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I have a Zoom H2 and I agree it's a decent little recorder. It's definitely not good for what Peter Hirsch was mentioning, because it takes a little time to boot up, it starts up in a default mode that might not be what you want, and changing the mode takes a lot more than the spur of a moment. For capturing those bird songs or that burbling brook, you can't go wrong with a mic attached to the iPhone, I say again. Near-instant startup, acceptable audio quality, etc. As for the Zoom, between the 1/8" unbalanced connectors, the tiny screen and the convoluted menus, it always ends up being my backup machine. I still have the M-Audio for my main machine, but I wouldn't buy that today given the choice of better, cheaper alternatives. I'd probably buy one of the Tascam machines today. -- Tom Fine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Timothy Wisniewski" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 3:21 PM Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Handheld digital recorder > Thanks, Richard. > > The convertor for generating phantom power would certainly seem consistent > with the 1/4" inputs not having the same problem. I'll have to test the > XLR inputs with a few mics when I have time. > > I agree the menu system is clunky, but I quickly got used to it. There are > menu "shortcut" buttons on the H4n, which get you directly into the > sub-menus, but I find its just as easy to go through the full menu as it is > to switch from the shortcut buttons on the front to the main menu scroll on > the side. > > Best, > Tim > > > On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 2:44 PM, Richard L. Hess > <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > >> Hi, Tim, >> >> I don't recall where I read it and I could be wrong, but it sounded to me >> that the noise was being introduced by the DC-to-DC converter that was used >> to generate the 48 V phantom power. I tried a DC-DC converter once in a mic >> circuit and quickly realized that off-the-shelf units were FAR too >> noisy...it was for the Sennheiser MKH-804 that I came up with an alternate >> scheme for powering and I've posted that in in my blog. >> www.richardhess.com/notes/ search for MKH-804. >> >> The menu system on every Zoom (except the H1 which has dedicated switches) >> is annoying--the H2 has a teeny tiny screen. The H2n's is a bit better. I >> am used to the H2 and either I use my reading glasses or a pocket magnifier >> I've taken to carrying. >> >> I'm not saying I've tried everything, but the Zoom H2 was a pleasant >> surprise overall. Similar in concept to a good digital camera compared to a >> digital SLR system. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Richard >> >> >> On 2013-04-15 11:29 AM, Timothy Wisniewski wrote: >> >>> I love my Zoom H4n, just be sure to hold on extra tightly when recording >>> bodies of salt water (as discussed on this list a few months back). >>> Interesting, and a bit worrisome, to hear Richard's comment about the XLR >>> inputs. I haven't had a chance to test them (the built in condenser mics >>> sound great), though I have used the 1/4" inputs for digitizing, which do >>> not seem to suffer from the same reported problem. Overall, I find it a >>> great versatile low-tech solution for digitizing as well as recording. I >>> agree that its a bit bulky as a portable device, especially if you don't >>> carry a bag with you everywhere like I do. Some have also complained >>> about >>> the menu system being difficult to navigate. >>> >>> Best, >>> Tim >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 5:05 AM, Don Cox <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> >>> On 15/04/2013, Richard L. Hess wrote: >>>> >>>> Peter, >>>>> >>>>> If you don't want to have the iPhone for the sake of a >>>>> phone/PDA/browser/whatever, I would not go the iPod Touch route. >>>>> >>>>> The Zoom H2 takes about a minute (or a bit less) to boot. The H1 is >>>>> faster. I don't recall about the H2n. I would think the Tascams are >>>>> faster, but we've heard issues with battery life on at least one of >>>>> them. I agree about the handling noise on the H1, but it, too, has a >>>>> tripod socket. I would make sure that any machine I bought had a >>>>> tripod socket. I carry a now-discontinued Rowi "clamp pod" to clamp >>>>> the Zoom to a variety of things from lecterns to others' mic stands (I >>>>> also have a wad of folded over duct tape that I use to avoid >>>>> scratching things). >>>>> >>>>> A Gorillapod would do that job too. >>>> >>>> One unit that was well received a little while ago was the Olympus, >>>>> but I do not know the current status of Olympus or the unit. >>>>> >>>>> Sony also makes units, but they tend to be more expensive than the >>>>> Tascam or the Zoom. >>>>> >>>>> One thought about instant on is that with the 20-hour battery life of >>>>> the Zoom H2n, you could turn it on when you entered the "possible >>>>> recording zone" and then take it out and double punch the record >>>>> button and you're in (the first punch puts it in record standby with >>>>> the meters running...at least that is how the H2 works). >>>>> >>>>> Whatever you do, do not get a "voice recorder" or "dictation >>>>> recorder". Make certain it will give you WAV and MP3 files. I normally >>>>> record WAV though for long things I have used MP3 on occasion. >>>>> >>>>> >>>> Regards >>>> -- >>>> Don Cox >>>> [log in to unmask] >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> -- >> Richard L. Hess email: [log in to unmask] >> Aurora, Ontario, Canada 647 479 2800 >> http://www.richardhess.com/**tape/contact.htm<http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm> >> Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes. >> > > > > -- > Timothy Wisniewski, M.L.I.S. > > Visual Materials Archivist > Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives > Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions > 5801 Smith Avenue, Suite 235 > Baltimore, MD 21209 >