Previously, I wrote: "The new Olympus LS-7 has no manual level control for the
mic preamp. It's automatic gain control only."
Thanks to forum participant jengomusic, I now know this is not true. The LS-7
does indeed offer manual record level control. During recording or in
record/pause, you can push the fast forward or fast rewind buttons to raise or
lower the record volume, respectively. The details are on page 51 of the user
guide here
http://olympusamericaaudioblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/LS7_ENGLISH_U01.pdf
The LS-7 user guide reveals a nifty implementation of timed recording. I like
to use autonomous timed recording because it removes the effect of the
recordist's presence. Set up the recorder, position it to best effect, and
then leave the scene. The machine will start and stop recording without you on
the schedule you set.
The LS-7 allows you to configure up to three pre-set times to start recording
autonomously. The pre-sets can be configured to run one time only, repeat each
day, or repeat once every week.
Let's say you want to sample for owl vocalizations. The LS-7 allows you to set
start times at 10pm, 1am and 4am. At the appointed hour, the recorder will
start up, record for the length of time you specify, and turn off again.
With the timed recording set and the recorder positioned in the woods, you can
go home to bed. The next morning (or weeks later, thanks to the LS-7's battery
life), retrieve the recorder and review the recorded samples.
The LS-7 also has an alarm playback function, in which you choose the cut to be
played back, and the time when playback will start. This could be useful in
field research as well. Set the playback for a certain time, and set the timed
recording to start right after the playback is complete.
The Olympus LS-7 is set to begin shipment to dealers sometime in March. Only
then will we learn if the LS-7 has some compromise in recording quality.
The LS-7's most common advertised price today is about $200. The big brother
LS-11 recorder, with 4 times the flash memory and longer battery life, is
deeply discounted today to about $240 (Amazon.com and others). This makes me
think that the LS-7 will need additional discounts to be attractive.
--oryoki
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