I know my next studio addition will be a feild recorder. The style of music I produce and what I like to do it just makes sence… Anyone have any advice on the matter? There are the Zoom series (H1-4 i believe) I’ve been looking at but really im looking for some advice from experience. Any help is much appreciated!!
Thanks!
—> …::niNjAH::… <—
I had a Zoom H4 (first version, silver finish) for awhile. The built in stereo condenser mic was of very high quality. It was excellent for recording loud band practices. I even cut a few rough demos with the built in 4 track recorder. It had a few effects as well, nothing to write home about but was a cool feature still.
It was a really cool little piece of gear, very tiny so you can take it anywhere. I remember one night a friend and I recorded around 20 instances of our flatulence…all reproduced in crystal clear 24-bit/96 khz sound. I’d still be using it today if someone didn’t jack it from me.
Edit:
Also, it has 2 1/4/XLR inputs on the bottom of the unit, I used them to rip tracks off of my MPC and then tracked vocals over them, all on this little unit.
I’ve got a Zoom H2 and though I don’t use it often, the times I do its great! It’s pretty quickly ready for action though with a lot of files on it it’s easy to loose track of what you recorded where on the SD card. I too had an experience like Heatseeker; a friend of mine fell a sleep on my couch one night while watching ghibli movies, smoke and drink etc. He snored so incredibly loud I just HAD to record it. I woke him up eventually by playing this little snore-song I was making with the recorded snores. 
I’ve had a very good experience with the Tascam DR-08, wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
I use Edirol R-09H very high quality sounds 
prety happy with it. There is online reviews for the portable recorders http://www.sonicstate.com/video/index.cfm search for “portable recorder on test” there is some comparison…
I use a Zoom H2, high resolution and surround recording. It’s a bit slow on startup with a 4 GB card though.
Zoom H2 is where it’s at! There was an online sound quality comparison test between different handy recorders a while a go and I liked the H2 best. Whip it out all the time
zoom h2 here too. i use it mainly for field ambience recording and it leaves a bit to be desired in that department. it can be a bit noisy when recording quiet stuff.
i don’t have the budget to shell out for a proper mic/preamp combo so it does me fine.
oh and get a decent dead cat for it…
i too love my Zoom H2.
Hi all,
I’ve just bought a field recorder (sold my kaoss pad to fund it! - well it was gathering dust in the corner). I went for a Yamaha PocketTrack C24, great little unit. I thought about the H2, but I was concerned about build quality.
Anyway, I’ve had a ball recording the kids’ voices and mangling them (the voices, not the kids!), and I’ve used it to capture some weather and traffic sounds, and to samply my bodhran.
Field recorder + renoise = complete setup 
Have to join in the love for the Zoom H2. It’s a brilliant piece of kit for the price, and the sound quality is astounding. It’s also small enough to carry anywhere and can be mounted on a tripod or stand for long recording sessions. Also the battery life is great…
First I had bus-powered soundcard for laptop, but I did not use it that much because all the setting up, some machines at work, kitchen stuff, jams, etc…
Now I have Zoom H4n and it rocks 
Quick starting to record situations like wasp suddenly passed me and flew circle around my kitchen stove so I put recorder beneath it, sounds great to hear wasp to pass close the mics in stereo, also got a new snare when I murdered the bastard.
At summer I have long romantic walks with it just to find something that sounds interesting. Passing people just find you weird standing stoned at strange places with that thing, some of them I have captured saying “what the **** is that?”.
It can record 4 tracks at the same time, so you can have 2 better mics close and use internal ones to get room ambience.
Then it has great little features like tuner and amp models for some situations. Internal speaker to play some jazz while throwing frisbee & drinking beers outside, etc.
Well worth the money, buy it now!
Olympus LS-10 here.
and satisfied.
also this could help you:
I would love to have a 'nagra ’ or a ’ sound devices ’
They look the bussiness but the price …Dear Lord , the price
I chose Zoom H1 over H2 some time ago. Didn’t really think I’d need the 4mic surround feature H2 has and other than that they are pretty much same stuff.
The zoom doesn’t have any xlr inputs 
The h4 has
Another big vote for the H4n here. We use them professionally and they’re rock solid reliable.
No, it doesn’t, but it’s all about you need. Built-in mics and battery powered shotguns are enough for my needs.
The H2 ís pretty sensitive when it comes to wind (which is anoying) but that windbreaker is HUUUGE! Why the hell does it have to be twice the size of the whole H2? 
(I know it’s not your product oootini, just generally asking)