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#1
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
Not billed as professional kit, but well worth including here on pure
merit. See he http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h2/ Had mine a couple of days now and it's amazing for the money - £134.99 UKP from: http://www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail...ckCode=ST00643 The benefits a 1. Produces broadcast quality sound from the onboard mics, Sony ECM-MS90 and via the line-in socket. 2. Low price 3. Decent build quality 4. Generous accessories, including...foam windshield, USB cable, Y audio cable, DC power supply, conical handle, 0.25 inch standard screw fitting tripod attachment, 512Mb SD card, drawstring soft carrying bag & nice-sounding earbuds. 5. Takes Hi capacity SD cards up to 8Gb. I am using a Sandisk Extreme III 2GB. So you can be sure it works with those. 6. Good printed manual in well-written English - easy to understand. But most readers of this group could start using the H2 without even bothering with the manual. Just make sure the battery meter is set for NiMh cells (if you are using them) and that's your reading done. The rest is so intuitive. 7. No 'funny noises' attending what you actually record 8. Date/time stamped recordings And the demerits: 1. No balanced XLR sockets with phantom power 2. Very small LCD screen - reading glasses may be required 3. What appears to be a USB 1.1 interface. Transfers from the device to the PC are slow. Best use a proper USB 2.0 card reader. If you want to get great quality audio into your PC this is it. I don't think there's anything else on the market right now that trounces the H2 in terms of 'price versus performance'. I can't recommend it highly enough. A 'must have' tool for the discerning musician and journalist. |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Jan 4, 3:29 pm, wrote:
Not billed as professional kit, but well worth including here on pure merit. See he http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h2/ Had mine a couple of days now and it's amazing for the money - £134.99 UKP from: http://www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail...ckCode=ST00643 The benefits a 1. Produces broadcast quality sound from the onboard mics, Sony ECM-MS90 and via the line-in socket. Gawd I hate that term "Broadcast Quality". It relly used to mean something when reel- reel was the standard. Now, with MP3's dominating the airwaves, the only way that quality is measured is in profit. I am certain that the H2 is a wonderful toy, but that is really all that can be said for it- that and It's cheap!!! |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Jan 4, 8:20*pm, Richard Kuschel wrote:
Gawd I hate that term "Broadcast Quality". It relly used to mean something when reel- reel was the standard. Now, with MP3's dominating the airwaves, the only way that quality is measured is in profit. Oh don't be such a grouch, Richard : ) I'm happy in my knowledge that all the interviews I made on my Sony Walkman were "broadcast quality". After all, they were "broadcast", as were the all the telephone interviews into the Radio Shack cassette phone recorder. I think it's an amusing concept. Does it mean it'll pass muster in the AM radio in my car? |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Jan 4, 9:33 pm, rboy wrote:
Oh don't be such a grouch, Richard : ) I'm happy in my knowledge that all the interviews I made on my Sony Walkman were "broadcast quality". "Broadcast quality" is the new "CD quality." |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
Mike Rivers wrote:
On Jan 4, 9:33 pm, rboy wrote: Oh don't be such a grouch, Richard : ) I'm happy in my knowledge that all the interviews I made on my Sony Walkman were "broadcast quality". "Broadcast quality" is the new "CD quality." "Almost as good as AM radio!" --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Jan 5, 2:57 pm, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
"Almost as good as AM radio!" But AM radio is better (fidelity-wise, not content-wise) today than when I was growing up and listening on headphones connected to a crystal detector. I think that I got to be the way I am today by licking the lead mount for the galena crystal trying to get better contact, for better reception. |
#7
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
It could be worse. "Broadcast Quality" is heavily abused on SSB(Single
Side Band) I guess if you can understand it, then it can be broadcasted....lol Phineas aka K0KMA On Jan 4, 9:33*pm, rboy wrote: On Jan 4, 8:20*pm, Richard Kuschel wrote: Gawd I hate that term "Broadcast Quality". It relly used to mean something when reel- reel was the standard. Now, with MP3's dominating the airwaves, the only way that quality is measured is in profit. Oh don't be such a grouch, Richard : *) * *I'm happy in my knowledge that all the interviews I made on my Sony Walkman were "broadcast quality". *After all, they were "broadcast", as were the all the telephone interviews into the Radio Shack cassette phone recorder. I think it's an amusing concept. *Does it mean it'll pass muster in the AM radio in my car? |
#8
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
Gawd I hate that term "Broadcast Quality".
Does it mean better or worse than "CD Quality"? When somebody tells me something is "CD Quality" I usually reply "Oh, is it really that bad?" Scott Fraser |
#9
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Fri, 4 Jan 2008 17:20:02 -0800 (PST), Richard Kuschel
wrote: On Jan 4, 3:29 pm, wrote: 1. Produces broadcast quality sound from the onboard mics, Sony ECM-MS90 and via the line-in socket. Gawd I hate that term "Broadcast Quality". It relly used to mean something when reel- reel was the standard. Now, with MP3's dominating the airwaves, the only way that quality is measured is in profit. I am certain that the H2 is a wonderful toy, but that is really all that can be said for it- that and It's cheap!!! Yes. You are right. It's been a long time since I was in broadcasting... The days when Studers, Nagras and Uhers ruled the roost and most journos dashed about doing interviews with Sony Professional Walkmen, the recordings from which, BBC studio managers would regularly refuse to dub because of the poor quality. Then, as deadlines approached, tempers flared... Great fun. But with this little gadget - the H2 - I don't somehow think even the crankiest AS could object to the quality from it. The only downside is the lack of professional features. But at this ridiculously low price one cannot really complain. |
#10
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Jan 5, 6:12 pm, wrote:
But with this little gadget - the H2 - I don't somehow think even the crankiest AS could object to the quality from it. The only downside is the lack of professional features. If I remember correctly, you can turn on a pre-record buffer to catch what was said or played a few seconds before your finger hit the Record button. That's a "professional" feature that a lot of journalists probably wished they had at some time or other. |
#11
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
Mike Rivers wrote:
On Jan 5, 6:12 pm, wrote: But with this little gadget - the H2 - I don't somehow think even the crankiest AS could object to the quality from it. The only downside is the lack of professional features. If I remember correctly, you can turn on a pre-record buffer to catch what was said or played a few seconds before your finger hit the Record button. That's a "professional" feature that a lot of journalists probably wished they had at some time or other. Yes, a two seconds pre-record buffer. It's on by default. Absolutely life-saving. Cheers John |
#12
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Jan 4, 2:29 pm, wrote:
Not billed as professional kit, but well worth including here on pure merit. See he http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h2/ Had mine a couple of days now and it's amazing for the money - £134.99 UKP from: http://www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail...ckCode=ST00643 The benefits a 1. Produces broadcast quality sound from the onboard mics, Sony ECM-MS90 and via the line-in socket. 2. Low price 3. Decent build quality 4. Generous accessories, including...foam windshield, USB cable, Y audio cable, DC power supply, conical handle, 0.25 inch standard screw fitting tripod attachment, 512Mb SD card, drawstring soft carrying bag & nice-sounding earbuds. 5. Takes Hi capacity SD cards up to 8Gb. I am using a Sandisk Extreme III 2GB. So you can be sure it works with those. 6. Good printed manual in well-written English - easy to understand. But most readers of this group could start using the H2 without even bothering with the manual. Just make sure the battery meter is set for NiMh cells (if you are using them) and that's your reading done. The rest is so intuitive. 7. No 'funny noises' attending what you actually record 8. Date/time stamped recordings And the demerits: 1. No balanced XLR sockets with phantom power 2. Very small LCD screen - reading glasses may be required 3. What appears to be a USB 1.1 interface. Transfers from the device to the PC are slow. Best use a proper USB 2.0 card reader. If you want to get great quality audio into your PC this is it. I don't think there's anything else on the market right now that trounces the H2 in terms of 'price versus performance'. I can't recommend it highly enough. A 'must have' tool for the discerning musician and journalist. I did a little comparison of my H2 to my full boat recording rig: http://www.fxguidry.com/pblog/index....y071201-161322 If the H2 is a toy, it's the single niftiest toy I've ever had in my hands. Fran |
#13
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Sat, 5 Jan 2008 10:03:44 -0800 (PST), Fran Guidry
wrote: On Jan 4, 2:29 pm, wrote: Not billed as professional kit, but well worth including here on pure merit. See he http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h2/ Had mine a couple of days now and it's amazing for the money - £134.99 UKP from: http://www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail...ckCode=ST00643 The benefits a 1. Produces broadcast quality sound from the onboard mics, Sony ECM-MS90 and via the line-in socket. 2. Low price 3. Decent build quality 4. Generous accessories, including...foam windshield, USB cable, Y audio cable, DC power supply, conical handle, 0.25 inch standard screw fitting tripod attachment, 512Mb SD card, drawstring soft carrying bag & nice-sounding earbuds. 5. Takes Hi capacity SD cards up to 8Gb. I am using a Sandisk Extreme III 2GB. So you can be sure it works with those. 6. Good printed manual in well-written English - easy to understand. But most readers of this group could start using the H2 without even bothering with the manual. Just make sure the battery meter is set for NiMh cells (if you are using them) and that's your reading done. The rest is so intuitive. 7. No 'funny noises' attending what you actually record 8. Date/time stamped recordings And the demerits: 1. No balanced XLR sockets with phantom power 2. Very small LCD screen - reading glasses may be required 3. What appears to be a USB 1.1 interface. Transfers from the device to the PC are slow. Best use a proper USB 2.0 card reader. If you want to get great quality audio into your PC this is it. I don't think there's anything else on the market right now that trounces the H2 in terms of 'price versus performance'. I can't recommend it highly enough. A 'must have' tool for the discerning musician and journalist. I did a little comparison of my H2 to my full boat recording rig: http://www.fxguidry.com/pblog/index....y071201-161322 If the H2 is a toy, it's the single niftiest toy I've ever had in my hands. Fran Thanks for the real-world demo. The difference is quite obvious, but for the $$ that little thing sounds great. I think I know where some of my tax refund will be going. SWB |
#14
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
Fran Guidry wrote:
I did a little comparison of my H2 to my full boat recording rig: http://www.fxguidry.com/pblog/index....y071201-161322 Many thanks for that comparison. An interesting test. If the H2 is a toy, it's the single niftiest toy I've ever had in my hands. I am more than happy to be using it. One work around for the crappy mechanism for attaching it to a mic stand is to use the Roland OP-R09M adapter for their R-09 recorder. http://www.roland.com/products/en/OP-R09M/ Cheers John |
#15
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
John Lamp wrote:
Fran Guidry wrote: I did a little comparison of my H2 to my full boat recording rig: http://www.fxguidry.com/pblog/index....y071201-161322 Many thanks for that comparison. An interesting test. If the H2 is a toy, it's the single niftiest toy I've ever had in my hands. I am more than happy to be using it. One work around for the crappy mechanism for attaching it to a mic stand is to use the Roland OP-R09M adapter for their R-09 recorder. A standard security camera ball-joint swivel stand is great. And the plastic lug thing works fine. But it took me a few minutes to firgure that it wasn't a cheesy 'handle' !!! geoff |
#16
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
geoff wrote:
John Lamp wrote: Fran Guidry wrote: I did a little comparison of my H2 to my full boat recording rig: http://www.fxguidry.com/pblog/index....y071201-161322 Many thanks for that comparison. An interesting test. If the H2 is a toy, it's the single niftiest toy I've ever had in my hands. I am more than happy to be using it. One work around for the crappy mechanism for attaching it to a mic stand is to use the Roland OP-R09M adapter for their R-09 recorder. A standard security camera ball-joint swivel stand is great. And the plastic lug thing works fine. But it took me a few minutes to firgure that it wasn't a cheesy 'handle' !!! geoff The only TOTAL COCKUP is that is only has a USB 1.1 interface, not USB2. WHY did they do that ? Yes, you can stick the card in an external card-reader.... geoff |
#17
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Jan 6, 4:43 pm, "geoff" wrote:
The only TOTAL COCKUP is that is only has a USB 1.1 interface, not USB2. WHY did they do that ? Yes, you can stick the card in an external card-reader.... What's the problem? Speed of transfer? Start it copying files and take a leak. Have a cup of tea. Pet your cat. Decide who you want for president. It was probably a cost/compatibility issue. The H2 is more of a "real people's" recorder than a cutting edge product. If it was an 8-track recorder, that might justify the speed of USB2, but there just isn't that much data to worry about speed. |
#18
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Jan 6, 12:27 pm, Organfreak wrote:
1. No balanced XLR sockets with phantom power That's why they also sell something called the H4. No, the fact that too few people used the XLRs and phantom power drove them to building the H2 without. All in all, unless you really need features of the H4 that the H2 doesn't provide, the H2 is a far better product. It's easier to use than the H4, the mics are more versatile and they sound better, and it'll probably not break as soon. "Specs" have little meaning in a product like this. It's performance and usability that count, and I think the H2 does a good job. Would I sell the Nagra? No. But I'd buy an H2 and use it for things it does best. |
#19
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Jan 6, 1:39 pm, Organfreak wrote:
Fine, I wouldn't disagree. But all I did was state a fact for those who are looking for Canon mic inputs. Those looking for XLR inputs should be looking at the total picture. It may be that the H4 is the best choice for them. I could point out the 2 second pre-record buffer of the H2. Those looking for that might have to choose between the buffer and XLR inputs. Adapters are easy to make. Buffers and phantom power supplies are not, but phantom power supplies are easier than buffers. |
#20
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - Brilliant!
On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 09:27:35 -0800, Organfreak
wrote: blatted: Not billed as professional kit, but well worth including here on pure merit. See he http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h2/ [SNIP] And the demerits: 1. No balanced XLR sockets with phantom power That's why they also sell something called the H4. But was there not a 'whistling' issue with that? And besides, the H4 looks absolutely awful - rather akin to one of those electric shock devices used for self-defence. There are some things you just cannot be seen with, no matter how well they perform (or not). Whereas, the H2 is devoid of undocumented features and looks fine. It's also exceptionally well-priced... |
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