The H2n really is handy, and given the range of options is gives you at the price, anybody in need of a portable, high-quality audio recording device — DSLR cinematographers, take note — will want to take a listen.
The H2n really is handy, and given the range of options is gives you at the price, anybody in need of a portable, high-quality audio recording device — DSLR cinematographers, take note — will want to take a listen.
+ Recording Formats
WAV 44.1/48/96 kHz; 16/24-bit
MP3 44.1 kHz; 48-320 kbps
+Dimensions and Weight
2.75 x 4.5 x 1.75 in., 4.6 oz. (less batt.)
APH-2n accessory kit also available
$199 (APH-2n accesory kit $39) samsontech.com
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We’re still waiting for the future: the flying car; the self-cooking dinner. But the shirt-pocket recording studio is a reality – I have one here right now.
It’s the Zoom H2n, a deck-of-cards-sized device that combines clever, multi-pattern built-in microphones with solid-state digital recording (to SD card) in uncompressed WAV or data-reduced MP3 files, over a range of sampling-rate and bit-depth formats. The tiny Zoom is powered by a duet of AA batteries promising up to 20 hours, yielding recordings at CD quality — and since it does 96 kHz/24 bit WAVs, potentially better-than-CD-quality — all for a street price under $200.
Seriously? Yep. The H2n is aimed mostly at pro and semi-pro users; location-audio hunter-gatherers like TV reporters, videographers, and podcasters. As a cheap and convenient second source, It's ideal for DSLR cinematographers (or anybody shooting video with a device that's less than ideal for capturing audio). But as a tool for casual home recordists and and sonic experimenters Zoom’s H2n is a hoot.
The H2n looks like a single old-fashioned microphone (think Johnny-era “Tonight Show”), but its upper grilles in fact conceal five microphone capsules, arrayed to provide four distinct “patterns.” Two are stereo: “X/Y,” which is closest to most folks’ notion of “stereo” with two closely spaced mics directed mostly forward, yielding a close-in, fairly intimate space; “MS” (mid/side) uses two mics aimed sidewards, mixed with a single capsule directed ahead – this is the classic array for recording music in a natural space. The remaining arrays are four-and two-channel surround options.
I had a ball playing with the H2n, and was quite astounded by the quality of recordings I got. My first effort, the very day the thing arrived, was a practice session of the hack blues band I play in. I simply set the Zoom (using the four little rubber nubs that support it on any level surface) on the pool table that fronts our setup. After selecting 44.1/16-bit WAV (uncompressed mode, equivalent to CD) and X/Y stereo mic options, I pressed the red-dot slider and recording commenced. Three hours later, I had the entire session, occupying only about a third of the 2-gigabyte SD memory card furnished with the unit, and leaving the H2n still showing “full” on its admittedly sketchy battery-life icon.
Great review. However, I have a specific question. I play drums in a loud rock band that rehearses in a small space. The original H2 (as well as a Tascam DR-07) would always clip and distort when recording in this environment. Does the supposedly 'analog' gain wheel on the new H2N solve this problem? Can it record a loud snare drum at close quarters without distorting? Any feedback would be appreciated.
That's a tough question to answer. A loud band in a small space is a challenge for most recording devices; As for the tech issue, we'd have to get in touch with Zoom to check on the location of the gain control in the signal chain. But whatever the answer to that question, there are a lot of variables to consider. How small a space are you talking about? How loud? How far away from the band is the recorder? An isolated snare drum, or are you talking about your recordings exhibiting clipping on snare hits while everything else is reproduced without distortion? How low a recording level? Are you using the "Live" limiter setting rather than auto gain or compression?
For people who want to tart their own record label, this small recording device could be the ticket to their dreams.
Being able to record almost CD quality sounds means they can start small, recruiting local bands and creating mix-tapes. When any of them make it big, it could be credited with this small device.