Features:

  • Firmly attaches to a handheld microphone via a captive XLR connector for the ultimate compact news gathering recording system
  • Has both manual and automatic gain settings, with a low cut filter and limiter to prevent overloads
  • The Dual Recording mode captures a copy of the audio at a lower level, so if there is distortion you have a backup safety
  • Besides WAV files, recording and playback of MP3 files is supported; literally days of audio can be recorded on a microSD card
  • The recording switch uses a sliding mechanism to prevent misoperation from accidentally pressing a button
  • If the battery dies, the unit will automatically close the file to prevent the loss of data before it shuts down
  • Connect headphones to check recorded data right away and to monitor the input during recording
The age of plug-on recorders is upon us...

First impression It is much lighter than the typical wireless plug-on. I have provided an image of it plugged onto a Shure SM-58 next to another Shure SM-58 plugged into a Sennheiser transmitter for size reference. For those who are looking for a more reliable wireless solution without concern for radio interference and a need for a receiver this is an excellent alternative to plug-on transmitters. What does it have for storage? No built-in storage. Use micro SD or micro SDHC card.(Not included.) How big an SD card can it record to? micro SD min:64MB to max:2GB micro SDHC min:4GB to max:32GB Low/Mid/High pre-control This is to be expected. Dynamic mics vary widely in output. If it didn't have this option it might as well have a built-in mic like the others. There is also an EXT mode for "external input" if anyone has a suggestion for what this is for please add to the comments section. One would think it is for line lenel so you could plug this on a mixer, but the manual says the nominal input level for this mode is -24dB. Tyical nominal line level is at -8dB and pro at +4dB while EXT mode max's out at -8dB. Lo-cut Cutoff @ 120Hz Limiter Not as effective when mic gain is on "HI", but still very useful.. almost necessary, as with most digital audio recorders. You may have a different experience, since I tested this with an EV RE50N/D-B which is known for its high output. Safety track I don't believe this is always necessary to use, I guess it depends on how much battery life and storage space you have left to work with. I would use this in noisy environments when you cannot predict when the speaker might start shouting or for singers when the amplitude of the talent's voice is more likely to fluctuate at a greater range. Timer sync? I have read in a few places that this recorder supports the IR sync signal to synchronize recording time and settings with other Tascam digital recording devices, but I cannot seem to verify this since I only have one. Please leave a comment if you have any experience with this. I might be interested in purchasing a second DR-10x if that is the case. No phantom power I'd hope to see this introduced in later models, but most of my condenser mics also have a battery option so it isn't a major loss for me. You can power the recorder externally using the USB connection. I guess this is more useful for playback or if I can find one of those rechargeable USB phone chargers that is really small. Battery Power Uses 1 AAA battery (not included.) Depending on the battery you use the lifetime can last up to 10 hours. The average battery is going to get you about 8 hours recording time. This recorder will work on alkaline, lithium and rechargeable NiMH batteries (the manual warns about using industrial dry-cell batteries.) If the battery is dying it will automatically close the current audio file to prevent the loss of already recorded data before shutting down. Playback? You can play back recordings on the drvices though the analog headphone output, plug the DR-10x into your PC with included USB 2.0 cable or insert your micro SD card into a media card reader. The DR-10x acts as a media card reader when plugged in with its USB cable in "STORAGE" mode. Software? Comes with no software. Your computer likely has the drivers necessary to read the SD card or the USB card reader and almost all media players and editors can handle PCM wav files anyway. Firmware updates? None yet, but there likely will be some eventually. My DR-10x came with v1.01 0077 Output file format and specs? Bit rate: 1152kbps Sample rate: 48kHz Sample size: 24-bit 1 channel (mono) Format: wav (PCM) I can configure it in the field using the display's menu or via my PC by saving a settings file on the SD card. Menu items: Mic Gain Low Cut Limiter Auto Level Sual Rec Mode Time Trk Inc Auto Pwr Save File Name Typ File Name Format SD Battery Type Date/Time System Init Version Info Power/Storage (When plugged into USB port) References and further reading: Specifications: http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/865/e_dr-10x_spec.pdf Manual: http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/865/dr-10x_om_va.pdf B&H's Demo Video: http://bcove.me/yw8s2z1a

Five Stars

Good for documenting lyrics and ideas without software.

Five Stars

Great recorder. Very small and light. Super useful if you don't like to carry lots of gear

So clutch!

This thing is awesome. I use the Tascam DR-10L and this is basically the same thing but plugs directly into most DJ mixer boards. I bought in addition with this a male XLR to 1/8 and 1/4 just in a case a DJ doesn't run off XLR.

Love It!

The sound quality and dynamic range it's greatm it's easy and fast to learn... the only "problem" it's the battery life, but enough for interviews.

It's perfect if you get that

If you are using it with a sound board make sure you get an inline leveler to decrease the input volume. It's perfect if you get that.

Very small. Nice design.

Very compact. Great for what I need to do. A AAA Duracell alkaline will run it for about 7 hours. The dual recording levels is excellent protection against possible transient spikes in sound levels. I'm using this with a Shure SM11-CN omnidirectional dynamic lav mic.

A requirement for every kit

This should be a requirement to every video kit. I have a half dozen of the lapel version of the DR-10 and use them for everything, I finally added the DR-10X to my kit when i was overseas and didn't want to haul around my Zoom H6 just to get a shotgun mic into my setup. The build quality is great, the connection is a little tight but i think if i had known that going in it would be a good thing. The best part is the default auto-gain, out of the boy you can hook up a good shotgun mic and get near-perfect levels out of it. The light weight, low profile unit fits in any loose pocket in your bag and will save your butt in almost any circumstance.

Impressive mobile recording device for

Bought this to use for interviews on the go... No more carrying a big bag of recording equipment to outdoor sites for me! This can easily fit in a small bag, purse or backpack, even your pocket. I have it attached to a Tascam TM-60 mic and I am damn expressed with the capabilities of this little guy. It has several gain options, but I have only had to use the lowest level and it outputs a large enough sound without having too much gain noise attached to the recording. This may not be something you see a lot of major news reporters use, but it damn sure is professional quality enough for any situation. Hint to anyone purchasing: 32GB is the max SD memory card size you can use. I've tried larger and they are not recognized by the unit. I would also say keep a couple extra cards with you as backups, you never know with memory cards - they act up when they want to. Also, the one AAA battery last for a ton of hours in normal settings mode, in my opinion. I didn't start noticing that the battery was getting low until after about 12 hours of recording (adding up several sessions together). I did notice that using headphones during recording is what makes the battery drain faster and I assume that is because it has to power the headphone amp at the same time. Just keep a 4-pack of AAA's with you and its no big deal, there small and not bulky.

High quality wireless, without high price

Excellent sound! I use it with my Røde Reporter Mic, and it has exceeded expectations!

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