Tascam DR-07XP audio recorder review

Tascam has a decades-long run of creating high-quality audio equipment and has a thriving user base, who test both quality and usability of everything from field recorders to the massively popular Portastudio multitrack recorders.

But these days the market is much more crowded, with options for all levels of budget and skill, so can Tascam retain its position as a go-to name for recording sound? With the DR-07XP, they hope to win over those looking for a simple-to-operate device at the wallet-friendly end of the market. Not an easy task.

I have a degree in sound production and have used gear from all kinds of manufacturers, at all price points, so I was very keen to see if Tascam's latest could find itself as part of my filmmaking gear list. I recently reviewed the sister product to this, the DR-05XP, which is very similar, with the exception of non-movable mics.

Tascam DR-07XP: Specifications

Tascam DR-07XP: Price

Priced at just $159 / £149, you might wonder if there's a catch – but rest assured, there's none. Considering all the features included, this represents outstanding value. While there are a few compromises (more on those shortly), none diminish its overall quality or worth.

I strongly recommend including this in your gear kit, especially for on-location shoots requiring ambient audio capture, recording acoustic instruments, or producing intimate-sounding voiceovers.

Tascam DR-07XP: Design & build quality

Compact and lightweight at just 184g including batteries, the DR-07XP has a plastic shell but doesn't feel cheap or fragile. Although a metal housing could add a sense of durability, it would also significantly increase the price – a trade-off that feels reasonable here.

The control layout is logical and thoughtfully designed, placing everything comfortably within reach, making one-handed operation effortless. Apart from a sliding hold switch, all recorder functions are accessible via clearly positioned transport controls and additional buttons placed conveniently in between. The buttons provide reassuring tactile feedback, ensuring you always know when they've been activated – an advantage over many similarly priced devices.

Menu usage is minimal, as key functions are easily accessible without excessive navigation. When needed, the menus themselves are simple, intuitive, and clearly labeled.

Above the controls sits a nicely backlit LCD screen. While it lacks color, the straightforward display clearly shows recording levels, battery life, file structure, elapsed recording time, remaining space on your SD card, and status indicators for effects and file format. Adding color would be an unnecessary premium for these essential functions.

At the top of the device, there's a 3.5mm stereo input for an external microphone, flanked by built-in stereo mics in an AB configuration. The primary distinction between the DR-07XP and its slightly more affordable counterpart, the DR-05XP, is the swiveling microphones. This feature allows quick adjustments between AB and XY microphone positions, providing greater flexibility for recording situations.

Tascam DR-07XP: Power

I'm all for various power solutions, as that way I can choose what is most appropriate for the job at hand, so it's good to see Tascam allowing for that here. You can use a USB-C power bank to run this for days, a USB-C converter from a v-mount battery or stick to simple AA batteries.

While you may like to power via a battery bank, my recommendation would be to use AAs, as they are cheap and easy to carry spares, plus a pair of them will easily power recording for a couple of days. I put in a fresh pair and left it recording until it died and turns out Tuscan's stated figures were exceeded, as I got over 18 hours from it. I imagine this may depend on where you source your batteries but mine were cheap Amazon basics ones, a promising sign.

Tascam DR-07XP: Performance

Performance is ultimately the most critical factor when evaluating filmmaking gear, and the Tascam performs admirably in this regard, albeit with a couple of considerations worth noting.

Firstly, the recorder supports both MP3 and WAV file formats, providing flexibility between audio quality and file size. Personally, I prefer WAV for its seamless integration into my workflow, but both formats deliver excellent results. Audio recordings sound clear, crisp, and natural, offering a solid frequency range. Tascam has also thoughtfully included three levels of high-pass filters, allowing users to effectively reduce unwanted low-frequency noises such as traffic rumble, minimizing extra processing in post-production.

A notable advantage of the DR-07XP over its counterpart, the DR-05XP, is its adjustable microphones, which pivot from an AB arrangement to an XY configuration. This adjustment enables a wider stereo field. The practical impact varies based on your recording scenario: recording separate sources on opposite sides of a room highlights the wider stereo noticeably, whereas capturing general ambient sounds shows subtler differences—unless the sources are moving across the stereo field, where the effect becomes distinctly apparent and natural.

Typically, I'd advise filmmakers to be cautious about setting recording levels to avoid peaking and unwanted distortion. However, a standout feature of this Tascam recorder is its ability to record audio in 32-bit float format, effectively removing the risk of clipping. This capability is particularly beneficial for solo shooters or smaller teams working without higher-end audio gear, eliminating one critical concern during production.

Recording in 32-bit float offers significant advantages, comparable to the extensive dynamic range available with modern cameras. It allows substantial flexibility in post-production, enabling easy adjustments to recover audio highlights or low-level sounds. In fact, having this flexibility with audio may be even more impactful than with visuals, given that audiences often find poor audio quality harder to tolerate than subpar visuals.

The positioning of the mics is important, as is the fall-off, which is noticeable here and why I added that caveat earlier.

You get a fantastic breadth from the stereo field, making this great for capturing ambient audio, outdoor field recordings, and so on, but it's not suited for capturing speech on a set. For that, you need a dedicated shotgun or lavalier mic.

That said, if you record voiceovers, podcasts, or even (as suggested by Tascam) arms, then the DR-07XP is really very good. Voiceovers sound crystal clear, and you can hear some very intimate-sounding voice recordings when you place this close to the source. It sounds fantastic.

I wouldn't bother using this with an external mic either. For situations where that would be preferable, you'll want to use a recorder with XLR inputs, and at that point, you're looking at very different devices.

If you are recording speech or even an instrument, then you could record to the micro SD card (up to 512GB supported), but you could also hook it up to your computer via USB-C and use it as a USB microphone, great for small podcasts or recording an interview setup. All around ease of use and is designed to do just what it needs.

I found that switching the mics to XY made a difference to the recorded file, but it wasn't as great as you might expect. There is definitely a widening of the perceived stereo field, which could be useful in capturing ambient audio on location, but otherwise, the differences were very slight. So keep that in mind. If that is something you need for your workflow, then go for it. If not, then I would save a bit of cash and opt for the DR-05XP, which in all other respects is the same as this one.

DR-07XP: Verdict

The DR-07XP is a well-built and thoughtfully designed audio recorder. I love the clarity of close-up captures and the quality of ambient recordings, but don't rely on them for capturing speech at anything more than a few feet away. However, if you're recording voice-overs, podcasts, or interviews, it could be just the ticket. Plus, the single-handed operation and the fact that it can run for an age on a couple of cheap Amazon basics batteries is good news. Plus, it's a bargain!