Hi Guys
I read with great interest the thread about the Zoom H2 VS H4, and discovered that the H4 comes in a "hot out the oven" H4n version as someone else noted. I also did some searching in that $300 price range, and found the Yamaha Pocketrak CX, Tascam DR-1 (actually looks like the best deal of the lot at about $70 less) and the Edirol R-09HR, and the Olympus LS-10 (golly that number sounds familiar...)
All these units have more or less the same functions, and all are almost of identical recording quality by their specs.
Any comments on the other 4 please?
a Feature that I like about the Edirol, is it comes standard with a remote control, which is $70 extra on the Olympus, some come with standard AAA batteries, others with built-ins which are expensive to replace, H4n is sturdier with a slip/shock-free rubber casing, and two of them have built-in tuners etc...
Are these features nice-to-have or does one go for the recording quality only thus minimum price of say a Zoom H2 - I know Tuffy likes his.
In retrospect, it seems most respondents to the Zoom-thread have H2's.
I have the Edirol - it is a really good sounding recorder, easy to use, accessories are a little pricey ( I got the cover/stand combo, so that I can set it on the kitchen counter and aim it at the general area we're playing in, plus it keeps it up out of the random marinara drips and wine stains ).
My only complaint is that it does not do the USB mic thing that the Zooms do. But I like the sound quality alot better, and the remote is very handy to create gaps between songs while playing so transcribing the files is alot easier - I'm trying to find a broken clip-on tuner so I can attach the remote to my headstock for uber-convenience -
Tad
How well would the Edirol work in a Pub situation?
Possibly too well - you may pick up every cough and laugh and f@rt in the place. I use it with auto gain control on, 'cause its like autopilot for idiots, and I want it all to work flawlessly without worrying about it while I'm playing. If we try to do a fade out, you can hear the exhaust fan in the kitchen get louder as we get quieter, but you only notice it on the recording. We keep trying to remember to turn it off before we start, but its so low you hardly notice it live -
It does have options that you can change that might minimize that, manually setting gain and such, but I have not played too extensively with it. It records cleanly, sounds great, uploads a really good .wav or .mp3 easily, and all I have to do is carry an extra set of AAs and hit the record button when I'm ready. Playing the guitar well is enough of a challenge for me most nights -
I'll look thru my files, if I have one that doesn't make us all sound too incompetent, I'll try to figure out how to put it up -
Tad
:+1: Thanks for the replies guys.
It seems (from other posts too) that the Zoom recorders are very popular. I still fancy the thought of the Edirol though Tad. I hope to get some more comments on the others too. It is some time until Christmas though.
In my opinion, the zoom h2 is the perfect recorder. What it lacks in build quality, it makes up for in spades in simple useability and results. I would consider the others as a compromise between a proper recording setup and what the h2 does. Would any of the other features of the alternatives actually be of use? I love the fact that the h2 records straight to mp3 with a click of a button, and connects by USB as a stereo mic to record into audacity. What else do you want a portable recorder to do.
Audacity does convert to mp3 with a simple free add on.
Hi,
Just to put my 2 cents to this discussion. I have a Zoom H2 and a M-Audio Mictotrack (first generation). I made a small recording to compare the front and rear microphone of the H2 and compare it with the Microtrack with an AT825 mic.
You can hear it here : http://recit.cadre.qc.ca/~claudef/spip.php?article57
No EQ and no cut were used. H2 was place about 14 inchs pointing on the 12th fret. As it was tell in an other tread, mic position is crutial when using those devices (as it is with any mic recording).
Hope this will help.
Claude
Awesome Claude!!!
Thanx very much.. :+1:
Are you from Canada? - if so, have you got links to a couple of dealers that you could share with me please? I have a contact in Calgary that could bring stuff out for me.
I'm really leaning toward the Olympus LS-10 myself...it seems like a happy middle ground between the H2 and H4...I've read a lot of good reviews about it. I think any of them would be great though...it amazes me how many options there are out there!
Blue
The Edirol HR09 has held up well for me, and it has been tossed about a bit too. The remote is something I don't think I could go without again. Good range and great sound.
Quote from: tadol on October 22, 2009, 02:11:07 PM
I have the Edirol - it is a really good sounding recorder, easy to use, accessories are a little pricey
My only complaint is that it does not do the USB mic thing that the Zooms do. But I like the sound quality alot better, and the remote is very handy to create gaps between songs while playing so transcribing the files is alot easier
Tad
Quote from: Michael T on October 26, 2009, 12:53:15 PM
The Edirol HR09 has held up well for me, and it has been tossed about a bit too. The remote is something I don't think I could go without again. Good range and great sound.
Quote from: Blue in VT on October 26, 2009, 09:31:54 AM
I'm really leaning toward the Olympus LS-10 myself...it seems like a happy middle ground between the H2 and H4...I've read a lot of good reviews about it. I think any of them would be great though...it amazes me how many options there are out there!
Blue
:+1: Thanks guys, I narrowed my shortlist down to the Edirol, H4n and the Olympus. There's a Sony as well worth mentioning - the PCM-M10...
Thank you for your constructive and most useful info.
I am also browsing this market and am wondering if anyone has looked at the Tascam dr-07? The specs look good and it's about the same price as an H-2. The Tascam gt-r1 also looks interesting for an extra $75 or so.
Greg
Wow . . . no one's played around with a Tascam dr-07 yet? I was hoping someone could report on it's worthiness.
Greg
Greg, I seriously considered the Tascam products, but in my research I found the Mics were not the rating that the H4 or Edirol could achieve so I concentrated on those. I chose the Edirol because at the time it had a very high evaluation from several sources with reviewers and the remote was a hot button for me. I'm sure the Tascam is a good piece, I just chose based on my own comfort level and the features offered.
I'm very impressed with the specs and features of the Edirol, H4n, and other ~$300 devices, but can't convince myself that they're worth double the money. I'm also not in a position to A-B any of the recorders, so pretty much have to depend on the impressions of others.
Greg
Quote from: gdeiss on December 02, 2009, 01:38:17 AM
Wow . . . no one's played around with a Tascam dr-07 yet? I was hoping someone could report on it's worthiness.
Greg
Greg
Just like Michael T I compared the $300 models, which are all in the 24-Bit 96kHz recording resolution or "studio quality" category which according to the description surpasses audio CD-quality (whatever that means)
The DR-07 is in the 16-Bit 44.1kHz slot. What does the "inferior" result sound like to the human ear then? I'm afraid I simply don't have the answer (both categories are seemingly capable of producing mp3 files, which to my ears, are quite acceptable...
I know I don't make much sense - mainly because none of these machines are available where I stay so I can't compare, that's the very reason why I cast my line out initially, since I (at the time of writing the Thread) had to resort to buy on-line, based upon reviews and recommendations from others.
:donut
What would y'all suggest for a newbie to home recording? Something inexpensive and user friendly. All I really want to do is capture new Ideas and create recordings to copy wriite my originals. Quality is always desired too. I'll just be recording Guitar, vocals, and sometimes a drum loop. My price range is approx. $300 - $500. I posted a thread about this but failed to look far enough down the forum to see this thread. haha. Oh well! Thanks!
The main difference in 16 vs 24 bit recording is in headroom - if you play dynamically, lots of quiet parts and then loud parts, you get better results with 24 bits. The 44.1 vs 96 khz is less obvious a difference. So for capturing, say, solo fingerstyle guitar, 24 bit recording capability is a plus.
Quote from: frankhond on December 29, 2009, 06:43:15 PM
The main difference in 16 vs 24 bit recording is in headroom - if you play dynamically, lots of quiet parts and then loud parts, you get better results with 24 bits. The 44.1 vs 96 khz is less obvious a difference. So for capturing, say, solo fingerstyle guitar, 24 bit recording capability is a plus.
Cool. I've always wondered what the difference was. I do A LOT of finger style and high dynamic, so I think that's what I'll go with. What about hardware? What brands would you suggest?
Following this discussion with interest. I have typically recorded straight into ACID on my PC. But my designated recording PC is proving to be pretty temperamental, and the idea of a recording platform that is not going to do stuff like catch viruses is appealing.
What I am wondering is how many of these handhelds can import external audio so I can drop guitar parts into a piece I am generating on other platforms like ACID -- or drop solos or guitar into a piece somebody else started and sent to me.
??
And can I export multitrack files for mixing on other platforms?
Any insights?
I have owned both the zoom H2 and H4, but currently using just the H2. If you're looking for a straightforward "setup & record" acoustically using the unit's built-in mics, no question the H2 is much easier -- and since I'm not recording via external mics or pickup inputs, the H2 is best for me. If you want to use your own mics and inputs though, the H4 or H4n would be more appropriate
The H2's simplicity boils down to a very simple menu plus a "mic on a stick" setup (you just sit it on a table, it's ready to go), whereas the H4 has a more complicated interface and also took me a lot more fiddling to get into a good position (could have just been me, though). All of these can do editing/mixing/effects within the unit -- but why bother editing on a handheld? I just import the WAV or MP3 files to a laptop and edit with audacity or whatever you like.
Sorry if all that was "already hashed out", since you seem to have pretty well fleshed out a lot of the good items out there
- Dave
Quote from: The Hickman on December 29, 2009, 06:49:47 PM
Cool. I've always wondered what the difference was. I do A LOT of finger style and high dynamic, so I think that's what I'll go with. What about hardware? What brands would you suggest?
Actually I am myself saving up for a sony pcm-d50.
Here is a sound sample of 12-string guitar recorded with it: http://transom.org/tools/recording_interviewing/200803_sony_pcmd50/audio/D50-12StringTest.mp3
Downside of this one is that it's no good for phantom-powered external mics. But the internal mics seem to be the best for the money.
The one that I'm interested in now is the Yamaha POCKETRAK W24 - cool price, same specs as the others on my list, operates on only 1 AA-battery and has a wireless remote, a tuner and a metronome. Another cool feature is its start-up time of 4,5 seconds.
http://www.gearwire.com/yamaha-pocketrakw24-wnamm2010.html
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Quote from: Zohn on February 12, 2010, 07:46:10 AM
The one that I'm interested in now is the Yamaha POCKETRAK W24 - cool price, same specs as the others on my list, operates on only 1 AA-battery and has a wireless remote, a tuner and a metronome. Another cool feature is its start-up time of 4,5 seconds.
http://www.gearwire.com/yamaha-pocketrakw24-wnamm2010.html
Sounds like a lot of the features of the Edirol HR09, I would not be without a remote on any of these field recorders. You will be amazed how quickly the value of that becomes apparent especially when playing out. I can operate my Edirol from across the room in a club, or when I find that sweet spot in my home office/studio. As far as the external mics etc, I guess they are good features but I have not used any of those things, I record in wav. download and mix, then covert to mp3 keeping the wav for messin' with later or playing along with through the monitors. If I want in house recording I use condensers through my M-Audio interface to the computer. All the Fancy's on the pocket recorders are a waste on me other than really high grade mics and that remote.