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Portable recorder Zoom h2 and others ..

P

playerunk

Jul 25, 2008
362
1
Timisoara, Romania
#1
My band decided that a good investment is a portable recorder (after a visit from a studio guy) so i am now looking for a recorder.

i was suggested the zoom h2 but found some other options too..the one that stands out is the tescam dr 07.
so..any opinions on these 2 or others ?

budget is about 200$ and the recorder will be used to record rehearsals and maybe gigs.

thanks
 
#2
I use an H4n, and my drummer uses an H2. Both units have proven to be very easy to use, and produce a very good result considering the size and cost of the package. For what you're looking to do, the H2 will do the job very well.

I got the H4n becuase I wanted the flexibility of having 2 additional external inputs. Paired with my Cascade X15 (stereo ribbon mic), I can get some pretty nice live recordings.

I don't have any experience with Tascam's units, but I'm sure it would also do the job acceptably.

The best thing for you to do is find a store that has both and figure out which one is easier for you to operate. Ease of use is pretty important for this kind of device.
 
#8
playerunk said:
My band decided that a good investment is a portable recorder (after a visit from a studio guy) so i am now looking for a recorder.

i was suggested the zoom h2 but found some other options too..the one that stands out is the tescam dr 07.
so..any opinions on these 2 or others ?

budget is about 200$ and the recorder will be used to record rehearsals and maybe gigs.

thanks
Click to expand...

I have the Tascam GTR1. I use it to record practice and gigs mostly for myself. I had the H4N and returned it. My mp3 files did not play on it. It also did not have pitch control. With my GTR1 I can play back files at different speeds without changing pitch, and I can also change pitch without changing speed. I can also playback and record my own playing at the same time. I think most of the Tascams have the pitch control feature. The GTR1's main extra feature is I also use it as a practice tool, it has amp sim and drum machine built in.

Go to the Tascam site, and the Zoom site, download the manuals and compare the features you will use.

The pitch control on the H2N was only an effect at time of recording not at playback. That was not clear to me in the manual.
 
#9
Bass4Gsus said:
I have the Tascam GTR1. I use it to record practice and gigs mostly for myself. I had the H4N and returned it. My mp3 files did not play on it. It also did not have pitch control. With my GTR1 I can play back files at different speeds without changing pitch, and I can also change pitch without changing speed. I can also playback and record my own playing at the same time. I think most of the Tascams have the pitch control feature. The GTR1's main extra feature is I also use it as a practice tool, it has amp sim and drum machine built in.

Go to the Tascam site, and the Zoom site, download the manuals and compare the features you will use.

The pitch control on the H2N was only an effect at time of recording not at playback. That was not clear to me in the manual.
Click to expand...

I also have the GTR1. It's a pretty righteous little machine. Lot's of fun to play around with and very useful for recording/practicing/etc.
 
#11
We use the H4N, the dual mic input combined with live sound works great. You actually can equalize the two with an on board mixer. We mic the two guitarists and live sound the drummer , singer and myself on Bass. The software provided is a little difficult at first, but I now can turn a MP3 out in about 10 minutes. Also, we have some great "live" recordings from our gigs using the two mic input. Highly recommend it.
 
#12
I've been using the H2 to record our rehearsals and gigs. It's been working great until recently.

I have been using the limiter concert setting, which was giving clear recordings, and after an open mic session, the recordings became distorted, and then I noticed the clipping light was flickering during our practices, which are not very loud. I even adjusted the sound levels down to 30, and it still clipped. I switched to some of the other settings but the clipping was still evident.

I finally disabled the AGC/Comp, and tried the mic gain setting, and set it to low, and its working fine. But the low setting places the sound level at 30, which sounds very muffled. I raised the levels to 90, and it sounds like it did before.

I looked on the internet for users with similar problems, but I couldn't find anything. I think its just one of those unlucky situations.

I would still recommend the H2. I would also recommend for any band to hear themselves recorded live without any mixdown. Our band, especially the guitarists, are becoming disciplined at recognizing the importance of sound dynamics. It's one thing to tell someone their to loud, and its another if they hear it themselves. There's no other feeling than a bass player telling a guitarist. "I told you so".
 
#18
stats.png


Recorded on a H2.
 
#19
+1 to RobBobBass and robkphoto...

Another Zoom H4n user here. Got one recently and am completely impressed. Even the soundguy at my church who has a $600 Marantz recorder admitted that the mics in my Zoom sound a little better than his. I've only used it a few times so far (band/practice and church service settings), but am completely happy with my purchase. It's an impressive package value for the price.

If I can find some time, I'll try to post some clips of a couple recordings tonight!

5sg.
 
#20
Jkaz said:
I've been using the H2 to record our rehearsals and gigs. It's been working great until recently.

I have been using the limiter concert setting, which was giving clear recordings, and after an open mic session, the recordings became distorted, and then I noticed the clipping light was flickering during our practices, which are not very loud. I even adjusted the sound levels down to 30, and it still clipped. I switched to some of the other settings but the clipping was still evident.

I finally disabled the AGC/Comp, and tried the mic gain setting, and set it to low, and its working fine. But the low setting places the sound level at 30, which sounds very muffled. I raised the levels to 90, and it sounds like it did before.

I looked on the internet for users with similar problems, but I couldn't find anything. I think its just one of those unlucky situations.

I would still recommend the H2. I would also recommend for any band to hear themselves recorded live without any mixdown. Our band, especially the guitarists, are becoming disciplined at recognizing the importance of sound dynamics. It's one thing to tell someone their to loud, and its another if they hear it themselves. There's no other feeling than a bass player telling a guitarist. "I told you so".
Click to expand...

From what I understand, the miclets can only take so much SPL (loudness). I know with my RATM tribute band, I need to keep the H2 away from the amps/drums or the clip light will flash no matter the gain/limiter/compression setting.
 

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