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OLYMPUS DM-10 REVIEWNicholas Newman Wednesday, 16 January 2008
As a reporter, I need a reliable recorder that is easy to use when conducting interviews, dictating copy and for a spot of easy listening on the move. The DM-10 promises high quality recording, with its 64 MB of built-in flash memory to enable the user to record up to 22 hours of interviews. I tried out the Olympus DM-10 when interviewing for a continental based news magazine, the controversial Danish writer Bjorn Lomborg, about why climate change is the not the priority for the world that Al Gore claims it to be. The recording's sound quality, I found was a distinct improvement on my old analogue Sony tape recorder. It was unnecessary to try out the noise cancelling features that come with its DSS Player software. At a recent lunchtime press conference I found the noise cancelling software especially useful in erasing the extraneous noise of scraping chairs and my fellow journalists, gossiping in the background and eating their sandwiches. Dictating Copy
As a Dictaphone, the plug in stereo microphone with its easy to handle recording controls on the microphone meant one did not have to fumble for the controls. I also appreciated being easily index specific sections of the interview for ease of access later. What many journalists will appreciate is the ease with which one can transfer recordings to the computer for archiving for future reference, editing or emailing the sound file for transcribing by a professional audio typist service that has Olympus DSS transcription technology, who will convert the file into a word file for return by email. For those long boring trips between jobs, the other feature I appreciated was its MP3 player function. As an MP3 player it is good for storing a full hour of near-CD-quality music or audio book in either MP3 or WMA formats, certainly enough for the average commuter. As you would expect, the Olympus is designed to fit neatly in the pocket. Olympus provides the user, with a nifty pocket sized carry case to store the DM-10 itself, its remote microphone, earphones and USB connecting cable. Getting StartedLoading the software from the CD provided, I found no problem, but it would have helped if Olympus had provided a simple 10 point ‘Getting Started' leaflet, giving us users some basic instructions on installing software and use of equipment. Then if the user needs further information, he/she can always consult the easy to understand and extensive 101 page PDF manual downloaded with the software from the CD provided. The recorder itself has control buttons that are easy to use, but I found the labels slightly difficult to read. It would have aided things immensely if the typescript was replaced by indented Braille symbols. A tip for users, in case you are looking for the on/off switch, it is the ‘hold’ button. Having an off switch also helps save on battery power. On the recorder itself, there is a relatively large screen. If you can't read the display, switching off and then on the hold button, turns on the background screen light for use in poor light conditions. As for future improvements that Olympus should consider:
Overall, I found the Olympus a very handy and useful device, which unlike many of its rivals in the market proved to be a very useful aid for my work as a journalist. Score 8/10. For Further Information
See also the OLYMPUS DS-30 Review |
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