Before I get into specifically what is the best microcassette recorder, let’s make sure you’re using it right to get the best audio quality.

If there’s a lot of noise or hissing on your tapes, it might not be a recorder quality issue at all but merely a matter of you not talking close or loudly enough into the recorder.

If your transcriptionist is hearing a lot of noise on the tape, it’s likely because they have to turn the volume up high to hear what you said.

Fortunately, it’s easy to fix.  If you’re using a portable recorder, just make sure you hold it close to your mouth and speak loudly and clearly.  This is not time to be shy and whisper.

If you’re going to be doing a lot of dictation all at once, consider getting a lapel mic or headset mic.

If you run into a particularly noisy recording, you could take the tape, digitize it, and then use filtering software to clean up the noise… just like in CSI.

Best Microcassette Recorder

As far as micro cassette recorders go, you’ve got two choices – portable or desktop.  The portable units are the ones you’ll stick in your pocket, the desktop ones have a lot more features and sit on your desktop.

As far as best brands go, in the portable market Sony and Olympus make good ones and in the Desktop market, Dictaphone is far and away the best, with Panasonic making respectable recorders as well.

For portables, if you need the highest quality, go with the Sony BM-575.  If you’re on a budget, get the Olympus Pearlcorder S701.

In the desktop market, the Dictaphone DTP-3751 is an excellent, albeit pricey, dictation machine.  The Panasonic RR930 is a more budget friendly, but still a high quality unit.

Dictating Without A Recorder…

Need a voice recorder in a pinch?  Just about every phone on the planet has a built in voice recorder these days.  All smartphones have them (or in the case of an Android phone, can download and install one in about two minutes).  Even standard phones, however, have them and can come in handy if you don’t have your standalone recorder with you.