Zoom H2n Stereo/Surround-Sound Portable Recorder, 5 Built-In Microphones, X/Y, Mid-Side, Surround Sound, Ambisonics Mode, Records to SD Card, For Recording Music, Audio for Video, and Interviews
Zoom H2n Handy Recorder
UK Version
The H2n Handy Recorder is the only portable recording device to come with five built-in microphones and four different recording modes: X/Y, Mid-Side, 2-channel surround and 4-channel surround. Other advanced features include automatic gain control and onboard MS decoding, plus effects like compression, limiting and low cut filtering. You can even use the H2n as a multi-purpose USB microphone!
Features
- Five built-in microphones and four recording modes
- Analog-type input gain control
- Auto Gain provides three preset recording levels
- Built-in reference speaker for fast monitoring
- Large 1.8 inch backlit LCD display
- Supports up to 24-bit/96kHz audio in BWF-compliant WAV or a variety of MP3 formats
- Internal mixdown: four-track surround to stereo
- Built-in effects, including compression/limiting and low-cut filtering
FIVE MICROPHONES, FOUR WAYS OF RECORDING
The H2n offers not one, not two, but five built-in microphones. Two of them are arranged as an X/Y pair, while the other three are configured in an MS (“Mid-Side”) pattern. They can be used separately for X/Y or MS stereo recording, or combined to create stunning 2- or 4-channel surround sound.
MID-SIDE FOR VARIABLE STEREO WIDTH
Mid-Side recording is an incredible technique that allows you to actually adjust the width of the stereo image after it has been recorded, while maintaining perfect mono compatibility, making it especially useful for film, video and television projects. The three microphone elements in the H2n MS mic are set directly on top of one another. One faces forward and the other two face to the side.
SPATIAL AUDIO FOR VR
The Zoom H2n is the only handheld recorder that captures four-channel surround sound audio. With Firmware v 2.0, it’s perfect for the creation of 360-degree “Spatial Audio†files, the next-generation surround sound format native to the google JUMP Virtual Reality Platform.
 |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recording | Stereo X/Y | Stereo X/Y / MS, 2 & 4 Channel Surround | Stereo, 4 Channel Multitrack | Stereo plus Backip Recording, 4 Channel | Stereo plus Backip Recording, 6 Channel | Simultaneous recording on 12 tracks |
| Tracks | 2 | 2/4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| Inputs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Separate Line-Out | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight: | 132 g |
| Dimensions: | 6.76 x 4.27 x 11.43 cm; 131.54 Grams |
| Model: | H2N |
| Colour: | Black |
| Batteries Included: | 2 AA batteries required. (included) |
| Colour: | Black |
| Origin: | China |
This is a good recorder.. Very easy to use.. Happy with my perchase.
A great little recorder. I use it connected to an iPad Pro to record podcasts. In my studio for acoustic recording and out and about for all sorts of recordings. I have a 32GB SD card which works well, but a 64GB is not recognised.
excelent quality even for field recordings, rehearsals or gigs. Its also an excelent mic when plugged in to the USB
This microphone is amazing! I record a lot of guitar and singing sessions and this picks up everything perfectly.
Very easy to use and is well up to my expectations
Excellent quality product that is small yet flexible in use.
Very good, lighter and smaller than I thought. Produce good sound quality.
Really happy with this product. Great sound quality and a pretty fair price. It is durable despite not feeling this way! Highly recommend.
Great field recorder. Excellent quality sound production. To get the most out of this, link in with Youtube tutorials.
I use many of thesem so it was as hoped and expected.
Works brilliant just what it say on the box. Paul Tomlinson – Drones Point of View
Good for interviews! Can record sound from any direction or everything together – 360*! (4 different mic settings). And this little thing got 5 good mics in there!
Crystal clear conversation even from 20 feet away + wouldn’t hesitate to buy another although there is a newer model that I would like to try but this one is flawless very low hiss if at all. It is a must buy . Use mine for paranormal investigations and i love it. Buy the accessories pk because it comes with a tripod stand and it means you don’t get hand movement sound coming through on the recordings
Great digital recorder for the price, lots of sound field options including surround with the latest firmware, I paired it with a Rycote wind protector for superb results outdoors.
I have had the H2n for a while now, forgot to review it.
Found this to be a very useful recorder, gives excellent audio, compact and easy to set up.
Actually use it through headphones to listen live to our practice sessions, due to my partial deafness.
Playback is clear and loud, battery life is good, but if static, can power via USB.
Completely happy with this recorder, would really miss it if I didn’t have it.
A very useful addition to my recording suite.
Fantastic portable recorder to capture high quality spatial audio on the go.
Pros:
-Reasonably good mics and preamps. For $150 in such a small package, they get the job done.
-High recording resolution. Up to 24-bit 96kHz in either of the modes on their own.
-LONG battery life. This thing just keeps going.
-Overall flexibility. You can record M/S Raw and decode it yourself, you can line-in other mics if you want instead, you can record from both M/S and X/Y at once for a surround sound recording. With the extra $50 you get a big bag of extra goodies, the most useful of which would have to be the mic-handle and the wind screen.
Cons:
-The weight feels good, but the plastic shell kinda feels cheaper. I’m paranoid that I’ll drop it and it’ll smash into smithereens. The mic grille is something harder, presumably metal, so at least that feels safe.
-Handling noise, especially without the mic-handle or tripod, is crazy. That alone makes the extra stuff worth the money.
-A couple unfortunate limitations and design flaws include the polar pattern switch being covered by the wind screen, only being able to do up to 48kHz for 4 channel surround, and having to navigate menus with a little twiddler thing. Also, the X/Y capsule points towards the screen, while the M/S points the other. None of these are particularly annoying save the last one, but if the X/Y capsules didn’t point as they do you couldn’t do surround.
Despite these Cons, the Pros shine through. As a Sound Designer who needs to do field recordings all the time and needed Mid/Side, this was one of the most valuable purchases I could have made.
A really great little recorder – grab the accessory kit too
Great quality little stereo recorder. The surround sound feature is pretty much impossible to use/edit. Be nice if 4 channel software appropriate to this recorder was included.
Exceptional sound recording and extremely easy to use. I’ve paired this up with the Smart lav + from road. The sound that this device captures is brilliant. There is enough options to play around with to get the result you want.
I purchased this for recording amateur concerts in which I perform. It fits in a jacket pocket and is discreet. With practice one soon navigates the menu which is displayed on the screen. The battery life is adequate for my purposes. My first close up recording of solo clarinet on the XY setting was near perfect when played back through a decent hifi. Then I recorded a large band in a church using the wide 2 channel setting on automatic gain with the Zoom tucked under my chair: it captured the whole band with remarkable clarity and balance, only marred by the noise from shuffling and tapping feet. The nearest instruments did not dominate. The accompanying software is straightforward to deploy and I was pleasantly surprised how easy it is to delete unwanted passages from the recording.
I think I will buy the little stand that goes with it. I am very pleased with the excellent value for money of this device.
Superb microphone with easy controls for uploading to PowerPoint eLearning modules which is my use for it.
It is light and very versatile: I have used it to make podcasts, radio packages (aired on national radio), and even as microphone for video interviews (if you have a headshot of the interviewee, you can put this mic on the table using the XY configuration and set up the gains manually, but remember to clap your hands in front of the camera to sync the audio file in post).
Still, if you are planning to use it mainly for video, it may be worth invest in the Zoom H4n because it has XLR inputs, while the H2n has a mini jack only, so you would need an adapter to use a high quality lav mic. If you work in radio, podcasts or if you need a great portable recorder, just go for it, and if you can afford the extra pounds, buy the accessories pack as well because the mic stand, the wind shield, and the mini tripod are really handy and will make you look more professional. The 2 gb SD card is small if you record high quality waw files, so buy a 32 gb SD so you have hours of recordings at your disposal.
Last but not least: if you need it, the guitar/bass tuner function works perfectly.
Excellent little recorder. Used it several times on gigs with very good results. Good recording quality as well. Would highly recommend this Zoom H2
Questo dispositivo adatto sia per i creativi che amano avere la possibilit di registrare in alta qualit qualsiasi suono ovunque si trovino per poi elaborarlo, sia ai giornalisti che devono registrare rapidamente decine di interviste ogni giorno.
Andiamo nel dettaglio:
La possibilit di passare da una normale figura a cardioide fino ad una quadrifonica lo rende estremamente versatile. Potete registrare a 44 o 48 o 96 Khz (88.2 non stato implementato per il momento) a 24 bit (molto importante questo dettaglio) in Wav.
Per i giornalisti possibile registrare in mp3 fino a 320kbps e risparmiare cos il 90% della memoria.
A Gain medio il rumore pienamente gestibile in post-produzioe.
la risposta all’inviluppo ottima. Sia la parte hardware e software sono intuitive anche per chi non ha voglia di leggere il manuale (cosa che comunque sconsiglio caldamente, ci sono sempre delle chicche particolari che si scoprono solo leggendolo).
Come qualit siamo a quella di un microfono a condensatore da 100 euro, con un 20% di rumore in pi (capite che il Pre e l’ ADC sono grandi quanto un’unghia quindi shalla).
Il software integrato parecchio flessibile, ci sono tutta una serie di operazioni di editing semplice che potete gi fare direttamente l, molto utile per i giornalisti o per chi non fa editing complesso a posteriori.
C’ l’accordatore e il metronomo, c’ la possibilit di settare una soglia oltre la quale il registratore si accende e comincia a registrare automaticamente, c’ la funzione pre-rec che permette di non perdere l’inizio di un evento quando fate partire la registrazione dopo che codesto evento iniziato improvvisamente (avete fino a due secondi di tempo per premere rec).
C’ l’uscita cuffie per il monitor in diretta e un line in nel caso usiate un mic esterno (cosa poco sensata comunque).
C’ un DSP posizionato dopo l’ADC ma prima della scrittura del file, che comprende filtro passa alto a 80 hz (se avete un paravendo meglio quello e levare il filtro), con compressore, limiter, autogain.
Batterie stilo incluse, di estrema durata se registrare a 44.1 khz o in mp3 a bitrate bassi.
Parecchio solido, non scricchiola.
Critica: Minc*ia ragazzi nel DSP hanno messo 9 preset fissi e basta! Potevano mettere la possiblit di decidere i parametri del compressore, limiter e autogain. Cos poco chiaro quello che succede, a tal proposito ho fatto dei test di reamping e analizzato le forme d’onda per cogliere le differenze, i seguenti sono i settaggi da usare per non perdere molta qualit:
_Se state registrando qualcosa che potete ripetere un numero arbitrario di volte, non usate nessun effetto, trovate semplicemente il Gain adatto.
_Se registrate un evento che non potete ripetere e quindi avete bisogno di pi sicurezza per picchi improvvisi usate il Limiter “general” che ha la soglia pi alta ed ha un rilascio lento e trasparente, o a limite il secondo che pi veloce ma applica un leggero makeup gain, quindi vi fa perdere un p di dinamica a prescindere dai picchi.
_Al terzo posto potete usare l’autogain su “solo” ma in questo caso l’intera tracciua avr i picchi un p smussati per via della correzione continua del gain, e un rumore di fondo un p pi alto.
Per ottenere la qualit pi alta possibile quindi bene non usare nessun effetto integrato.
Avrei desiderato che il line out si trovasse prima della coversione AD in modo da poter prelevare il segnale e pre-amplificarlo, comprimerlo e convertirlo con un gear da studio, e come seconda cosa avrei voluto trovare la frequenza di campionamento 88.2, ma quest’ultima una cosa che potrebbero aggiungere in futuro, dato che questione di software.
Se volete spendere di meno ve lo sconsiglio perch questo il prodotto con miglior rapporto qualit prezzo, insuperabile.
Se volete spendere di pi andate di registratori multicanale a rack, non con microfoni integrati, perch tanto non li userete mai e sono pesanti, e anche perch se avete bisogno di spendere di pi evidentemente siete dei professionisti del foley, a maggior ragione userete dei microfoni esterni e pi che alto avete bisogno di qualcosa che vi dia la phantom power in giro.
Update Dicembre 2016:
Difetti trovati dopo un utilizzo massivo:
_la registrazione non annullabile una volta partita, quindi vi tocca fermarla, e solo successivamente andare a ripescare il file per cancellarlo.
_Gli effetti si trovano post ADC (ovviamente, vorrei ben vedere un limiter hardware nel palmo di una mano), significa che il limiter ad esempio non protegge realmente dalla distorsione analogica ma ne riduce solo la percezione. Il mio consiglio di regolare bene il gain, senza mettere nessun effetto, al massimo usate il Limiter 2 che poco invasivo.
_Se usate la figura cardioide e dovete registrare voi stessi non potete trovare il gain giusto senza guardarvi allo specchio perch il display si trova dall’altro lato rispetto alla figura polare. Quindi non potete osservare il livello nel display, almeno che abbiate la possibilit di avere uno specchio davanti a voi, fortuna che c’ il led lampeggiante che aiuta a capire se il gain troppo alto.
P.S.
Aggiornate il software! con la nuova versione hanno aggiunto la registrazione in matrice 3d (omni + L + R) per i video sferici (ad esempio per youtube 3d).
Dal sito potete scaricare anche un plug in matrice per il mid side.
Everything perfect with product.
No problem at all.
Good sound recording and plenty functionalities to explore.
Decent recorder although just a bit to big to fit easily in pocket. Hold button is useful which prevents you accidentally stopping recordings. Good quality recordings with various mic positions.
This device was purchased for my employer, however, I am now considering buying one myself. The interface is very very easy to use, and the functionality of the recorder is brilliant. You can do external input, stereo recording and 4 channel recording – which records from all directions. Perfect for film work as well as recording meetings etc. The input level can easily be adjusted on the fly. A selection of cables is included for connecting auxiliary sources, and the inclusion of a 2gb SD is nice – however we upgraded this one to 64gb to cover ourselves.
After spending a lot of time researching voice recorders this came out as a clear winner for me for the following reasons:
1. Price – Affordable but not ‘cheap’
2. Quality – Recorded audio quality is superb
3. Ease of use.
4. Ability to adjust the width of recording microphone
Zoom H2n Portable Recorder in Black with SD Card 2 GB
I use mine to record training sessions and podcasts.
Useful accessories in the accessory kit are: The remote control, Windshield, Handle Zoom APH-2n Accessory Pack for the H2n Recorder
The tiny tripod is not so good and the case will not fit the unit with handle or windshield.
Very clean and high quality recordings. Love that I can record 4 channel surround in one simple device. A wind jammer is essential for any external recordings. I’ve used it for years now without any troubles. Only negative I’ve found is that the body of the recorder picks up handling noise really REALLY easily – if you’re planning to use it hand-held remember to budget for a shock-absorbing bracket/handle.
Arrived very promptly. Worked out of the box. Recordings are easy and very clear. Transfer to PC and iPod shuffle also dead easy.
Used for live music rehearsals for learning and review. Excellent product.
Bought this model on recommendation from a pro wedding photographer. Fantastic product!
The Zoom H2N arrived promptly and very well packaged. It is a complete doddle to use and the quality of the recorder and the sound it records is excellent. Very pleased with the purchase of this recorder.
Had this excellent little recorder now for three weeks or more. Used it a few times, and it’s still on the original battery’s.
It may not suit everyone though. It’s good if your fairly close, but it’s not very sensitive for picking up voices across a room.
That said, I have used it to record some live music a few times, and when doing so, Iv’e had the opposite problem, and had to turn the gain down to stop it over recording and distorting.!! But if you get the levels right, you will be rewarded with a really good recording and sound-stage.
Considering it’s size, it’s very good indeed. One last thing. It’s worth buying a bigger card to go in it. The one that comes with it is okay, but you will only get a couple of hours or so on the highest setting.
These are absolutely incredible. I bought three of them for doing focus groups and they pick up sound fantastically well. I’ll never go back to those horrible little dictaphones again. I ended up buying a 32gb SD card for each, as the 2gb card that was included recorded high quality on 4 channels for about 90 minutes, and I needed more than that.
I use The Zoom H1 for interviews which is first class but I wanted something to allow me to work with small groups of people. This is ideal allowing the mic system to be used from front bios up to 4 channel surround sound. Fantastic bit of kit.
Used for recording narration as well as room reverb alongside studio mics and mixer on location. The quality is excellent, setup and recording is quick and easy. I have used Logic Pro X to mix in with the main recording and it was also quite straight forward.
Amazing device, super happy with it, great battery life. Audio quality is unbelievable. I use it mostly for percussion, which is hard to record with other devices as it just tends to be overwhelmingly loud and distorted.
The product is exact to description and did arrive on time.
Bought primarily for use as a microphone for my camcorder.
Can be used away from the camera to save the audio from interviews in the street where I’m pointing the mic at people. There are no wires and no risk of data loss from bad reception as it saves the audio to an SD card. I just edit the audio and video together later.
Mine came with a 2gig SD card in the box – I cannot guarantee yours will but it was in a special cut out section of the inner packaging so that seems to be what’s in there when it leaves the factory.
I also use the Zoom as an ‘attached’ mic using a 3.5 male-to-male cable for my studio use.
The Zoom is excellent for both uses.
love this bit of kit was very sceptical at the time of purchase but had some great results.
I bought this as an upgrade to my old Zoom H2 which has been a great recorder over last 7years. The new model is easier to start and listen back to. It has more recording options and quality of recording is good. One big improvement is battery life. My old model would go through lots of batteries. The new one uses much less power and lasts much longer on one set of batteries. Excellent product for musicians who want to record themselves.
Great sound, easy to use, long battery life, and very very versatile. I’ve used this for live shows, practise sessions, interviews and even on-the-hoof recording sessions (after which I transfer the audio from the SD card to my computer for editing).
A lot of people use this to record live music and ambient sounds and due to the available mic patterns from the on board 5 mics I guess this is going to be pretty impressive, its not something I have tried as yet but will look forward to being able to record live music.
I have successfully used it to record narration through a lapel mic and sync the sound to video using adobe premier elements, but you can do similar with many other programmes, imovie included.
Obviously you can either use the H2N with suitable mic pattern switched on or a mono input through the socket, usually with the auto gain switched off. You then hide the H2N in your pocket etc and record your narration. When I did this I did a video of a car review, it was then easy to insert cut aways etc and the original video and sound from this, once synced, remain so during the video and during the period of the cut aways.
Its a really nice piece of kit, maybe doesnt need to be shiny plastic, matt would be nicer, but it is what it is, the controls are easy to use and there are many available settings for the quality of the recording, I have not yet learned which is best for what purpose but generally leave iton the default which is good enough for my purpose. The ability to screw a handle on from the available kit is quite handy as it turns it into a handheld mic, a bit more cumbersome than most but very useful.
If you are thinking of dabbling with recording sound separately, give this a try for an intro bit of kit, I think most people would be quite satisfied with it for a long time before needing to upgrade
Just the thing to connect to my Lumix camera to give me perfect sound on my videos.
Feels quite tacky and plastic compared to the earlier model which I felt compelled to give to a needy someone! that earlier model no longer made. I am sure though the sound quality in reproduction will be as good and the easier controls on top of the mic to determine the uni/omnidirection of the recording is a lot easier to access.
a very well made piece of equipment far better than many other dictation recorders. excellent technology. I would recommend this to anyone.
Aside from the quality of the recordings, I am impressed by the build quality and ease of use.
All the knobs and buttons are firm and positive, and the menu system is a doddle!
The screen is easy to read and has an adjustable contrast for comfort.
Although photos make it look substantially larger than the alternative I was considering (the ZOOM H1), it’s really very pocket friendly; not the lump it appears.
For in-the-field monitoring, I bought some Audio-Technica ATH-M40X headphones which power easily directly from the ZOOM’s line-out, providing a purely flat reference. Highly recommended for saving a lot of time and energy.
Using these headphones revealed to me just how much detail the ZOOM’s microphones can pick up!
They are really amazing. That’s not hyperbole – I am actually amazed by what tiny detail can be clearly recorded.
There are already so many reviews of this device available here and elsewhere, so I’ll not clutter the place with repetition.
Suffice to say – it’s great.
UPDATE: Can also be used as an extremely high quality Mp3 player for music, audio books (in the right file format) etc. After connecting the ZOOM to a PC and entering USB > SD Card Reader mode, files can be dropped into the SD card’s folders, and played back in the same way as recorded files. Excellent sound quality and album tracks played in the correct order, which apparently some dedicated Mp3 players inexplicably have trouble with. A very handy bonus feature.
The recording quality of this unit is amazing. Even stuck straight in front of an amp with drums, guitar and vocals coming out of it, it recorded everything without clipping and with amazing clarity
Arrived on times and well packaged. It does the job perfectly. Thanks.
I purchased the H2n for guitar practice. The quality is excellent when played back through good earphones, but the user interface is poor, as is the actual display. I couldn’t even find how to select a recording and play it back. However Zoom UK is very helpful, and they gave me simple instructions:
1) Hold down the Menu button to return to the main display (the microphone is then active).
2) Press the red button to start and stop recording.
3) Press the toggle below the menu button briefly to immediately play back the last recording.
4) Only now, rock the toggle up or down to skip through the different recordings.
If instead you go through the Menu options (by rocking and pressing the toggle) to select a file, you don’t get an option to actually PLAY it – only choices for information, delete etc… Bizarre.
Of course I have been spoiled by modern smart phone interfaces, and it is a shock to come across a display and interface dating from the last century ! Indeed you can use a smart phone application such as the “Sony Audio Recorder” for Android devices to record, with a far simpler and superior interface, except that the quality, even with headphones, is of course limited by the phone’s tiny microphone.
I would buy H2n again, but there is surely a market for a smart microphone that can record to a smart telephone or computer via bluetooth. No bluetooth with the H2n of course 🙂
Perfect for the job. Ad Hoc. recording wherever I am; as practice aid, recording ideas or recording music in traditional music sessions for later reference. The many recording/microphone options make this appropriate for recording approaching professional quality. The only aspect that means 4 instead of 5 starts is that selecting the wealth of excellent features that this unit offers can be quite confusing given the small number of physical controls.
One useful feature that I appreciate is the being able to use the Zoom H2n as a quality USB microphone for direct recording into my laptop recording software.
You can hear the results on dummy.company podcast, perfect for the job
This is a good microphone. You have to be careful with handling noise but overall the quality is great.
Great for improving music instrument practice. Ability to shape the sound is also very good. My friend has the more expensive unit but unless you are recording on a professional basis with increased device connectivity requirements then this will do the job well
would strongly recommend
The excellent reviews of the H2n tempted me to buy this item. I was not sorry although for live recording consider an H4
The recordings have gone well, even if it is a little merciless to singers, picking up everything. It is delightfully easy to use, and unobtrusive, so it can be plonked down and capture occasions where otherwise one would feel to self-conscious. Particularly pleased that I got a first performance of my choral director’s Christmas suite of music by putting the recorder under a seat, and another time I got a priceless recording of the music for a theatre company production, which I put near a light and everyone thought it was just a bit of the apparatus. A 32GB card and decently frugal battery use means it can be set half an hour before, and edited afterwards. I also use it to record my mother at her singing course. The two second pre-record is a great blessing here, meaning that hurried starts do not miss the beginning of what you are recording. I like the variety of compression / automatic gain control settings in addition to being able to set the level manually. You cannot split L and R levels, but it is easy enough to correct any imbalances offline.
I did get the accessory set. It adds another 30 to the cost, but I think it is worth it. Most useful of all is that bit of foam, which is probably just a bit of packing material, but fits the bottom of the recorder beautifully and makes a perfect stand. Much better than a tripod.
Probably the most annoying thing is the playback speaker is just too quiet to use it as a playback device, and only provides an indication than anything that is pleasant to listen to. If the priority has been given to versatility and record quality, it is a fair trade-off though. The other irritation is the way it renumbers when you split files. You end up with Zoom0002AAAAAAAAAB, which then has to be edited manually or on the computer to something sensible. Oh, and one of the rubber toggle things on the accessory case zip has come off, and I have to keep attempting to glue it back.
Been using it to record background noise for iMovie films whilst traveling, so far so good, easy to use and the quality is just what I need which is something that is better than my camera can give.
I bought this a year ago and still very happy with it! It fits nicely in my bag and people are not intimidated when I pull it out and ask for an interview. For the money and excellent sound quality, I would say good value! Buy it, it’d be money well spent.
It is a nice voice-recorder although I have mastered it yet. You can hear the voices clearly. I recommend it highly.
A handy little recorder, with a good set of features at a reasonable price. Have used it to create sounds for films, and it picks up the sounds very well, with no background noise.
Not really got to grips with this, bought for my son wanting to make films but quality and ease of use amazing.
This is real value for money. Other competitors are twice the price for the same performance. A great asset for Churches and charities.
I wanted a quick portable way to record voice and instruments getting ideas down before I forgot them. This unit really fits the bill the recording quality is good enough to import into a DAW (I use Reason). It has a metronome so you can easily sync with a backing track. The on board tuner was a bit more tricky. It has various recording modes though old fashioned stereo has proven sufficient for me. Well worth the money.
The H4n is still one of the best and most versatile pocket recorders available for the price. What sets it apart in particular is the simultaneous 4-track recording. I was astonished to find out that in a way, the H2n can record 4 tracks as well, for half the price. Here are some of the pros and cons between the H4n and H2n:
H4n Pros: XLR (and 1/4″ jacks) pro mic input with phantom power. True 4-track recording. Compact for the features. Solidly built. Uses easily-available AA batteries.
H4n Cons: Somewhat antiquated interface and firmware, display readout. A bit cumbersome for true hand-held and on-camera use (although neither would be ideal in any quality circumstance). Slow to start-up. Eats the AA batteries very quickly for field use.
H2n Pros: Small, light, and compact. Dual Mid-Side and X-Y microphone elements built-in. Capable of using all 5 mic capsules simultaneously to record to two pairs of stereo tracks. Can also plug external mic (in 1/8″ stereo jack) to record to one set of stereo tracks. This disables the built-in X-Y elements and continues to use the M-S mics along with the plugged-in mic. So you can record in 4 tracks (using the “Dual surround” mode). Uses a pair of easily-available AA batteries, which can last up to 20 hours for field use. Can also be powered with Micro-USB cord. Large, clean and clear readout and interface. Starts up in 2 seconds flat.
H2n Cons: Seems plastic-y and possibly not as durable. Build does not isolate mics well (handling noise is bad). No pro mic inputs. No accessories included with package, not even a power cord or a foam windscreen.
So far, I like the unit quite well. A few things I was worried about include the one-touch recording. Most recorders, including the H4n, require you to push the record button once to put it in stand-by mode, then push again to commence recording. This is somewhat of a mixed bag. It enables the monitoring system to begin (and if you are using the system on a DSLR/camera, you can use the recorder as a mic input without actually recording to the unit itself), but also makes it confusing sometimes as to whether you are actually recording or not.
The H2n starts recording immediately upon hitting the record button once. This is better. But I had worried that there would not be any monitoring available. Not to worry. The H2n starts monitoring immediately upon power-up! (But you can disable it in the preferences if you wish).
I have a swivel hot-shoe mount that screws into the (plastic) thread on the bottom of the H2n and can then fit onto the hot shoe of my camera.
Using the line-out jack, plugged into the mic input of a DSLR, the unit works quite well for run-and-gun video shooting. You do have to fiddle with the recording levels of your particular camera (Ive set my Nikon D4 to manual audio mode) and set the output volume of the H2n to an appropriate level. Mine seems to work well at 50% volume. You can then easily set the audio input on the H2n via the thumb wheel to suit your recording. The unit is small and lightweight and looks decently unobtrusive atop the hotshoe of the DSLR. The readout can be seen easily and the the red record/mic LED lights look like a Tally light. The all-black housing also looks good with a DSLR camera.
All mics are susceptible to wind noise. This unit should at least come with a foam windscreen, but a “dead cat” furry windscreen works better anyway. I have a Rode StereoVideoMic, whose ‘dead kitten’ screen fits and works for the H2n fairly well for windy conditions.
I’ll continue to use the unit and add to the review as I go. Feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to answer them.
This was purchased on behalf of a customer, they specified and requested this make and model and I duly obliged..
I bought this as a musician looking for a quick and easy way to record various instruments as well as vocal performances and it is perfect. Simple, effective and well-made; thoroughly recommended.
I have the earlier model at work and bought this for myself and this produces better quality recordings plus better battery life.
I just love this thing, great quality sound and so many uses. So easy to use and does more than I expected. Connectivity is great.
I use it to commentate on my videos, and then synch the sound up in my software. (Corel Videostudio Pro 6X Ultimate).
It has a metronome too, which is heaven sent.
I fit it with my headphones and listen to the audio being recorded.
A rather lovely unit with 5 (Yes FIVE) microphones in it.
Superb tonal range. I have never sounded so good 🙂
A great little all rounder and fabulous value for money at this price.
Sound 4.9 out of 5 (could do with a bit more LF extension, I’m being ultra picky here!)
My son has been using this for coursework on his BA Mus course, and for recording his band and other musicians. He can’t praise its quality highly enough, (and he is the ultra picky one, when it comes to sound quality). Needles to say it’s permanently attached to his hip in the belt strap.
The floor noise with an external mic seems fine to me. The SM58 is not a loud mic but works well enough. If you try and use the unit hand held there will be handling noise – but what do you expect at this price point?
good quality, but some problems with the SD card, i supposed.Easy to study and use this Mic, but need to pay attention with the battery.
I have only just got this, so have not had a lot of time to play around with it (and indeed I don’t know enough about recording equipment to give a very detailed review).
My first impressions, however, are excellent. I bought it for recording myself playing the flute, and the quality of recording is really very good. It is also very compact, simple to use, and easy to listen back to your recordings straight away through the device.
I’ve delt with microphones that had annoying cords and they are a pain in the butt to deal with and position when shooting video. This portable mic is truely amazing. It can capture audio directional (from one angle) or omni-directional (from any direction in the room. The quality is GREAT. You can set the compressor and limiter settings which will be processed on the fly while recording. That means you really don’t have to dump your recorded file into a audio editing program to process for compression.
I could truly go on for hours talking about all the features, but there listed right here on the site for you to read. This thing fits in the palm of your hand and can pick up pretty much any sound you can hear with your ears in professional detail. I’m use to using big name brand mics like Rode, Neumann and manly. So, I was a little unsure about a ‘Zoom’ product. I’ve never used anything that was made by zoom until now. I have no regrets and will purchase a second if I find the need. Let me make one suggestion if I may. I highly recommend the accessory kit (an additional purchase) if you have the extra money to spend. I have found myself needing and using everything in the accessory pack. I’m sure you will too.
This compact piece of recording equipment is not just good,
it’s outstanding. Whether it’s a live band, conversation or just recording
in general, the end result after mastering is sensational.
All recording engineers should carry one.
… and good device performance in terms of overall operation – as you would expect it from decent manufacturer.
Plastic hausing is prone to amplify noise, so better put it still on table or hold by accessory handle.
Easy to use, economic on batteries, excellent reproduction and compact.
For my requirement perfect. Have not yet had opportunity to explore wavelab le software
Therefore not used all aspect of the available features but so far no issues.
Perfect recording device for the travel-light reporter/producer who wants studio/broadcast quality sound that can be edited and uploaded quickly. Well made, great features, intuitive design and easy to use.
I was a ZOOM H2 owner. An excellent device. But it had terrible power management. For example, if the battery is out and not changed for a long time, you’d lose the user settings completely and will have to set up everything again. Extremely painful and frustrating. Also, if you happen to run out of battery in the middle of a recording, you will lose the entire recording. There is no safe-proof partial recording in any event of unattended battery exhaustion like the Sony recorders do. These things are extremely frustrating and essentially made an otherwise excellent device unusable to me, especially because I don’t use it very frequently. Whenever I picked up the device when I needed it, the chances were that it had lost its settings because I had not used it for long time and the battery had run out long ago.
I was hesitating before buying the Zoom H2N, because I could not confirm whether the new product had resolved those major issues even after I had read many of these reviews.
But I finally went ahead and bought the H2N despite the unanswered questions. I’m glad I did. Here are the quick findings in my initial tests (yes, the first thing I did was to test):
(1) The recorder would keep the file even after an event of unexpected power interruption. I intentionally removed the battery during recording, and lo and behold, the file was kept and could be replayed. This is a big save. For this reason alone, one should buy the new H2N instead of the old H2, which failed to do this.
However, I tested only using the MP3 format. I’m not sure what happens when the wave format is used. I would assume that it should behave the same. Why shouldn’t it?
Also, I did not test the scenario when the battery runs out during recording, because it is difficult to artificially create that condition. However, if the unit keeps the file at a sudden removal of the battery, you would naturally expect it to do the same when the battery dies. I think sudden removal of the battery is the most severe test for this function.
(2) Yes, the unit keeps the user settings except for the clock. I left it without power for about an hour, and put back the batteries. All settings are still kept, except that the clock is automatically reset to the default time.
I then tested removing and reinserting batteries without much waiting in between to see what happens. I did not do an extensive test, but I can tell you that if you insert batteries quickly, say within a minute, the clock will maintain its user set time. This is great. But certainly, if you wait too long before you put batteries back, the clock will reset itself. I don’t know how long you can wait, but certainly not an hour, and my guess is that it’s it’s probably under 2 min., just long enough for you to replace the batteries.
This means that H2N uses an nonvolatile memory for user settings, and also has an internal battery to briefly power the clock when the device is not externally powered, but it uses that internal battery very frugally. This makes sense to me. If the internal battery has to keep the clock to run for a very long time when no batteries are present, it could significantly shorten the internal battery life.
(3) User interface is much better than the original H2. I figured everything out without looking at the manual. It is very intuitive.
(4) The display, although not a high-resolution one, works just fine and is better than H2’s.
(5) The record button is designed so that when the unit is on a tripod, or standing vertically on a surface, you can press the button using one finger without touching other parts of the recorder. This is very considerate because this could reduce the operation noise significantly. The original H2 is not like this. Unless the H2 is lying on a surface, you can’t press the buttons without holding the thing using two hands. If you’re making high-quality recording on a tripod, that would be a problem with the original H2. Besides, because both the H2 and H2N has microphones facing two directions, the vertical standing position on the surface is the natural position which properly positions the microphones. The H2’s requiring that the unit lie on the surface was simply a mistake. So this is another welcome change with the H2N.
However, pressing the record button still kind of shakes the unit, thus creating a bit of noise when you operate the button. So it’s much better, but not completely trouble-free.
(6) H2N is thicker than the original H2, but the handling is nonetheless very good. Overall size is about the same. Quite bulky if you are used to the smart phone slickness, but is not heavy and clumsy at all. Besides, you need to have a relatively thick base to place the recorder on a surface to stand vertically in order to properly use this microphones facing two directions. So there’s absolutely no complaints on its size.
(7) There is no Pause button. You will have to reprogram the Play button to make it a Pause button during recording (it can be easily done in the user menu). The bright side is that the record button is extremely simple and not confusing. You press it, it starts to record. If you press it again, it stops recording. Again, an improvement in my opinion.
I have not found time to use the device much yet, and I can’t comment on the performance. The microphone on the origin of H2 was so good, so even if the H2n is somewhat a step down the microphone quality, I would still be satisfied.
The access to menus etc is straight forward but the button for enter is a rocker switch that is a little temperamental and frustrating to hit in the middle.
All in all a really great, high quality, useful tool.