[LAU] Looking for Portable Digital Recorder, on a budget

[The Other]

thomas fisher wrote:
> On Friday 28 December 2007 07:16:22 The Other wrote:
>> thomas fisher wrote:
>>> On Tuesday 25 December 2007 11:04:21 The Other wrote:
>>>> There may have been a thread on this topic a month or so back, but I'm
>>>> not sure what to look for.
>>>>
>>>> It's too noisy in my apartment for any audio recording.  I first
>>>> thought about portable DAT recorders, but my googling leads me to
>>>> believe that's old technology.
>>>>
>>>> In American Musical Supply (AMS), I see the Zoom H2 digital recorder.
>>>>
>>>> I'll probably go to my church sanctuary for the vocal recording.  The
>>>> church's mixer has RCA L/R outputs I can tie into.  Or I could use any
>>>> mics included with the digital recorder.  My computer has USB ports
>>>> and is running openSUSE 10.2 with ALSA mixer 1.0.14, and have the
>>>> Audigy2 ZS internal card.  I can take a any type of output from the
>>>> recorder (1/8" stereo plug, RCA L/R, XLR, and possibly digital out-- I
>>>> haven't tried that with the Audigy 2 ZS) and get it routed to the ALSA
>>>> mixer for use with Audacity or some other recording software.
>>>>
>>>> I'd like to stay under 100USD.  The Zoom H2 is listed at 199USD.
>>>>
>>>> Suggestions?
>>>> Stephen.
>>> --------------------------------
>>>  I have a Zoom H4 and love it. If I knew then what I know now I would
>>> have done the H2, as I do not need the effects, and the H2 goes beyond
>>> simply stereo. The on board mikes are pretty sensitive, so the levels
>>> will need to be turned down. Overall very pleased.
>>> Tom
>> Thanks for all of the replies.  I hadn't considered a Minidisc
>> recorder, but after considering that a Minidisc has moving parts, my
>> old engineering background decided a mechanical failure would occur
>> sometime in the future and I'd have to research this problem again.
>>
>> Next I saw this review of the Zoom H2 recorder:
>> http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2007/09/13/review-zoom-h2-surround-recorder
>> .html
>>
>> That was an impressive review outlining a very intelligently designed
>> recorder.
>>
>> I went to the Zoom website to see if I could download the user's
>> manual.  http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h2/
>> I could.  Any company that will provide the user manual online always
>> has my referral, and most often my purchase.
>>
>> The H2 user manual states the supported Operating Systems are Windows
>> XP, Windows Vista, and MacOSX 10.2 or later.
>>
>> As stated above, I'm running openSUSE 10.2 with a 2.6.x kernel.  Is
>> there any chance I'd be able to run the H2 through a USB port into my
>> kernel and have all the functionality mentioned in the user manual?
>>
>> If someone is running another Linux distribution that works directly
>> with the H2, what distribution are you running?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Stephen.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Hi   Stephen
>   I am the guy who posted about being a very contented H4 user. I have used it 
> with Debian Sarge { several earlier 2.6 kernels }, Ubuntu Feisty , 
> UbuntuStudio 2.6.20 rt, Ubuntu Gutsy 2.6.22 rt.   I believe the H2 will not 
> have any problem with a relatively current kernel in that the device 
> recognition is in the USB module. 
>  If you do go with the Zoom:
>   --> even though battery performance is better than stated by the mfg., to 
> supply yourself with some NiMh and a good quality charger.  
>   --> Set the internal Mic sensitivity at about 97. And in the computer run it 
> through Audacity ->Effect --> Amplify function.
>  --> The mikes are like all high quality mikes and are subject to all spurious 
> knocks, wind and etc. So proper mike placement and handling will yield very 
> nice results.
> Goodluck
> Tom
>   
Thanks for the additional reply, Tom.

I went to Amazon.com and just ordered the Zoom H2 recorder bundled
with the BlueProton card reader and a 4GB Sandisk memory card.  I
selected free shipping from Amazon.com and paid shipping from
BlueProton.  Total price was 220.56USD.

By going with the BlueProton card reader, my thoughts are that it now
doesn't matter what operating system I'm using.  The USB card reader
will be recognized by openSUSE 10.2, so I can copy the sound recording
files directly from the memory card without using the Zoom H2.  The
manual for the Zoom H2 specifically stated not to use the computer to
delete the files off the memory card, but to use the Zoom H2 to manage
the files.  Thus I'll be following the manual guidelines and letting
the Zoom H2 manage files on the memory card, and just copy the wanted
files through the USB card reader into openSUSE 10.2 for processing.

It may turn out that the Zoom H2 is correctly recognized by openSUSE
10.2.  In which case I can see if it's possible to use the Zoom H2 as
a USB microphone.

Thanks Tom, and everyone, for the replies and assistance. It's greatly
appreciated.
Stephen.