Zoom H4N
This is a field recorder that beats carrying around a full briefcase for two-tracking. Some points of interest: 1) It allows you to simultaneously record with the XY on-board mics (90- or 120-degree pattern) and the two TRS inserts, so you can track a show from the front of house engineer’s perspective as well as receive a board feed (add a nice DSLR on a tripod and your YouTube video quality has just improved tenfold). 2) It has an on-board reference speaker... of course carrying headphones is ideal, but should something go awry, you have a second form of monitoring to ensure you’ve received signal. 3) The h4n has the ability to record up to 24-bit/96kHz, and with a USB cord you can turn this thing into an audio interface. Retails under $470. Check http://zoom.co.jp/english/ products/h4n.
