Zoom H2 Handy Portable Stereo Recorder | 
| Brand: Zoom
Buy New: See price in cart
New (47) Used (2) Refurbished (2) from $157.00
Rating:  222 reviews
Sales Rank: 2
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 10.5 x 6.5 x 3.6
The Zoom H2 Handy Recorder puts pro-quality audio literally in the palm of your hand! The followup to Zoom?s super-successful H4, the H2 Handy Recorder gives you an amazingly versatile tool for capturing top-notch 2-track audio. Its internal 4-mic capsule allows for several different polar patterns which, combined with its signal-processing capabilities, give the H2 the ability to record 4-channel data that can be authored into 5.1 surround! With a USB interface, external mic In, and time stamp
MPN: H2
Model: ZOO H2
UPC: 884354007478
EAN: 0884354007478
ASIN: B000VBH2IG
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | W-XY mic patterns with 4 mic capsules and signal processing allows Front 90 cardioid, Rear 120 cardioid and 360 polar patterns | | • | Finally record 360 sound as 2ch data or 4ch data simultaneously | | • | Built-in USB 2.0 port for data storage | | • | Records in WAV 96kHz/48kHz/44.1kHz at 16-bit or 24-bit, MP3 to 320kbps and Variable Bit Rate (VBR) data formats | | • | Time Stamp and Track Marker functions in Broadcast WAV Format (BWF) |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
From the Manufacturer
It's a simple idea: provide brilliant stereo recording in an easy-to-use, ultra-portable device. Now everyone can record pristine audio in an infinite variety of applications. From seminars and conferences, to electronic news gathering (ENG) and podcasting, to musical performances, songwriting sessions and rehearsals, the H2 provides amazing recording quality. And no matter what kind of music you perform or the instrument you play, the H2 can effortlessly record it in high-quality stereo. Why Four Mics are Better Than Two
90 Pattern
Record from the front at 90 | 
120 Pattern
Record from the front at 120 | The H2 is the only portable recorder with 4 mic capsules on-board for 360 recording. With 4 mic capsules in a W-X/Y configuration, the audio is decoded instantly, bringing these four signals together for unparalleled stereo imaging. But the H2 doesn't stop there. For maximum flexibility, you can record from the front of the H2 in a 90 pickup pattern or the rear of the H2 in a 120 pickup pattern at up to 96 kHz/24-bit resolution as a WAV file, or as an MP3 file at bitrates up to 320 kbps. Additionally, you can record in a 360 pickup pattern at up to 48kHz/24-bit resolution which will allow you to convert your recordings to 5.1 Surround. Push a Button...
That's all it takes to start recording! The H2 is a remarkably robust device that is incredibly easy to use. One button recording, gain controls on the side and an intuitive user interface mean you can always capture the moment. Set your levels, push record and go. It's that simple. Or use the Auto Start and Auto Gain Control functions to ensure complete capture at the right level. And if you need to fine-tune your levels on the fly, we made it easy with gain control buttons on the front panel. Play it Back!
Play your recordings on your home audio system with its 1/8" stereo output or listen to your masterpiece with headphones. Or, use the H2's USB interface to move your recordings to your Mac or PC to listen, edit and share. The H2 records on Secure Digital (SD) media and a 512MB SD card is included. The unit can accommodate up to a 16GB SD card, allowing up to 24 hours of total recording time using the 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV format. At 128kbps MP3, you get an amazing 280 hours of stereo recording. Store your recordings on a PC or Mac with its USB 2.0 interface. And you can use its time stamping function for reference during production. Or use the H2 as a USB Mic for recording directly to a computer. What's Life Without Accessories?
The H2 comes with earbuds, 1/8 inch stereo to RCA cable, mic clip adapter, tripod stand, USB cable, AC adapter and a 512MB SD card. Ultimate Convenience
The H2 weighs 4 ounces and fits in your pocket for the ultimate in portability and convenience. Two standard alkaline AA batteries will give you 4 hours of continuous operation and a backlit display means it's always easy to use in any situation. Enjoy Your Brilliance
Brilliant stereo recording in a convenient, user-friendly package means there's never been an easier way to record high quality audio. The H2 gives everyone the power to record anything and share it with anyone, anywhere. You'll be amazed by your sound. Features: - W-XY mic patterns with 4 mic capsules and signal processing allows Front 90 cardioid, Rear 120 cardioid and 360 polar patterns
- Built-in USB 2.0 interface
- Records in WAV 96kHz/48kHz/44.1kHz at 16-bit or 24-bit, MP3 to 320kbps and Variable Bit Rate (VBR) data formats
- Time Stamp and Track Marker functions in Broadcast WAV Format (BWF)
- 512MB SD memory card included
- Accommodates up to 16GB SD memory cards
- Auto Gain Control (AGC) for pristine recordings
- Auto Start function means you're always ready to record
- Low-cut filter eliminates wind noise
- On-board chromatic Guitar/Bass tuner
H2 Handy Recorder Features at a Glance
The H2 Handy Recorder brings the ultimate in functionality and versatility to portable digital recording. A clear, backlit display features recording levels, time code, file name and remaining battery life. LEDs indicate Front, Rear, 2 Channel or 4 Channel modes and the recording angle: 90 , 120 or 360 . An Active Mic LED is on the front and back of the H2. Transport controls include one button recording, playback and pause, fast forward and rewind. Use the Menu key to enter the control menu and the cursor keys to navigate through the feature sets. Within the menu, set recording parameters such as direction and polar pattern, activate the Auto Start function and set file format. And you'll find additional settings like Auto Gain Control to make sure your recordings are always pristine. And you can fine-tune your levels on the fly with the Record Level buttons on the front. On the left side of the H2 is a 1/8" Phone/Line Output for monitoring and playback. Playback Volume, Power On and the AC power are located here as well. On the right side of the H2, you can plug in a powered 1/8" external stereo mic. Setting levels is easy with a Mic Gain slider for Low/Medium/High gain. You can also digitize analog recordings with the 1/8" Line In. Use the USB 2.0 Interface to move your files to a PC or Mac for storage, editing and playback. The time stamp function is great for reference during production. And you can even use the H2 as a USB mic and record directly to your favorite digital audio software. For brilliant stereo recording, and plenty of extras, there's never been a simpler or more functional solution than the H2 Handy Recorder from Zoom. Please note: The Zoom H2 will not mount as a USB Drive on MAC OS X 10.5.0 Leopard unless you update to H2 Firmware version 1.2 or higher. Choose the Right Polar Pattern for the Best Recording in any Situation
Choose the Right Polar Pattern for the Best Recording in any Situation
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90 Pattern
Record from the front at 90 | 
120 Pattern
Record from the front at 120 | Record your band rehearsals in 360 brilliant stereo.
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90 Pattern
Record from the front at 90 |
Product Description
It's a simple idea: provide brilliant stereo recording in an easy-to-use, ultra-portable device. The H2 is the only portable recorder with 3 mic capsules onboard for mid-side recording. A directional mic is in the center (mid) and two directional mics (side) are positioned left and right. The audio is decoded instantly, bringing these three signals together for unparalleled stereo imaging. One button recording, gain controls on the side and an intuitive user interface mean you can always capture the moment. Set your levels, push record and go. The H2 records on Secure Digital (SD) media and a 512MB SD card is included. With a 4GB SD memory card, the H2 provides up to 2 hours recording at 96kHz, 6 hours at 44.1kHz, or up to a staggering 138 hours in MP3. Play your recordings on your home audio system with its 1/8" stereo output or listen to your masterpiece with headphones. Or, use the H2's USB interface to move your recordings to your Mac or PC to listen, edit and share. 512MB SD memory card included; Accommodates up to 4GB SD optional memory cards Auto Gain Control (AGC) for pristine recordings Auto Start function means you're always ready to record Low-cut filter eliminates wind noise On-board chromatic Guitar/Bass tuner Two standard alkaline AA batteries will give you 4 hours of continuous operation and a backlit display means it's always easy to use in any situation Pocketable - Weighs only 4 ounces
| Customer Reviews: Read 217 more reviews...
 As good as the Edirol R-09 for about half the price! November 12, 2007
d-18v (USA)
211 out of 212 found this review helpful
A year ago, I wrote a lengthy comparison of the Edirol R-09 WAVE/MP3 Recorder, Black and the Zoom H4 Handy Recorder + 2GB Accessory Kit (pre-accessory kit). I wanted a high quality, easy to use recorder, so even though the H4 had all of the features of the Edirol and sold for considerably less, I kept the Edirol because it was so much easier to use.
Zoom has responded with the H2, a scaled down version of the H4 with all of the features of the R-09 and all of the controls right where you need them. The H2 even has additional features over the R-09, but they don't get in the way. For example, there's a choice of a 90 degree recording pattern, a 120 degree recording pattern, and even a surround sound option. Samsontech has some nice video demonstrations on its website.
One big complaint I've had with the Edirol is the cost of its add-on stand. Unlike the Edirol, the H2 comes with a simple stand. In addition, the H2 has a threaded hole so that it can be mounted on a standard digital camera tripod! On a separate note, it's much easier to replace batteries with the H2 than the Edirol.
Recently, I got together with friends and recorded the same live acoustic music on both the Edirol R-09 and the Zoom H2. I used Adobe Audition only to normalize both tracks (that is, equalize their loudness). The first time we played them back, I thought I detected a VERY slight preference for the Edirol, with the overall opinion of the group split between the two units. The second time we played them back, my preference was for the H2, with overall opinion continuing to be split. We all agreed that the differences were so small as to be negligible if there were any at all. The sound files can be found at [...] for those who'd like to hear for themselves. We were sitting in a circle with the recorders located next to each other on a mantle above and outside the group.
I do prefer the Edirol's control buttons to the H2's membrane and I'm not about to sell the Edirol, perhaps because I am more familiar with the Edirol and don't want to give it up just yet. Also, the Edirol R-09 is the darling of the moment. However, if I owned neither, I couldn't justify the huge bump in price of the Edirol over the H2 and would opt for the H2. When I went to a music party last weekend and knew I'd need only one recorder, I grabbed the H2.
 Nice recorder--and not just for guitar players. Most promising Zoom product yet. December 13, 2007
Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States)
124 out of 126 found this review helpful
(I'm now sufficiently comfortable using this machine to give it 5 stars and endorse it for anyone who wants professional quality results without the grief and expense of 8-16 track digital recorders or even the fuss of more complicated personal recorders. Its only competition, to my mind, is not the Edirol but the identically priced Marantz. The Marantz' monitor speaker is handy for verifying your results, the read-out is clearer, and the mics aren't as touchy to the slightest movement of the machine. However, with some practice (using the micro controls and holding the machine still) the Zoom delivers stunning results with music and is less than half the price.)
Anyone who receives this item is guaranteed to be impressed. Production values haven't been spared in terms of the packaging; the included equipment (no batteries but a power adapter, protective pouch, handy table stand, mic stand adapter, wind screen, ear buds (equivalent in quality to an iPod's), USB cable, and a 256mb SD card); and the manual (a quick set-up sheet plus an ample booklet with generous-sized print written in clear, idiomatic English that makes some of Sony's recent instruction manuals look torturous by comparison).
The recorder isn't large--nor is it too small (30-40% larger than a pack of cigarettes or a Canon Elph). The screen and controls, on the other hand, are minuscule, requiring sharp eyes (though the screen is well-illuminated) and nimble fingers, though if you feel comfortable with a Treo or even the settings of a Canon Elph, you should find the Zoom's controls manageable enough.
What's encouraging about this recorder, apart from the price (2/3 of the H4, 1/2 of the Edirol R-9) is that the designers at Zoom have made the H2 with the genuine audiophile and/or all-around musician in mind. It's not simply another "guitar player's gadget," loaded down with an endless supply of effects, loops, rhythm and bass tracks, files within files, programs buried within programs. The instructions talk about wav and mp3 protocol, microphone fields ranging from 90 degrees to 360, compression, limiting, mic sensitivity and placement for recording lectures, conversations, solo performers and orchestras. In short, the device promises to deliver the quality of some of the best Sony mini-disc recorders in a more practical digital storage card format.
Pluses: Although the instructions are quick to point out the input for an external microphone (the pictured ones are the two popular stereo mics made by Sony, costing $60 and $90 respectively), the Zoom onboard mic is darn good. It captured the range and resonance of a grand piano and even managed to pick up a conversation in the kitchen and a grandfather clock's chimes from upstairs. And it's reassuring to see a mic with a surface area reminiscent of the mics of the past (a single tiny hole is more common these days). Getting the recorded signal onto a computer's hard-drive is a snap with the included USB.2 cable, and from there you can edit the wave pattern in a program like Cool Edit (strongly recommended over editing in the recorder). There's also a metronome on board (potentially useful for a student musician during practice sessions) and a tuner (useful for a student musician or a pro who wants his instrument to be in tune before recording).
Minuses: The tiny screen and small controls conspired to leave me searching for recorded files repeatedly and coming up empty. Until mastering the miniaturization, I would want to have a "back-up" cassette recorder for any performance that I judged of special importance. Moreover, Zoom has packed in all of the audiophile bells and whistles--limiters, compressors, cut-off levels, AGC control, auto-dynamic levels, sensitivity ratios, panning effects, and the list goes on. It's too easy to miss a step, to waste precious time fumbling with the menu, to find your fingers going numb while making all of these tiny adjustments. (Would the manufacturer had only taken a hint from Canon and provided a completely automatic, no-brainer option for the unexacting neophyte or non-adroit operator!) Moreover, the instructions, while clear and abundant, omit much information that would help the beginner-- for example, the differences between wav and mp3 files (which is preferred and why?); 12db and 24db as auto-start and auto-stop settings (which is more sensitive as well as more sensible?) Frequently, the directions will say do this to do this or do that to do that without explaining the difference between "this" and "that." So the hypothetical audience keeps changing from someone who's a complete newbie to someone who's a knowledgeable aficionado. And I have great difficulty imagining a harried band director or impatient student taking the time to fiddle with scrolling through the tiny screen's menu to get to a metronome or tuner. Frankly, with 75 kids squirming in their seats I'd go to the old single-function, dial-up, block-shaped metronome without a second thought.
Finally, the machine is incredibly light--perhaps a reflection on build quality--time will tell. It's so light, in fact, that using it with the AC adaptor (certainly adding to the cost) seems rather incongruous if not highly unlikely. Undoubtedly you'll want to pick up a 2 to 5 GB SD card and a good supply of double A batteries (it takes 2) to record in the field, perhaps at standard MP3 (128-meg) quality for a couple of hours using battery power. (The adaptor would have made sense if Zoom had enabled it to charge batteries that could remain in the recorder.)
In sum, the H2 produces such realistic audio (the mic can operate from one or both directions as the user pleases) that you can't help but wish Zoom would have gone for a wave of widespread consumer approval with fewer gimmicks, a larger screen, and several modifications favoring the never-unpopular KISS principle. Nevertheless, getting a decent recording is do-able after spending a relatively brief time with this machine, and unlike the H4, which I had little trouble deciding to send back, I suspect I'll keep this one. I've got almost 30 days to compare the onboard Zoom mic with my two Sony mics as well as become more familiar with the micro-settings, including the ones that might best be ignored. At that time, I'll revisit my own rating (hopefully bumping it up the extra star) as well as give a thumbs up or down on whether the H2 at half the price is close enough to the R9 (including the all-important considerations of convenience and stability) to be worth the money (frankly, I'm hoping it proves worth the price of the R9--we could all use some spare change).
Much better and easier to operate than the Zoom H4 August 28, 2007
A. Bish (central PA United States)
75 out of 77 found this review helpful
I borrowed a Zoom H4 from a friend and found it extremely frustrating to use. The owners manual was just gibberish to me. I could not make heads or tails of the instructions. It was a totally frustrating experience and I was ready to give up on making a CD, and ready to go back to making old fashioned cassette tape recordings.
I took a chance on the Zoom H2 and am not sorry. All the head aches of the H4 have been addressed with the H2. This machine is much easier to use. I'm using it to record live string music and it does a wonderful job. Sounds great! I'm not an egg head geek or a computer expert nor am I a professional sound recording engineer, and I am very comfortable using this machine.
Zoom must have listened to everything people were complaining about the H4 when they designed the H2.
 Extremely good for serveral purposes... December 18, 2007
Rougemont (McLean, VA)
68 out of 70 found this review helpful
I've had my H2 since September, and used it in a variety of professional broadcast situations, with mixed success. The recorder worked well when recording from a line level or mult box feed at mic level. I loved flipping out the card and putting it into my laptop's SD slot to get the files in quickly for edits.
Hoever, given that the recorder's construction precludes using it handheld (too much noise transmitted from handling) it is a definite negative that a standard broadcast field mic like an EV 635A does not deliver enough signal to overcome the poor mic preamp built in.
The built-in mic does work quite well (in the right setting) and is excellent for simple voice track tasks recording in a very quiet place. Be sure to use the included pop filter to prevent "P-popping."
I haven't tried it for face-to-face interview yet, using two of the built in mics, but I'm guessing it would be OK.
The Marantz 620 is being evaluated here and seems to be able to overcome a few of the H2's handicaps at a not-too-much-higher price.
Certainly for low-cost voice recording for amateurs or even limited professional use like mine, this is a very cost-effective tool.
Jaw-dropping value/fragile construction November 24, 2007
James Krall (San Juan Island, Washington)
59 out of 62 found this review helpful
This is a stereo digital recorder that in hands more capable than mine could produce quite-nearly professional level recordings.
I bought this a few weeks ago for interview and to create rich media projects for my work as a reporter. I found that when you take the time to be careful with it, and can do some clean up in post-production, this mic/recorder combo will rival systems costing thousands more. Yes, it's built in mics are *that* good. And it's an all-in-one solution to field recording. The basic design premise is quite clever, actually.
Choices for recording are broad, ranging from 44.1, 48 and 96khz/ 16/24 bit WAV files to various quality Mp3s. 5.1 Surround sound, if you want. Some built in limiters and three gain settings. And you can adjust the recording level in all modes. You can split tracks anywhere you want, normalize and more. Menu navigation is passable. Screen is adequate.
I recorded a live show with it, using a preset limiter for concert to keep the top end from clipping (I had to set and forget, couldn't adjust for how loud the show was) and the end product after tweaking it a bit in Audcacity was STUNNING.
No place for XLR mic inputs, so no phantom power whatsoever. It will accept and power 1/8" mini jack external mics. Handles my 4Gig SD card well, and I hear rumors that it'll handle 8gig cards as well. USB transfer is SLOW, so invest in a card reader.
Overall, I'm a bit concerned that I'll break it, it's made so poorly. The switches are flimsy plastic and seem as though they'll break if you look at them wrong. The plastic body seems like it'll shatter. 1/4" 20 tripod socket is more than just handy, but it's plastic too, instead of threaded metal. I would definitely prefer for a more robust body and would pay for it too.
The first thing to break on this thing will be the ultra-cheap battery door latch hooks which are .5mm thick, just waiting to be broken. I'll have use gaff tape to deal with that inevitability.
Note to Samson/Zoom: if the build quality were better all round, I'd bay $300 for it. Overall, this is a technical gem, fabulous value, but made of egg shells. Too bad such a machine will be broken due to a six-and-a-half-cent switch giving out. Samson could have done better.
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