Edirol R09 24-Bit WAV and MP3 Recorder
Pristine 24-bit recording to go! Records to SD (Secure Digital) Cards only.
Overall User Ratings (based on 125 ratings)
Submitted June 12, 2006 by a customer from hotmail.com
"Finally a good affordable flash live recorder"
I'm very impressed so far. I'm just bummed that it lacks track marking capability.
Sound
I have a Sony HiMD MZRH10 and the sound quality on the R9 is just as good. The built in mic so far sounds great(I've had it for two days), although it's not ideal if you're recording live, since you'd want something shock mounted in that situation to avoid bump sounds.
Features
The battery life seems pretty good. I'm using NiMH 2500 mA energizers, and recorded for an hour and a half straight without any dip in the battery level.
My only major complaint with the R9 as a HiMD replacement is the inability to split and splice together adjacent tracks. This means that if you want to record an entire show, you have to record the whole thing as one file and split it up on a computer later. A minidisc recorder will allow you to insert and remove track marks at will.
A big improvement over the R1 is the input control. The R1 has a dial for this, which is not great if you'd like to throw the unit in your pocket or a bag. This unit has two buttons for input control, which can be locked with the hold switch.
Ease of Use
I found this very easy to use, although I'm tech savvy. I've had to refer to the manual only once so far, to find out how to delete a track, which I didn't find intuitive. Otherwise, input level is easily modified as mentioned above, as opposed to my HiMD recorder, which always required several rushed steps to get the sound I wanted.
Quality
It seems pretty sturdy so far, with the exception of what seems to be a really crappy cover for the battery/sd card slot/usb port area. I bought a warranty from the store because of just this!
Value
Probably the best live recorder for the money on the market today.
Manufacturer Support
No Experience.
The Wow Factor
Definitely not as sexy as the HiMD recorder, but leaps and bounds above the R1 and the M-Audio MicroTrack.
Musical Background:
Piano Teacher, Singer, band keyboardist
Musical Style:
Rock, jazz, funk, regina spektor
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Submitted October 19, 2007 by a customer from tarheelblue.com
"I absolutely love this little guy."
Might be the best electronic investment I've ever made. Wonderful for the money.
Features
I would love a volume rotator knob rather than a button you have to punch to change levels but that's probably just me.
Ease of Use
Someone said easy as a cell phone. It's quite a bit easier than that if you use all the features of both.
Quality
The "flimsy" and "light" comments baffle me. It's SMALL, it's not a studio recorder that sits in a rack. Rate it for what it is.
Value
Tried a couple of others and sent them back.
Manufacturer Support
not sure how to put a number on this since I have not needed support.
The Wow Factor
Again, not sure what number rank to assign to "I want it" when I already own it.
Musical Background:
professional musician and teacher
Musical Style:
classical, jazz, pop, Christian
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Submitted April 27, 2007 by a customer from thelifeforms.com
"Good audio, light and accurate."
It good, check out our practice recordings, we got an alright sound for us to work with. www.thelifeforms.com
Sound
Hmmm this depends on what you are recording and what you are using it for. I use the R-09 for many things. For interviews with bands as a portable recording unit it is pretty handy. The AGC has sound altering qualities but if you use the manual volume control you get a pretty decent sound. It really depends on your source; the best sound I have used the R-09 with is to mix down audio into an MPS or wav from a mixing program. You get a really good sound. The mics are OK on it comparable to a RODE NT5.
Features
This thing is versitile I will say that!!
Ease of Use
Its about as easy to use as a cell phone, if you can't get that then you shouldn't be buying recording equipment.
Quality
Its delicate, but light. Expect to take the same care of this as you would a expensive mic.
Value
Awsome for what it is...
Manufacturer Support
Never needed
The Wow Factor
Great device
Musical Background:
Active Musicain
Musical Style:
The Rock
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Submitted July 17, 2006 by a customer from bushwacker.net
"R-09, great package/features, Some usability problems"
Sound
Reall great device, outstanding recording. HOWEVER, I **REALLY** hope they update the OS to include an express-fast forward feature. When you have an hour or more of recording, it takes FOREVER to get to the end of the piece. If your finger gets tired of holding down the fast forward button for minutes at a time, you have to start all over again. This is really a serious defect in the operation of the machine but doesn't affect the quality of the recording. Doesn't Roland have usability testing procedures like most consumer products companies? If they did, they would have realized that they needed to add one more timer and skip feature to the software....
Features
everything about the unit is great except the above mentioned lacking feature. it would be nice to have at least one uncompressed format recording.
The "ultra" batteries only last for about 4 hours in this thing - it really sucks the power. thankfully they included an AC adapter with the pkg.
Ease of Use
Very easy to use.
Quality
Not all that thrilled about the battery compartment door design. that could have been rethought....
Manufacturer Support
called tech support this AM on another issue unrelated to the R-09 and it was great.
Musical Background:
Band Director, Active Musician
Musical Style:
Jazz, Blues
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Submitted August 9, 2006 by a customer from msn.com
"This is a great recorder"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Sound
I use it for recording speech, nature sounds, and sound effects. It is an excellent recorder. In certain conditions, with the built-in microphones, there is a little bit of hiss. With an external microphone, the quality is great.
Quality
Quality is great. The people who are complaining about the sliding battery cover are being ridiculous. The cover is sturdy enough. The thing is made of plastic, not steel. There is a weird thing it does, however. When recording in a car, or in a small room, I was getting some unexplained noise, which at first I thought was electromagnetic interference, but it turned out to be that the built-in microphones are sensitive to sudden changes in room air pressure. If you are trying to record in a moving car, or in a small room with the door being opened and closed, you might want to try an external microphone.
Value
It is a great recorder. It is well worth the money.
Musical Background:
Non-musician
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Submitted November 12, 2007 by a customer from gmail.com
"a very good piece of gear"
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I like the easy of use. i don't like the fact that one drop sent the right side of the thing almost off the unit.
Sound
I rated it an 8 out of 10 simply because when you Ware a set of binaural mics, you have to be careful because when you touch the display and if the cable is not shielded you get a 60 Hz hum that will come through on your recordings.
Features
No accessories although I wish the case came with the unit.
Ease of Use
The menus don't rap and that's a good thing for those of us who are visually impaired. there is not learning curve although you do have to have someone write down the menus for you n a text file, but all in all, great product!
Quality
It is made of plastic and I did drop it once causing the right side to almost come off. That worries me!
Value
The price could be a bit lower for what it's worth.
Manufacturer Support
No I have not delt with roland but i did deal with where I did buy it from and they were understanding. I'm hoping roland will take in to consideration the hum thing and will design a better or improved product.
The Wow Factor
I use this to tape rehearsals and what ever I decide to tape out in the field and, although it could use some improvement I like mine! i have used it to make some recordings and it works pretty good.
Musical Background:
I play the cello, piano and I sing. I also am a sound ingineer. I am studying to be a high school choral teacher.
Musical Style:
classical, and a bit of folk.
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Submitted June 12, 2006 by a customer from yahoo.com
"EDIROL FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT!"
Edirol got it right this time and added essential features that they somehow missed on the R-1 (like forward/reverse and necessary info shown during a recording). They also got rid of some useless features of the R-1 (like the crazy sound effects which could corrupt the file if activated during recording). Smaller, longer battery life, more features than R-1, and excellent quality recordings, this unit is worth every cent provided it ends up being reliable.
Sound
Sound is great. Some case noise when starting a recording because the rec button is burried inside of four noisy buttons that are close to the mics, and there is no ability to remotely start the recording. No wind screen. This recorder picks up every sound very clearly (even in the lowest quality mode).
Features
Wish it had the ability to play just one file and stop (maybe they will add this on their next firmware upgrade). It either plays all files once through or all files continuously. Instead it has shuffle play which is almost useless for this type of recorder. I wish it came with a protective case (even just a cheap one), but you have to buy it separately along with a mini tripod stand.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is great. Quick to get to the functions you need. Also very intuitive (except for operating the battery cover - but don't worry, there are clear instructions for this).
Quality
Quality is excellent except for the plastic case (they should use metal). Battery compartment is a joke, seems fragile and doesn't let the recorder stand securely upright. The worst is that this cover must be opened to access the USB port. Other than that, the buttons and such feel solid.
Value
This is the best unit of this type for the money that exists.
Manufacturer Support
Edirol is a good company that is fairly easy to contact for answers about their products.
The Wow Factor
The appeal of this unit is in its recording quality, ease of use, functionality and small size.
Musical Background:
acive musician, hobby recording
Musical Style:
classical
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Submitted November 21, 2006 by a customer from sbcglobal.net
"recommended - with reservations"
my use is to record our non-pro choral rehearsals and our own concerts. The sound quality is quite good and obviously better than that of DM-10 that I had been using, but not WAY better. choral recordings sound kind of muffled and the reverberation (not the add-on playback effect) sounds stronger than reality. Could be the effect of the omni mics, which pick up signals from all directions in our stone gothic church.
Maybe I was expecting too much (r-9 costs 3 times as much),Compared with DM-10, the sound quality is definitely not the "night and day" difference I had hoped for. The mics are not as sensitive as I wish. For our 40-people rehearsals I am setting the gain at 20 on high gain at about 25' away. I could imagine if it is a really quiet concert (which is quite frequent for choral music) I might have to push the gain all the way to 30 max and still not be able to pick up the soft angelic soprano hum. Of course, with DM-10 I can't even control the gain and prevent clipping with AGC. This alone makes this a keeper.
Overall, because of the AGC and incremental gain control, I am glad I purchased the unit.
Sound
see below. I wish there is more clarity. Maybe due to omni mics used. hope they would consider putting in X-y (like zoom h4)
Features
AGC and incremental gain control are the best features. I wish the unit has the ability to break up long files like Dm-10 (or indexing)
Ease of Use
very intuitive.
Quality
I won't complain about the plastic, to keep weight and cost down. The design looks very good. However, individual control, (the control pad) is kind of loose, slightly rattles.
Value
for $399, it is 3 times more expensive than Olympus DM-10 which I also used. Peak control for me is very important (which dm10 doesn't have) so it's hard to compare value. but I still think this unit is somewhat overpriced.
Manufacturer Support
have not used any.
Musical Background:
non-pro chorus member
Musical Style:
choral music
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Submitted June 26, 2019 by Alison M in Portland, OR
"Great, Except..."
I love my R09 and have had it for many years. Sound quality and extraneous sound rejection is fantastic. My complaint is how small the switch is that locks the record button. I use mine in the field while crawling through boats. If I don't lock it frequently, it can get bumped on. Or, it can bet accidentally turned off. If the record button was better protected, I wouldn't have to lock it.
Musical Background:
n/a
Musical Style:
n/a
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Submitted November 6, 2006 by a customer from ns.sympatico.ca
"A great "accessory" for the professional musician."
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
Sound
I'm very impressed with this little recorder. I'm a classical singer, and wanted something to record recitals and concerts with. Right out of the box, I was making recordings with ease. I'm a professional musicial, not a sound engineer, but I really, really like this piece of equipment! I can't imagine being without it, now ...
Musical Background:
Professional Musician
Musical Style:
Classical -- Opera
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Submitted June 16, 2006 by a customer from yahoo.com
"ABSOLUTELY GREAT UNIT!"
The R-09 unit is far superior to the R-1 and than other similar portable digital recorders. It has the same excellent recording quality as the R-1 but with more necessary functions, better compatibility with other files (and filename flexibility), intuitive controls, ease to navigate menus, quickness to access functions and change settings, better input level control, smaller size, longer battery life, more information on display, memory card compatibility up to 2GB, updatable firmware, and more. (And you CAN play only a single file and have the unit stop). It is exactly what I have been looking for the past five years. I think this unit will be very popular - great for recording voice/interviews, nature sounds, live music, line-in, mp3 or wav. I
Musical Background:
hobbyist
Musical Style:
various
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Submitted November 2, 2007 by a customer from gmail.com
"The best of the best - This unit ROCKS!"
The only thing I will buy for this unit is the case/tripod and maybe the external microphone. I plan on using this unit for years to come.
Sound
I find the sound of this unit very good. I also think the reverbs presets are good I only wish I could record with them instead of just playback. The included microphone is very good and I have had no problems with hiss or distortion, however the mics are sensitive and pick up everything.
Features
This unit doesn't come with any extra covers to protect it but since it's made of plastic it is pretty tough. Some reviewers have complained that the unit is made out of plastic but I'm glad it is because plastic is far more durable than metal. This is a well thought out recorder. No complaints.
Ease of Use
Very easy to use. Even the battery replacement is no big deal. You just have to be careful when you change the batteries. Its easy once you get the hang of it. The manual is easy to use but you don't really even need to read it because this unit very user friendly.
Quality
I like the quality of this unit. No complaints. I am going to buy the protective cover/tripod for this though.
Value
Good value for the money.
Manufacturer Support
Good support from Roland but haven't had to contact them.
The Wow Factor
Of all the units out there (M-Audio, Zoom, Marantz, etc.)this is the one that has been designed with the "Sex Appeal". It just looks good.
Musical Background:
Active Musician
Musical Style:
Jazz, comercial
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Submitted September 7, 2007 by a customer from free.fr
"GREAT RECORDER"
Very good recorder. Has everything needed. I looked at other simila products before buying it. Still think I made the best choice and I would buy the same.
Sound
Very good sound. Very decent internal mics, but of course they pick up all the noise. Very convenient in the field though. Very good quality also in MP3 mode.
MAJOR PROBLEM; The hiss on the headphone. Seems very related to the impedance of what is connected. I tried to plug Sennheiser wireless phones. Almost impossible to listen to... I thought it came from HF comming from the wireless unit but I tried different things but nothing worked. Low impedance headphones seems to work better,
Features
Overall features are good as the unit is very easy to use. We tend more to notice what we think would be helpful:
- A STANDARD LINE OUT
- EASIER USB ACCESS without to have to remove the unit from the protection leather case (I use it) and open the trap.
- A SPLIT FILE POSSIBILITY. Edirol has just issued a split function in
V1.30, but it only works a record time. Stop/record was doing the same thing before. Splitting at playback time would be very helpful to get rid of any useless recorded material in case we are short of memory. Would also be easier to find the recordings.
- A MARKING POSSIBILITY. As it is impossible to start the scanning from the end of the file, it can be very painful in case of long recording to scan the all thing to find what we are looking for.
- A TITLE PRESET POSSIBILITY. All recordings start by R09... Makes sense, but useless really! Would be nice (as on the R4) to be able to choose the first letters.
Ease of Use
Nothing to say. No manual is needed.
Quality
Looks flimsy, but is not in reality. I am very cautious with it, but I am worried about how the jack plugs will last. I read someone who has had problems with them.
Value
Very good value, because it is a very versatile recorder. Could as well be used to play MP3 songs, used as a standard recorder, with internal or external mics for live recordings. All that in a small packaging.
I love the fact is uses standard AA batteries you can find everywhere.
Manufacturer Support
Never used.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist, Musician
Musical Style:
Jazz, Classical
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Submitted July 5, 2006 by a customer from mech.gla.ac.uk
"Sexy unit with poor SNR"
I'd advice prospective buyers to wait until SNR and battery panel issues have been resolved.
Sound
The sound is fantastic when you're willing to ignore pronounced background white noise. Indeed, there is considerable white noise or "hiss" the moment you plug in your headphone. Strangly enough this background noise is not volume dependent but constant even when nothing is being played. Edirol, what gives?
Second, the built-in mic is extremely sensitive but this recording unit suffers from considerable hiss when one engages the Mic Gain -> High setting. The quality of the recording subsequently degrades to ordinary tape-deck quality as far as SNR is concerned. Edirol, redesigning the internal (pre)amp would be desirable. And, why do you not report SNR like M-Audio?
The noise and hiss bothers me and did somehow spoil the experience, though the convenience of having an uber portable WAV/MP3 recording unit seriously outweighs the tape-deck like background noise.
Features
I was pleasantly surprised by the reverb button, but only to find out it can be used during playback and not during recording. Edirol, can you make reverb recordable? Cheers.
Ease of Use
The ease of use is decent, no manual is needed to operate the device. I'd say 5 minutes to know what you're doing.
Quality
The SD card is just magnificent, for I can just slide such cards in my notebook. However, you'll need to open a rather flimsy panel at the bottom of the unit to access the SD slot or USB port. Edirol, please make a seperate panel on the back for AA batteries that is not simultanously used for SD and USB slots. Many Thanks.
Value
Considering the rather noisy recordings and battery panel design flaw, the unit is as of yet steeply priced.
Manufacturer Support
Not used so far.
The Wow Factor
The unit is sexy and uber portable. It's even cooler than an iPod.
Musical Background:
Recording engineer
Musical Style:
Classical
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Submitted April 24, 2007 by a customer from aol.com
"Phenominal recording device, highly reccomend to almost anybody"
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hopefully this will be it, if it lasts I will buy the same thing with likely better features ie no red lamp and a good battery door
Sound
I didnt expect much but in no time I have become a beliver in the recording capabilities of this unit. First, you must read the instructions. People who complain about chipping and low volume do not have it adjusted correctly. The internal mics can be set for high sens ( recording a person speaking or at a meeting) and low ( for loud events concerts etc.) You must also adjust the input volume as well keeping the bars below the red distortion level. If you keep the mic sens on high you also record abbarent sounds like your breathing etc, especially true if you are holding the unit. The sound is remarkably clear. I recorded a few big band shows and the sound stage was wonderful. No its not as good as a professional multitrack recorder but for $399 you cant expect that. However, you will be happy with the sound. Even the stereo seperation is good
Features
It comes with a power supply and cords for the computer. The playback has a feature that adds a bit of reverb so you can get the sounds of large, small hall etc. I dont like to add distortion so I never use it other than to experiment for a moment. I do like that it does not add the reverb to the recording, it only adds it to playback. I also like that you can plug it into your stereo through the headphone jack. Follow the directions there is a sequence to this!
Ease of Use
I read the insturctions and boom was ready to enjoy the unit. I am terrible with gadgets (ipod etc). Not this , i had it going in no time the screen is very easy to use and see. I dont know what the people were talking about with the small screen. It lights up and is quite easy to read.
Quality
Its a bit plastic but seems aturdy. I looked at the zoom and didnt like it. First the mics make it look like a stun gun or something.It was also bulky. The edriol fits neatly in your pocket.
The only weak spot is the battery cover, you must be very gentile. I do not plan to open it too often. You can download the recording and erase the SD card with the unit so you dont have to be recoving the card very often.
Value
It is a little pricey. But it does record well
Manufacturer Support
NA
The Wow Factor
Looks great, looks inoccus. I dont want to record an event and have people looking at me as if I have a weapon ( zoom) the only thing I hate is the red record lamp, I recorded my daughters recietal and she could tell where I was just by the red beacon! Well, maybe not a beacon but still bright enough to stand out.
Musical Background:
hobby
Musical Style:
sinatra
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Submitted June 19, 2006 by a customer from gmail.com
"Good but design flaw creates hassle during use"
Sound
Sound quality - to my ears - is excellent with the built in mic. You won
Features
Terrific screen and well organized. Menus to change recording settings are easy to access. Includes AC adapter. Thanks Edirol for not charging us extra for this. Ipod-ish controls are very easy to use and its clear when you are engaging record functions. Easy to read time and level monitor. Unit is very light although thicker than an Ipod. Updating the firmware is a breeze. Good engineering here. Edirol has v. 1.03 online. No lossless compression offered. It would be great if at least one lossless compression format was offered.
Quality
Light weight plastic build.
Value
Good value even with flaws.
The Wow Factor
Keep in mind the problem of getting your recordings out of the unit. This is a fact every time you want to move audio to your computer.
Musical Background:
hobbyist
Musical Style:
trance
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Submitted October 24, 2006
Edirol R09 Recorder Customer Review
Sound
I am a little dissapointed as the hiss on the mic input is pretty bad. Stereo mic included is a good idea but also has some his. Might be better if you could send it a line level signal, but I havent tried that.
Ease of Use
User friendly.
Quality
Feels like it will explode to a million pieces if it is dropped. Battery door is useless and will probably break at some point.
Value
Pretty good at a prosumer level but not so much for professional use.
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Submitted July 30, 2006
"Go for the R-1 instead: Here's why!"
I have spent the past month working with the M-Audio MicroTrack and exchanged it last week for the R-09. I run an audio mastering suite (i.e. Pro Tools, Waves Plugs etc.) and needed something portable for my son (an up and coming jazz musician) as my current
Musical Background:
Recording Engineer, Jazz Guitarist
Musical Style:
Jazz
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