Anybody own a Zoom H2?

[Pedro]

Would like to hear the Zoom H2 users speak up about this recording tool.

Is it easy to use? Can it record 4 tracks and edit them independently like in Micro BR? Does it have built in effects for guitar, if yes, how do they sound?

Overall, is it better or worse than Micro BR in multitrack recording?

Show us your work with Zoom H2 if you can. There is a "post your work" section designed for it.

[smoketree]

It looks like there aren't any Zoom H2 users lurking around this forum.  But I'm here now.  I bought my Zoom H2 after I got the Micro BR.  Though pleased with the Micro BR at first, the write-ups on the H2 were compelling and a co-worker let me play around with his H4. So, I got an H2. 

Though I have never bothered to do a serious comparison, I believe both do a good job.  But, for the money, the Zoom is the better buy.  First, it's cheaper and you get more stuff at a lower price.  It comes with the AC power adapter and the USB cable.  The Micro BR has neither.  The H2 comes with a little desk top stand that  allows you to point the microphone at the sound source. Or you can attach  an accessory that allows you to mount the H2 on a regular micro phone stand.

The H2 also allows you to attach it to a USB port and act like an audio device that can be used with computer software.  I'm not sure the sound quality isn't a little diminished by this method, but it's a convenient way to record directly to the computer.

The only thing the BR has going for it are it's "effects", which the H2 has none of.  If you're an acoustic guitar player like me, that feature  is not very important.

The H2 is simply much easier to use.  Fewer steps are involved in just about all common tasks.  For instance, with the Micro BR, after you stop a recording, in order to play it back you have to "rewind" it first as though it were a tape.  And when you do play it back, it keeps on playing after the recording has finished.  What was the point of emulating an older less convenient technology?

Anyway, that's my two cents.   You can get a good recording with the Micro BR, but I doubt that you'll find the recording quality any better than the H2 and you'll work a little harder to get it (and pay more).

[64Guitars]

The only thing the BR has going for it are it's "effects", which the H2 has none of.  If you're an acoustic guitar player like me, that feature  is not very important.

The "only" thing??? Absolutely not! The Zoom H2 is a simple 2-track recorder, while the Micro BR is a multi-track recorder with 32 v-tracks, built-in programmable drum machine, and much more. And, by the way, some of the Micro BR's effects can be quite useful for recording acoustic guitar. In fact, a few of the preset patches are designed specifically for acoustic guitar.

The H2 is simply much easier to use.

If you use the Micro BR as a simple 2-track recorder like the H2 and ignore all its additional features such as virtual tracks, effects, and drum machine, it is just as easy to use. Because the Micro BR has more features than the H2, it requires a bit more effort to learn how to use those features.

For instance, with the Micro BR, after you stop a recording, in order to play it back you have to "rewind" it first as though it were a tape.

Not true. Pressing the STOP and REWIND buttons together instantly resets the song to the beginning.

I'm sure the H2 is very handy for recording interviews, seminars, rehearsals, etc., but it can hardly be compared to a multi-track studio like the Micro BR. The H4 comes a bit closer with its 4-track mode. But it lacks v-tracks and a drum machine, and costs considerably more than a Micro BR.

[guitarron]

welcome to the forum smoketree
 i was considering the H4 around the time i was looking for a small recorder
the MBR is designed with guitar players in mind -effects especially
the Zooms(H2, H4), which i like, didnt suit the need for me.
But it's a good field recorder-inexpensive too-it just didn't fit for me personally-

[beleg]

I don't own an h2, but I came across this on a blog and thought you might want to know that it is possible to modify the h2 to record 4 tracks.

http://www.vimeo.com/1725654

I still think the BR is a better deal.