Zoom H2n 4-stars Reviews

Excellent microphones

The plastic case is a little cheap feeling, but that's literally the only complaint. The Mid / Side and X / Y sound quality is genuinely amazing. I read reviews saying how good this unit was, but after taking delivery it really is hard to overstate just how impressive the sound reproduction is. The capsules are obviously very good quality, and with so many possible configurations, including the astonishing spatial settings, I have to wonder how on earth they've managed to squeeze so much in. One minor gripe would be the accessories kit costing so much extra for what could've very easily been included; with the USB cable, carry-case and pop-shield being the only things which are noticeable by their absence. Other than that this is both a must-have gadget for the budding field-recordist, and a really useful songwriting and rehearsal room recorder for bands and solo artists alike. But it's the ability to use it as an audio input and output device via USB which really makes this a serious contender for 'the only mic you'll need award' among Podcasters and YouTubers, looking for a detailed professional stereo sound indoors and outside. Simply put, get one. You'll love it.

Brought to record from mixer and occasionally use as audio interface.

As for using with "rec out" everything works fine, just have to adjust levels on my zoom h2n. Unpleasant surprise was that it splits files to 1 hour duration so you have to concat them manually after recording. Lucky splits are made with no gap so it's not a big problem.

Audio interface. Have not tested it yet because MINI USB out and no wire in package. Seriously mini b usb! I lost last cable of this type in 2007.

As for sound quality it's perfect for my unprofessional ear.

Speaking about materials knobs and handling it'a also a bit disappointing. You buy a professional device but in low price category but get something that left much to be desired even for domestic equipment standards.

A compact field recording device

I use it for:

DSLR videography

Record sounds clips (to be used as audio effects)

High quality computer microphone

Pros:

compact device, fits in my pocket

high definition multi channel sound recording capability

tripod mountable

satisfactory battery life

Cons:

Kind of flimsy feeling of device's plastics

I've mainly used it for recording band rehearsals and occasionally as a general computer microphone. It works great for both purposes. The only issue I've had with it is the crazy fast battery consumption, but then again I have never owned a similar device so I lack comparison. Overall it's a great general purpose microphone.

Great low budget recorder

I'm using this for recording atmospheres and sound effects. It is very affordable and small - so I can have one allways in my backpack. Great for recording live music and rehearsals too. With firmware update 3.0 they add Spatial audio function - so it is great entry level ambisonics recorder.

Amazing mic

This mic is such a great buy, Just for the fact that you can use 4 different settings on one mic!!! from the standard XY to MS, 2ch surround and 4ch surround. The only thing i don't like is that they run on pencil batteries rather then rechargeable packs. Feels like they sort of overlooked it, and i say this because its the only fault i can find on this mic.

If you've got no problem with that its definitely the mic for you

The best budget pocket recorder

Zoom H2n has 5 built-in microphones. 2 for XY and 3 for the MS recording (you can adjust the side level). That already sets it apart from the competition. The fact that I can use it for 4 channel recording, sound card for my pc, tuner, metronome and the list goes on and on makes it in my opinion the best budget pocket recorder in the market right now.

I highly recommend it for semi-professionals who want to start recording sounds (like sound designers etc.)

Great value portable recorder

This is a versatile little device with good sound quality given its price. I bought it to record band practices, but I've actually found a ton of other uses for it, using it to record gigs, as a field recorder, and even to record a drum kit for demo tracks.

Build quality is decent. It's all plastic apart from the grill, but it's acceptable. The important controls are available as buttons or dials, so it's very easy to use. Lights on the top indicate when its clipping, so you don't have to be constantly looking at the screen.

There is the option of Mid-Side(MS) on one side or XY on the other. MS lets you set the stereo width while recording, or even better, set it to RAW mode and fine tune the width later on your computer using a MS VST plugin. You can also choose 4-channel mode which records both MS and XY simultaneously to two separate stereo tracks (albeit with a shared preamp gain). When recording band practice I set it to 4-ch mode and place it in the middle of the room. Then when I get home I can balance the four channels on my computer.

There's a line in (it takes the place of the XY mics), you can monitor the recording with headphones, there are some basic compressor/limiter/filters, it has a tripod mount - the list goes on. This thing is amazingly good value.

The only downsides I've found are that it could do with an input pad as it's too sensitive for loud environments; I'd prefer the record light on the top; and the internal clock is poor, so you may have to spend a bit of time stretching and syncing if you are using it to record audio for a video or to be used in a multitrack mix with other audio.

Sturdy and Easy to use

Its a very sturdy but not bulky recorder. I find it very easy to use. I recommend buying it with its stand, otherwise it is a little bit hard to be stable.

Incredibly useful.

I've used this to record pretty much every band practice the last two years. It requires almost no setup and works very well.

There are quite a few features which I'll never use, such as the ability to connect it to a computer through USB and use it as a microphone, or the sound editing functions. I'll happily pop the SD card into the laptop after practice and copy the files to my hard drive, and then do the editing there.

My main issue is with maximum sound level. I find it too easy to overload the mics, and the range on the input sensitivity knob seems to be too limited. Maybe I'm missing something, but crash cymbal drives it into clipping quite easily.

Good sound quality, easy to use.

I bought this to have an small portable unit to record live performances, which for me means mostly acapella choir work. I have not used it extensively yet, but this far I find it easy to use and that it has good sound quality. Having the mid/side option, IMO, makes it easier to get the best possible result when you, for some reason, cannot place the unit at the sweet spot.

I also considered the H4n, mostly for the possibility to use external micophones, but felt that if I would use external microphones sometime I could bring my laptop and soundcard as the setup wouldn't be that portable anyway...

All in all a very nice and easy to use product.

Good Sound

The Zoom H2N does what it's supposed to do: record in high quality. It's pretty easy to use (record). The knob settings are confusing unless you have burned them into your memory: MS, XY, 2CH, and 4CH. I use 2CH and 4CH because I know what they mean and am too lazy to look up the documentation pertaining the other settings. It saves the multi-channel files into a file system that I find kind of bizarre, but again, it may be because I don't like to read instructions. The Zoom H2N is great for recording all kinds of sounds on the fly. I like to record birds, and this unit works perfectly in that case. If you use it to record acoustic guitar to use on a recording it works less great. It's a neat toy, like a cassette recorder about the size of a bigass pocket camera. Summery: If you want to record music, look elsewhere. Other than that, it works fine.

Field recordings

This is a very straightforward recorder to use, which produces exceptional sound quality. Used in conjunction with a stereo cable, it adds depth amd atmosphere to my recordings. I now také it with me everywhere.