As the company’s latest entry into a rather crowded field the Roland R-05 portable, SD-based stereo recorder offers the most important features of its big brother, the R-09HR, but for $100 less ($299 MSRP, $249 street). The new R-05 boasts superb audio quality, a compact size, and simple operation at a price point that is within reach of most musicians.

Big Tiny
The R-05 is all about portability. At 2 3/8-inches wide and 4-inches tall, and weighing a paltry 5 ounces, the form factor is in the same realm as an iPhone or pack of cigarettes. It fits easily into a shirt pocket or the pouch of a gig bag, making it available during any sonic endeavor. The case is made of aluminum and plastic and feels relatively sturdy, though I would recommend getting their rubber case for more protection (see below). The R-05 comes with a 2GB SD memory card (the unit supports the SDHC format), a pair of AA batteries, a USB cable, and a foam windscreen cover for the microphones.

FIG. 1: Simple: The inputs are on top.

The R-05’s built-in stereo microphones, positioned across the top of the unit, are a spaced pair of omnidirectional capsules in an A-B configuration (see Fig. 1). The resulting recordings are both spacious and realistic, with an even-sounding frequency response and a surprising amount of low-end for such small capsules. The built-in microphones are fixed position, which is no surprise (the least expensive field recorder I’ve seen with adjustable mic position is the Sony PCM-D50, which costs twice as much).

You can also record using the 1/8-inch stereo line and microphone inputs, located between the mic capsules on top of the unit. The mic input supports plug-in powered mics.

FIG. 2: Outputs are on the left.

The only other connections are a power input (AC adaptor not included), a mini-USB port, and an 1/8-inch headphone output (see Fig. 2). There is no dedicated line output, though using the headphone out at a low volume can work. The R-05 can be powered by a pair of AA batteries or the an AC adapter (optional), and according to Roland, a pair of alkaline AA’s will give you over 16 hours of recording time. To further save batteries, there is an automatic power-off feature, which can be overridden if desired. The power button on the side of the unit also doubles as the Hold button, which locks out any accidental button presses (see Fig. 3)

The transport controls are handled by a four-directional rocker button, with a centrally located record button. This allows you to control all transport functions with your thumb without having to look at the unit. The same button is used to handle navigation through the menus and file directories.

Besides the tripod mount, the rear panel has a gain switch for the mics, a limiter switch to help prevent signal overload, as well as a low-cut filter that can be set to 100, 200, or 400 Hz (see Fig. 4). (Input level is adjusted by a pair of front-panel buttons, in conjunction with the back-panel gain switch.)

FIG. 3: You can put the R-05 into Hold mode with a thumb using the switch on the right side.

In addition, the unit offers a Rehearsal button on the front. When you enter this nifty mode, you can play for 30 seconds or so, and the R-05 will automatically adjust the input level to an optimal setting.

What Can It Do?
The R-05 can record 16 or 24-bit WAV files at 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz, as well as MP3 files at 64 through 320 kbps. With the enclosed 2 GB card, you could record 1,993 minutes at 128 kpbs in MP3, and 55 minutes at 24-bit, 96 kHz in WAV. If you install a 32 GB card, you could record 32,350 minutes at 128 kbps, which is more than 22 days of recording time!

The unit has a menuing system to adjust such settings as date and time, language, and recording format. When connected to a Mac or PC by USB, the R-05 appears as a peripheral on the desktop, just as a digital camera would, allowing you to drag and drop files to your computer. You can also manipulate files within the R-05 without connecting it to a computer at all. The R-05’s Finder mode lets you delete, rename, move, copy, divide, combine, and trim files, as well as convert WAV files to MP3.

The R-05 has a couple of additional features that help musicians. The first is a mode where you can loop a piece of audio on the fly for repeated playback. You can also change the playback speed without changing the pitch, to between 50 percent and 150 percent of the original speed. Using these two functions in conjunction is a great way to learn how to play that tricky guitar solo you’ve always wanted to figure out.

FIG. 4: The rear panel includes the limiter and low-cut switches.

You can also apply four different types of reverb to your audio while playing back. Note that it doesn’t change the audio file itself, but simply adds a bit of spaciousness to the file while you are listening to it. Neither reverb nor playback speed changes are available when playing back an 88.1 or 96 kHz file.

Taking It to the Streets
During the period I had the R-05 for review, it seemed that there wasn’t a day that I didn’t use it for something. A new band came over to rehearse for a gig, so I left the R-05 running to capture the discussions and run-throughs. Two days later, at the gig, I positioned the R-05 on top of my keyboard, and recorded a surprisingly well-balanced mix of the band. All frequencies—from kick drum and bass guitar all the way up to the cymbals—were present and accounted for, without a lick of self-noise. The following morning, I transferred the files over USB, converted them to MP3, and they were posted to the Internet within 12 hours of the performance.

The following night, I took the R-05 to a baseball stadium, to record an arena-level rock act. We sat at least 150 feet from the nearest PA column. I placed the R-05 on my leg, affixed the windscreen over the microphones, and recorded the entire concert. The results were wonderful, blending our comments through the show with the music itself. In this case, I ended up boosting the treble and rolling off some of the low-mids after the fact, in order to compensate for the location of the recorder, which was blocked from receiving some of the more directional high-frequency material by the audience members in front of us.

Back in the studio, I sat the R-05 on top of my Wurlitzer electric piano while noodling around. Before long, a song began to emerge, and the R-05 captured the piano and vocals, along with my comments. This approach is perfect for songwriting, where you can assemble a library of musical tidbits for later review and refinement.

I was next asked to answer a series of questions about game audio for a research paper. I switched the R-05 to record MP3 at 128 kbps, and used it as a dictation device, continually hitting the pause button as I developed my thoughts. Once done, it was a trivial matter to download the material to my computer and post it to my Website for the author. The ability to record directly to MP3 saved me a conversion step, and the sound quality for spoken word was more than adequate.

I do a great deal of sound design work for video games and film, and for years I have toted around a $5,000 field-recording rig, with top-of-the-line microphones and a hard-drive Firewire recorder. A high-end system like this can deliver the flexibility and sound quality that a $250 recorder just can’t compete with. However, the reality is that the high-end system is so cumbersome that it is not practical to have it available except for when specifically using it on a project. The R-05, on the other hand, is so portable that it is reasonable to have it in your pocket all the time. This allows you to capture that train pass-by, bird song, or interesting door squeak serendipitously, right when you discover it. The world is full of interesting sounds, and the R-05’s compact size means that it can be there to help you capture it.

Accessorize Me
There are a series of accessories that you might want to pick up if you purchase an R-05. At the top of my list is the OP-R05S silicone rubber case ($29 MSRP), which fits completely around the R-05 and protects the aluminum casing from the inevitable dings and scrapes of everyday use.

There is also the OP-RP1 carrying case ($59 MSRP) and OP-MSA1 microphone stand adapter. Roland’s mic options include the innovative CS-10EM ($149 MSRP) earbud/binaural mic combo.

At Play in the Fields
Because reviewers tend to see quite a bit of equipment, perhaps the strongest recommendation comes for a product that the reviewer buys from a manufacturer, rather than returning it after the review. Such is the case with this reviewer and the Roland R-05.

The R-05 is a great product, and its portability, sound quality, ease of use, and low price-point combine to create a near-perfect recorder, in my opinion. It is such a useful device that any musician who doesn’t already have a portable recorder should seriously consider it. Whether for songwriting, rehearsal, dictation, field recording, or gig recording, the R-05 does the job.

Pros: Excellent sound quality. Extremely portable and compact. Simple user interface. Ability to record at a variety of sample rates and formats. Phenomenal value.
Cons: Flimsy windscreen. Fixed position microphones.

Nick Peck is a composer, sound designer, vintage keyboardist, and audio engineer working in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit him at www.underthebigtree.com.