I highly reccomend the H2.

Jack Sass

Zoom H2 Review by Spencer Perry of Saybrook

Recently I had the opportunity to demo and review the Zoom H2 courtesy of X-TREMEGEEK.com. http://www.x-tremegeek.com When I first unpackaged the zoom h2, I found that it was a very well packaged device; everything was well organized and neatly laid out. It even had tons of information about it on the box. The recorder though looked a little too plain. Samson’s website says, “The H2 is the only portable recorder with 4 mic capsules on-board for 360° recording. With 4 mic capsules in a W-X/Y configuration, the audio is decoded instantly, bringing these four signals together for unparalleled stereo imaging. But the H2 doesn’t stop there. For maximum flexibility, you can record from the front of the H2 in a 90° pickup pattern or the rear of the H2 in a 120° pickup pattern at up to 96 kHz/24-bit resolution as a WAV file, or as an MP3 file at bitrates up to 320 kbps. Additionally, you can record in a 360° pickup pattern at up to 48kHz/24-bit resolution which will allow you to convert your recordings to 5.1 Surround.”

I read the simple recording guide and found that the controls were quite easy, press record once to put into record mode. Adjust the sensitivity with the [MIC GAIN] switch. Press record once more to start recording, and one more time to stop recording. To play back I plugged in my headphones, and simply pressed play/pause button. My younger brother and I tested it out on a new song he had been writing, and for $199 the sound quality was great.

I used it also to record solo drum tracks. If the guitar/ piano player in my band has a new song he can record his part with the zoom h2, and pass the music file to me so I can practice the song without him being there. It also records unmiced vocals quite well, I apologize that I have not yet had the opportunity to test it on vocals through a pa system. The Zoom H2 has 2 file structures wav and mp3.

The Zoom H2 has great mounting capabilities. Right out of the box we could mount The Zoom H2 on its own stand, a handle that allows you to connect to a mic stand, or a camera tripod using a standard camera mount, which I chose to use for convenience. I think that the Zoom H2 would make an excellent holiday gift. Tell all of your friends. For samples visit http://www.myspace.com/saybrook123.

Product details and purchase information:
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/SearchDetail.asp?productID=22118

I highly reccomend the H2.

Jack Sass

For under $200, I still think the H2 is a great recorder, and in fact I’ve recommended it to several people who seem to be happy with it so far. If you’re looking for a low cost recorder capable of making relatively decent recordings, it’s hard to find anything much cheaper or user friendly. But there are some downsides. It doesn’t sound great with an external microphone. You get some handling noise if using the internal microphones. I’ve had both of these same problems with my Zoom H4, which is why I recently bought a Sony PCM-D50. But as a radio journalist, my sound quality needs might be a bit higher than many people’s who use these devices to record podcasts, musical performances, and the like.

I’m interested in the H2 and was looking for specific information. Your report about hearing a hum gave me pause since I’ve not heard about such a problem, and two people I know own it and tell me it’s super silent.

You wrote “… I do not own a Zoom H2.” Nor is there any indication that you’ve ever even touched or even seen one in person.

I’m just curious why you would write a review on a product you have no experience with? Your review is based on other’s reviews. Seems rather irresponsible don’t you think?