Tascam DR-05X Internal Mics review (and portable audio recorders in general)

Are the internal, built-in mics in the Tascam DR-05X and other portable audio recorders good enough for content creation? Under which circumstances should they be used, or avoided? SHOW MORE for timestamps and product links.
CHAPTER LINKS
0:00 Intro
0:30 TLDR
0:50 Conditions
1:20 Stereo vs Mono modes
3:10 Demo of stereo vs mono
5:40 Spare room demo
7:10 Sensitivity
8:00 Camera-top demo
8:45 External mic
9:45 Final thoughts
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▸ Tascam DR-05X: amzn.to/37ZQCae
▸ Movo VXR10 Pro: amzn.to/2NdCDWk
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[@AudioforContentCreators]

CORRECTION: The mics on the DR-05X are in an A/B stereo configuration, not at X/Y. It doesn't change anything else about this video or my advice.

[@mattibeag1385]

So if you were using a DR-07X in X/Y mode set to mono, would that improve the situation?

[@eternalism8274]

TASCAM should document this workaround or capability. A stereo field recorder works well for high-fidelity mono voice recording, if you keep it in Stereo mode and speak on-axis into one mic and ignore the dull, quiet channel produced by the facing-away mic. These mic capsules are nominally Omnidirectional (no proximity effect bass boost), but each electret mic capsule is more like Wide Cardioid. Limitations of this workaround: * Playback of the resulting raw file will have dull, quiet audio in the channel for the facing-away mic. * In post-production, if you deliver a Stereo file, you have to split the raw stereo file into two mono tracks, discard or mute the facing-away channel, and then pan the on-axis channel to Center. There is a need for a mono, single-mic field recorder (but look into high-fidelity dictation recorders with one mic). TASCAM should add a mode or two which would turn off one mic and create a mono track: Existing modes: * Stereo, both builtin mics. * Mono, both built-in mics (bad). New modes: * Mono, Right mic only. * Mono, Left mic only. The result would play back the on-axis mic's signal in both channels, and no post-processing correction workflow would be required, to deliver a stereo-format file with the on-axis mic's signal, only, in both sides. ---- The TASCAM DR-05 User Manual is abridged, and needs to point out that the full manual is the Reference Manual, available online.

[@awormasi]

@@mattibeag1385 I'm wondering the same. I want to get the DR-07X since it can do X/Y (or A/B). I haven't seen any models that have a single condenser mic.

[@Erudotic]

@@mattibeag1385 no, best option is keep it in stereo and direct one of the mics at the source, than only use that one channel as mono.

[@Erudotic]

@@eternalism8274 I so agree on that, they SHOULD pit that in the manual, the mono mode with both channels summed is begging for phase trouble.

[@bertoldgerrychannel]

"Our world is a shared experience, every interaction is meaningful and every person you meet, even virtually, is important." Such a notable closing statement 👍

[@stopandthinknow]

Brian: Loved your simplified explanation of "mono/stereo." Your previous tutorial (some time ago) on setting up the DR-05 was most helpful as well. As always thanks, for your guidance. Hank

[@BenjiDWJ]

An awesome video as per usual, Brian! As ever, I appreciate you for taking the time to create this content. 😆👍👍 This video just goes to show that you don't have to spend a fortune in order to get good to great sounding audio. Further more, this video just goes to show that the positioning of any given mic is of the utmost importance in order to achieve the best possible results. 🎤🎧 As you know I purchased the Tascam DR-05 based off of your recommendation a while ago and I have to say that it's some of the best money I've ever spent. ☺👌💷 Cheers to you, my man! 🍻

[@dmitryandreev6851]

It's the BEST, CLEAREST explanation about this (and similar) mics. Thank You! Great review and advices!

[@ottorod]

Excellent review. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

[@BigFreakinTexan]

I just bought the DR-05X for motovlogging and I'm going to be using a lav mic inside of a helmet. I've been a photographer for years but video/audio is new to me. Your video has given me a better understanding of use-case scenarios for this recorder. I'm glad that I decided to use a dedicated audio recorder, rather than my action camera's on-board audio. I also now know that I have a much better microphone at my desk to use for voice-overs. Thanks!

[@OtakuFREEMAN]

I also bought a DR-05X and i love the fact, that your videos 'confirm' my decision!

[@JakeHGuy]

Very well made video. As a DP I work with a lot of audio guys and you remind me of my favorite two.

[@Godfella-SetC]

I like your channel, you go directly to the point. It's worth to stay and learn from you. Keep up the good work.

[@davidcarroll8735]

Really well done, thanks for the explanations and examples!

[@NoFate247]

ANother solid video that keeps me improving the quality of my videos! THank you brother!

[@AudioforContentCreators]

Woot!

[@ayserides]

Super helpful! I record all of my audio straight from the DR-05X mics and I think it sounds great!

[@casadepistola]

"...It probably isn't the answer you'd hope to hear..." Surely you jest. Clear and concise and right to the point. Good stuff!

[@pheldonmajors2999]

Appreciate your help. Blessings to you, my friend!

[@JoseSilvapy68]

Great video, very good explanation and good testing

[@edwardfletcher7790]

This is a really great video for learning about these devices. I bought one and its menu system is quite convoluted, but the features and quality are excellent. The USB mic/interface is really handy for KZbinrs.

[@john-giovannicorda3456]

I've been happy with my Olympus LS 11 and LS 14 these past years. This DR-05X looks like a winner. The usb audio i/o and punch-in are really good features. There are ASIO drivers available to have the latency be very low.

[@tminusfivetwu]

Dude this video is amazing, I totally subbed ☺️ You kick ass and your reviews are so good especially for what I’m looking for!!! -

[@TomCharnock]

What a superb explaination of mono/stereo. Thanks!

[@newwaveskate]

Truly helpful and insightful explanations.

[@TiffanyByrdHarrison]

this was so helpful! I had tried using my DR-O5X for recording and i struggled to understand where it needed to be to not be so noisy.

[@AudioforContentCreators]

Great! This was the video I made in an hour right before coming on your live stream.

[@thecraftersskull2082]

This was absolutely great. Thanks a lot!

[@ChrisBoland]

Just found your channel - thanks for the amazing lessons 👍👍👍

[@ferencmucsi6997]

Great review! Thanks a lot!

[@ryanross5552]

Great video! Very helpful.

[@hakonsoreide]

Thanks for the video. Sure, the Tascam in mono mode isn't true mono, but the easy solution you never seem to address is you can also simply record stereo and ditch one track in post processing. A bigger potential issue for voice work is something you didn't point out: the mics, unusually for handheld recorders, are omnis. That is one of the reasons why it sounds great and that the sound isn't as coloured by proximity as many others, but that also means they will inevitably pick up a lot more room sound in an untreated space once you increase sensitivity and move the recorder further away. This is of course sometimes what you want in a field recorder, but not always. Anyway, you demonstrate the sound quality rather well in this video. For the price of the unit, the mics sound great, and because they are omnis, off-axis recording doesn't change the sound quality or levels as much as it might do with cardioids.

[@kennethochoa7550]

hey that's a great idea, to ditch one of the tracks in post thanks for your knowledge,

[@EcstaticAscension]

Wow great ending, I might use that in some videos. I once had a meditation teacher who told us everyone we meet is in our DNA, you put in words the meaning of that statement.

[@NickWilloughby]

Thank you, your videos have been a great help 👍

[@SammySantiagoIrizarry]

Excellent video!!!

[@xxauro_]

Great video, thank you for the explanation 🤍

[@digglertc800]

Great info. Thanks!

[@vlota]

Very useful. Thanks.

[@rhysie9983]

informative video, thanks for sharing.

[@Garytyronejohnson]

Awesome! Very important!

[@adamgeorge37]

That totally helps. im start up doing some animations so i would have no issues with keeping it that close to my mouth plus if i need to record sound effects from outside it seems like it would be really good.

[@oweneaton8531]

This was great advice!

[@soundwaves1545]

Thank you , absolutely great content

[@adamkwalczyk]

Such an underrated channel!

[@aloverhoser]

Thanks for the breakdown… just bought one , after researching all the zoom models… I went with this one the dr-05x. The main reason was for the money around 100 bucks, this has the most bang for the buck. Especially with the ability to record wav at 24 bit- 48k . Zoom nowhere comes close to that in the current price rates and availability locally. Planning on using it for the 1st time recording a plant wide meeting presentation and yes I am using a rode external mic to record with then in post syncing it up to video. Wish me luck… lol

[@ww1www]

I do sometimes have to record voiceover or similar when I only have access to a stereo mike, like those on the phone or in a sound recorder. What I do is record in stereo but positioning one of the microphones to face me, and then only use that one channel in post production.

[@AudioforContentCreators]

Smart!

[@DOSStorm]

Man this guy is awesome! I could not find a good demo of this unit anywhere. Thank you! Question though...Instead of summing stereo to mono doesn't it work better to just split one of the channels and use that?

[@georgnakanda4233]

Thanks for this; im about to make a purchase. Cheers.

[@jay1232000]

Awesome! Liked and subscribed.

[@terryjones6049]

Brilliant advice

[@thedailybokeh8494]

As you raised the point of not expecting deep tones from Dr 05x. I was wondering what would be your recommendations for such “deep” sounds producing field recorders. I am interested to buy based on your recommendations.

[@zblip22]

When I record mono sources I use the STEREO mode. I then point the left microphones straight to the source, letting the right microphone point in a complete other direction. Then, in post, I discard the right channel and only use the left channel. This gives me the best sound possible because the left microphone was pointing directly to the source during the recording.

[@israelizquierdo2009]

To record a sound in mono with the built-in mics, it´s better, I think, using the stereo mode, because each microphone records separately and sends its recorded sound to a separate channel. So just point one of the mics, being the right or the left one, in direction to the sound source and forget about the other one. Later, you can delete the channel that you don´t need and use only the channel of the mic that recorded the sound you wanted. That way you will get a direct mono recording, instead of a phantom mono effect.

[@AudioforContentCreators]

I recently discovered that each mic of this stereo pair is omnidirectional, which is a lot of the reason for the roomy sound. Even if you used the technique you just described, you're going to capture 360 degrees.

[@israelizquierdo2009]

@@AudioforContentCreators Well, in practice it works just fine. Your own video shows kind of an example of that at 3:21 using the left mic. It would sound even better if it was closer to the mouth, but one can get the idea. Of course, an external mic gives a more professional result without the need for such a close distance. You give good advises in this review.

[@eternalism8274]

I can't find a polar pattern plot for these nominally omnidirectional mics, or for this stereo mic pair. The Right (for example) mic is brightest and loudest when on-axis (aimed at the sound source). You can make a test recording: play white noise in a speaker, and record while turning the Right mic to be on- or off-axis. On playback, listen to the Right channel and ignore Left. The brightness and volume vary as a function of angle. Same result with Roland R-07 stereo field recorder. This technique works, and is comparable to in between the Omni & Wide Cardioid settings of a variable polar pattern mic. The result is so bright with this mic, you might want to attenuate the treble.

[@elisar1980]

@@AudioforContentCreators I'll try this on my Zoom H1N, which has unidirectional mics. I hope it works, as my recorder (= the wind instrument) recordings sound absolutely awful.

[@kennethochoa7550]

oh man right when all is good in the world and I have a solution to the stereo to mono switch, using electronic magic to make it into mono u have to go throw a wrench into the warp drive with {both mics are picking up 360} there. for you still will get a 360 effect,. all I wanted was a Pepsi😅 why is audio so hard😅 @@AudioforContentCreators

[@ChicanoVick]

Hey Brian, I love watching your content and had a question for you. I recently bought the Tascam DR-05X and was wondering what would be the best microphone to connect to this recorder for the best audio for filmmaking? I used the Rhode VideoMicro and set the settings to what you recommend but I was not happy with the results. What do you recommend for getting the best audio for filmmaking? Thanks.

[@Bluesbreaker-uf8ti]

Great video, thanks! Do you think the DR-05X with the VXR10 would be a decent option for just sticking in rehearsal room and recording band practice? Not looking for amazing quality, just want us to be able to reasonably hear what we sound like, thanks!

[@paulsjunkcars]

Great video.

[@dlonrazurc]

Great review! I was hoping to hear if the DR-05X will be good for recording music from a stereo system set at the listening position. Since you're a recording engineer, I'm sure you know what my intentions are :)

[@acousticmemoriesmusic]

Thank you, I am looking to turn my DR/shotgun combo into a mobil live recording option for my acoustic singing and playing in all the different senerios life brings. I wonder the best "not right" way to do that to get a decent (er/est) capture. for the record. Rock on! assuming... I care about sound and have worked with abelton live, mackie boards, self powered monitors, mics, firewire devices, bands, stages croweds,bars and.... my favorite... Hotel room ,latenite acoustic jams that get pushed into the parking lot for being too loud... Oh, How I miss the before times.

[@elisar1980]

Probably the most informative video about handy recorders. Nobody points out to the stereo problems and the fake mono.

[@MonkeyDLuffy-cq2lo]

Thank you for sharing. May I know what is your main voiceover mic? or the mic you use in most videos?

[@MrAabbccddeeffgg]

Excellent.

[@Back2TheBike]

I bought one of these on your recommendation Brian and have been very pleased. I like your style and you've taught me a lot about moving my sound up for my YT channels, so thanks for that 🙂 Question: why not just point one of the mics directly at your mouth, then use only one channel as your mono source? I normally just plug in the £20 powered Boya lav mic.

[@AudioforContentCreators]

Yes, you could just point one mic at your mouth, split the stereo file to mono in post, and just use that. Not perfect but a workaround for sure.

[@elleryfamilia8291]

I have a DR-07x which allows the X and Y mics to move about 90 degrees to point them where I want. Curious your take on using my tascam as is, if you still think I'd benefit from a dedicated mono mic.

[@jrenard3995]

thank you!!!

[@stephanethomas2186]

Thx for the explanation on the problem with the mono mode. As said in another comment, I guess it’s better recording in stereo and just keep only one of the channel. I also noticed somebody saying the two mics are omnidirectional, so an external mic would still be needed in many cases. Can you explain what the "mic power: on/off" option is for? Is it for an external mic? Or does it have any impact when recording with the internal mics? Nothing in the manual about that (or I missed it), and I wasn’t able either to figure it out myself by doing some tests.

[@PaulCapps]

Great video

[@David-ek9ex]

thank you so much!

[@Jadakra]

Any chance you can demo the looping capabilities of that tascam model?

[@ketokonazol]

Can I use that little thing for singing and playing guitar? Nice explanation ane video

[@inputoutput-hd7jl]

but how well does the tascam perform when you record in stereo and use it with the plan to ditch one of the tracks?

[@iRideuWatch]

Will the line out send a signal to a video camera while recording or is that only for playback? I'm trying to get better audio using my video camera.

[@kennethochoa7550]

yes that was illuminating I use my zoom hn1 very up close and it sounds awesome the zoom h1n has the same cross pattern as this tascam so I'm assuming the zoom should have this same problem for recordings further than a few inches away but I really haven't noticed because I wasn't aware of this cross pattern anomaly but from now on if I wanna make a great recording I'm gonna use a mono mic thanks for the lesson I haven't heard of this problem on any other you tube video so thanks again😄

[@TimboStash]

Great review, thanks. Some questions: are there any competitors that are comparable to this one or that sound better with mono or at distance? And have you tried recording guitars with this mic? Thanks

[@Chicago_Clout]

Thanks

[@McTexicanInColorado]

Thanks for the great video as always. I bought the DR-07X. Curious how much of a difference it makes when doing the same thing but in A-B configuration.

[@AudioforContentCreators]

This actually is an A/B configuration, not an X/Y, which was my mis-speaking.

[@stephenlepage]

I accept all your points regarding the lack of inherent mono compatibility for when content creators want a pure mono recording for narration purposes. However, this ‘A/B’ spaced microphone pattern is preferable to me than ‘X/Y’ or a shotgun microphone for situations where you want to capture an ambient binaural-like stereo recording for playback on headphones. To space the microphones apart recognises how the brain utilises temporal cues coming from two spaced ears to perform stereo localization, thus resulting in a binaural-like stereo recording that can make the listener feel like they are in the room. This may not work well for bedroom narration, but it is superb for recording live acoustic music such as orchestras or choirs where it’s also nice to capture the acoustics of the concert hall or cathedral. You’d never want to flatten that to mono.

[@JPMongeS]

Hey man!, quick question: I bought one of this to record me and my friend sitting in a table (shoulder to shoulder, facing the camera) talking about various topics; would it be enough for what we're doing?. Also, mono or stereo for our application?. Thanks in advance man, your videos are the best out there for this topic.

[@cezar_visual_artist]

And its sounds awsome.

[@LauradeVasconcelos]

cheers!

[@DanielKurganov]

Seems like this would be great for music recording. Omni A-B always produce a more natural sound with better bass response vs cardioid arrangements, especially for classical music (I'm a classical musician). Do any other portable recorders have omni capsules? Maybe this is the only one? It's interesting why they used these. It would be interesting to do a comparison on classical piano between this and the XY variants, which in my experience sound pretty bad. Thanks for the video!

[@pokerandphilosophy8328]

I used the DR-05X to record my piano. I enjoyed the result but I don't have lots of points of comparison (it's better than the mike from my Samsung A71 phone, but that's not saying much). Also, I have yet to experiment with different mike placements. Check my KZbin channel.

[@blakeissa3997]

Would this work well for live music audio, like recording a live set with patrons?

[@mn2k2shox]

I’m looking for a budget external mics like these to video a dance show.. indoor, loud.. will this be able to handle it in stereo mode or better to set to mono with the mono mics attached like you have in the video? P.s I’m a beginner and have been doing wedding videos but trying out uncharted territory into dance/ theatre type videography

[@6400ab]

Just curious, what if you leave it stereo recording mode, then point one of the mics directly at the source then use only the channel from that mic and disregard the other channel in post? Seems like a good work around to me unless I'm missing something here.

[@eternalism8274]

Yes, that works to give a single, on-axis mic signal.

[@TheLobbyOfHobbies]

What is your opinion on the Tascam DR-05X vs the Zoom H1N? Pros and Cons of both?

[@louiseisobel]

What is the quality of the line recording?

[@jhowie]

i intend to use it for quick voiceovers but what if i position my mic really close to my mouth but a little off axis to minimize plosives, will that affect the sound since it is stereo? like Left channel would sound louder than Right etc. hope i make sense.

[@rlowle1228]

So would an XY pattern be better? The 07x has both ab and xy pattern.

[@Drummer94550]

Hello. Can this unit record my bands practice ? We are loud. Not looking for the best recording. Just something to hear back that sounds good

[@erniegonzales3525]

How do you set up line input for recording external audi on a DR-05X i can’t find that setting like on a DR-05, the sound on the DR-05X is so distorted when i do line in recording

[@mrchops4099]

Can you stack can I add extra vocals after words?

[@idk-cb2bo]

Can i use this mic for interviews outdoor and vlogging?

[@JosThoSul]

I thought the DR-05X was an "A-B" configuration... But I'm a n00b. Maybe you could do a video talking about XY and AB microphone orientations, what they are, and when to use each? I'd watch that! Love your content! Thanks!

[@AudioforContentCreators]

You are 100% correct. That was my mis-speaking. It's A/B. Doesn't change anything else in this video, but yes. Thank you for the correction.

[@JosThoSul]

@@AudioforContentCreators thanks! I wasn't sure and I figured it didn't really have an effect on this video content anyway. So I feel a bit sorry that I was "that guy" on the internet... If you make a video about AB vs XY vs other mic orientations, I think it would be interesting as I don't think I understand the pros and cons of different mic orientations very well.

[@BrokenJungle]

This was very useful, thank you! Just one question: what if you turn the Tascam 45º to get one mic pointed to the source and then use only this one half of the stereo track? I'd love to hear what this sound like compared to the external mono mic.

[@AudioforContentCreators]

Both capsules are omnidirectional so you'll still be capturing from all angles.

[@Erudotic]

thats the best way to record in mono, just use that one channel. even though the mics are omni, the sound will still be best andmost directbwhen pointed stragight at the source.

[@taguetrash]

Is there some reason that you can't just record in stereo with one of the two stereo mics pointed directly toward you, and then delete the other channel in post? I feel like that would be a good way to get around the mono "collapse" limitation. Edit: Oops, you already addressed this in another reply! My bad.

[@IvanSergio1984]

Which windscreen will fit this best?

[@spirittravels.]

What about recording audio with a microphone plugged into your smartphone

[@NicolasP1973]

Thank you for the Video. For better mono sound: is it not better to record in stereo pointing one microphone to the speaker and just delete the other channel in post?

[@AudioforContentCreators]

That's certainly an option! Many people don't know how to do that or simply don't want to create addition steps. But yes, absolutely.

[@aykayorg9236]

Great video and nice explanation. I was just wondering one thing... Could you not just record in stereo, point one of the microphones directly at the source and then just use one channel of the file later on?

[@AudioforContentCreators]

You could! But each mic is still an omnidirectional. Not going to do what you're hoping for.

[@eternalism8274]

I recommend using stereo mode, talking into one mic, and ignoring the other track on playback. It gives a bright, nominally Omni polar pattern. An example of an Omni handheld end-address mic is the electro-voice 635, for capturing news interviews with no muddy proximity effect bass boost. I'd avoid using the Mono setting when using the built-in mics, because the mics are summed, even if you only want the signal from one of the mics.

[@alanisbad]

What model mic did you plug into the external mic input? It must take power from the recorder but sounded really great..

[@AudioforContentCreators]

It was the Movo VXR10 Pro. I’ve done a few videos about it here on the channel.

[@trustchristnotculture]

Hi, I have a Tascam DR-05X and I’m experiencing some real issues with self noise. I’m attempting to film ASMR and the hissing kills it. Post processing is frustrating as well, because I’m not used to it and it’s a lot of work. Do you have any tips on how to reduce that hissing? Thank you so much.

[@talkingSkunk]

Thank you for explaining so well. I heard the interference on Tascams are worse than in Zoom recorders. Is there a way to fix it?

[@AudioforContentCreators]

I've used the DR-05 and DR-05X for 8 years professionally, and never once had any issues with interference.

[@AnupamDas]

How is the quality of audio when it is used as a microphone with usb cable to pc? Pls advise. Thnx

[@BeefyTime1]

How good is this at capturing audio outside? Stuff like birds and just everyday noise?

[@leonardgoffe7159]

I can't seem to get it to work with my MacBook Air 2020, any advice for a newbie?

[@bily4566]

Can you record on that micro terror