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user-adjustable or it can be left on auto. The camera is quite capable of low-light recording, but it is also susceptible to washed-out over-exposed images in bright lights—and that included a (classical) concert stage with bright static ceiling lights. Exposure control is available in menu mode, and the Fn (Function) button can be programmed to access exposure control, among other items. Before the 4x zoom is engaged, the lens captures quite a wide field, I’m guessing about the equivalent of a 35–40 mm “wide” lens in terms of 35mm photography. I achieved no images that I would call razor-sharp, that seems to be beyond the lens with its tiny 4.1mm focal length. But for web uploads and other less-thancritical applications it will suffice. Wish list and final thoughts on the LS-20M I wished the LS-20M could shoot still pictures. I missed a real switch for Low/High mic sensitivity and a dedicated button to light up the lower screen. (The Fn button can be programmed for that, but you may want to use it for something else.) The remote control (available separately) is badly needed to get steady video with the LS-20M on a tripod or mic stand, but why does the remote only do Start and Stop? That’s hardly worth the money—why not also incorporate Record, Pause, Recording Level up/ down, Zoom In/Out, and a button to turn on and off the LCD illumination? Then you could keep your mitts off the recorder, raise it up to shoot over any obstacles, and avoid handling noises. The Olympus LS-20M is a handy and very capable device for both audio-only and video recording. It can record good audio and decent video, but its shortcomings cause this reviewer to hope for the next model—which may not be too far off since Olympus tends to replace models at a fast clip.

help of two combo mic/line XLR–1/4" sockets, or from a mini stereo mic input. Additional capabilities like sync and overdub recording, phantom power, metronome and tuner, Lissajous feature for optimal mic placement, and extensive USB functions take it beyond the realm of the grab-it-and-run recorder. A remote control is available as a separate purchase; we did not receive it for review. There are way too many features to describe here; check out the online version of the manual (much more useful than the quick-start booklet in the box) at tinyurl.com/OlympusLS100manualPDF.

while monitoring an existing file (called Play Sync mode, available only with PCM 16-bit/44.1 kHz format). In multitrack mode: Recording up to eight tracks as stereo pairs, or in mono (if using both L+R inputs they get summed) with individual adjustments to tracks, and with playback checking of all tracks or soloing individual tracks. Pitch adjustments of up to plus/minus a half step are possible, as are output balance, Left/Right balance, track reassignment, and overdubbing new tracks (that remain discrete of course). Having filled up 8 tracks doesn’t mean the end of a project. Selected tracks can be bounced into a single track, reassigned, and recording continues. Files can be erased completely, or partially after setting a start and end point. A metronome can be used, with or without a count-off feature. A low-cut filter (100 or 300 Hz) keeps the low end clean. Tracks can be slowed down without affecting the pitch. There’s a built-in tuner, and a Lissajous phase analysis feature with a phase-difference readout for placement of external mics. Sound out The Olympus LS-100 pretty much lets you complete a project to the point of being ready to share around, as a rough mix in stereo, even with its own ability to directly write to an audio CD in PCM 16bit/44.1 kHz format, or converting its PCM files into MP3 files. Then again, if you take the eight tracks and transfer them to your computer where you can align them in your DAW and add effects (the LS-100 has none), you can have the best of both worlds, a nifty front end in the LS-100 and an editing/mixing/mastering back end on your DAW. Final thoughts on the LS-100 I used both the LS-20M (in audio mode) and the LS-100 to bootleg the same concert performances, at one point both set to auto gain, and the LS-100 provided superior audio. That’s probably not only a result of its superior built-in mics, but also due to the intermediate mic sensitivity setting that is lacking on the LS-20M. But then again, as rich an audio tool as it is, the LS-100 doesn’t do video... The LS-100 is a great audio tool. If Olympus finds a way to incorporate a decent set of dynamics processing and effects—nothing fancy, just maybe a compressor and some reverbs at a minimum—then this already outstanding recorder would be a real heavy hitter among portable recorders. Prices: LS-20M, $299; LS-100, $399 More from: Olympus, www.getolympus.com
RECORDING JUNE 2012

LS-100
At twice the thickness of the LS-20M, and with considerably more weight, the LS-100 is more at home in sturdy jacket pockets rather than shirt pockets. But it is versatile enough that it might well become the home-and-away recorder of many a recording musician. Its full name is Multi-Track Linear PCM Recorder, and it can indeed record up to 8 tracks. It does that from either two built-in condenser mics of remarkable quality, or with the Sound in The two built-in mics are fixed, screwed into a sturdy rail that wraps around the top of the recorder, and they are angled out, each at 45 degrees from center. Recording happens in a variety of useful ways. In two-track mode: One pass in stereo, or overdubbing to a previous file (resulting in a new composite mix), or overdubbing into a new discrete file

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http://tinyurl.com/OlympusLS100manualPDF http://www.getolympus.com
Recording - June 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - June 2012
