Russ Gershon's review of the Sanyo Xacti Digital Sound Recorder (ICR-XPS01M)

There are a number of pocket-sized digital recording devices on the market, but I was primarily intrigued by the Sanyo Xacti because it can record in several different formats: MP3s of differing resolutions, which is typical for this class of device, and also PCM files, which are uncompressed and have higher fidelity than MP3s.

I have now used the Xacti to record both rehearsals and live performances.  It was excellent for both: even without changing memory cards, I was able to simply pop the unit into record and leave it running for a three hour rehearsal, without having to worry about running out of time.  Later, I easily transferred the file into a Pro Tools session, where I edited it as needed.  To record a live performance where I wanted higher fidelity, I used PCM mode and the five band EQ.  The design is intuitive, once you've spent 15 to 30 minutes with the manual, and the unit sounds good.  

A month into using the Xacti, my biggest worry is losing the unit – it's so tiny it makes my Iphone look like a refrigerator!