I've just bought one of these. The HR model now out (an improvement on the R-09 previous model) I tried it out last night playing the Bach Partita No6. I was amazed at the quality of the playback. I used the 24bit/96Mhz setting which far exceeds audio CD sampling rates. I didn't even place the recorder in the best recommended position, I just put it on the side of the piano. This has to be one of the best WAV/MP3 recorders on the market and reasonably priced. I paid under £250 for it. With this model you get a remote control, stand, USB lead, 512mb SD card, and Cakewalk Pyro audio editing software. A 2GB SD was thrown in with the package. If you're serious about recording your performances and want professional results this unit is highly recommended.

I would heartlily endorse using one of the several portable recorders like this one now available. I recently bought a Zoom H2 which is cheaper than the Edirol (about £150) but probably a bit plasticky by comparison. Sound quality is excellent however. It's also useable as a stereo mic plugged into the mac (or PC) by USB for direct recording (rendering pretty much obsolete at a stroke my Audio Technica condensor mics and Firewire interface). Certainly having a simple compact unit like this means it's more likely to see some use than having to set up a load of "conventional" kit.

I would be interested to know if you can actually detect any difference between the 24/96 and 16/44.1 rates.

There are a number of demo Wav files which are recorded on the included 512mb SD card. These, and I suppose we have to believe Roland, were recorded with the unit 'as is'. There are two recordings of a modern jazz piano piece, one sampled at 24/96 and the other at 16/44. There is , IMO, a quite discernible improvement in tonal quality and depth with the higher rate sampled recording. Others may beg to differ.

Last year i bought a Kawai pr1, which is an acoustic piano recording system that records your performance straight onto a CD. However it cost me £700, but by all accounts it was the best available system for home recording, and i looked at it as a long term investment. The Edirol, I knew about but computers i don't, and i don't even have my own pc...but i'm aware the Wav recorder is very good as i was recomended one before i bought the Kawai. There is a sound demo and video of the PR1 online, and obviously the piano used is fantastic, because it sounds great...my piano is not in that league, but for those who want to make CD's of their performances, and are somewhat techophobic, this system is straightforward to use and very well made.