mentioned, aluminum field recorders are about twice as heavy as the same sized device made of plastic.
Personally, I think the extra weight is well worth the durability benefits.
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-Jared
