10 Reasons I love the H2n
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- In this video I'll be looking at ten reasons I love the Zoom H2n Handy Recorder and why it's still in my tool box everywhere I go!
1. Great Audio Quality recordings in either WAV or MP3 format. Option also of various sample rates and bit rates.
2. Versatility. I can't understate how useful and versatile this device is. Sure the device has a few short comings that I'll cover in another video but actually it's positives far outweigh it's problems and there are plenty of good reasons this piece of kit stays in my tool box.
3. Stereo 2 and 4 channel recording. 4 is only available while recording to SD not as an audio interface. You have the choice of 2 main polar patterns (X/Y and M/S) or you can combine them into the 2/4ch recording. That's what gives you options to capture 360/ binaural audio for VR and other media ventures. Which for a device at it's price and age is really good.
4. Runs on double A (AA) Batteries and they are really easy to swap out. AA's are cheap and easy to find anywhere which is always super handy and the battery life is seriously good, boasting about 20 hours but if you need to power the device you can do so using the micro USB port. It far out performers the h4n on battery life.
5. You can use the H2n as an 2 channel audio interface via USB.
6. You can use the H2n as an SD card reader which has saved me in a pinch on a few occasions.
7. Ease of use. Really easy to use, it’s all pretty self-explanatory and navigating through the menus and adjusting levels etc. is all really easy.
8. 1/4” (Quarter Inch) thread not he bottom opens up a whole world of mounting options for the device. You could stick on a boom, a clamp, a cold shoe, lots of 1/4” adapters out there! My favourite use of this is probably attaching it to a gorilla tripod and capturing sound in and from places you just couldn’t do any other way.
9. Monitoring Options. The H2n does really well on this front. There is a nice big LCD screen on the front as well as various red indicator lights to indicate recording or polar pattern(s) selected. The headphone / line out on the side is perfect for either monitoring the dry H2n signal or for your output when in use as an audio interface. Of course it’s a nice standard 3.5mm TRS female so you can easily send a line out to a camera.
10. 3.5mm TRS Line in. Great extra little feature is the fact this device has a line in on it. So if you want to record a feed from a mixing desk/ camera etc or plug a lapel mic in that’s easily achievable.
So there you go ten reasons I still love the Zoom H2n! It might not be coolest, fanciest, most expensive piece of kit but it’s come through for me so many times and it really is versatile especially if you’re willing to get a little creating with a gorilla tripod! Yes it has some short comings nearly as every device has, which I will mention in another video, but hopefully you get an idea of why I love this device and use it still!
Any Questions please ask away and as always feel free to like comment and subscribe and all that goodness!
follow me here:
Facebook: / jensenforsha. .
Instagram: / jensenforsh. .
I started with an h2 just over 10 years ago, I couldn’t believe the quality of the recordings that I captured. I still have an h2 and also went on to get an h2n which I preferred the look and feel of.
I use my Zoom recorders for interviewing guests for radio, the 1/4 thread underneath is also for the 5 inch handle, this handle when used for interviewing helps stop noise being picked up from handling the device, along with a pop shield.
I also always use headphones when recording, an absolute must if you’re out in the field, as it were, as the headphones will pick up unwanted sounds, and you can stop the interview until the noise/problem has passed..... nothing worse than listening back to audio you’ve made that has sirens in the distance or conversations from passers by, though in saying that you do need a little atmos.
I also use my zoom, literally ‘out in the field’ for recording nature sounds, dawn chorus etc. for a wildlife show I produce, quality of sound is out of this world, amazing, and also for recording Bands that I’ve interviewed that may tune up and play their latest track or whatever, quality of sound for instruments is A1.
I have a small team of people who help on my two radio shows, one show I produce is a wildlife show called ‘Shepherds Way’ the other is an Art and Entertainment show called The Steve Shepherd Show, both on BSR 103.4 fm radio and other media too, I have also 2 x Zoom h1’s too, so team members can use them for recording content... Let no one say these devices are not professional, they are amazing, durable pieces of kit, capable of some amazing recording.
I also use my Zoom h2n as an interface for recording straight to audio editing software when I have to pre record shows (due to COVID), again, the quality is fantastic.
Can’t praise Zoom h1, h2 h2n enough .... well worth the money and if looked after, used correctly, will last you years and produce first class audio suitable for broadcast.
Steve Shepherd U.K.
Couldn’t agree more man! It’s an excellent little all rounder for the price!
Hi Steve and thank you for the comment.
I am considering getting one for audiobook recording 🤔 Would you recommend it given I have a "decent" acoustic booth at home ? Will the audio quality be there? I like the Zooms because they are stand alone recorders and audio interfaces which is very helpful if you have a noisy computer like myself. I am also considering the H5 which, in case the microphone isn't good enough, I could use and XLR one on it with with phantom 48v...
I head "preamps" aren't great but I am not sure what that means 🤔. Of what I understand, bad preamps may create unwanted background noise...
Thanks.
@@srob4313 Hi S Rob and thanks for your reply.
In response to whether the H2N will pick up the fan or noise from the PC, this is more than likely. I always stand my recorder on a short tripod, and the tripod stands on a fairly large fabric place setting, I also use a sound booth as well. Occasionally I will have to take out the background noise of the computer, but this is relatively simple using the noise reduction tool in audacity, and it works an absolute treat.
One issue I have had recently with my zoom H2N, is that when I was recording to do voiceover for radio, my voice was sped up and I sounded a little like an old chipmunk :-) this has now been rectified, as I hadn’t updated the firmware in my zoom H2N for a considerable amount of time. So if you have a Zoom already, do make sure that the firmware is kept up-to-date, apart from that amazing little tools, very robust, I’ve actually got 1 x H1 … 1 x H1n … 3 x H2’s … 1 x H2n ….. they are absolutely ideal for all types of recording, even outdoor Nature Sounds, as they are very sensitive.
The reason I have quite a few zoom recorders is the fact that I have a team of people that do recordings for me, vox pops, and pre-recorded items, so I lend them out to other members of my team.
Personally I feel they are absolutely ideal for podcasting, interviewing people on the one-to-one, or having conference discussions.
As I said previously, I’ve been using zoom recorders for in excess of 10 years now, and for Radio, and some of my recordings have gone out on BBC, so if it’s good enough for them, all well and good :-)
You will need to play around with the settings to get it just right for you, also, I would always recommend, where possible, to use headphones when recording as this will detect any sounds not picked up by the ear 👂…. Also, it’s always easier to increase the level of audio so record slightly lower if possible, as it’s easier to increase the volume rather than taking out any ‘clipping’ which could render your recording useless 🙁
Play around with your H2n until you have the settings just right and enjoy your efforts and quality of recording (also take into consideration the acoustics of the room that you’re recording in, and always record 15 seconds or so of silence, just in case there is a background noise, it’s easier to remove it if you have that noise which can be isolated and put into the noise reduction in your audio software).
Something else I forgot to mention, and I keep adding to this piece of text :-) bear in mind also the distance that you are away from the microphone, too close and it will more than likely pop, too far away and you will sound distant, so play around with distances from yourself and the microphone, it’s a learning curve, but once you get it right you’ll be really pleased with the outcome :-)
Best wishes,
Steve :-)
@@steveshepherd333 thank you very much Steve, much appreciated.
There is so much information and the quality gear price isn't cheap so the decision has to be well-thought in order to justify the purchase, even so when this is for hobby...
I will weigh pros and cons between the H5 and the H2n and hopefully I'll order it by the end of this week to finally start my audiobook recording hobby/career?...
Thank you Sir.
Thoroughly enjoyed your valuable advice.
I am just a hobbyist photographer and occasional CZcamsr. I have been using the H1N for some time now and apart from the only complaint that both the in and out jacks and on both sides...I have no complaints, but we hobbyists suffer from GAS occasionally and I would like to buy another good sound recorder and my options are limited by their availability in the local market. My eyes are on the H2N and so far I am loving it and very much inclined towards it BUT...
All of these...H1, H1N, H2, H2N are more than a decade ago and although I don't have anything against older devices IF they provide what they are meant to...still...are their any newer alternatives in the market, which (theoretically) should be better in quality and more user friendly and updated with the current technologies in cameras and mobile phones.
Thanks again.
I've still got the original H1 and still use it alongside my newly purchased H2n. Still works perfectly despite age, use, and cracks. The preamps are good enough to almost require a studio for serious recordings. Most effective tool I've ever bought as a musician. Incredible products.
Great audio multi tool!
Thanks! You're a great presenter and articulate well. Thanks for all the great information about this product. You rock!
Craig Bloxom thanks bud! I’ve been on a bit of break but planning a bunch of content
This is so useful. Thanks for covering the polar patterns on this! sold on it.
Christina Roberts Happy to help!
I am thinking of using the h2n on a boom pole... Would this work?
I've had one for a few years and I always found it disappointingly noisy when recording quiet ambiences - until I plugged in a pair of Lom Usi mics - whoah, now it's capable of some very nice ambient recordings with minimal noise - almost equivalent to my Sound Devices MixPre3 which is around 4 times the price.
My ambiences have all turned out spectacular so I wonder if it was a fluke product or something that could be fixed by accessory pack?
How do you connect the Lom Usi mics to the H2n? I thought there was no connection for that on the H2n.
@@JonathanSanchezS The Lom Usi's have both XLR cables and mini stereo jack cables available for them on the LOM website. The stereo minijack plugs straight into the Zoom and makes it a much, much better recorder for quiet stuff. BTW, the Lom Usi Pro and Lom Usi are the same capsule - just different cables.
@@quedecree thank you for the information.
Looks awesome ! Just bought It !
it seems a good piece of hardware, thank you so much for your review!
Still use the original silver H2 constantly, works like a charm and sounds great!
Helpful video for my new H2N!
Reason 11
Nice looking audio rec.
Consice and brief review 👍
Bought mine used and its a gem.
Excellent video about an amazing versatile audio professional recorder
Great information. Thanks!
GinGubGame my pleasure!
#11 - It's quite inconspicuous. It doesn't look too 'pro', or technically intimidating out in public. It feels less likely to raise eyebrows or draw attention than an h4n for instance and I'm just more comfortable waving it around in front of folks.
thanx for the review
cheers
Great Vid. thanks
Well done
Thanks Jensen, you answered all my questions already!
great video !...
thks for posting!
same. well done bro
The Best from Zoom
Thanks!
One thing that would be interesting to test is if the piano plastic holds up longer than the rubber style coating of the other zoom devices. Or tascam. Probably something that needs decades of use and hence is a little hard to test...
We record all band rehearsals on H2 n amazing quality I also use auto gain
Hi Jensen, thank you for the video. After years of my bagpipe instructor telling me to record my practices I finally broke down and got one of these. There are a ton of videos explaining the set ups for these. I have been searching for hours looking for a video of how to operate the storing and retrieval of the individual sound clips. Ex. I'll make 4 separate recordings of each competition tuneI play. I want to be able to go back and listen to them and see where i can improve. OR be able to bring up a tune to play for my instructor during a lesson. Any idea of where i can a video like that? Thank you
Hi Jensen, sorry to only come today, when your video was recorded 4 year ago.
But I purchased recently this zoom h2n and I could not find the answer in your video or in the q&a of the comments.
What would you recommend to record my acoustic guitar or my acoustic guitar + my voice. I understand that the MS position should be appropriate, but how can I check the screen if I have to turn the microphone in front of me?
Or should I use the XY microphone? And what about the settings? Any recommendations about the RAW settings?
Thanks for this video and I hope you can give me some advice for my recording.
All the best, thumbs up👍
knarf from France 🎸 🇨🇵 😉
Great vid! The H2N is a quality bit of kit! Do you have any experience of attaching it to a kind of homemade boom pole to capture quality audio for a talking head in an acoustically challenged building?!
Nick Franks I have used it for recording some dialogue yeah - obviously it’s not a shotgun mic so you’ll be picking up some of that room ambience - as always try and get the mic (H2n) as close to your sound source as you can :)
Hi Jensen , If I will use this one at a hardrock gig, what setup will you suggest me?
Thanks for your fine video Jensen.
I can see from the video that you are a Mac user. I am a PC user and think about buying a Mac computer. Have you had any problems transferring files from H2n to your computer or using H2n as your sound card? Can Mac Garageband handle wav files without problems?
Does Audacity work well on a Mac?
Hey there thanks for your comment and good questions! I’ve had no problems moving files with the H2n or using it as a sound card - it’s not my main but it has worked fine for me in the past. Garage band is actually a brilliant daw considering it comes free with Mac and it’ll handle WAVs just fine :)
Hi, thanks for the vídeo, it's possible record simultaneously the line in and the integrated mic?
kayr211 hmmm not sure you know
Can this be used to record a guitar track, then a vocal track separately, listening back to the first track? I presume the first track would have to be transferred to a computer first. Would I have to consider latency? I'm not sure whether to get an H2n or a Scarlett 2i2.
You can record two separate stereo tracks at the same time, one via the built-in MS microphone and the other via the line / mic input, but It is not intended for dubbing.
hey jensen, should i buy the h2n in 2021 even if i have just regular computer speakers?
Hello, i m ovi from Bangladesh, i want record hindu harinaan kirtan, is this mic. Is best for me? When kirtaniyas doing there perform in a Stage they follow a circle. They perform in all side. Centre is free for god picture / Throne,If it's good then where do I put it? please explain the backup time & sound quality?
Recently I did recording using my Tascam 44
And used power bank to power it . The power bank went into sleep mode because the recorder did not consumes enough for the power bank to register it . And the internal batteries did not catch up.
So the power went of and the whole recording was lost .
I believe with h2n restore future this would not have happened .
It would be interesting to test if the audio file would still be there in this recorder in case of power loss.
Hi there, thanks for the video, it was informative. I have a basic question, which is, how do you download tracks onto a Macbook pro from the H2n?. Do you need to download a programme first?
No program needed! You can use the USB connection to transfer files. When you first connect the H2N to the computer via USB it should prompt you on the H2n’s screen on if you want to use it as a USB mic or as file transfer / reader.
Or you can take the SD card out of the H2n plug that into your MacBook’s SD card reader (if your model has one) - or buy an SD card reader - they are really cheap these days!
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions or need anymore help
Hi! One question. Can you hear from your headphones what you are recording when you record yourself but without any latency? I mean does it do the same thing as an audio interface? I want to find a zoom recorder that at the same time I can listen through headphones when I record myself playing the guitar
@Stefano Pavone oh thanks 👍👍
Great video, thank you. Can i record sound in mono?
I don’t think so. Best you can do is mid/side. You can discard the side portion after exporting. Maybe it’s possible to turn the side down to 0? Not sure. Anyway, there you go.
I am choosing between this and usb microphone e.g. AT2020 USB+. as a microphone - do you think this will be as good as studio mic? I like that it is autonomous device but I afraid as a microphone this will be worse than AT2020
Hi Mister!
I am starting books about horror.
I get 4 questions are bellow:
1-Can you recommend for talking?
2-May you indicate
3-What is your opinion about sound that pcm?
5-How long baterry on Rec by wav?
Greeting from Brazil.
Lord bless you and New subscriber.
I bought this Mic so long ago but never used it.
Now it's time!
P.s :
Which type will give you the best depth in sounds?
MP3
WAV
or the one I have no idea what it is?Spartial or something
Bill Zidis what kind of things are you wanting to record - record in WAV my friend! If you’re going to be pairing it with video you might want to set the sampling frequency to 48.000hz (48khz) as thats the same that video uses. Music industry uses 44.1khz generally :)
Hey man, very solid review, thanks a lot! Listen, just out of curiosity, what part of England (?) are you from? What got me interested is the way you pronounce the letter "h" when you say "I love the h2n". To my ears it sounds like you're saying "heich". I've never heard that before. Is that common in the area where you live? Again, thanks a lot.
A lot of people, unfortunately mispronounce it. It is AITCH pure and simple. There is no letter H on the front.
why dont buy zoom2Qn 4k? is it better because can record video too?
I use this recorder to interview suspects for police work! This is awesome!
Made in what country? And can its audio voice transcript on computer. Please clarify.
Can you share some samples audios on the channel?
Does it also have a mono channel?
THANKS. I ALREADY BOUGHT A SONY UX 570 VOICE RECORDER. IM SORRY I BOUGHT IT NOW. IT SEEMS TO HURT MY EARS. ITS NOT THAT THE VOLUME GOES VERY LOUD BECAUSE IT DOESNT GO LOUD ENOUGH. AND THE SPEAKERS ARE SO VERY TINY. IM THINKING NOW I SHOULD GET THE ZOOM H2N BECAUSE I LIKE THE BIGGER SPEAKER. I CANT EVEN SEE THE SPEAKERS IN SOME OF THE OTHER VOICE RECORDERS TODAY AND I DONT LIKE THAT. I WANT A VOICE RECORDER THAT HAS A NOTICEABLE SPEAKER IN IT. FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, THE ZOOM H2N DOESNT HAVE A RECHARGEABLE BATTERY AND THATS A BIT OF A DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT ANYWAY, I MAY STILL GET IT. THANKS FOR UPLOADING THIS. FROM AN OLD LADY.
Is H2n good for prefectional analog music recording?
Is there a way to understand what is 2 ch 4 ch xy and ms? I am using this for a language documentation purposes would involve interviews, songs and group discussions
How May I get my h2n to show up on my new MacBook when connect through usb? The h2n appears to be connected, yet there is no indication of it on my desktop.
I can't get it to sync with my Mac computer. is there software I need to use to get the files I've recorded? I use logic for producing so im hoping I can use drag and drop.
What setup do you suggest for recording concerts?
Bojan1764 I mean what level are we talking about? Just a little stereo recording or a full 32 channel multi track recording?
Can you record and play it back without having to put the sd card in a pc.
Many thanks in advance.
Can u rec 4ch, using line in + xy?
My H2N has been problematic and temperamental in playback. It will not playback either WAV or MP3 files saying BOTH are Invalid Files. One day WAV will play and them no MP3. The next day only MP3 no WAV. Today ALL files are INVALID. Is this machine faulty ? My old H1 plays ALL files with no fuss and it is almost 6 years old. Help ? Advice ?
There is only 3 actual
Capsules inside . The rest is processing
5:17 the line in - can i use there a wireless mic transceiver as well?
I can’t see why not buddy!
I just want to do ASMR video can you please help me what setting I need to do and how should I record the audio at it best ....please waiting for your reply
I am a media student, and there is no such thing, you need to know the recorder, so use it in as many situations as you can, try diff settings, this is more a precission pice of kit, not a cheap recorder, but the defaults are good, just watch the input levels, sorry i cant be any more help. leona
1 reason I don't love Zoom H2n, Quality, I bought it almost unused, the power button has been disconnected.
Have you ever used it for a Zoom video conference?
I have not however it is able to be used as a USB microphone, so you should have no problems using it for this.
I took one apart. There are only 4 mics.
I want to ask something. When I connect the guitar to the zoom h2n device, the microphones on the device are canceled. However, I want to connect my guitar to the zoom h2 as in the zoom h5 and h6 devices and perform vocal recording with the microphones at the same time. Is this possible? thanks
If you choose the 2ch/4ch surround pattern, the recorder picks up your plugged in guitar while still being able to record vocals from the internal mics. :)
@@juhokivela9755 I'm trying right away. thanks
Multitrac?
I really want to know if it’s possible to record music with this and record over beats. I’m confused on how I’d do that
It's not designed for that. It is merely a portable recorder. If you want to do overdubs you need a DAW on your computer. Have a look at Audacity, which is free.
UK Heritage Railways thank you
sorry can i bypass internal mics while recording from mixer ?
If you plug an external mic into the 3.5mm mic in it will bypass the built in mics (from what I remember)
Jensen Forshaw Music yeap but You need to be switched for xy mode, i know it for sure, messed up 2 recordings :)
Can I add/ use another 3.5 mic , something like a rode stereo vdm with it
It has a 3.5mm TRS input for something like that - can’t see why it wouldn’t work :)
Is it still something you suggest today in 2020?
Not a bad thing to have in the kit bag even though there is newer kit about
@@mrjenybean What newer kit would perform the same function in the same profile though? I know it's old tech but has it been improved on?
I have a Samsung Galaxy s10. When I want to take a video while using this mic, for some reason it doesn't pick up the sound even when its plug in.
I also tried to make it work with an Android phone but it didn't. From what I've seen on the internet, there is someone who connected it successfully to an iPad
I have a Samsung galaxy s9, and I was able to get it to work using the usb-usb c adapter that comes with the phone, setting the zoom as an AIF at 48000khz, worked perfect.
Thank you so much!! One simple question: can we use the H2n as an external mic for an iPhone? I wanna be able to use it for Live streaming on Instagram. Is there any way that I can do that?
sagarvermamusic here is how you could do that - there is an adapter you can get that allows you to plug a trs (3.5mm jack) into your trrs iphone. So you can take the line out (3.5mm) and plug it into your iphone via the adapter.
Or there are cables which are trs trrs.
There are however microphone designed to clip onto smartphones also and rode have a good selection there.
All that being said depending on what Iphone you have another or different convert may be needed to go into the lightning input (since they ditched the trrs)
@@mrjenybean hey this helps a lot! I'll get back to you once have checked the feasibility of this TRS to TRRS conversion on my iPhone 7. I do have the converter required (cuz there is no trrs input on the iPhone anymore). Thank you so much!
@@mrjenybean hi, would the trs to trrs work on my Android?
How does this compare to a new rode mic -
CADS GUITAR LESSONS whcih rode mic are you asking about? There are lots of them haha
11. You can also power this off a USB power bank.
Yes!
What i was checking. Thanks Steve!
Still great in 2023?
The H2 sucks.... H2N is ❤️
after 4 times fantastic i quit
Haha I was still learning. I listened back to this the other day and thought similarly
Get off the fence. Do you like it or not?
I love it mate! I thought the title made that obvious haha
@@mrjenybean I gathered from the gushing praise in the video loool
I'm so sold on this thing, I just have to wait for payday for some arbitrary reason involving money.
@@burtcocain1986 always handy to have in the kit bag man!
Do not buy this device ... it is totally unusable for professional use. Every contact sound, even if you hang it in rubber bands, you will hear in your recording. Suppose you put your recorder on pieces of foam rubber and stuff some cotton and you connect your headphones, then every contact with the cable is a drum burst in your recording. It is incomprehensible that no one complains about this in all reviews from professionals. So you can only use it on a tripod without headphones and no one walking on the floor. So don't put it on a table. What works well is connecting an external mic in the line-in and switching off all Zoom mics. Good luck not buying this device.
Oh yes, I have the Tascam DR4 and the ZoomH6, they don't have this problem.
Mine's still kicking after some 8 or 9 years. I use it in 4 track mode to record thunder when we get good storms in the tropics. And yes it does a great job!
Goodbye, see you!
Hello, i m ovi from Bangladesh, i want record hindu harinaan kirtan, is this mic. Is best for me? When kirtaniyas doing there perform in a Stage they follow a circle. They perform in all side. Centre is free for god picture / Throne,If it's good then where do I put it? please explain the backup time & sound quality?
Can you share some samples audios on the channel?