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Roland R-07 High Resolution Audio Recorder review

REVIEW – Mobile phones have put so much at our fingertips and have changed the way we interact with the world around us. All kinds of content is created every day directly on phones. When it comes to audio, sometimes you’re looking to capture more than just the concept or idea, you want a high quality recording that you can directly use. Roland’s R-07 is built for that purpose whether you are capturing music, general sounds or conversation.

What is it?

The R-07 is a high quality, pocketable stereo recorder with a bunch of great features.

Hardware specs

Tracks: 2 (stereo), 4 (stereo x2) * WAV x 2 recording mode only
Signal Processing: AD/DA conversion -24bits 44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz

Data Type:
[For Recording] *Stereo only
WAVE: Sampling Rate: 44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz • Bit Depth: 16/24 bits
MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3): Sampling Rate: 44.1/48 kHz • Bit Rates: 64/96/128/160/192/224/320 kbps
WAVE + MP3: Sampling Rate: 44.1/48 kHz • Bit Depth: 16 bits • Bit Rates: 128 kbps
WAVE x 2: Sampling Rate: 44.1/48 kHz • Bit Depth: 16/24 bits

[For Playback]
WAVE: Sampling Rate: 32/44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz • Bit Depth: 16/24 bits
MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3):Sampling Rate: 32/44.1/48 kHz • Bit Rates: 32–320 kbps or VBR (Variable Bit Rate)

Memory Card  Compatibility: microSD Card • SDHC format compatible

Inputs/Outputs:
Audio Inputs: Internal stereo microphone, MIC/AUX IN 3.5mm plug-in powered mic (cancels internal stereo mic)
Audio Outputs: Internal speaker (monaural playback), 3.5mm plug-in jack (cancels internal speaker)
Nominal Input Level (Variable): MIC/AUX IN: -31 dBu (Default input level) • * 0 dBu = 0.775 Vrms
Input Impedance: MIC/AUX IN: 4.5 k ohms
Output Level: 3 mW + 3 mW (In case 16 ohms load)
Recommended Load Impedance: 16 ohms or greater
Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 40 kHz (+-3 dB)
USB Interface: USB port: USB Micro-B type • support USB 2.0/1.1 mass storage device class

Bluetooth:
R-07 Remote: Bluetooth technology: Bluetooth Ver 4.0
Audio transmission: Bluetooth technology: Bluetooth Ver 3.0
Transmitting Power: Specification Power Class 2 (Line of sight range 10 m (30 ft))
Profile Support: A2DP, AVRCP
CODEC Support: SBC, Qualcomm aptX Qualcomm aptX low latency

Effects: Playback only. Excludes playback in 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz. Reverb and Speed Change can’t be used at the same time.
Reverb: 4 types (Hall1, Hall2, Room, Plate)
Speed Change: 50 – 150 % of playback speed

Other:
Display: Graphic LCD 128 x 64 dots (white backlit)
Power Supply: Alkaline AA battery x 2 (included), or Rechargeable AA Ni-MH battery x 2, or computer via USB
Current Draw: 350 mA (MAX)
Playback Duration: (Alkaline AAs) Playback: Approximately 15 hours • Recording: Approximately 15 hours

Dimensions: 61 x 103 x 26mm and 150g (including batteries)

What’s in the box?

  • R-07 Recorder
  • 8GB microSD Card (installed in R-07)
  • AA Batteries (2)
  • Owner’s Manual
  • “Using the unit safely” Leaflet

Design and features

The Roland R-07 is remarkably small.

Barely bigger than a deck of playing cards, it really is possible to have it in your daily carry kit and on hand when you need it.

Visually, it hits the technical checkboxes as well as providing some style as it’s available in three different colors.

All the controls (other than the power switch) are on the top surface and very clearly labeled. On the back is the battery door, a 1/4 20 threaded insert for use with a stand and the door for accessing the Micro SD Card where you’ll find an 8gb one that  Roland graciously included.

The right side has the power switch and micro-USB port. The top end has the two onboard mics and a jack for connecting an external mic or auxiliary source. The left side has a jack for connecting wired headphones.

Setup

Out of the gate, Roland nailed this because the setup is as simple as installing the two AA batteries and powering the unit on. The power switch is a slider, that you need to hold for about 3 seconds to turn on. This is a great feature preventing accidental powering on for a device you’re likely to pocket frequently. Follow the same steps to power off.

At this point, you can literally start recording right away, or read the instructions and learn about the many functions and different things you can do.

You’ll need to supply a micro-USB cable if you want to connect to a computer to transfer files or update the firmware.

To connect a mobile phone as a remote, you’ll need to download the R-07 Remote app first. To connect the R-07, you’ll want to power it up, choose Menu / 5) Bluetooth / 5) Remote Control. In that settings menu change the Remote: setting to ON. Make sure your phone is close and launch the app. You may need to hit the (Search) pop up button or hit the R-07(—) in the lower right corner and select Roland R-07 MIDI from the device list. You’ll now be able to control R-07 directly from your phone.

To connect Bluetooth headphones or speaker for wireless listening, put them in pairing mode and on the R-07, choose Menu / 5) Bluetooth / 2) Pairing Audio and after a few seconds you’ll have a new connection.

The R-07 remembers the last paired device so you may need to go into the menu to disconnect if you switch things up regularly.

Performance

The best way to describe the R-07 is that you may not realize how much you needed this device until it’s in your hands. My son had it in his pack the first weekend and ended up recording some ocean sounds while out at the beach. Satch is always humming or drumming around but he hadn’t really captured environmental sounds before to my knowledge. That night he sat on the deck for an hour and recorded the acoustic guitar with the R-07 as well and then dragged the audio files to his mac and finished this up.

While the controls are all well marked, there’s a lot to learn about how to use the device. Depending on your own experience with recording devices and your needs, there may well be features on the R-07 that you never use.

The rehearsal button isn’t one of those. A single press of this button and R-07 listens to your environment for 60 seconds and automatically adjusts the levels to optimize recording. The result is that you can get right to recording and know that what you capture is going to sound good.

The remote function is super cool as it let’s you optimally position the R-07 while being able to start/stop and make some adjustments without needing it right at your fingertips. Here’s what the app looks like on iOS.

Even cooler is the Apple Watch app.

Here’s a shot where you can see how easy it can fit into your session.

There’s a couple of key things you’ll want to know. Playback through the internal speaker is over-ridden if you plug headphones into the phones jack. Similarly, the onboard stereo mic is canceled out if you plug an external mic into the mic/aux jack.

As for the right way to use it, there’s really no wrong way so experiment. The Scene button sets recording modes for Music Hi Res, Music CD, Music Long, Loud Live, Loud Practice, Instrument, Vocal, Voice Memo, Field or off. Roland has a Practical Guide that is likely to cover most of your recording scenarios and offers numerous tips to get the best recording results.

What I like

  • Pocketable size
  • High quality recording without additional mics
  • Auto level settings with Rehearsal button
  • Remote control function with phone or Apple Watch
  • MicroSD card (8gb) included (some bundles available with larger cards)

What needs to be improved

  • Practical Guide (website) should front and center in the included material as it provides much-needed starting points

Final thoughts

The R-07 is one of those products where there’s always more to uncover. It feels a little complicated at first glance, but Roland’s website has a lot of help and it really is easy to use once you’re familiar with the controls and navigation. The audio quality is stellar and I can’t imagine something this feature rich being much smaller.

Price: $229.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Roland.

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Roland R-07 High Resolution Audio Recorder review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 19, 2019 at 9:05 am.

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Rock ‘N Bowl slows down your dogs eating and makes mealtime fun

NEWS – If your dog has a tendency like mine does to inhale their food at feeding time, slowing them down can be a challenge. The Rock ’N Bowl Dog Feeder was designed to not only slow them down but to make mealtime a playful, engaging challenge.

Rock ’N Bowl is part food bowl, part puzzle. The top of the feeder has holes that allow some of the food to fall through into a compartment underneath. In order for your dog to get to the remaining food, they must nudge and rock the bowl to get it to fall out of the holes in the bottom. This not only helps slow and extend eating time but, it also helps to stimulate your pup’s mind.

It takes an everyday activity like food time and makes it more fun and challenging.

The bowl comes apart for easy cleaning and is even top rack dishwasher safe.

The Rock ’N Bowl Dog Feeder comes in two colors blue and orange. It sells for $19.95 and is available from The Grommet.

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Rock ‘N Bowl slows down your dogs eating and makes mealtime fun originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 19, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Bellroy All-Conditions Essentials Pocket will help you carry, protect, and organize, for travel or EDC

NEWS – Most of us gadget fans carry several items on our person at nearly all times.  There are quite a few pouches, pockets and packs to help organize your smallish EDC or travel essentials, but here’s one that looks great, will protect from moisture, dust and bumps, and can help organize several of your items.  Behold the Bellroy All-Conditions Essentials Pocket.  With a whopping 184mm x 120mm footprint, its exterior is high-quality, durable, water-resistant “All-Conditions” leather (there is also a woven version), with a special water-resistant YKK zipper and extra-grippable zipper pull.  The interior contains five pockets that can hold items like 4-12 cards, cash, a passport, a notebook, a flash drive, a charging cable and so on, and the main open area can hold a phone up to an iPhone Plus size. It also has a small pocket to hold an included micro travel pen, great for jotting quick notes or filling out that boarding card. Available in Leather in Charcoal, Burnt Orange, or Black, each for $139, or Woven Charcoal for $89.  Visit Bellroy.com for more info or to order.

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Bellroy All-Conditions Essentials Pocket will help you carry, protect, and organize, for travel or EDC originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 18, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

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Posted by / January 18, 2019 / Tagged with / Posted in News

MPOW T5 True Wireless Earbuds review

REVIEW – During 2018, many readers followed my reviews of wireless Bluetooth earbuds and my quest to find the best earbuds for me. The criteria included the sound quality that I like as an Audiophile as well as great function as a phone accessory and of course they had to fit securely and comfortably. By the end of the year, I did have a #1 pair of earbuds from KNZ that still hold that position, followed by a tie for the #2 position between the earbuds from Aimus and Lux. It is important to keep in mind that this quest/contest does not include any Bluetooth headphones that I have reviewed. I have decided that since there is always a new offering on the market, that the quest will continue for 2019. So let’s see how it went with the T5 True Wireless Earbuds by MPOW.

What is it?

The T5 True Wireless Earbuds from MPOW are a pair of lightweight, mid-sized earbuds that are designed for listening to music and conducting phone calls. They also work with Android, Windows and IOS systems, and should be compatible with most Bluetooth equipped mobile devices.

What’s in the box?


1 x MPOW T5 Earbuds
1 x Micro USB Charging Cable
3 x Pairs of Ear Tips
1 x Hand Strap
1 x User Manual
1 x Charging Instruction Card

Design and features

Features

  • Smart Switch Between Twin & Single Mode
  • Both the Left and Right earbud can work separately. You can switch to single and twin mode freely
  • Compatible System: Android/Windows/iOS
  • Powered by the upgraded chip and adopting latest Bluetooth 5.0
  • Extended Usage Time of Earbuds. When fully charged, the earbuds can support up to 7 hours music playtime
  • Built-in 50mAh battery of each earbud

Specifications

Connectivity: True Wireless & Bluetooth 5.0
Communication Distance: ≥10 meters
Stand-by Time (Connection status): 92 hours(L); 110 hours(R)
Speaker frequency response: 20Hz-20KHz
Charging case capacity: 280mA
Waterproof Rating: IPX7

The Mpow T5 earbuds are what I would call mid-sized, but very lightweight.


The surface of each earbud is the multi-function button.

At the back of the charging case, there is the micro USB port for charging the case.


Mpow also includes a hand strap, and there is a slot to attach it on one side of the charging case.

Performance

When I received these earbuds, they were 97% charged, so I just got right down to the business at hand. Once I removed them from the charging case, I powered them on and shortly thereafter they appeared on my phone as a choice in the list of available Bluetooth devices. I selected them and they immediately paired. After the initial pairing, I have repeated the process each time I use them to see how they would connect and the connection is always swift and easy. When I place them in the charging case, they automatically disconnect from my Bluetooth, but amazingly, and this is something I really like, my iPhone still shows their level of charge once they are within range of my phone. The Bluetooth connection remains rock solid.

For daily listening to music, these earbuds are nice. They do not have a volume limiter like some others, so audiophile folks like myself will likely turn down the volume a bit, while other folks that like to listen to music really loud, will like them. There is good presence and separation of the low, mid and high frequencies, with a bit of distortion in the highs if the volume is turned up all the way. While they are not audiophile grade, they are decent.

In terms of phone use, I was expecting great quality because these earbuds claim to have built-in Mics that support CVC8.0 that is much more advanced than others in the market and to offer phone calls of higher quality. With the exception of a few earbuds that I have tested, I have encountered major phone call quality issues with most of them. I still have not ascertained whether this is a personal issue, but a few of them worked very well. My experience with these has not been good. The party on the other end of the call can hardly hear me unless I speak quite loudly. However, I can hear them quite clearly. So far, the charge on the case and the earbuds both seem to last forever. Since the last full charge, I have been using them for  5 days for approximately 1 3/4 hours and they recharge each time to 100%. The charging case still has all 4 LEDs lit indicating that the level of charge left in the battery is greater than 75%. (I would assume this is how the charge is measured)


The following are the operational procedures for these Mpow T5 earbuds:

  • Once charged, they enter pairing mode automatically when removed from the charging case. They disconnect automatically when placed into the charging case.
  • A short press on the MFB to answer/hangup/reject calls, and to play/pause music.

What I like

  • They are lightweight
  • They fit well in my ears and remain secure
  • They sound decent for everyday listening

What can be improved

  • Call quality (This may be a personal issue)

Final thoughts

The MPOW T5 True Wireless Earbuds are well built and lightweight. For daily use, they sound good, and they fit well in my ears and never fall out despite vigorous movements. As I mentioned before, they are not audiophile grade, but at their cost, they are not expected to be. If the phone quality issue is, in fact, one that is somehow a personal one for me, then they would be a great choice for many. I do think that many folks will also like the music listening experience they provide. Because of the phone quality issue, they do not make it into my top five, but they are certainly worth trying.

Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by MPOW.

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MPOW T5 True Wireless Earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 18, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Mission Workshop’s Rhake VX levels up

NEWS – The Gadgeteer has reviewed a fair number of Mission Workshop items including the original Rhake backpack which Bob reviewed last April. Well, Mission Workshop just announced the new Rhake VX which uses VX-21 diamond ripstop fabric to increase weatherproofing as well as abrasion and tear resistance while reducing weight. They’ve also spec’ed Fidlock® magnetic buckles to entice all of us that notice those things. Plenty of pocketry and organization to round out what looks to be an amazing update. Looking forward to seeing this one in person soon. Here’s some more pics.

The new Mission Workshop Rhake VX backpack will be priced at $455 and starts shipping today. Visit Mission Workshop for all the details and to order.

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Mission Workshop’s Rhake VX levels up originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 18, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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