Even thought these are details which should have been resolved by now, they are not. I keep changing my mind over which buttons and dials to use and how to indicate that the device is recording.
Once I think I’ve found the right button or dial I end up finding another potential option online, or even lying on the street! Since the feel of the device is going to be an important aspect, I have to make my choice carefully.
Thankfully, I’ve made my mind up (for now) about the light which will indicate that the device is recording. I will use a short rod of clear perspex to transmit the light from a blue LED on a USB stick inside the recorder. This makes the light quite subtle, which is something I wanted because I find it annoying when you catch someones attention in photography ,or audio recording, when a light from the camera distracts them.
I’m not usually keen on blue light so I was tempted to change the colour but it actually seems to go very well with everything else. I’m not sure why, but transmission of light through perspex in very intriguing. When I was younger I was always very impressed by the dashboards of VW cars that seemed to use this method very effectively.