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#1
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Zoom H2n
Just got a fascinating little portable digital recorder, the Zoom H2n.
http://www.samsontech.com/zoom/produ...recorders/h2n/ This one little device can record in XY stereo, MS stereo, and discrete or mixed down to 2 channel surround sound. There are four microphones in it, an MS pair oriented in one direction and an XY pair aimed in the opposite direction. It is unbelievably versatile in what it can do. You can record in MS "raw" mode so that you can decide afterward what mix of Mid and Side you want, using either your DAW or you can mix it right inside the Zoom! You can monitor in either the raw mode or in the resultant stereo mix, and you can set the mix and have it record directly to MS stereo already mixed. The surround sound can be recorded discretely in 4 channels and mixed later or in 2 channels arleady mixed down. I am getting some surprising effects in the various modes, listening in Dolby Prologic. I am searching for the perfect mode to record surround sound of live concerts. The sound quality seems to be very good, although there are no figures for measurements on it from the manufacturer. It can't be perfect for a price of $199, but it is certainly a versatile companion for any musician or producer who wants to capture an event or performance with minimal fuss. Does anyone know how to measure the frequency response of a microphone? Gary Eickmeier |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Zoom H2n
On Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:49:07 -0800, Gary Eickmeier wrote
(in article ): Just got a fascinating little portable digital recorder, the Zoom H2n. http://www.samsontech.com/zoom/produ...recorders/h2n/ This one little device can record in XY stereo, MS stereo, and discrete or mixed down to 2 channel surround sound. There are four microphones in it, an MS pair oriented in one direction and an XY pair aimed in the opposite direction. It is unbelievably versatile in what it can do. You can record in MS "raw" mode so that you can decide afterward what mix of Mid and Side you want, using either your DAW or you can mix it right inside the Zoom! You can monitor in either the raw mode or in the resultant stereo mix, and you can set the mix and have it record directly to MS stereo already mixed. The surround sound can be recorded discretely in 4 channels and mixed later or in 2 channels arleady mixed down. I am getting some surprising effects in the various modes, listening in Dolby Prologic. I am searching for the perfect mode to record surround sound of live concerts. The sound quality seems to be very good, although there are no figures for measurements on it from the manufacturer. It can't be perfect for a price of $199, but it is certainly a versatile companion for any musician or producer who wants to capture an event or performance with minimal fuss. Does anyone know how to measure the frequency response of a microphone? Gary Eickmeier Difficult to do. Microphone measurement requires a lot of specialized equipment if the tests are going to be "normalized" enough to make any meaningful measurements or comparisons. I have a Zoom H2 (the H2n's predecessor), and used it for a long time as a backup recorder to my laptop Mac/Audacity recording setup. It has saved my butt several times and I still use it as backup with my Korg MR-1000 DSD recorder. At 24/96, it makes impressive sounding recordings. I have played with it's built-in microphones and can tell you that while they will make some decent recordings, there's not much in the way of bass below about 80 Hz and they aren't the quietest mikrophones in Christendom. That's just the nature of those small capsule electret mikes, I'm afraid. |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Zoom H2n
"Audio Empire" wrote in message
... On Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:49:07 -0800, Gary Eickmeier wrote (in article ): Does anyone know how to measure the frequency response of a microphone? Gary Eickmeier Difficult to do. Microphone measurement requires a lot of specialized equipment if the tests are going to be "normalized" enough to make any meaningful measurements or comparisons. I have a Zoom H2 (the H2n's predecessor), and used it for a long time as a backup recorder to my laptop Mac/Audacity recording setup. It has saved my butt several times and I still use it as backup with my Korg MR-1000 DSD recorder. At 24/96, it makes impressive sounding recordings. I have played with it's built-in microphones and can tell you that while they will make some decent recordings, there's not much in the way of bass below about 80 Hz and they aren't the quietest mikrophones in Christendom. That's just the nature of those small capsule electret mikes, I'm afraid. I just downloaded the Vortexzoom surround sound encoder that claims to be able to make DD 5.1 compatible and DTS compatible discrete surround recordings from the Zoom or any two WAV files. I have made a couple of experimental recordings in full surround and in the process of seeing how to record them to disc for playback on a typical home theater system. I will have to try recording to both CD and DVD discs, then play them on both the CD player and the DVD player (which has a TOSLINK optical connection to the receiver). One way or another I am going to figure out how to make home made surround recordings that I can send to someone else. If this works with the Zoom, then I can also make higher quality recordings with four better microphones and encode them. Will let you know. Gary Eickmeier |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Zoom H2n
[snip]
If this works with the Zoom, then I can also make higher quality recordings with four better microphones and encode them. Will let you know. Gary Eickmeier Gary, I took a look at the H2n specs and I didn't see a provision for external mics. Did I miss that? I use an H4n with external mics to record chamber performances and I love it. I agree with a pervious poster on the quality of the built-in mics - pretty good, but not much bass. Since I usually record in noisy places, I use the H4n's hi-pass filter at 80Hz anyway to get rid of traffic rumbles, HVAC, etc. I've recorded without the filter and applied EQ afterwards. Frankly, I cannot hear much if any difference. I use a Tascam recorder for backup, but I may buy the H2n and let it record in surround mode for backup. Thanks for the info! Jason |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Zoom H2n
On Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:05:04 -0800, Jason wrote
(in article ): [snip] If this works with the Zoom, then I can also make higher quality recordings with four better microphones and encode them. Will let you know. Gary Eickmeier Gary, I took a look at the H2n specs and I didn't see a provision for external mics. Did I miss that? The H2N has only a single mini-stereo plug (1/8") input (IIRC) and it switches between 2-channel line-level and TWO external microphones (for which it will supply "plug-in power"), but not four. The main differences between the H2 (like I have ) and the H2N is that the "N" model has a different way of selecting the built-in microphones' pick-up patterns and a more user-friendly control interface. If one is going use external microphones with the recorder, there's little real difference between the two, feature-wise and spec-wise, but the addition of a remote control for operating the recorder on a folding camera tripod makes it much more useful as a stand-alone recorder (you don't have to physically touch it to start and stop the recording). Too bad the remote isn't infrared or RF and is, instead, wired. Maybe in the recorder's next iteration!? |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.high-end
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Zoom H2n
"Jason" wrote in message
... [snip] If this works with the Zoom, then I can also make higher quality recordings with four better microphones and encode them. Will let you know. Gary Eickmeier Gary, I took a look at the H2n specs and I didn't see a provision for external mics. Did I miss that? I use an H4n with external mics to record chamber performances and I love it. I agree with a pervious poster on the quality of the built-in mics - pretty good, but not much bass. Since I usually record in noisy places, I use the H4n's hi-pass filter at 80Hz anyway to get rid of traffic rumbles, HVAC, etc. I've recorded without the filter and applied EQ afterwards. Frankly, I cannot hear much if any difference. I use a Tascam recorder for backup, but I may buy the H2n and let it record in surround mode for backup. Thanks for the info! Jason Jason - and all - Yes, the H2n has one external mike input, a stereo mini jack. That is an EXCELLENT idea Jason. I have some Audio Technika mikes that I could use for the front channels in XY or MS mode. I guess I could even use them in my favorite 3 spaced omni configuration, mixed down to 2 channels. Then the little Zoom's rear mikes could be balanced with the front in editing with some cut and try on levels. I must read more in my manual to see which side the external mikes would sub for, and therefore how to proceed. But the exciting part is this: I have finally succeeded in making surround sound recordings that can be played on CD in your home theater receiver. I'm talking discrete 4 channel surround in a DTS 5.1 format file. You can get the encoder for $20 here http://www.vortexzoom.com/ The procedure is to make a surround recording with two stereo mikes pointing foreward and aft. I am using the little Zoom H2n recorder that I bought at Best Buy for $147. It is making full surround recordings for me that are clear as a bell and so easy to do... But you can use any two WAV files that are 16 bit/44.1 k. You then download to the computer and drop the front and rear files onto the encoder and it will make a DTS surround file for you, which is an interleaved file for all 5.1 channels, even though the center and the .1 subwoofer channel are blank. The resulting file looks like a compressed disaster and sounds like white noise if played normally, but when put through your DVD player with digital output to your receiver it decodes into a full fidelity DTS playback. I am still working on editing these files. The trick is to keep front and rear in sync while you edit Probably will use some form of Multitrack edit and then output each track seperately rather than mixing down to one stereo file in Audition. Anyway, when done encoding into the DTS stream, you open in Audition and drop into your CD list and Write CD. If you have broken up the recording into several cuts, the CD will play that way, and you could see the different cuts onscreen if viewing it in a DVD player. It shows the cuts and the track times etc on my particular player. I imagine I will eventually be shooting surround sound Hi Def video, if I can figure out the editing of these weird files to keep them in sync with the shots. This is superb. Gary Eickmeier |
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