We've been using the " Roland/Edirol. Their R-1 WAV/MP3 Recorder..." at a number of open sessions and festivals in the past two months and it performs extremely well. It can run for hours on its batteries. It's two stereo mics work well if they focus on a performer; you'll want external mics if you want to cover a wider area and that is possible. It records to flashcards which can be readily replaced and uploaded into computers. The recorder is compact, about the size of a cigarette pack, and appears to be pretty rugged. My wife JudyB knows more about its technical specs but I think it's vastly superior to what we've worked with before. It is expensive.

Charley Noble