New Entrants Push Portable MP3 Player Recorders

News analyst Richard Menta posted the following in a recent edition of Digital Music News.

For touring bands, the 4-track cassette player was once the tool of choice for on-the-go recordings. But as MP3 players increase in power and capacity, musicians are likely to favor a burgeoning type of portable digital audio workstation. Two new models were recently announced. The first is from Roland, which just introduced the Boss Micro-BR, a 4-track recorder with 32 virtual tracks. The unit is only slightly bigger than an iPod, operates on two AA batteries, offers microphone and guitar inputs, and features built-in drum tracks. Music is recorded onto SD flash memory, and the unit ships with a 128MB card. Roland has yet to announce pricing or availability.

Also in the game is Trinity Audio Group, which has announced its Trinity DAW. The 10-inch by 6-inch, Linux-based portable is larger than the Roland, and offers a 20GB hard drive, 6.5-inch LCD display, and support for XLR inputs. The Trinity DAW will ship in October of this year, and lists for $1,000. Price-wise, that places the unit near laptops with recording software, another portable recording market segment that has made significant inroads over the last few years.