Best Audio Recorders

To convert your tapes and vinyl records to CD or MP3, here are the main things to look for:

• Sound Quality - The quality of your old tapes and vinyl records already may already be suffering.  Get a recorder with High Quality recording mode (sometimes called HQ) or better, so your conversion process doesn't make things worse.
• Audio Input Connections - For this to work, your recorder must have an audio input jack.  Depending on your setup, the type of jack needed may be Line-in or Mic (a.k.a. Microphone.)  Most likely, you'll need Line-in.  Look closely when shopping around!  Unfortunately, not many digital audio recorders have this feature.
• (Optional) Timer-based recording - Try to find a recorder that can record for a preset amount of time, instead of recording indefinitely until the battery or the recording capacity run out.  This way, you can start the conversion process each time and not have to closely monitor it.

Also, check out the Buyer's Guide for Voice Recorders for general recommendations and qualities to look for, regardless of the recording purpose.