Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Zoom H4 - no moving parts













I recently put down some money on a new recorder, the Zoom H4. So far I really like it. I used to use a mini disc recorder and like it but was plagued with the problem of transferring data easily to the computer in order to burn CD's.
This new recorder records directly to an SD card (same as they use with most digital cameras) which you can easily pop into a computer.
A few other features...
  • It can take up to a 2GB card.
  • Using this card, you can record up to 380 minutes of .wav files or 34 hours of .mp3 files
  • It has two stereo mics built in (they seem to record quite well)
  • It has jacks for two XLR mics and can provide phantom power
  • It can directly connect to a computer via a USB connection
  • It has multitrack recording capability (4 tracks)
If you are serious about succeeding on the trombone, you need to record yourself regularly. You'll need to make audition tapes and demo tapes. This little machine does a beautiful job with a minimum of hassle.

Generally you can get it for around $300. I paid $279 from minidisco.com.
Here are some links if you're interested:

Minidisco site
Product review
Another product review