Panasonic RN405 Micro Cassette Recorder with Voice Activation System and Tape Counter

Panasonic RN405 Micro Cassette Recorder with Voice Activation System and Tape Counter Reviews

More Picture

Panasonic RN405 Micro Cassette Recorder with Voice Activation System and Tape Counter Feature

• Voice-activated microcassette recorder
• 3-digit tape counter
• 1-touch recording and built-in condenser microphone
• Cue, review, and pause controls; LED recording/battery indicator
• Slim palm-fit design with a lustrous silver finish

Panasonic's RN-405 looks identical to the less expensive RN-305 in nearly every regard, but there is one key difference: the addition of a microphone jack. Sure, this device has other features like a tape counter on the front and a light that comes on when the device is recording, but it's the mic jack that really adds to its appeal.

The jack provides the obvious advantage of being able to connect the recorder to an external microphone, but we also were able to record phone interviews. The tape counter made it easy to mark certain parts of the tape while we were transcribing, and the simple controls were great for quickly shuttling back and forth. Pressing the fast forward or rewind button while the tape is playing lets users hear a high-speed rendition of the tape's contents, which was great when we were trying to find the beginning of a quote. The RN-405's built-in microphone is decent, and its voice-activated recording capability offers a great way to save tape and batteries, although it tends to clip off the first word of each sentence it records.

Unfortunately, one of the RN-405's most advanced features--silent auto-stop--is also its most annoying. When the tape ends (whether you're playing or recording), the unit silently powers down. This is great for preventing annoying warning signals from sounding in the middle of, say, a lecture, but it forces users to keep a constant eye on the device while its recording so they know when to change the tape. To make matters worse, the red recording light that's supposed to turn off at the end of the tape continues to shine for about five seconds after the reels stop turning.

Those problems aside, we had nothing but good experiences with the RN-405. It's quiet, runs for more than 12 hours on a pair of AA batteries if the fast-forward and rewind features aren't overused, and the inclusion of an input jack makes this unit a terrific choice for professionals. A jack for connecting the RN-405 to an external 3-volt power supply is also included, but an AC adapter is not. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Microphone input jack
• Decent battery life
• Tape counter is quite handy

Cons:

• Silent auto-stop can be more of a drawback than a bonus
• Voice-activated recording tends to miss the first word of each sentence

Panasonic Voice Activated Recorder RN4053 Voice Activated System Helps Conserve Tape Space Thanks to the Voice Activated System on the RN-4053, recording begins as soon as sound is detected. This helps eliminate wasted tape space. Fast Playback Function Speeds Playback up to 20% Use the Fast Playback Function to find a particular section of your recorded tape. Includes 3 Micro cassettes & 2 AA Alkaline Batteries to get you Started The RN-4053 comes with three Panasonic Micro cassettes and two Panasonic AA Alkaline Batteries. Micro Cassette Recorder. One-touch and follow-up recording. Silent auto-stop and pause. Voice-activated system. Three-digit tape counter. Two tape speeds. Cue and review. Headphone Jack. Built-in Condenser Mic. Fast Playback. LED Rec./Battery Indicator. DC-in Jack. External Mic Jack. 3 Digit Tape Counter. Batteries Required: 2 x AA (included) Speakers: 1 x 7/16". Micro cassettes: 3 (included). Dimensions (H x L x W) 5.75" x 1.5" x 1" (in.)

Go tO Store Now !!

More Products

More Reviews

Jan 11, 2011 01:44:06