Olympus are well known in the voice and music recording world for innovation. They regularly update their complete range of digital voice and music recorders, none of the range is ever overlooked. From the budget VN series recorders, to the low cost/high quality small WS series recorders, to the LS series of studio grade music recorders, the DM range of business recorders and the DS range of professional digital dictaphones. Every single one gets touched by the Olympus innovation stick on a regular basis.
And, sometimes the little tweaks and features that the Olympus boffins add are enough to make you smile. With the introduction of the new Olympus DM-901 recently, which pushed aside the legendary DM-3, this was just one of those occassions.
For the first time in a digital voice recorder we see wi-fi. Yeah, in hindsight an obvious addition. But until now we all had to be content with a good old USB connection to get our digital audio recording goodness and had to physically touch the recorder to start and stop recording. Pfft, so 20th century – with voice recorder wi-fi and another free Olympus smart device (yep, works on tablets too, as well as iOS and Android) App we can do it all from our favourite hand held touch device. Now, you really do have an excuse to be on your iPhone during meetings “What? I’m just adding an index mark using the Olympus Audio Controller app to the recording of this fascinating meeting we are currently attending and that I am recording using that stunning Olympus DM-901 in the middle of the boardroom table“.
The new Olympus Audio Controller App for iOS and Android is really a revolution in the digital voice recording world. On completion of recording, recording which can be started/stopped/paused from your smart phone, you can instantly share the audio via the recorders in-built wifi to your smartphone. If you are a Dropbox user, jump across to internet enabled wifi or use your data connection to upload your recording direct to Dropbox. Not only can you control recording and sharing from the app but you also have the ability to index mark your audio, all from within the app. The video below gives a complete overview from connectivity to features.
So the recorder itself. The usual from Olympus when they update a model, small improvements here and there to make the device easier to use while still giving up superb audio recording quality. In the new DM-901 Olympus have added a large 2 inch colour display. Those used to the Olympus menu system will find this familiar, those new to Olympus recorders will find it intuitive and easy to navigate. Openings around each microphone have been slightly enlarged allowing better front to back phased recording. The zoom mic now incorporates the latest directional control technology which can substantially improve the record quality in noisy environments. A recorder with a zoom mic is a must if you are a journalist attending regular impromptu press calls, pop the recorder on zoom mode and even if you are at the back of the press pack just point the recorder at the speaker and pickup every word. All this plus the usual oodles of in-built memory (4Gb) which can be expanded further just in case you have a storage fettish via a micro SD card slot (up to an additional 64Gb). Without additional memory the DM-901 can record in the highest quality .MP3 (256 kbps) for approximately 27 hours and 30 minutes !
Why would you use an Olympus DM-901?
- Perfect for recording large meetings
- Perfect for recording interviews
- Perfect for recording focus groups
- Journalists, the perfect recorder for press conferences and interviews
- Students, sleep during class and record uni lectures
Key features of the Olympus DM-901
- Mac (OS X 10.9) & Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 compatible
- No software required, just USB plug and play or connect to your smart phone to receive and play audio
- Instantly share your recordings you Dropbox (using the Olympus Audio Controller App) on iTunes and Google Play
- Record in .mp3, .wma or uncompressed .wav linear PCM (pulse code modulation) formats
- 4Gb of built in memory
- Index your audio with photos taken on your smart phone
The Olympus DM-901 was released in Australia in May 2014 and has an RRP of AU$349 incl. GST and is available from Dictate Australia – dictate.com.au
Click here to download the Olympus Australia DM-901 Press Release
Click here to download the Olympus DM-901 Instruction Manual
Below is the Olympus Imaging Australia Press Release text:
Make the most of your business connections – Olympus introduces the new DM-901 Audio Recorder with Wi-Fi.
Uniting premium sound quality with new mobile features for easy note-taking in any situation, Olympus offers Wi-Fi connectivity for the first time, allowing users the convenience of controlling an audio recorder from their smartphone or tablet PC using the free Olympus Audio Controller app.
SYDNEY, 15 May 2014 – Good connections are often the cornerstone of business success. With the new Wi-Fi enabled DM-901 Linear PCM audio recorder, Olympus offers a premium business tool not only boasting the exceptional sound quality that is a hallmark of all Olympus DM series audio recorders, but also providing effortless smartphone and tablet PC connectivity to give productivity a real boost. The Wi-Fi connection lets users enjoy the convenience of controlling the DM-901 remotely from a smartphone, allowing recordings be started and stopped from afar. It also facilitates a visual index function that allows photos taken using the smartphone or tablet PC camera to be linked to the relevant section in the timeline of the audio file. These features allow the capturing and highlighting of important points during press conferences, meetings and interviews for example. They are easily accessed from a smartphone or tablet by using the all-new Olympus Audio Controller smartphone app, which may be downloaded free of charge for iPhone and Android devices. The app also lets recordings be downloaded from the DM-901 to a smartphone, enabling files to be instantly shared or sent to DropboxTM. A high-resolution 2.0” (5.1cm) colour LCD and new icon-based Home Screen, further enhance operating enjoyment and simplicity while ensuring easy access to the recorder’s host of clever, advanced features. The state-of-the-art circuitry, high quality stereo microphone unit and Linear PCM recording capabilities of this premium model will impress.
The Olympus DM-901 will change the way you record meetings, interviews or other important events. Wi-Fi compatibility now joins the feature set of the premium Olympus DM series, which is renowned for exceptional recording quality. The wireless connection via smartphone or tablet app opens up a whole new dimension
of audio recording. The free Olympus Audio Controller smartphone app is available for both iPhone and Android devices via the Apple App Store and Google Play. Setting up couldn’t be easier with a QR code displayed on the DM-901 screen incorporating the Wi-Fi access information. This is simply scanned by the smartphone or tablet PC’s camera and ensures all users will connect and start enjoying the Wi-Fi capabilities in a flash.
No matter if you are sitting in the front, middle or back during business meetings or conferences, the DM-901 always enables a perfect recording position. Place it in the best position for capturing sound in the room, return to your seat, and remain in control via the Wi-Fi connection. The Olympus Audio Controller app lets you start and stop recording using your smartphone via clear, on-screen icons. Productivity is increased as files recorded by the DM-901 can also be swiftly transferred to the smartphone and then forwarded to your office or colleagues using the phone’s internet connection.
Thanks to its Wi-Fi connectivity, photos taken on a connected smartphone or tablet PC during the recording can be linked to the audio file timeline as a visual index. Besides “Photo”, other types of visual indexes can be set including “Bookmark”, “Question”, “Important” and “New Topic”. These visual prompts greatly assist searches and file management in general. Any number of visual indexes may be linked to each recorded file.
A new, high-resolution 2.0” (5.1 cm) colour LCD provides significantly improved viewing of the clear, well-structured menus. The unit’s Home Screen has also been completely redesigned to incorporate easy-to-recognise graphical icons. The ergonomic placement of controls, including dedicated Home Screen, Recording Scene and Volume buttons makes operation more intuitive than ever. In addition, three user-definable function buttons located directly below the LCD allow for operational customisation. As well as 4GB built-in memory, an SD slot supports cards up to 64GB for storage of recordings.
The low-noise, high-sensitivity stereo microphone unit enables the capture of sound with a natural ambiance due to its 90-degree outward orientation. The openings around each microphone have now been slightly enlarged to allow the phase difference of sound from the front and rear to be captured even more faithfully. Furthermore, a special Zoom Microphone mode incorporating the latest directional control technology lets users adjust the directivity of the microphones to substantially improve recording in noisy environments – even when at a distance from the recording subject. Naturally, level controls can also be manually adjusted to make the most of the dynamic range in every situation. Files are saved in either MP3 or WMA format or, for ultimate results, in 48 kHz/16bit Linear PCM format.
With its full set of features and now incorporating Wi-Fi compatibility for smartphone and tablet PC connectivity, the Olympus DM-901 takes productivity, operating ease and high quality audio recording versatility to the next level.