The Sony PCM-D10 is an awesome portable recorder with excellent built-in microphones. Also great for digitizing vinyl up to 24/192. Built like a tank. And right within your budget. I use mine to record live concerts and recitals, sometimes using external microphones for large ensembles.
Microphone recommendation for recording 2 channel demos
Looking to record sound demos from a smartphone but looking for a better microphone. Something like sound sommelier. Unfortunately he doesn’t disclose what mic he uses. Budget would be $500. Thx