best + cheapest device to digitally record audio?

[shecky]

i want to be able to record found environmental audio digitally and be able to get the sounds into my Mac and edit them. The sotware part i am not worried about, but I was originally going to do this with an iPod + a voice recorder add-on but i really need much better quality than that. Someone reccomended a MiniDisc Player/Recorder. Any other ideas?

[crazzyeddie]

The Griffin iMic (http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/imic/) sounds like exactly what you need. If you require even higher quality however, you are left with Firewire solutions, such as the ones from M-Audio (http://m-audio.com/index.php).

[shecky]

oops...im sorry i should have clarified, it needs to be portable and small - walkman-size or smaller. not that the iMic is a bad idea, but just not what i need. :)

[jsw]

A used digital camcorder might not be all that expensive, and the sound recording capabilities of some (most?) of them are quite good given the size of the device.

[superbovine]

if you going to pay for a camcorder you might as get a portable DAT.

http://www.zzounds.com/cat--Portable-DAT-Recorders--2818

[minton]

I would recommend the iriver ihp-120 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000EI9VR/qid=1091211121/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-0581092-5801737?v=glance&s=pc&n=507846) together with an external mic. It can record to uncompressed wav or mp3, and you'll have no problems getting the files onto a mac. I would avoid the minidisc - even though the new Hi-MD portable players will let you record to an uncompressed digital format (instead of being stuck with atrac), you'll never be able to get those files onto a mac (the solution is far from ideal even on a pc). There is an exhaustive annotated list covering field recording devices at Vermont Folk Life Center. (http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/res_audioequip.htm)