
The Yamaha Pocketrak 2G is one of the smallest and lightest high-end portable audio recorders available today. There's nothing small about the Pocketrak 2G's $450 price, however, and its limited features and recording capacity will have demanding users heading toward Yamaha's bulkier competition.
Compared with competitors such as the Zoom H2, Edirol R-09, and Olympus LS-10, the features of the Yamaha Pocketrak 2G are relatively few. You won't find microphone compressor settings, low-cut filters, or 24-bit recording modes on the Pocketrak 2G, and the inability to expand its memory beyond the built-in 2GB is certainly a drawback. That said, the practical advantages of the Pocketrak 2G's compact size may have you overlooking its modest technical features.
The Pocketrak 2G includes five recording quality modes: PCM (16-bit, 44.1kHz, stereo WAV); XHQ (128kbps stereo MP3); HQ (64kbps stereo MP3), SP (32kbps stereo MP3); and LP (16kbps mono MP3). We found the PCM and XHQ settings work well for recording live music, but the lower-resolution settings are useful only for interviews and voice memos.
The onboard professional recording features of the Pocketrak 2G may be lacking, but the bundled Cubase AI recording software is undeniably high quality. You'll have to jump through a few online registration hoops to authorize the Mac and PC-compatible Cubase AI, but the results are well worth it for anyone ready to graduate from working in GarageBand or Audacity. The Cubase AI software allows for recording, mixing, and arranging both audio and MIDI tracks, and includes a suite of effects.
Other features of the Pocketrak 2G include: a 3.5mm microphone input that doubles as a stereo line input; a 3.5mm headphone jack; a built-in speaker; fast and slow playback modes; voice-activated recording; MP3 and WMA music playback; passkey protected recording folders; and an alarm mode that allows you to set a recording timer.
Any old AAA alkaline battery will power the Pocketrak 2G, however, Yamaha throws in an Eneloop brand Ni-MH rechargeable AAA battery, which recharges whenever the device is connected over USB. Because the Pocketrak 2G doesn't include an option for an external power adapter, your total recording time is limited by battery life.


