Roland’s R-07 is the handheld recorder that you can control from your phone

Your smartphone can make for a handy portable recorder, but if you need something a little more professional, Roland wants you to take a look at its new R-07.

This compact device promises great results and one-touch recording setup, while Bluetooth compatibility means that you can control it from your mobile or smartwatch and listen back to your recordings using wireless headphones and speakers.

The R-07 can adjust its recording settings automatically to suit the current situation. Select a Scene and the sample rate, record mode, limiter, low cut and input level will be optimised, though you can alter settings manually if you wish.  

You also get dual recording and hybrid limiting; the R-07 can make two simultaneous recordings, one at full level and another slightly lower with more headroom. If it turns out that there’s clipping in the main recording, the problematic section of the audio can be replaced with the lower-level backup. The hybrid limiting feature handles this process automatically if you want it to.

Find out more below and on the Roland website. It costs £200/$230 and is available now.

Roland R-07 specs

  • WAV support: 44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz, 16/24-bit
  • MP3 support: 64/96/128/160/192/224/320 kbps
  • Hybrid Limiter and Dual Recording
  • Bluetooth® remote control with smartphone and smartwatch
  • Wireless headphone and speaker playback
  • One-touch Scene function for instant setup in any recording scenario
  • Tuner and metronome for musical applications
  • Rehearsal function for perfect input levels with a single touch
  • 128 x 64 graphic LCD with white backlight for easy visibility
  • Supports microSD cards (SD, SDHC)
  • Mic/aux Input and headphone output
  • Runs on batteries (AA x 2) or USB bus power
  • Built-in speaker for convenient playback anywhere
  • Stylish, compact design available in black, red, or white
  • Simultaneous WAV and MP3 recording
Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.