The Best Field Recorders for Portable Audio

Yes, you currently have a device in your pocket capable of capturing audio—your phone. But, the quality of the audio from those tiny microphones leaves a lot to be desired. You’ll easily overwhelm the mics if you try to capture an impromptu jam session with your band. You’ll never get solid stereo imaging of your environment. And echoey lecture halls will reduce any speaker to a muddy mess.

There are plenty of reasons to pick up a field recorder. They can be used to capture lectures at school, record audio for a video shoot, serve as a mobile podcast studio, collect samples to use in your music, and even create IR (impulse responses) for building custom audio effects.

There is also the act of field recording itself—going out and capturing the ambient sounds of the world around you. If you’ve never dabbled before, I can’t recommend it enough. It can teach you to listen more closely to the world around you and make you more observant.

If you work with audio in any way, even as a hobby, a good handheld field recorder is a must-have. Below are our current favorites. Be sure to also check out our guides to the Best Recording Software, the Best Wired Headphones, and the Best USB Microphones. If you’re interested in recording at home as well as outdoors, be sure to check out our guide to leveling up your home recording studio.