I have recently become a big fan of Zoom gear. Not too long ago I turned my nose up at what is considered by many a budget gear brand. Their guitar effects are often the entry-level for many newbies, and so I avoided their stuff like the plague. But that all changed when I saw an ad (and then purchased) the H4, a small field recorder capable of 24 bits / 44k recording, with built in condenser mics. Then I picked up the HD16, a desktop recorder with 16bit, 16 track, 8 channel recording. Here are some samples of the HD16:
On the Zoom user group I have done a review, check it out here:
Zoom HD16 review (I am AxeDoctor in case you couldn’t figure it out ; )
I also decided to give their new portable recorder, the H2 a try. Here are some samples of recordings made with this:
If you have not considered Zoom products before because of the perceive entry-level nature, you might want to check them out (no, I am not a salesman for them, just a happy customer ; )
5 responses so far ↓
1 radiofox // Sep 27, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Did you have the automatic gain control or limiter function on while you made the chapel recordings with the H2? The levels appear a bit inconsistent and I wonder if it is the “slow” limiter. Or did you hold the unit in your hands?
2 admin // Sep 27, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Radio,
I was not holding the unit (I was also playing guitar, and I only have two hands; ) If I recall, I had the “AGC 1 general” setting on, it definitely sounds like something was going on. This was my first live application, I plan on trying different settings. I has general, vocal, drum, and of course a few limiters. I’ll keep trying different ones till I find the best. Hope this helps, peace. Fm
3 ben // Oct 12, 2007 at 7:45 am
THERE is for sure a limiter on the mp3 recordings here, this is a pity!! It’s pumping like a madman
4 Jean Loyens // Jan 4, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Great worship music ;-).
I just have to buy the right tool, thus being able to record when we play with the band, praise music, just like you. Bless you! Jean
5 Burt // Mar 17, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Axe Doctor - thanks for posting these. I am a music teacher in an elementary school in New York State. I showed my H4 to a few colleagues and explained that there’s an “H2″ out there for less and without a few features that they likely wouldn’t miss anyway. So far, three fellow teachers have bought or are about to buy one. I love your guitar tone, by the way. What are you using? I am a guitar player as well. I owned ZOOM’s first guitar product which I wish I had never sold… it had some unique effects that recorded well and were very musical. I’ve always felt that even the “entry level” ZOOM guitar products held their self quite well against all the Digitech, Rocktron, Boss products out there - and I own a lot of those too. Interesting church service there too - I’m still listening to it.
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