Zoom H2 - really amazing

rstl99

I expect that for manouche learning, an H4 would be preferable to an H2? Lay down rhythm on 2 tracks, then use that to practice overlaying solos on the other 2 tracks? The H2 sounds like a nifty and useful recorder to capture live music, jams, lessons, but for self-learning, I thought the H4 had the added advantage of multi-track recording.
Thoughts? Advice?

djangology

Any suggestions from you computer whizzes would be very much appreciated.

Email me privately with your computer brand, age, operating system version, sound card driver version, etc. Is your soundcard onboard the motherboard or is it a separate PCI card, etc. I might be able to give you an idea or two to try.

Stackabones

rstl99 wrote:

I expect that for manouche learning, an H4 would be preferable to an H2? Lay down rhythm on 2 tracks, then use that to practice overlaying solos on the other 2 tracks? The H2 sounds like a nifty and useful recorder to capture live music, jams, lessons, but for self-learning, I thought the H4 had the added advantage of multi-track recording.
Thoughts? Advice?

Yeah, I think the H4 is preferable. Plus, once you get into basic recording with one track you'll want to start multitracking asap. Four tracks is a great training ground for that imo.

The H4 can still capture live music, jams, etc ... and mulitrack!

I'm still digging mine. 8)

rstl99

Stackabones wrote:

Yeah, I think the H4 is preferable. Plus, once you get into basic recording with one track you'll want to start multitracking asap. Four tracks is a great training ground for that imo.

The H4 can still capture live music, jams, etc ... and mulitrack!

I'm still digging mine. 8)

Thanks! I have owned recording equipment for years and used it with great enjoyment to capture my musical progress on guitar, and jams with friends etc. I still have a lot of reel to reel recorders (including a Nagra IV, and old venerable Ampex 440's), plus a Korg 12 track digital studio, which I have used a lot to record stuff. But the Korg and the other gear is in my house "studio", whereas a lot of my guitar playing occurs in my bedroom in the evening, and it's for that reason that the small and self-contained H2 and H4 units were so appealing. Also, to have that functionality outdoors or at social venues, etc. For $100 more, and in spite of its "quirks" I will likely go with the H4 given the multitrack aspect, which I have come to enjoy a lot over the years (since the vast majority of my playing - to date anyway, I'm hoping that learning manouche will get me into contact with other manouche players - has been alone).

I suppose I had lost touch with the evolution of portable recording gear for a couple of years, so all these devices that are out now (H2, H4, the other brands) are just astounding to me, how they can cram as much functionality, with reasonable sound quality, into such small, affordable packages!

frater

I bought my H2 last December and couldn' t be happier. I preferred it to the H4 'cause it's more portable and I wasn't very interested in the in-built multitrack thing (by the way you can connect the H2 to a notebook and use it as an USB microphone; in conjunction with a simple multitrack program it works just great!). Both products are just fantastic and it's really amazing how cheap they are!

richdaigle

Ive had my H2 for quite a while and have recorded hours and hours of stuff. My only complaint is the cheap "feel" of the switches...though they have never failed in any way.
Very handy for stealth recordings of concerts for educational purposes...say the Rosenbergs at Djangofest...etc.