Sony ICDSX68 has big memory upgrade

Inexpensive, portable stereo recording capability has always been something of a Holy Grail for me. I have used tape recorders throughout my 25 years of reporting, always in search of more clarity and higher quality. In the late 1980s, I owned a portable Sony stereo cassette recorder (TCS-580V) that had more capability than the mono systems in delineating sound, but it was big and bulky for my work.

Digital – even mono – was a big improvement over tape but what I still wanted was stereo capability. And it had to be low cost. It’s too easy to drop and damage these devices so I am not about to buy a professional high-end system for on the job use. That capability finally arrived when I bought the Sony ST10 in about 2003. (It may have been out earlier). It could record 40 minutes in stereo – not enough to be really useful. Memory just cost too much, but that all changed with the introduction of the ICD-SX series.

The ICD-SX68 is the second iteration in this line. It is not a major generational upgrade. Sony will typically update a device two or three times before releasing a new model with a major design and feature revamp.

In terms of overall style and features the ICD-SX68 has changed little from the ICD-SX57, the prior generation model, released in January, 2007. The SX68 was released in May, 2008.

The big difference is in memory. The SX57 has 256 MB in memory; the SX68 has 512 MB. That doubles recording time.

Here’s how they compare: The SX57, at its highest recording level, the STHQ mode – and the only recording mode I ever use – it can record 4 hr. 10 min. For the SX68, it’s 8 hr 35 min. There are other recording levels that can stretch out recording time and add many hours, but you pay a price in recording quality.

Recording times:

STHQ: 8 hr. 35 min
ST: 22 hr. 50 min.
STLP: 44 hr
SP: 69 hr. 40 min
LP mode: 185 hr

Memory prices have declined dramatically and Sony has been doubling memory across all its digital recorders without any real increase in price. It list for $199 but can be found online for as low $129, which is about $10 more than I what I paid for the SX57.

What can you expect?

At its highest recording mode, STHQ, you can expect CD-quality like recording. It records at a sampling rate that gives you 128 kbps quality on playback, which is the same speed used by many streaming music stations to give you rich, stereo sound on your PC. Moreover, the Sony digital voice editing software can convert a recording to MP3 format, allowing you to load the recording on a portable device or create a podcast from it. That’s not bad. (Sony gets dinged by critics for having a proprietary recording format, but to me that MP3 conversion capability makes this a non-issue.)

Tips and warnings:

If you are recording in a dark auditorium and want to see the counter, hit the menu button. It will light up the screen.

The unit comes with standard batteries but can accept rechargeable batteries. Double check the setting before you start charging. Once you connect the device via the USB to your PC, make sure that the “USB charge” setting is “off.” If it isn’t, you may damage the unit. (It charges via USB)

The built-in microphones, in my experience, are more sensitive than external microphones. I’ve used several microphones, all good quality Sony microphones, and have been disappointed with the results at the default recording level. It’s good to first test if you can. Sony allows you to adjust the recording level to compensate.

Live music recording? Sony recommends setting the recording level to manual and also setting the “limiter” function to on, which will prevent distortion when the music spikes in sound quality. Adjusting the record level in a classroom or auditorium may help, especially if you sitting in back. I do think the manual adjustments can make a difference, but it also requires some sampling of the sound level initially and there’s the risk you may get it wrong.

You can also, easily, record a webcast, for instance. You need a cable (you can find it at Radio Shack) that plugs into the headphone jack of the PC and can also plug into the mic jack of the unit. You can listen in recording mode by plugging in your headphones to the recorder.

I absolutely love the fact that this device displays recording levels. That will give you immediate peace of mind that you are indeed recording.

This unit includes VOR (voice activated recording). I never use it on job. In my mind this feature is more of a hazard, especially if you accidentally turn it on when you need continuous recording.

Double check the buttons before recording. It’s easy, in particular, to put the microphone directional button in the wrong direction. The microphone directional feature is an interesting option. If you are recording in a noisy environment, you can flip the directional feature to on and the device will use a different microphone in the top of the unit instead of the two microphones on the left and right side. The directional mic records mono. Although I can see it's advantages, I have only rarely used the directional setting.

If you are typing notes on a laptop and are recording, try to keep a little distance between the laptop and recorder, otherwise clicking keyboard noise is going to drive you bonkers.

This device is sensitive to the touch. If you are hand holding it to interview someone and slide your fingers on the metal, it will have a very audible impact on recording. I really think that this is something that Sony will have to address in future models.

If you are interviewing people in a noisy situation, during a conference on a break with many people chatting in the background, try to hold the recorder as close to your source as you can. (Ok, now I’m going to tell you that doing that may freeze someone up and hurt the interview. I generally try to keep the recorder some distance away unless it’s a press conference.)

Something I really like: When transcribing I almost always use the USB connection and transcribe via the software. But on one job, I forgot the cable and had to use the controls on the unit. One of my big frustrations with Sony digital products was the difficulty in using the buttons on the device: they’re small, naturally, and required either slight pushes to the left or right of the button to control. This SX line is lot easier to use manually. The controls are better and even big thumbed guys should be able to deal with it.

Recording quality:

Stereo recording, in my view, is easier on the ears – especially when you are transcribing a long interview. The inflections of a person’s voice, tone, are very lifelike making it easier to review the recording. In a one-on-one interview, the sound quality is very good. If you are recording a group of people, it’s also a lot easier to tell them apart on review.

When used close up, this device delivers excellent recording capability for the money. But adjust your expectations in a large conference room, classroom and especially auditorium settings. If the sound source isn’t clear and loud, hiss will be an issue. But overall, the SX series will deliver better sound quality in a large room than the mono recording P series, but it can still produce a lot of hiss or what some call white noise, which could make transcription tedious. Sony has this feature called voice-up which will enhance the sound quality. I have used to it but in boosting the sound but it also boost the hiss as well. Best advice is always try sit in the best possible place for recording.

The best aspect of the Sony digital recording product line is the software. Its digital voice editor is a mature, stable product that makes transcribing very easy, has good file management functions, allows you to rename files, adjust playback speed, bookmark parts you may want to go later, edit the recording. One really nice feature is that it allows customizing keyboard controls, although I find the defaults perfect. The big minus: It’s Windows only software.

Durability: I am not crazy about the battery cover. Treat it gently. Sony could have done a better job here.

Out of the box, this unit will have what you need, USB cable, software, battery. There’s no learning curve, unless you need advance functions such as recording level. Sony says the batteries will last for about 13 hours or so at the highest level. I have never measured battery life, but have no reason to complain about it. Most importantly, the battery indicator will flash well in advance of a weak battery shut down (I don’t know exactly how far, but it seems to give ample alert). I haven’t been caught yet with a weak battery shutdown on the SX57 and suspect that’s unchanged for the SX68.