Olympus announces high-end voice recorders

Olympus has announced a new pair of digital voice recorders, the DM-650 and DM-670, which it claims offer professional-grade features in a surprisingly compact package.

Building on the company's existing DM-450 and DM-550 models, the two new devices improve audio quality thanks to a built-in three-microphone stereo capture system which combines a pair of high-sensitivity directional microphones with a central omnidirectional microphone for total coverage.

The DM-670 adds an extra feature over its smaller brother with Voice Guidance, allowing hands-free control of the system's various features, along with an upgrade from 4GB to 8GB of internal storage. Both models can be boosted with the addition of optional microSD cards.

Both the DM-650 and DM-670 include 'Scene Modes' for the best quality capture in a variety of environments, while Variable Voice Control Actuator technology allows automatic pausing when silence is detected - and can even create new files each time the recording restarts when Voice Sync is detected.

For playback, both models include a noise cancellation function, a voice filter which boosts only the frequencies used in the human voice to improve clarity, and Euphony Mobile surround-sound technology when the included headphones are used.

Both models can be charged over USB, and record in linear PCM format up to 48KHz/16-bit, MP3, or WMA. UK pricing has yet to be confirmed, but European pricing has been announced head of the October launch at €149.99 and €199.99 for the DM-650 and DM-670 respectively (around £133 and £177).