Review: Olympus LS-100 Multi-Track Linear PCM recorder

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The front of the packaging

The rear of the packaging

The box contents, including the LS-100, carrying case, USB cable and AC adapter

The mixture of metal and hard plastic body lends a feeling of solid construction and durability

There are two XLR/Phone combo inputs on the bottom, which can provide 48/24-volts of phantom power to run either dynamic or condenser microphones or other devices

On the right, the battery compartment and SD card slot, and dual dials which offer independent control of the left and right recording levels

The two internal 90-degree directional stereo condenser microphones

On the left, a 3.5 mm ear and mic inputs, a mini-USB port, the power/hold button, a volume wheel and phantom power for left and right XLR/Phone ports

There's a jog dial bottom left and Record/Playback controls to the right, along with a file erase button

To the rear is a 23-mm round dynamic mono speaker and a tripod mount screw hole

Close up of one of those imposing microphones

The LS-100 has 4 GB of internal memory which can be expanded via the SD card slot

The default mode shown on the display after switching on is the Recorder mode

Before recording can begin, one of five folders needs to be selected

Olympus advises that the input levels do not exceed -6 dB for distortion-free recording

Close up of the dual input volume dials which offer independent control of the left and right recording levels

First press of the REC button allows users to check input levels before recording begins on the second press

The LS-100's Multi-Track recording screen

Each of the tracks has its own volume and panning controls

The onboard Metronome function can be applied on its own to help you keep time while you practice or while in synchronous recording

The Tuner function features a calibration mode which allows for adjustment of the reference tone by 1 Hz increments in the range of 435 Hz to 445 Hz

There's a lowcut filter to eliminate low-frequency sound (such as air conditioners or projectors) at 100 Hz or 300 Hz

The various Linear PCM recording quality options

The LS-100 can record to MP3 at up to 320 kbps

Users need to manually select the input mode

Spending some hands-on time with the Olympus LS-100 Multi-Track Linear PCM recorder

Musicians need to use the left XLR/Phone combo input when plugging in a guitar

The Lissajous function detects and displays the phase difference between the left and right external microphones to cater for optimum positioning

Its large size may be a stumbling block if the person you're interviewing is already a little nervous about speaking into a recording device

Cut-away of the LS-100's microphone

Article Summary

The often free audio recording apps that come pre-loaded on many smartphones are great for grabbing an impromptu interview, capturing all your innermost thoughts while out and about, or making sure you don't lose that killer riff whenever and wherever inspiration may strike. What isn't great is the quality of the audio. Add to that a distinct lack of features and you might be tempted to look in the direction of dedicated portable devices for all your sound recording needs. Having spent a week or so in the company of the Olympus LS-100 Multi-Track Linear PCM recorder, I can confirm that you really do get what you pay for.

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