H2n Handy Recorder

The H2n is my first purchase of a recording device since the 2 button cassette tape recorders! I am obviously a novice and have a great deal to learn but my initial experimenting with this product has me very pleased. I have heard great reviews from musician friends on the H2n and thus far fulll agree with their recommendations to start my recording attempts with this unit. In addition, my decision to purchase from Sweetwater was guided by their recommendations. I am very satisfied with the fast, professional "good old time service" I have experienced with Sweetwater and look forward to my first visit to their store in the near future. Thank you!

save that music

this h2n zoom is easy to operate and has great recording level capabilities. try a zoom you won't be disappointed.

h2n

i just purchased the h2n and i really like it.
sounds great and boots up much faster than the h2.

Versatile!

In my opinion there is only one con to the H2n... I think it is a little plasticky. I would like some more heavy duty construction. I always worry about it getting crushed in my gear bag, even with the case in the accessory pack. But that is definitely my only complaint, except for that in a perfect world it would sound as good as a $1000 condenser mic. But that is not what it was designed for and it can do things that $1000 mic can't.
For field recording this thing is spectacular. For recording things like voiceovers it is great. If you want to capture an impromptu session of guitar and or vocal inspiration on your front porch, it excels. If you want to capture a demo of your song with no hassle, excellence. For YouTube videos, totally tubular. If you are travelling and still want to feel like you can get some usable material into your DAW without hauling a case full gear, SHWING! I understand that video pros really like this thing's versatility as well.
The 2GB SD card holds plenty of sound. The level meters work very well. I try not to use the compressors or limiters but I like having them if necessary. The low cut is great. Line out for headphones is fabulous.
Love the different stereo modes for recording close(XY) and bigger stuff(Mid-Side) or whatever you want is cool. I'm not sure what the surround mode is good for but if you love to experiment with acoustic environments you will dig it.
I bought a 1/8 trs male to male cable and plug it into my line in on my MacBook for my DAW. I like this better because then I can record in 96kHz whereas the usb connection only allows 44kHz. Just the way I like to do it. Of course most people wouldn't want to use this for their DAW but I do sometimes. I also bought a 1/4 trs Y adapter to plug it into my interface or any number of other things. I bought a usb extension cord to allow me to plug it in for longer distances which is nice because the power adapter in the accessory pack connects to the usb
It's not a studio mic for recording pristine warm tracks.... but if you need to you can get a very good sound from this fella. For example, I find that I can get some very nice classical guitar recordings or vocal recordings from this guy. They are not as good as a very nice condenser but they are clean and functional. Good enough to put in a mix if absolutely necessary. Don't buy it for that though because you could get a better sounding studio mic and I wouldn't feel good recommending it for that purpose.
The real reason to buy this thing is for making workable recordings in any situation. If you need to capture sound on the fly in unexpected places and situations then this guy is a very flexible tool that you will be happy with.

Excellent

Easy to use, very high quality what else can you ask for? I use it for a podcast that is often done via phone and it handles the live voice and the phone voice very well, the stereo choices are great too.

Zoom H2n is a great buy

So far I have used it for lectures and it picks up everything loud and clear. When I go back and listen to my recordings it feels like I'm still in the classroom with my professor speaking. I'm also a videographer so I plan on using this for interviews, voice overs, and recording some sound or vocals for different types of videos even though I already have a Rode Videomic & a Rode NT1-A. Also, I have been producing and recording music since I was 15 years old so I can get some use out of it for live sound recording for interludes for albums or for just picking up a sound to possibly use in a beat. I would suggest getting a windscreen in windy conditions.

Great Unit,

I used the H2n for the first time today with my Middle School Band and I am amazed by the recording quality. I have a 72 piece band in a very small rehearsal space and I set the level at 4 and used the side mics set to 120 degrees. The recording was great.

My only complaint is with the built in speakers. To truly hear the recording quality you need to plug in a head set or external speakers.

Well worth the money,

Great recorder, great price!

Unbelieveable sound for such a small unit. This should be in the hands of any band or musician who wants a clear representation of how they actually sound! My only complaint is not with the H2N, but the Wavelab LE7 software that comes with it. I am certain that it is an excellant recording tool, but it would benifit from including a tutorial to explain how to use the software. I have searched on youtube without much sucess. The recorder itself is a wonderful product!

Great recording tool!

It is unbelieveable that you can get such a quality recording from something as small as this unit is! It is very user friendly. My only real complaint is not with the recorder, but the software that comes with it. They give you a basic version of wavelab 7, which I am certain is a very useful editing tool, except for the fact that I have no idea how to use it. The company could benifit by including a tutorial that explains what you are supposed to do. I have even checked youtube, with no real help. The recorder in itself should be in the hands of any band who wants to hear how a practice session actually sounds, or any musican who needs to hear how they would sound playing out in the public's eye.

Like This

Excellent design, functionality, and user friendly.

Lotsa Power in a Small Package!

This little guy has been a pleasant surprise! First off, the sound quality from this recorder is AMAZING - I couldn't believe the clarity when I ported the files over to my workstation. I work as an audio editor and voiceover guy and have heard lots of "portable" audio sent over by clients and friends - mostly from inferior devices. This blows them all away. I understand there are more expensive professional recorders out there, but for the money I don't think you can go wrong with the H2N.

Audio is clear and crisp with no dropouts or weird artifacts. The menu system - while at times a bit vague - is pretty easy to navigate and get things done. Make sure to get a decent-sized SD card to hold all the audio you'll be gathering.

Also, even though it's extra, I highly recommend picking up the ZOOM H2N Accessory Pack here at Sweetwater - it's got a lot of things you'll find yourself wanting (though I still think ZOOM should make it part of the H2N package instead of selling it separately).

The only thing that's a little frustrating is navigating the folders to find audio I previously recorded - sometimes I have to listen to each file in my workstation to find out where I put it - but that could just be my own inexperience with the device. It's probably be best to download all of your recorded audio at the end of the day and make sure the files are renamed and filed in a way that's easiest for you.

All in all, I love this thing!

Review The H2n Recorder

This is a great Recorder! It does everything I need it to do and stuff I have not figured out yet! The recording and playback is easy. The different configurations of the mics are perfect and suit many different situations. The only reason I did not give it a 5 star rating is because I wish ZOOM would make the casing in something more than plastic and it would be better if the items in the "Optional Accessory Pack" were included. Overall I am very pleased with the unit and the 3 easy payments were a great help as well! Thanks SWEETWATER!

New Zoom much improved

I tried to NOT buy another zoom because the old H2 was so clumsy to operate. But I took a chance on the H2n and very glad I did. It has fixed the virtually illegible display and has a much improved set of controls to get through menus. Also software that actually works if you want to do more work on your files with your computer. The H2n is the same basic capability executed much better.

Great little field recorder!

This recorder is really all it says it is in the info about it. It records audio perfectly. I use it for nature recording, my own voice and other voices. I'm totally pleased with it.

Very easy to use

When I get a new toy I will see how long it takes to use the functions without reading the manual, to see how thought out the design is. Is it intuitive? Yes. It picks up sound very well and the mic options are really nice and easy to use. Turn the dial located on top and the LED shows what configuration is picked so its easy to see what way to point it. I like that file transfers are plug and play with the PC I use. I dont need software. The file format options are plenty and it starts fast from off. The playback speaker is clear, not super loud but good enough. The following is fine with me but just to mention...Its a tad bulky, not slim but fits in your hand. On the flipside its light. I dont expect it to be made from metal. Some say it feels cheap. If you need a metal reinforced recorder then look beyond the $200 range. If you are afraid it will get smashed in a gear bag then dont sit on it. Overall I would buy it again and the extras kit is worth the money too.

Love it!

I am not a professional AT ALL! But this recorder is just great and exactly what I needed for recording practices...vocal and instrumental sound great!

I might buy another

I have only used this once, but the sound quality was great and the interface was smooth and easy. I am excited to try this recorder for field recordings.

Too Good for so much Plastic

Wonderful sounding device. Easy to use. But... too much plastic. Zoom can do better. For the ease of use and great sound, it should be sturdier. I would pay more if were housed in a metal(ish) case.