Whether you’re a journalist needing to interview a person in the most challenging locations or an undercover agent needing to record a conversation, you’ll need a recorder that can capture even the smallest sound. But tape recorders can be bothersome–not only are they bulky, you’ll also need a constant supply of cassette tapes whose quality can deteriorate over time.

Make the switch then to digital audio recorders. These gadgets have retained the powerful recording capacities of older recorders (with some going even better technologically). These recorders make use of a built-in memory drive for easy file transfer and playback. Memory capacity also varies, from an economical 128 MB to a whopping 40 GB. Most of these digital voice recorders are also sleek and small, so carrying them isn’t a hassle.