Pros
First, digital voice recorders have an advantage in sound quality. Analog recorders use cassette tapes, which produce lower sound quality and tend to deteriorate over time. The DW-90’s recordings were very clear, much clearer than a conventional tape recorder. This was the case even when I was recording, while the device was on the other side of a large room.
Second, digital recorders contain less moving parts. As such, they seem to be more reliable, tend to take up less space, and use less power than a conventional tape recorder. The DW-90 was very light and compact. It was about the size of my palm and weighed a little more than a small bag of chips (65 grams, according to Olympus’ spec sheet).
Lastly, searching for recordings on a cassette tape can be a nightmare. To find the right one, you have to manually fast forward and rewind through an entire tape. Digital recorders, on the other hand, allow for the same searching capabilities as a CD. Different recordings are automatically numbered, time and date stamped. This was one of the best features of the DW-90. It was so easy to jump from my first recording to my sixteenth.
The most impressive feature I found was the VCVA feature or Variable Control Voice Actuator feature. It’s just a fancy name, but it pauses the voice recorder when there is silence and automatically records when the volume reaches a certain level. It’s great because it conserves recording space. Also, it helps with those annoying lecture recordings, containing frequent and lengthy pauses.
Another very cool feature of the DW-90 is its ability to interface with a PC. After installing some software, recordings from the DW-90 can be downloaded to a computer. There, they can be renamed and organized into folders on a interface similar to Windows Explorer. It alleviates the need for labeling and storing bulky cassette tapes, especially when you plan to make many recordings. Also, searching for a specific recording is much easier because they are divided into individual WAV files.
Installing the software for this functionality was a snap. After installation, the player is instantly recognized whenever it is plugged into a USB port. There’s no need for any frustrating configuring.
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