Another mammoth company jumping on the field recorder bandwagon is TASCAM, who launched the DR-1 portable recorder at Winter NAMM 2008. It includes a 1GB SD Card for hours of audio capture using a pair of built-in microphones mounted on a variable angle mechanism.

The DR-1 also features auto gain control and analog limiting. A low-frequency cutoff eliminates noise from handling or wind. It's MAP price is $299.00, which is tasty considering its capabilities. For more input, check out what Paul Jenkins, TASCAM's Director of Marketing, had to say:

"The DR-1 is the portable recorder that everyone's been waiting for. It's the first to include a card big enough for serious recording, and the price point is a wake-up call for the entire industry. TASCAM has a thirty-year history of creating the recorders that musicians want, and the DR-1 is sure to be our latest hit recorder."

The DR-1 also claims to pack a "mobile truck full of equipment into a recorder compact enough to fit in your pocket." If you buy two, you can probably fit an immobile truck full of equipment into your opposite pocket. This feature list gives you more of the skinny:

• Portable, handheld recording
• Built-in stereo condenser microphone
• Variable angle microphone mechanism with A/B Configuration
• 48 or 44.1kHz / 24-bit resolution
• MP3 and WAVE file recording and playback
• Switchable low cut filter
• Analog auto gain control and limiter
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• USB 2.0 computer connection
• Built in tuner and vocal cancel features
• Overdub feature for recording narration, singing, or instruments over an existing recording