 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2009-01-23 09:27
i use the zoom h2. its the best and most priceworthy.
superb for the practiceroom and rehersal. you dont get anything better. all the others(that i know) is recording from the top, which this one dont. just put it on the table and record . simple and excellent.
have nothing to do with zoom other than beeing a happy customer.
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Author: huff n' puff
Date: 2009-01-23 09:31
Hi, Marino............... You are, of course quite right about the importance of the mic.
We have almost lost what I think was one of the best recording systems- the Mini-Disc. I believe that Sony are still making one model, but I haven't handled one. The earlier ones (mine must be decades old now, and still performing wonderfully) had all sorts of inputs and outputs.......... recorded 74mins on a standard disc, and the on-board editing facilities are remarkable.......... The facilities on the larger "black-box" machine are even better, with "undo".
These are still turning up in the second-hand shops, as punters switch to Mp3, which are also pretty good. Consider the Boss "mini something or other".
If you see newish minidisc recorders, watch out for the lack of inputs.......... a lot of them are simply aimed at downloading.
If editing is important to you, consider doing that on computer........ the possibilities there are endless- easiest done if you have a line-in socket.
Best of luck .............. H&P
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Author: Dan1937
Date: 2009-01-23 10:25
I have the Samson Zoom H4, and use it to record my big band (with external mics). The quality of the recording is excellent, and although there are other small recorders out there, this one is entirely suitable for recording large groups.
Dan
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2009-01-23 12:39
Check http://www.wingfieldaudio.com for sound samples and brief but good reviews on several of these small recorders.
My favorite recorder is the Marantz PMD620
Disclaimer, the owner is my friend.
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: TaylorM
Date: 2009-01-23 12:51
I second the Zoom H2. Clarinet sounds great on it. Every musician should get one, a fantastic investment.
~Taylor
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Author: redwine
Date: 2009-01-23 14:22
Hello,
I have an Edirol which sounds great. My friend uses the Zoom which also sounds great. My other friend swears by his new Sony, although I've not heard it yet. My guess is that when you're wanting to do what you want to do, any digital recorder will be fine.
By the way, I use the interior mics, my friend with the Sony uses the interior, but my friend with the Zoom uses exterior high quality mics. I'm not sure if he's compared internal to external, but the recording quality with the external is excellent. We've actually made 2 professionally released recordings with his set-up and with us serving as the engineer. One of the recordings received a New York Times "Critic's Choice" nod, if that means anything.
Ben Redwine, DMA
owner, RJ Music Group
Assistant Professor, The Catholic University of America
Selmer Paris artist
www.rjmusicgroup.com
www.redwinejazz.com
www.reedwizard.com
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-01-23 15:27
Zoom H2 works well for me.
MUCH easier to use than a Sony Mini-disc.
Bob Phillips
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Author: robertgh
Date: 2009-01-23 16:46
Santa just delivered a Zoom H2 to my son, an MFA candidate in Sound Design at CCM. Impressive piece of technology and very easy to use! Quite a few colleagues there are using this model—like a studio in your pocket. He's used the adjustable miking to demonstrate pickup patterns to his undergrad students. Simple, elegant design yet delivers outstanding sound.
Bob Hunter
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Author: Dan Oberlin ★2017
Date: 2009-01-25 16:56
From the title I thought this thread might have to do with an early music group in Alabama. But, having read the posts, I wonder if any one can compare the quality of the Sony mini disk recorder with a mic comparable to a Sony ECM-MS907 (my current setup) to the quality of the Zoom H2 with its on board mics.
Thanks,
D.O.
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Author: sylvangale
Date: 2009-01-25 19:51
The Sony minidisc compresses recordings into an Atrac format on minidisc and does not allow digital transfer to a computer, it must be done analog... line out to microphone input. It's quality will never be as good as competing recorders from edirol and zoom which record uncompressed audio and transfer digitally.
That is why minidisc has dropped off the face of the earth.
[correction - It's been pointed out that the HD version of the Sony minidisc allowed transfer to a computer. The transfer of music requires sonystage software to transfer and then convert music to wav. Although the sony store no longer sells minidisc players, they are still available at merchants like Amazon.]
I use a Zoom H4. I found online recording comparisons of the built in mics of the Zoom H4, H2, and the Edirol R09 favored the Zoom H4.
I believe the Zoom H4 mic setup is superior for instrumental recording. You can mount the mic on a stand and record vertically and achieve a better spread with its mics.
I've also used it to record my choir to great result.
The wingfieldaudio.com website used to have good comparison recordings, but they seem to have nixed recordings so that you cannot do a direct comparison of the edirol R09 and Zoom H4. A shame.
The recorders are relatively inexpensive (vs instruments), that you might want to pick up the 3 and record your self and see which one gives you the best recording for where you will use it then return the 2 which you don't like.
[edit: I've read reviews of the Zoom H2 being omni, but it looks like the rear mics can be disabled for frontal 90° recording like the Zoom H4.]
♫ Stephen K.
Post Edited (2009-01-26 06:48)
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Author: woodwind650
Date: 2009-01-26 03:26
I own the Zoom H4 and have never looked back at minidisc technology. Many of my friends own the Zoom H2 and if I had to replace my H4, I'd most likely just buy the H2 for simplicity as Mr. Blumberg has mentioned before. Both units will record up to 96khz and after 2 years of owning the H4, there has not been one thing wrong with it. Hit the button, record, listen back right away; or simply transfer the file into your computer via USB.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2009-01-26 03:41
"The Sony minidisc compresses recordings into an Atrac format on minidisc and does not allow digital transfer to a computer, it must be done analog... line out to microphone input. It's quality will never be as good as competing recorders from edirol and zoom which record uncompressed audio and transfer digitally."
Not entirely true. Sony's HI-MD Minidisc recorders are capable of transferring files to a computer digitally via USB (with an option of saving them as wav files). There are, however, other reasons why the minidisc technology is apparently headed in the direction of the buggywhip.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: buedsma
Date: 2009-01-26 10:27
i had some recordings with minidisk and external micro in the past.
Later bought a zoom H4
The zoom is definitely better , more quality , easy to /use/record/very good sound . Easy to transfer files , with or without special software. Just put the recorded sd-card in a card reader .
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Author: huff n' puff
Date: 2009-01-26 10:54
Hi, marino,
sorry to have been vague about the Boss machine (Micro BR), as a friend has one and is getting excellent results...... I was very tempted to follow suit, but on reflection, I realised that what I am using (Sony minidisc and computer editing) is so good that I would only be making a sideways step.
If I decide to spend more money, it would be towards a better microphone.
I am also hanging on to my older desktop computer because it has a line- in socket........ connecting anything like a recorder into a microphone socket is a disaster, and few laptops are now coming with line- in (some Acers do).
The quality with this setup is great, as the data transfer to line-in is good, and even using an out of date editing programme I can do everything that I want.
Made a recording the other day, and I hadn't realised at the time that there was at one point the whishing sound of distant traffic...... the programme took it out without any noticeable effect on the music.
The H2 seems to attract favourable comments....... again, the microphone quality will be the deciding factor.
Good luck with whatever you do........ Let us know what you do decide on and how you find it................. H&P.
PS. Jack, I always save as wav files to work on them. It is so easy now to convert later for any purpose. Bring back the buggywhip.
PS. sylvangale, I have never had to use any intermediate software...... just bang the music through a good quality cable straight into a line-in and into an audio editing package and there it is in wav.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2009-01-26 13:03
Since I use CoolEdit Pro for editing, I consider wav files a benefit, not a limitation. I think the biggest drawback to minidisc recorders is that their moving parts make them more susceptible to breakdown. Also, because SONY is not exactly famous for supporting discontinued models, availability of the discs and batteries will become an issue in the not-to-distant future if it isn't already.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: huff n' puff
Date: 2009-01-26 14:22
Jack, you are quite right on both points.
My minidisc was one of the first "serious " ones....... don't have the model no. to hand, but I'm grateful that it still goes perfectly. The battery still holds a good charge, (which makes me wonder whether modern Lithium batteries are not as good as the old ones). It must be decades old by now.
Must look for the receipt.
Also picked up a Sharp recently, similar age and working fine. A friend has two old Sonys and a Sharp..... all fine. Ah! I forgot that my Sharp battery is Kaput, but it still has it's charger.
The black box is fantastic for limited editing, but I now do it all on the laptop.
Took the precaution of buying a stack of discs when I realised that the future was becoming bleak. Also, the early recorder has a screw-on holder for two AAs, so no real worries there. In the event of disaster, I will quite happily switch to Mp3.
On the H2, I wonder whether the range of mic spreads is genuine or simulated..... any idea?
Can I repeat Dan's question regarding microphone qualities...... It does seem to me that the law of diminishing returns kicks in here. Would anyone care to recommend a good medium price mic that would give good results with both woodwind and classical guitar?
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Author: vials
Date: 2009-01-26 21:21
Olympus LS-10. It's new so that's why many have not heard about it. but it has beaten the zoom h2, h4 and many others in sound quality in every test I have read, so I decided to buy one. I have recorded myself, trios and other ensembles with it, and the recordings sound amazing. The only thing I could complain about is that it lacks a bit of bass, but first of all, clarinets don't even go down below about 130 Hz (correct me if I'm wrong), and it's always possible to add a bit of bass with eq afterwards.
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2009-01-27 00:34
I have an M-Audio MicroTrak, which has some advantages and disadvantages over the Zoom line. The MicroTrack:
- has the connectors I wanted (advantage)
- has internal rechargeable batteries (disadvantage)
- takes power and charges via a USB cable (not sure)
- uses Compact Flash media (not sure how these price out right now).
Audacity software (free) can to do basic editing, such as simple cuts and level changing.
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Author: Merlin_Williams
Date: 2009-01-27 03:38
The Zoom H4 is the only one of these recorders I'd consider at the moment, since it has XLR connectors.
Jupiter Canada Artist/Clinician
Stratford Shakespeare Festival musician
Woodwind Doubling Channel Creator on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/WoodwindDoubling
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Author: Koo Young Chung
Date: 2009-03-06 01:39
Question about zoom H2:
Can you play back (instantly) without downloading to your computer?
Can you plug into some kind of amplifier without using computer?
Thank you
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2009-03-06 01:50
> Can you play back (instantly) without downloading to your
> computer?
yes
> Can you plug into some kind of amplifier without using
> computer?
yes
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: Merlin_Williams
Date: 2009-03-06 12:55
I rented a Zoom H4 two weeks ago to record my band in a club in Toronto. I choose that unit because of the XLR mic inputs. My Crown SASS-P MkII was used as the stereo mic for the night.
The setup worked spectacularly well - so much so that I ended up buying an H4.
I also recently got a Presonus Firestudio, so I've got the ability to use up to 8 mic inputs and record into my laptop using Cubase. Great for big band gigs, since the overall stereo pair can be a bit shy on bass, piano and vocals.
Jupiter Canada Artist/Clinician
Stratford Shakespeare Festival musician
Woodwind Doubling Channel Creator on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/WoodwindDoubling
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2009-03-06 15:04
I've got a Zoom H4, but last weekend bought a Tascam DR-07 which is new. The Tascam is certainly easier to use.
Got excellent results with the Zoom - Tascam is a bit smaller, and doesn't use a push wheel like the Zoom. That got on my nerves.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2009-03-07 19:17
I like my M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 very much. There was a good deal on price, some excellent deals on 4Gb compact flash cards, and its connector set best matched other recording equipment that I already had. Still, I recommended a Zoom to a friend who went to Africa last year, largely because it takes conventional batteries, and it worked really well for him.
A cordura case from a camping store, one compartment, roughly 7" x 10" x 2", is my portable sound studio. It holds the recorder and supplied stereo mike, charger, USB cable, an extension mains cord, compact stereo headphones, block of foam for isolation, spare memory card, and a collection of patch cords (1/4" mono, 1/8" stereo, RCA mono, and XLR). This small kit allows me to do just about everything I need to.
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