Tascam DR-10X Mini Portable Recorder

Tascam DR-10X Mini Portable Recorder

The Tascam DR-10X solves a familiar problem in video and field work: how to capture clean audio from a handheld interview microphone without cables trailing to a separate recorder, a wireless link to manage, or a second pair of hands. This micro linear PCM recorder plugs directly onto the XLR output of a handheld microphone and locks in place, turning the microphone itself into a complete, self-contained recording system. It weighs just 68 grams including its battery, so the person holding the microphone barely notices it is there, and the balance of the mic in the hand stays natural through a long interview.

Recording is to microSD or microSDHC cards in WAV format compatible with the Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) at up to 48 kHz and 24-bit resolution, with MP3 recording also available for long sessions where file size matters more than resolution. A built-in clock stamps time information into the BWF files, which makes synchronising the audio with camera footage in the edit considerably faster and keeps material from several recorders easy to organise.

Key Features

• Locking XLR plug-on design attaches directly to handheld microphones
• 48 kHz/24-bit linear PCM mono recording in BWF-compatible WAV format
• Dual recording captures a second track 6 or 12 dB lower as a distortion safety net
• Limiter, low-cut filter and automatic level control guard against spoiled takes
• About 10 hours of recording from a single AAA battery
• Sliding record switch and hold function prevent accidental stops
• Headphone output for monitoring and instant playback checks
• microSD and microSDHC media up to 32 GB, with USB transfer to a computer

Dual Recording: Insurance for One-Take Audio

Interviews, wedding speeches and press conferences do not offer retakes, and the most common failure is a sudden loud voice clipping the recording beyond repair. The dual recording function writes two files at once, the second at 6 or 12 dB below the main level. If the main track distorts, the quieter safety track almost certainly did not, and you simply edit with that file instead. Combined with the switchable limiter, the low-cut filter that trims handling rumble and wind noise, and three-step microphone gain (low, mid and high), the DR-10X is designed to be set up quickly and then trusted to look after levels on its own while you concentrate on the subject.

Controls Built for the Field

The record control is a sliding switch rather than a button, so it cannot be knocked off accidentally in a bag or a pocket, and the hold function locks the controls during recording. An organic EL display stays readable in bright daylight and in dark venues alike. The headphone output lets you check a take on the spot instead of discovering a problem back at the edit, and an automatic file-closing function protects material already recorded if the battery runs out mid-take. Settings can be created as a text file on a computer and loaded via USB, and they can be shared between multiple DR-10X units by infrared, which speeds up shoots where several recorders are in play.

Where the DR-10X Fits

For videographers, it is the classic extra channel of audio: two wireless systems on the main subjects and a DR-10X on the handheld microphone for toasts, vox pops or the officiant. Journalists and podcasters use it as a grab-and-go interview kit with any dynamic reporter microphone. Because it supplies no phantom power, it suits dynamic microphones and battery-powered condenser microphones. Power comes from a single AAA battery or from USB, so a recorder that runs flat can be revived from a laptop or power bank between sessions.

Full technical specifications for the Tascam DR-10X are listed in the Additional Information table on this page.