Tascam DR-100 Mini Review

My Tascam DR-100 was delivered Friday. I immediately rigged it with a Rode NT-4 stereo mic w/Rycote Mini Windjammer, mounted on a Rode Mini Boompole, and setoff for the high school football game, where my son is a senior in the marching band.

Although a bit larger than most portables, this is a great little field recorder. It can easily be held in a single hand. Build quality far surpasses the Zoom H4, as well as design. I don't have a Zoom H4n for comparison.

The Tascam DR-100 has large input level adjustment dial with concentric left and right channels. This is very easy to use, and a very welcome design that sets this unit apart from all other portable field recorders.

Dynamics at a high school football game are completely unpredictable, especially spontaneous drum cadences the band may do in response to action on the field. I found the Tascam's limiters to be highly effective at controlling digital overs. Further, I welcome the peak LED instead of more conventional peak hold metering. In live recording, it is very difficult to meter successfully given the tiny size and poor illumination of screens on most portable recorders.

Recorder controls were large and easy to use. Dedicated buttons and a smart design placing important secondary switches on the back of the recorder, make this portable recorder a joy to use.

Football game audio is not my intended application, but the results obtained were incredibly realistic. I have not yet tried the built-in microphones or done any interview recording, my primary application. But so far I am very pleased with the Tascam DR-100 recorder, so much so I gave away my old Zoom H4 the next day.