Zoom H2n Handy Recorder Reviews

Tim McDonnell
from Nashville, TN
March 8, 2013Music Background:
Rock bands, Media Developer, Hobbyist, Podcaster

Zoom H2n: Improved In Every Way

My old ZOOM H2 was always standard equipment around here (since 2007) for everything from recording meetings & presentations to capturing musical inspirations as they happened. The new H2n is even better and easier to use, with all of it's refinements. It has amazing battery life and longer recording time options, better mics, more options like a tuner, better controls, bigger display, all in a more attractively designed package. I'm handing off the H2 to a co-worker and stoked at my amazing upgrade. Highly recommended and used just about every day. Great Sweetwater service makes it all so easy.

Ron Whittng/ A.F. Productions/Tyler, Texas
from Ty;ler, Texas
November 16, 2012Music Background:
Professional Video and audio Producer

Best Little Recorder for a Professional Job of a Major Project!

This is the best portable recorder I have found along with the H4N it's big brother. The H2N is so small and easy to use and very easy to understand the the menu and controls. Charlie Davis is the best audio sales rep that I have ever had with EXCELLENT SERVICE AND EXPERTISE on any audio gear you may need. You can't go wrong with Sweetwater and Charlie Davis on your team. Please keep up the great work Charlie Davis. I will be buying from Sweetwater and Charlie again and again. The audio from the H2N is awesome and can't be beat. The free candy is nice too.
Thank You Sweetwater.

George A. Wallace
from Lancaster PA USA
October 23, 2012Music Background:
Producer/Artist/Engineer/Writer

My 'Handy Andy'

It's a fun piece!! I haven't got much chance to use it yet, but it's all a matter of time. BTW, another use I have for it is to use it as a standalone ambient mic in an acoustic space/room where I then run it into my Pro Tools system along with other mics! With the options for surround 2 and 4, midside and X/Y it should come in real handy, hence the name I gave it...

so, it's a really nice toy!!

Jeremy Knight
from texas
September 25, 2012Music Background:
Teacher

Perfect Mobile Solution

I was skeptical when I ordered the Zoom H2n but I am blown away at the versatility it provides for my program. The sound quality is excellent. I am most enamored with the ability to set up multiple recording stations to provide my students with instant feedback on playing tests and aural evaluations. I slip one of these units in my pocket whenever we go to a live performance and I can record instantly with no setup. Indispensable educational tool....Look out, the cassette player has been replaced.

Matt
from KS USA
August 22, 2012Music Background:
Violinist

Excellent

This recorder is amazing. The recordings are clear and never have any distortion. It is a perfect fit for my needs.
The customer service at Sweetwater was just as impressive as the product. I really felt like they cared about me and my needs.

Dan
from
August 3, 2012Music Background:
Sound Tech

SUPER EASY TO USE

Purchased this recorder to record sermons live. It has been more than adequate...it actually was better than expected. It's so easy to take out the memory card and transfer files into the Mac. After a litte editing in audacity and a simple upload our sermons are ready for listening on our website or in our podcast. I would recommend this for any church on budget that wants quality recording at a low price. Also found that the optimal mic gain for preaching is about 7.

Dianne Gustin
from Denver, Indiana
July 31, 2012Music Background:
Husband retired 39 year public school music educator

Excellent equipment

We used the Zoom to record the Peru Circus Festival band during a circus performance in the Circus Building with excellent results. What a wonderful reproduction of the sounds of a great band.

Richard Chapman
from
July 23, 2012

Zoom H2n Handy Rcorder

Nifty recorder. Especially like the multiple pickup pattern settings. Has good frequency response characterists as well.

Mark
from Plymouth, MI
July 22, 2012Music Background:
Performing songwriter

Zoom H2N was a great buy

After spending a little bit of time with the manual, I discovered just how versatile this little device is! The sound quality is great and it's really handy. As a performer, I have found it handy to record rehearsals for critique and to capture songs to share with others for rehearsal. If I wanted to take the time to position everything carefully, I'm sure it would do a decent job of recording demos too.

Janet Strausbaugh
from Upper Sandusky, Ohio
May 3, 2012Music Background:
piano player

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!

david ochal
from amsterdam, ny
December 28, 2011Music Background:
pro musician

save that music

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

michael wittig
from griffith, indiana.
December 5, 2011Music Background:
hobbyist

h2n

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

John Paul
from United States
November 19, 2011Music Background:
Classical Guitarist, Home Studio Enthusiast

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.

Paul
from New York
November 5, 2011Music Background:
Band

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.

Andrew
from Columbia, SC
October 1, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist/Student

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.

reejay
from center valley pa.
April 18, 2013Music Background:
guitar strummer, some singing in a clasic/oldies/country /cover band

the item and the agent ,,,well done!!

excellent unit. i'm happily experimenting with recording our band, various settings and placings.
cannot believe how crystal the vocals are coming out.
and jared, the dood that helped me is the MAN!! I made a mistake in the ordering process {{ after }} the order went in.
somehow he corrected and deleted it.
and... followed up to make sure everything was cool.

Kevin C O'Dunn
from United States
March 4, 2013Music Background:
US Coast Guard lower brass, Production Director for the FOX, Norfolk; 96KRock, FortMyers; WDIZ Orlando; 98ROCK, Tampa Bay; Principal, Florida Academy of Ayurveda.

Atmospherics and School too

My older than dirt H4 stopped performing on the batteries and I had been using it to record 23 hours of lectures every three weeks for the Ayurvedic Academy where I teach. I bought the H2 with the budget I was given. It is much less expensive than the H4 and for what we were are doing it was huge overkill. The H2 rocks, It is sensitive and the patterns can be adjusted to fit any situation. I also use it to pick up ambient sound for background fill on other projects I do. It is great for recording music and it links up to my Canon video rigs. My buddy FLASH uses his for prodution capture and interviews. Great Tool!

Rick
from Hudson, NY USA
January 24, 2013Music Background:
Hobbyist

H2n Great Little Recorder

Great little recorder for capturing rehearsals. With a 32GB card added, I can record something like 15 hours in four channel raw. So, just fire it up, then download the tracks to the computer and chop them up with your favorite program. Can't wait to try it at a gig!

Matt Pike
from New Zealand
July 18, 2012Music Background:
Professional Performer/Musician

H2n ... a step up

I borrowed an H2 off a friend and used it to record rather volumey rock rehearsals and also commit some material to memory.
By the time I came to purchase one for myself, the H2n had been born, and everytrhing that I found lacking in the H2 had been rectified with style.
Especially the navigation around files and settings ... much easier!
The auto gain, compressions, low cut ... and general sound quality are all very impressive.
The only con is remembering to activate the hold when in playback, because (and this will prove to be a pro one day, I believe) its very easy to trigger recording ... In fact, that is one of the great improvements on the H2.
Nice ergonomic design, and a descent amount of battery life ... and its black!
Not bad at all.

Steve
from Walnut Creek, CA
July 7, 2012Music Background:
Amateur musician

Nice little recorder!

I've used a Tascam DR-07 for music field recordings for several years but needed to replace it due to a broken volume switch. I went with the Zoom H2n over the DR-07 MkII on my Sweetwater Rep's recommendation. He felt the Zoom's recording quality was better and so far I definitely agree with him. I'm impressed with the quality of the recordings I've done so far; with the Zoom my fiddle sounds much fuller than it did with the Tascam. I think the Tascam's interface is a little more user-friendly; on the Zoom some things take a couple extra steps, for instance in uploading files via USB, the Tascam mounts automatically when connected to a Mac while the Zoom requires going into its menu and changing a setting. And like other reviewers, I wish Zoom hadn't used so much plastic in the H2n's construction (although I think the Tascam has at least as much), but these are minor issues. I think this is a great little recorder for the price.

from NJ
April 16, 2012Music Background:
Middle School Band Teacher

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,

Larry D. Callihan
from Murray, KY
March 26, 2012Music Background:
semi professional musician

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!

Larry Callihan
from Murray, KY
March 26, 2012Music Background:
semi professional musician

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.

from Oxnard, CA USA
March 19, 2012Music Background:
Vocalist/Guitar player, hobbyist

Like This

Excellent design, functionality, and user friendly.

Randy
from Albuquerque, NM USA
January 26, 2012Music Background:
Audio Editor, Voiceover Artist, Sound Designer

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!

Kurt Morrow
from Denton, Texas
November 7, 2011Music Background:
Pro Musician, Bassist of 30+ years and Grad Student at North Texas.

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!

William Perry
from New Hampshire
May 1, 2013Music Background:
Proffessional musician

Zoom H2n recorder

Although I am still learning how to use the Zoom H2n It seems to be much user friendly than my older Zoom. I like it's quick turn-on to record and easy control features. I am a little weary of too many functions on one switch but it seems to work well.

Stephen Gale
from United States
March 1, 2013Music Background:
A capella singer

Big improvement over the H2

Great sound, love all the recording modes and both the display and record button are vastly improved. The variable record gain is also really welcomed. Recorded a couple demos with this model, Really love it. I just gave it 4 stars cause I don't really know what would constitute a "WOW" rating!

Susan Hancock
from United States
December 24, 2012Music Background:
(Husband) Retired music direct of AR state park.

"Getting To Know You".....

I bought this recorder for my husband's Christmas present after a few dropped "hints." He had used another model at church and was impressed. He seems very pleased with the added features and says it will help in the production of his weekly radio show. Good quality recording sound. Lots of features that he's still getting familiar with.

Paul Lichau
from Michigan
August 13, 2012Music Background:
Band Director

The H2n is a useful recorder

The H2n, with the choice of microphones, is a very useful tool for music educators. I use it in rehearsal to evaluate the progress of the group and in performances to "archive" what the group did. Easy to use.

Rick Fleeter
from Charlestown, RI USA
March 12, 2012Music Background:
Amateur musician solo and in groups, do various small audio projects for home and work

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.

lucinda luvaas
from CA
February 7, 2012Music Background:
multimedia artist

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.

Rico Lopez
from Portage MI
January 25, 2012Music Background:
Just a life long music guy

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.

Laura
from MS, USA
January 16, 2012Music Background:
Just for fun!

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!

Jude Casseday
from Durham NC
December 7, 2011Music Background:
Sound Artist/Percussionist/Singer

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.

Bob
from United States
December 18, 2011Music Background:
Recording Engineer

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.

Steve Conley
from Berlin Heights, Ohio, USA
February 16, 2013Music Background:
pro musician retired.

Good recorder

records well, easy to use, wished it were better constructed for the money, (less plastic), wished there were more troubleshooting faq's. Liked the file conversion feature.