The Zoom H2 is an easy-to-use digital recorder that gives broadcast quality stereo results for live music, interviews, podcasts, conferences and all kinds of location recordings.

Ultra-portable and extremely simple to use – the H2 means the average user can record professional quality pristine audio straight out of the box

The Zoom H2 recorder is one of the most portable digital recorders available, only being slightly larger than a pack of cigarettes. Despite its size, it still is packed full of features that put other digital recorders to shame. With a back-lit LCD screen, unique four microphone system, the Zoom H2 is certainly versatile, and could be used in a number of scenarios.

The Zoom H2 comes boxed with 512MB SD card, A Desktop Stand, A Mic Clip Adapter, A Wind Screen, Small inearphones, A USB Cable, A Stereo Y Cable and an AC Adapter plus a comprehensive User Manual, which is everything you need to get going. The accessories are all of a high quality, unlike some other digital recorders with only the included earphones and SD card possibly needing upgrading.

The recorder’s secret lies in its’ unique four mic system – two at the front and two at the rear. You can choose which pair to use, or use both – allowing for great versatility in recording. The front pair have a 90⁰ angle between them and the rear pair are angled at 120⁰. This microphone layout makes the Zoom H2 ideal for both a solo and wider band recording. The microphones are normally used as stereo pairs but can be combined to record a four channel sound field that can be converted, in a computer, to Dolby 5.1 surround sound.

The Zoom H2 recorder has no internal memory, so each recording must be stored on SD cards. The serious recorder will want to upgrade the included 512mb, as the Zoom H2 Recorder can take upto a 8GB SDHC card and these are formatted by the H2 prior to using them for storage. The Zoom H2 will format the card and place one folder for 4 channel recording, 10 folders for stereo recordings and a SYS folder to hold user set parameters. The SD card can be read by a computer and the recordings easily downloaded onto your computer. The Zoom H2 will record in either .wav format (16 or 24 bit and 44.1, 48, or 96kHz sampling rate) or .mp3 format (64, 128, 192 or 320 kbps).

The Zoom H2 sounds fantastic. When recording from instruments, there is no degradation of sound between the original and playback, using the same speaker and amplifier system. Live recordings are also clear and accurate. It is worth mentioning that the Zoom H2 does not have an internal speaker, so the only way to listen back to your recordings from the unit will be through headphones or line out to your hi-fi system.

The Zoom H2 has an input for the AC adapter and an On-Off switch. Power is also supplied from two AA batteries and although rechargeables can be used, an external charger would be required to charge them.

The usefulness of the H2 is further improved with an external microphone input, this can accept powered microphones or, with a phantom power supplied by the H2, normal dynamic microphones. Both internal and external microphones feed through an amplifier and the Gain switch on the side gives High, Medium and Low settings.

Moving onto the front of the unit, there are a host of main control buttons which are conveniently located underneath the LCD screen. The settings are controlled through the menu system but once modified are stored on the SD card, which means you can have different recording settings for different SD Cards. The first row of buttons on the unit selects the microphone pair to be used. The next set, in the form of a cross, are multipurpose, Menu, Record and Playback with Forward and Back on either side.

Recording is as easy as two presses on the Record button (The first press selects record/standby when the level can be set with the +/- buttons and the second press starts the recording). Every recording sets up a new file in the selected Folder. This does mean however, that it is not possible to “pause” a recording and restart where it left off later in the same file (It would be saved as two separate files). These two files would need to be merged together in post production. The whole recording process can be monitored through headphones however.

Play back again is one button press and the required file can be selected using the +/- buttons which also operate as Fast Forward and Reverse.

Menu selection gives you access to a selection of extras; a low cut filter, two levels of Gain Control, three levels of Compression and three distortion limiters. An auto recording mode can be set to start recording when the sound exceeds a set level and stop again when all goes quiet and a “pre-record” samples the sound and continually stores two seconds of sound to be added to the start of a recording so you don’t miss an unexpected start.

Two unusual extras are a programmable Metronome; this will give a count in and keep the beat, and a Tuner. The Tuner samples the sound, selects the nearest note and gives a degree of Sharpness or Flatness. This is based on A=440Hz but can be varied from A=435Hz to A=445Hz special tunings for guitar or bass are also available.

Connection to a computer is via the USB port; the USB can be used to transfer data and be used to power the H2. In this mode, the SD card is directly available to the computer so your recordings can be transferred. You can also use the USB connection is to turn the H2 into a microphone to be used with your pc. This mode is perfect to be used for voiceovers or podcasts and gives high quality recordings.

Overall, the sound quality of the Zoom H2 is excellent, and the portability is unmatched for a digital recorder. The Zoom H2 is truly feature packed, and would certainly be a worthwhile choice for anyone looking for a digital recorder.

You can purchase a Zoom H2 recorder, with a free silicon jacket and tripod for only£146.37.

Buy Now!

Source: Tube Amplifier Reviews;

The Fatman iTube Red-i is a new tube amp and speaker combo from the Fatman range. As with all Fatman products, the build quality is exceptional and it is clear that the designers have put a lot of thought into the design process. The amp is encased in a brushed aluminium chassis that is built to last. Along the top deck of the amp we find an iPod dock that will support your iPod/iPhone to the left and a complement of three tubes to the right. The transistor is housed in a black cylindrical cover in the centre. On the front panel we find a volume control, power button and source control. The design is minimalist and really makes the amp stand out from the crowd.

On the rear panel, we find two pairs of quality speaker binding posts which accept the banana plug speaker connectors that come with the unit. We also find two phono inputs and a 3.5mm miniature jack input which means there is plenty of potential to connect auxiliary devices such as a CD player or laptop alongside your iPod/iPhone. TheFatman iTube Red-i also come equipped with composite and s-video outputs so that video enabled iPods or iPhones can be connected to a suitable TV or monitor. All these connection options mean that the Fatman iTube Red-i could form the centre-piece to a home entertainment system if that is what you want it to be!

The Fatman iTube Red-i comes with its own set of speakers which have metallised red speaker cones which again stand out from the crowd. An IR remote control allows you to control the Fatman iTube Red-i from the comfort of your desk/couch. It will also allow you to navigate the iPods’ menu remotely.

Soundwise, the Fatman iTube Red-i lives up to the excellent reputation that Fatman have built in the high-end iPod docking station market. The tubes add warmth and detail to the selected output. The bass has a reassuring thud while the mids and highs display a clarity that few amps in this price-range can match. The soundstage is broad and has a decent depth and vocals come to life and have room to breathe. The included speakers are well matched to the iTube system, and perform well at all volume levels. When we crank up the volume, the Fatman iTube Red-i handles it well with the 25w per channel output more than enough to get the party bopping along nicely. A nice feature, that shows the amount of thought that the clever people at Fatman have put into their amp, is the fact that the included speakers have GSM shielding. This prevents your iPhone interfering with the audio signal if you get a phone call or message while it is connected to the amp. All things considered the Fatman iTube Red-i does not disappoint when it comes to audio performance.

Once again, Fatman have nailed it and produced an excellent little amp that in this price range does not break the bank. For those looking to add some tube-y goodness to their iPod or iPhone, the Fatman iTube Red-i comes highly recommended.