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Whether you are podcasting or like me just recording the kids concerts, getting good quality audio is a trick. Three years ago I looked into this with clumsy digital players like the iRiver iFP-799 and Sound Professionals recommendations, but it was too complicated.

Normally I just use a handheld camcorder, but the pro’s use a mixing board and professional equipment. Well, that’s way easier these days thanks to Belkin:

• Belkin TuneStudio for iPod 6th Generation. This is $400 list, $200 street device that records directly to an iPod at 16-bit, 44KHz (CD quality sound). It supports 4 inputs and you can use high quality XLR input microphones. Now if only I could find our lost iPod Video, I’d be set. This is perfect for remote situations where you don’t have a studio like at a concert.

• Tascam DR-1 which is a dedicated digital recording device that you put SD cards in. It has a builtin microphone set. And is just $200, so less a pro setup than the Belkin, but way more compact. It takes two microphones in if you want to do that and you can get binaural microphones that fit in your ear which is way cool.

  Microphones. Zzounds is the top rated site on google.