What digital recorder?

[Robin Dorer]

I

[alice-freeman]

I like the Zoom Digital Recorders (H2 or H4). The microphone is built in and it runs on AA batteries for convenience in recording. Listen to the result with earphones or plug it into a stereo system. Mine records on a 8 GB SDHC card, so with a cardreader, I can also copy or play the sound files on my computer. The quality on mine is nice enough that I can use it for background music on YouTube videos of pictures.

— Alice in windy Wyoming

[Sam Karlinski]

I also use the Zoom H2. You can hear sounds bits on my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/SKharp23 All videos except the concerto performance were recorded with my Zoom H2.

I was hesitant about investing the money into this recording device, but I think it’s proved itself worth the cost!

Of course, the sound, especially in a venue like a chapel (where my videos were recorded), is highly variable with the placement of the mic. I was extremely picky about where I put it, but you can place it wherever and it will give you a good sound. It records directly to your computer, which is a nice plus.

~Sam

[tony-morosco]

Over the past few years I have been converted to %100 software based recording as opposed to dedicated device recording.

If you have a smart phone of any kind you can almost certainly find a recording app. A tablet of any kind is even better. And best option of all is a decent laptop. If you have a laptop running windows you can download Audacity for free. And MacBooks come with one of the best programs for doing simple recordings for free, GarageBand.

So if you have any of these pieces of equipment then you already have the hardware, and possibly the software (or you can easily find the software cheap or free).

Once software based recording was complicated and buggy. These days it is often the easier, and even cheaper, solution as the basic tech that is needed many people already own. The average laptop these days is sufficient without the need of an expensive, super powered, dedicated machine. Even a phone can do it.

[adam-b-harris]

I have a Zoom H4 which I highly recommend for price and features although its a little fiddly to use (the newer H4n may be more friendly). H2 is probably cheaper and better for your purposes.

[Robin Dorer]

Thanks all for your responses.

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi Robin,

Let us know if you think that the H4N is easy to use.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

A cassette recorder is by far the simplest and easiest thing to use.

[adam-b-harris]

There is alot of truth in that. And you can get those cassette to usb upload gadgets these days for about $40 just in case you wanted to upload the recording to computer and play around with it.

[lisa-davis]

I use a Mikey by Blue microphones. It will record straight into an iPod. Not pro-level — but pretty darn good for the price, and very easy to use. It will automatically sync to iTunes, and even burn from there to CD. Very handy for making quick CDs for demos, to help with memorization, or sound files can be posted on-line.

[Robin Dorer]

Well, I admit

[Elizabeth Kelly]

For those of you who use the Zoom recorders, do you find that the built in microphones work well or do you need to use an external microphone as well?

[alice-freeman]

For my purposes (informal recording, not for making CDs) I find the internal microphone quite adequate.

— Alice in windy Wyoming

[dawn-penland]

I use the built in microphone and it works fine for me. I have the Zoom H2. I set it for surround sound.

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