| It's a simple idea: provide brilliant stereo recording in an easy-to-use, ultra-portable device. Now everyone can record pristine audio in an infinite variety of applications. From seminars and conferences, to electronic news gathering (ENG) and podcasting, to musical performances, songwriting sessions and rehearsals, the H2 provides amazing recording quality. And no matter what kind of music you perform or the instrument you play, the H2 can effortlessly record it in high-quality stereo. Why Four Mics are Better Than Two
90° Pattern
Record from the front at 90° | 
120° Pattern
Record from the front at 120° |
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. Push a Button...
That's all it takes to start recording! The H2 is a remarkably robust device that is incredibly easy to use. One button recording, gain controls on the side and an intuitive user interface mean you can always capture the moment. Set your levels, push record and go. It's that simple. Or use the Auto Start and Auto Gain Control functions to ensure complete capture at the right level. And if you need to fine-tune your levels on the fly, we made it easy with gain control buttons on the front panel. Play it Back!
Play your recordings on your home audio system with its 1/8" stereo output or listen to your masterpiece with headphones. Or, use the H2's USB interface to move your recordings to your Mac or PC to listen, edit and share. The H2 records on Secure Digital (SD) media and a 512MB SD card is included. The unit can accommodate up to a 16GB SD card, allowing up to 24 hours of total recording time using the 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV format. At 128kbps MP3, you get an amazing 280 hours of stereo recording. Store your recordings on a PC or Mac with its USB 2.0 interface. And you can use its time stamping function for reference during production. Or use the H2 as a USB Mic for recording directly to a computer. What's Life Without Accessories?
The H2 comes with earbuds, 1/8 inch stereo to RCA cable, mic clip adapter, tripod stand, USB cable, AC adapter and a 512MB SD card. Ultimate Convenience
The H2 weighs 4 ounces and fits in your pocket for the ultimate in portability and convenience. Two standard alkaline AA batteries will give you 4 hours of continuous operation and a backlit display means it's always easy to use in any situation. Enjoy Your Brilliance
Brilliant stereo recording in a convenient, user-friendly package means there's never been an easier way to record high quality audio. The H2 gives everyone the power to record anything and share it with anyone, anywhere. You'll be amazed by your sound. Features: - W-XY mic patterns with 4 mic capsules and signal processing allows Front 90° cardioid, Rear 120° cardioid and 360° polar patterns
- Built-in USB 2.0 interface
- Records in WAV 96kHz/48kHz/44.1kHz at 16-bit or 24-bit, MP3 to 320kbps and Variable Bit Rate (VBR) data formats
- Time Stamp and Track Marker functions in Broadcast WAV Format (BWF)
- 512MB SD memory card included
- Accommodates up to 16GB SD memory cards
- Auto Gain Control (AGC) for pristine recordings
- Auto Start function means you're always ready to record
- Low-cut filter eliminates wind noise
- On-board chromatic Guitar/Bass tuner
H2 Handy Recorder Features at a Glance
The H2 Handy Recorder brings the ultimate in functionality and versatility to portable digital recording. A clear, backlit display features recording levels, time code, file name and remaining battery life. LEDs indicate Front, Rear, 2 Channel or 4 Channel modes and the recording angle: 90°, 120° or 360°. An Active Mic LED is on the front and back of the H2. Transport controls include one button recording, playback and pause, fast forward and rewind. Use the Menu key to enter the control menu and the cursor keys to navigate through the feature sets. Within the menu, set recording parameters such as direction and polar pattern, activate the Auto Start function and set file format. And you'll find additional settings like Auto Gain Control to make sure your recordings are always pristine. And you can fine-tune your levels on the fly with the Record Level buttons on the front. On the left side of the H2 is a 1/8" Phone/Line Output for monitoring and playback. Playback Volume, Power On and the AC power are located here as well. On the right side of the H2, you can plug in a powered 1/8" external stereo mic. Setting levels is easy with a Mic Gain slider for Low/Medium/High gain. You can also digitize analog recordings with the 1/8" Line In. Use the USB 2.0 Interface to move your files to a PC or Mac for storage, editing and playback. The time stamp function is great for reference during production. And you can even use the H2 as a USB mic and record directly to your favorite digital audio software. For brilliant stereo recording, and plenty of extras, there's never been a simpler or more functional solution than the H2 Handy Recorder from Zoom. Please note: The Zoom H2 will not mount as a USB Drive on MAC OS X 10.5.0 Leopard unless you update to H2 Firmware version 1.2 or higher. Choose the Right Polar Pattern for the Best Recording in any Situation
| Custom Reviews: | |
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| Add my voice to the chorus | |
|  | This handy little device has been getting great reviews, and not without reason. It is reasonably priced, easy to learn to use, versatile, and the recording quality is outstanding. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
| | solid value, excellent recording! | |
| | As usual Amazon shipped it to me with blazing speed. The product is clear and easy to use, small screen but useful. The product is functionally built, not professional sturdy, but well made and well layed out. The built in microphones provide fantastick recording results. The playback is exquisitely clear and accurate. The line-in works as well and is very easy to set levels with. A fantastick home use product of great value and excellent performance. Would not be suitable for hard usage but perfectly acceptable for home usage with good care.
| | Great value, but cheaply made | |
| | What everyone has said about this product being cheaply made is true. The battery door has some of the most flimsy little hooks on it I've ever seen on a battery door. The Smart Media card door is better, but still very delicate. With that said, this product is an excellent value, considering what else is out there with the same features. I am a former TV commercial writer/producer, and I would rate the sound quality as "Good" to "Very Good" but not "Excellent." I only rated it so because it does not have as much bass as a high-quality studio set-up, for example. When recording a single person, it's comparable to a decent ENG field mic, although its versatility allows it to do a better job at capturing nat sound if you so desire. It also has settings for 90 degree or 120? degree sound fields, so it will capture two people at once much better than the average field mic.
It's the perfect unit for the podcaster hobbyist (which is what I got it for). It records to .mp3 and .wav, which other manufacturers charge a lot more for. Beware of some companies that use their own proprietary codecs which make editing quality audio on your home computer a painful process.
The Zoom H2 is not durable enough or quick enough for the professional looking for a more rugged product. I'm not sure how well the unit would survive a drop, and as mentioned, the battery door is a tragic downfall.
If you know what you're doing, you can create very good audio. You can do a lot of tweaking to get it just right. If you don't tweak and just set it to medium gain with the switch on the side, you can still create good audio that will suffice for any podcast-type situation. I feel this product excels at capturing room ambiance and NAT sound. It does a stunning job at that. It does a good job with voice, however does not quite approach the quality of a good powered mic as far as bass is concerned. It does do an excellent job of making capture easy, and I found the menu system was not difficult at all to learn. It's not a device to use if you need to grab audio quickly without much planning. You are required to press the record button twice, and it's easy to get confused and think it's recording when it's not (pushing the record button once fires up the earphones so you can make adjustments). You should look at the unit to make sure it's recording.
There is a fabulous selection of quality levels from which to choose from. The highest-levels sound stunning, but aren't as useful to someone like me who has to compress for podcasts. Still, it's great that they are there. The highest level 4 channel surround mode splits into 2 separate audio files, so if you're someone who actually edits 5.1 audio, you'll be giddy about the NAT sound it will pick up like this. For the majority of us, the 2 channel mode which records from both sides of the unit into one L/R track is excellent enough.
I'm happy with my purchase, and look forward to the fun I will have with this product. I will be VERY careful with it, though, for the above-mentioned reasons.
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Yesterday I tried to buy the Zoom H-4, My 2 friends tried, My kids tried.. and I just tried this one to see if it is the same as what happened. It is all about the "Bill Me Later" $10 discount.
Don't expect the BillMeLater will pay you $10 because right after you enter every information of yours, it will tell you "We're sorry, but the promotional code you entered cannot be applied to this purchase....". If it couln't be applied, why AMAZON is still OFFERING it? God knows!
You might ask why? The reason is The Bill Me Later ONLY wants your personal informations. Someone is SELLING our informations!!
| | From Quiet Harp to Crashing Drums - It's a Hit | |
| | I'm three weeks into using my Zoom H2 and as a recording neophyte, I can happily say that this gadget is both easy and impressive. I tossed it in my gig bag and headed off for a drum circle, first. Recording in 360, it caught every tone beautifully. The controls were relatively easy, the quick start got me going immediately without having to plow through long manuals. Setting the mic gain on low was just right when the group got cranking on some "testosterone tangos". In contrast, when I played a soft piece on the harp and the circle backed me up, the medium setting picked up the full range. A recording with a six-piece blues band was equally satisfying, using the 120 degree setting to capture the full row of artists. Downloading to my laptop was a breeze - and I've already been able to share these digital files with the other musicians, family, friends, and potential clients.
The only area that I see room for improvement is in the manual. There are some occasions when simplicity of use is provided at the cost of throughness. But the answers to my questions eventually emerged with use of the product. I used the 8GB card and this gave more than enough memory to play at five different gatherings before I had to start thinking about either downloading or using a new card.
If you're planning on using this in a band, I recommend using a mic stand to hold the H2 - this makes it easier to keep an eye on the levels and controls and keeps the recorder from picking up ground noise.
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