Three years ago I was on the hunt for a good audio recording tool, and Brad Linder recommended the Zoom H2. Sadly my podcasting days were limited, but that doesn’t mean Samson’s H2 wasn’t a worthy purchase. (or a gift, in my case) It’s got 360-degree recording (4 mics), transcoding capabilities, and runs off two AA batteries. Now, Samson has a new recorder on the market, the Zoom H1. It’s smaller, sleeker, and sneaks in at the $99 mark. It’s only got twin X/Y stereo recording, but that’s more than enough for most folks, and it runs on a single AA battery.
The H1 just started shipping, so reviews are limited, but you can check out the B&H Insights blog for a (sponsored?) video walk-through. Or watch the YouTube trade-show version from Audiofanzinetv below. Product specs include:
- Stereo X/Y mics
- Formatting from 16-bit/44.1 kHz to 24-bit/96 kHz WAV, or MP3 from 48 kbps to 320 kbps
- 2GB micro SD card included, with expansion up to 32GB
- USB 2.0 port
- Built-in reference speaker
- Runs on 1 AA battery
I have one of these on the way. But ordered from Amazon which is telling me it won’t ship till the second week of September :(
You can hear some samples here: http://www.zoomh1.de/samples.php