Olympus WS-822 GMT Voice Recorders with 4 GB Built-in-Memory

This is a really fine digital (voice / sound and music) recorder and player. It is very compact and the design of the product and the menus is done very well, with one minor exception. It fits in your hand. The controls are easy to understand and use although it will help to read the instructions. Some buttons have multiple uses (e.g. a short push versus a long push or different functions in different operating modes.) One poor design choice: Button labels are in white print on a silver-colored case. Black or dark gray would be a lot easier to read!! A note on instructions: The quick start guide that comes with the recorder is pictorial and next to useless. Go to the Olympus website and download the PDF user manual. You can use either a NiMH AAA rechargeable battery (comes with the unit) or an alkaline non-rechargeable. When you install a battery it initializes for a time (maybe 20 seconds?) and then you need to set in a soft menu which battery type. You can also operate it off a USB charger or power pack through the USB connector (see below.) I tend to use an alkaline battery. Why? I use the recorder very intermittently. If I used a rechargeable battery it probably would need to be recharged each time. If you use it frequently (e.g. more often than once per week) then the rechargeable battery will be a good choice. The built-in, slide-out full-size USB connector lets you connect to a computer or a USB charger. There are menu choices to make for changing between charger and computer interface. This could be easier than it is. The menu choices design remind me of USB connection technology as of about five years ago. Use the internal 4GB memory or add a micro SD card up to 32 GB. I added the card. Note - you choose which memory is in use - internal or external. It pays to explore the recording and playback menus. While recording a low pass filter can be used to avoid recording low frequency noise such as AC or machinery hum. In playback, noise cancellation can be turned on and a volume stabilizer that boosts the volume of lower-volume (farther away) voices. Both are REALLY useful and effective. I find even if I am about 50 feet from a speaker (e.g. in a lecture) recording on medium volume is plenty sufficient. Playback can be slowed down (if noise cancellation is NOT used) which can help in transcribing although I find noise cancellation more valuable than slowing down the speaker. It can record in WAV (poorest quality, smallest files), MP3 (at various bit rates up to 256 kbit/s), and PCM (highest quality, largest file size.) PCM files are about 10 times the size of MP3 256 kbit/s. I find MP3 256 kbit/s works completely fine. It might also be great at 128 kbit/s but I have not tried. Recording is through the built-in stereo speakers (mono for WAV) or through an external microphone. The speaker gives excellent sound although it does sound a bit tinny. What do you want or expect for a speaker in a handheld recorder?? Attached a high quality set of headphones and the sound is very impressive. There is also a microphone IN jack through which you can record from a microphone or any device with a Line Out jack. The jacks are 3.5mm. There seems to be a bug in the unit's firmware. While recording in a particular mode (e.g. PCM) it tells you the amount of time left on the memory in use (internal or micro SD) in the active recording mode. It reports more time remaining for PCM than for MP3 256 kbit/s, which is way wrong. PCM uses by far the most memory per minute of recording. Overall: A really great recorder. Highly recommended. If for some reason I lost mine I'd repurchase this one. There is also a WS-823 - the main feature is an FM radio. I have no idea how good it is, and I don't need my recorder to be an FM radio. If this review was helpful, please let me know by voting for it.

This review is for the WS-822 GMT. I have purchased a number of these (including previous iterations) over the years. I keep them in various locations for making notes and for drafting articles and papers. I often use them in vehicles while driving and I require several key features: 1. Ease of blind operation: I need to turn the device on and initiate a recording without looking at the device, fiddling with a touch screen, adjusting settings or entering any information. I require a simple, repetitive on-off and record function. I cannot fiddle with menus, or other choices at 70 mph. And I'm not interested in looking at and operating a touch screen (as I would have to if using the voice recorder on a phone.) This device has a simple physical slide switch and easy to feel physical record button that are located to be easily operated one-handed. Other models have various controls or super slick surface that require you to look at (and decode) surface features to operate. 2. I need positive knowledge that it is recording. This unit has a sensibly placed red light when record is on and a properly backlit screen so that you can see the time counter moving. Other models have dark text on a dark background with no back light (which seems utterly ridiculous.) 3. The entire menu interface is intuitively arranged and ordered (similar to the emerging standard for high-end camera menu interfaces) so that I don't have to play some video game just to adjust a setting. It's also accessed by a physical button that I can find blind so that my visual time with the screen is reduced by at least a couple of steps. When you own hundreds of menu based devices fiddling with the cutting edge/ironic interface-of-the-week is a waste of precious time. 4. File formats are adjustable for various needs as would be expected. I'm not limited to a native file type. . 5. The extendable USB plug has been a dependable feature for years and allows highly dependable connections downloads. Older and newer versions have covers that have to be popped open and closed, another step that offers no value. 6. Little things: The battery cover pops open in the simplest way (unlike many that behave like a clever puzzle that some junior industrial designer thought might be cool.) And there is a battery direction image printed in white lines on the outside of the case that's actually readable. Many devices have an embossed image in native plastic buried deep in the battery cavity that can only be read in oblique light such that replacing the battery becomes an annoying micro-puzzle as well. Olympus makes a number of recording devices and they certainly have the trendy forms that look kind of cool but fail at genuine functionality. I just tossed another in the trash because it was useless (don't recall the model number but it failed at many of these things.) All sorts of devices are designed for appearance over function and it's refreshing to have a device who's use does not become a memorable part of the day. It's just a voice recorder, not a symbol of the user's modernity/coolness/individuality. It's a voice recorder. This is one of those devices I have considered stockpiling because, as with many truly useful designs, it is likely to disappear in favor of trendier, sexier, less functional forms.

This product is a recent purchase for me so I have only used it several times. It's design is very light and slim so it fits easily in my shirt top pocket, the display is clear, all the buttons appear to be well positioned, functional and easy to use. It has a multitude of features that I am yet to explore (but probably never will). The built in microphones appear to be very sensitive so I have not found it necessary to use an external mic so far, also the built in retractable USB connector is a good feature for easy file transfer to my laptop. So from my brief experience so far I have found it to be a well priced, designed and a good quality product as would be expected from Olympus. Yes you can use your smart phone for voice recording but I believe a product like this will do a far superior job. Cheers Alex V.

This is a great recorder, with assorted features, and several drawbacks. I've used this recorder extensively, as well as most other Olympus recorders currently available. It's interface is very simple and intuitive; it's main screen has three options. 1) Music. This feature allows you to use your recorder as a standard mp3 player. It plays most mp3 and wma files (as well as pcm wav files). But it has features only recorders have, and almost no mp3 players have. For example, it has the ability to adjust the speed and pitch of any music file. Also, you could set it to stop playing after finishing the track. Plus, you could set the skip space to suit your needs, and allow you to skip 5 minute chunks with the click of a button. These features make it useful to use the music function for listening to long lectures and recordings. The music function allows you to play all the music in the "Music" folder on the internal memory or microSD card. It allows folders and sub-folders to be used (and displays them properly grouped); but folders inside sub-folders are not accessible. Any music file not saved under the music folder (or the 5 recording folders) cannot be accessed on the device. You cannot record when on music mode. Certain features are exclusive to music mode (equalizer, shuffle); certain are exclusive to playback from the recording function (voice balancer, noise cancel). The index feature (allowing you to put bookmarks during a recording to allow you to find it easily) isn't dependent on whether you're on music mode or recorder mode; however indexes are only saved to a file recorded by an olympus recorder. 2) Recorder. This mode allows you to record. (You don't have to actually activate the recorder mode in order to record. Once the recorder icon is highlighted, you could press the record button, it it will begin recording on Folder A.) It has 5 built in folders for recording, named folders A - E. You can't edit the names of these folders; nor can you add to the amount of folders. (If you try to rename the folder names on a computer, it will be undetected by the recorder, and it will recreate the folder that was renamed. There are actually 2 ways to modify the names of the folders. One is to insert the microSD into an Olympus recorder that has the ability to modify the folder names. The DM-620 has this feature, the DM-720 doesn't. However, you're limited to the few options they give you there. The other way to do it requires more technical skills. If you're a little more tech savvy, you could edit the system file that names the folders.) It actually contains some very cool features for recording (like most other Olympus and Sony recorders). One feature is called “VCVA”, which basically pauses the recording during short breaks during lectures; and automatically resumes when the lecture continues. (You could set the volume that defines no noise during recording when VCVA is enabled by using the right and left arrow keys. This should be customized depending on the mic sensitivity level, the volume of the lecturer, and the level of background noises.) To pause a recording, the record button is used. To stop a recording, the stop button is used. There’s no way to add to a recording once the stop button was pressed. You can split a MP3 recording once you stop it. The default recording format is mp3 128kbps. (Other options include PCM raw 44.1kHz, mp3 256kbps. Plus for lower quality recording, they have WMA options for mono 32kbps, or mono 8kbps. I’m not sure why they don’t allow low quality recording on mp3. Newer Olympus recorders don’t come with WMA support, and allow recording lower quality mp3.) 3) Calendar. This is a useful feature to find recordings by date. Just make sure before you record that the date is properly set. (The date gets messed up when the battery removed for more than about a minute.) The hardware: It contains 2 moveable parts, both of which were very poorly designed. I’ve seen tens and tens of these recorders, and they all had the same 2 problems. The battery cover needs to be opened to replace the battery, and to replace the MicroSD card. The cover is designed in such a way that it closed tightly, and the small latch hooking it closed is very flimsy. Eventually; the latch falls off, and the battery cover doesn’t stay closed. (This doesn’t affect the functionality of the device, but it’s a minor nuisance.) The other moveable part is the built-in usb. The way it’s build is very flimsy. It involves a mechanism that opens a cover to reveal the usb dongle. This mechanism usually breaks first, and requires manually opening the lid to allow the usb dongle out. (Another that commonly occurs to the cover is that the spring that shuts it when the usb dongle is slid back in disconnects, and it stays open.) Then, the actual slider mechanism commonly breaks; leaving no feasible method to slid the usb dongle in or out. Also, sometimes the usb just doesn’t work. This could be due to one of 2 problems (and can only be diagnosed if taken apart). One reason is because the flexible wire (which connects the usb dongle to the rest of the system), tears after being bent to many times. The other reason could be because the wire got loose (probably due to the tilting of the usb dongle in relation to the rest of the device). However, it’s definitely something to consider, that the usb will eventually cease to work, and it will be difficult to retrieve files stored on the internal memory via a computer. The other problem with this device is its microSD card slot. Firstly, its design makes it difficult to get grip of when removing the card. Secondly, the transfer speed is very slow. Which means, that when copying file to or from the microSD card, it goes really slowly (approx. 1mbps). And it also means that whenever you insert a microSD card, it takes a while for it to load it. (A 32 GB card takes about 35 seconds to load onto the device if the cards empty. A full card takes even longer.) (The dm-720 touches on the speed issues; it’s approximately twice as fast. But it’s still very slow.) All in all, it’s a very good recorder, but its plastic is flimsy and will break if used too often.

What an incredible product! It's so lightweight you hardly know you've got it, the battery seems to last forever, and it picks up sound like a charm. It's incredibly easy to use, with clearly marked buttons and a user-friendly menu that you can figure out pronto. I especially love the usb built into the recorder. Just push down on a side slider and the USB protrudes. What a relief not to have yet one more cable in life! Just plug it into your computer (I have a Mac) and you can download your files instantly. I've tried other recorders in the past, but a lot of them had really small stop and record buttons, or were very difficult to use for transcriptions. With this one, I never had to worry that I'd mess up and hit the wrong thing after a crucial interview. I can't recommend this enough.

Great little recorder. I like this recorder and all the functions it does. Someone complained that it is too hard to navigate. It's not. It is really easy to get around and figure out what you need on it. I like that I can plug it in the PC and not have to download drivers with Win 7 or 8. I have an older version of an Olympus recorder and it requires drivers, and an update to those drivers, that are hidden on the Olympus site. This thins is much better and it is truly just plug and play. The compact size is also a plus. I can fit it in my shirt pocket and it doesn't even show. Great little recorder.

Buen producto. Me ayudó mucho en mis entrevistas de investigación cultural en el campo y la ciudad.

This digital voice recorder was an upgrade from my very old model Olympus DS-30. The old model had a substantial, metal-like feel, while the new WS-822 is very light and plastic-like. The central buttons (the circle in the middle) are a little awkward and difficult to use. The middle of the buttons are recessed and impossible to reach easily, so I eventually figured out that I have to use the rim of the buttons (the shiny part of the circle) to press the buttons, but my fingers keep slipping off of them. The device is powered by one rechargeable AAA battery (included) and does not have a charging cable. Instead, the USB connection is integrated into the device. It took me a few minutes to realize there was a little slider on the left side of the device which released the retractable USB connector. It is a bit annoying to try to plug the USB into the computer, because unlike with a cable, I have to unplug everything else in order to use it. The device both charges and connects to the computer with the USB connection. I attached this to my Norstar landline rotary phone with an adapter device which I purchased on Amazon at the same time as a replacement for an identical device. It is called the VEC TRX-20 3.5MM Direct Connect Telephone Record Device (ADAPTER ONLY). Maybe there is a setting I am missing, but the new recorder will ONLY record in mono with this adapter. Not stereo - so that the sound comes out of only the right side of my headphones. The old recorder - using the exact same adapter - was able to record in stereo. My boss has the same new model WS-822 and it also will not record in stereo using the adapter. For the record, the old model (DS-30) still works fine except for (I believe) the mic/remote port seems like it doesn't work well anymore with the adapter, which plugs into it. The old model does not use rechargeable batteries and had a separate cable to connect to the computer. Also, the mic was removable. I hope that this device will continue to work for our purposes, but I was not thrilled.

I started out looking for a no nonsense simple mp3 player to play music, wanted a player that has drag n' drop file transfer, integrated USB plug, and a player with replaceable battery that I can just simply swap out as I run dry. I had no luck finding such a player now amongst the conventional MP3 players; as Apple products dominate that market so no other big name manufacturers even wants to compete in that market with decent products. I came across this Olympus Voice Recorder and thought why not use this as an mp3 player, afterall, it has all the feature sets I was looking for. I have been using this player for several days now and I am really pleased with it, your music can be played in album folders and the sound output is as good as any of the best MP3 players out there. The built-in speaker, as expected is not for music playback, but has no problem used for voice playback. The screen is backlit so there's no problem operating it in a lecture hall, or in the dark cabin of my car. I have also tried the recording feature, very intuitive to operate. Another great feature is the battery, it ships with a Ni-MH AAA rechargeable battery, to charge it you just have to plug the recorder to your computer's USB port. If you are on the go and need power, you have the option to put in a regular alkaline AAA size battery, a super convenient feature for me. The recorder also displays East Asia characters, Chinese in my case. All in all, a solid, no-nonsense product that is built to a quality that is above and beyond the average MP3 player. For my sole purpose of MP3 music playback, it works great!

This was for my wife to record her jazz workshop sessions. She loves using this—-finds the controls easy and intuitive, and the recordings are very clear (no air hiss). Olympus is really getting things right...!

Almost a full year of use and I can find no fault with this purchase.

seems great. i haven't used it that much, but the few trials i gave it were good. good price, lightweight, and lots of features.

Very happy with it. Does the job. Thank you