Zoom H4 2.0 firmware update fixes almost everything

There's a new firmware update for the Zoom H4 Handy Recorder, and boy is it a doozy. In fact, Zoom seems to have addressed almost every single complaint anyone's ever had with the Zoom software. Version 2.0 includes:

• Larger fonts making the tiny display easier to read
• Battery meter shows how much juice you've got left when recording in stereo mode
• Specify whether you're using alkaline or Ni-MH batteries for a more accurate battery reading
• There's a remaining time meter in stereo mode
• Mono mix recording in stereo mode (In other words, you'll still be recording on two tracks, but the output will be dual mono instead of true stereo. This doesn't save you any space on your memory card, but it does make voice recordings more accurate).
• Low cut filter with 10 presets for reducing background sound
• Auto recording mode starts up a recording when there's sound above a certain threshold and pauses when it gets quiet
• Support for SDHC cards up to 4GB (Previously you could only use SD cards up to 2GB)
• Convert WAV files to MP3 directly on the unit to save space
• Divide large files
• Normalize files to bring up the volume on the recorder (Depending on the card you're using, this could reportedly take almost as long as recording a new track, so you might be better off waiting until you get to a PC to do this).
• You can now turn off the input signal when using the USB interface mode. In other words, you don't have to hear the mic or line input sound all the time
  

I downloaded and installed the update, and so far I'm pretty impressed. I would have preferred a true mono recording option in the stereo mode, even if that sounds like a bit of a contradiction. Once you become comfortable recording in mono using the 4-track mode, it's not that hard to do. But since you don't get a battery meter or remaining record time display in 4-track mode, it would be nice if you could do make true mono recordings in the 2-track mode.

You can download the supplemental Zoom H4 manual (PDF link) and see in-depth descriptions of all the new features if you want to read up a bit before messing with your recorder's firmware.

The software update does nothing to solve the electric pulsing noise problem when you're running on battery power, so the best solution is still to build your own battery pack. And of course, the Zoom H4 still has a few hardware issues like noisy preamps when using external mics and loud handling noise when using the internal mics.

But this update is still pretty sweet. It certainly makes up for the last disappointing firmware upgrade.

Update: A couple of people have contacted me to let me know they were having problems installing the firmware. So here are three things to make sure you're doing:

1. Make sure you check to see what version of the Zoom firmware you're currently using and download the corresponding update file.
2. When Zoom says put the update file in the root directory of your SD card, this does not mean the Sys folder. Instead, the file should not go in any folder at all.
3. Make sure your Zoom is plugged in when performing the update.

Selling a Sharp MD-SR50 minidisc recorder

Hey, if anyone's in the market for a cheap minidisc recorder, I'm selling a Sharp MD-SR50 on eBay.

The SR50 is almost identical to the Sharp MD-SR60. The only difference is that this model doesn't come with a remote control. It includes a line input, mic input, and the ability to change record levels on the fly by pushing the record volume up and down buttons. That's something that most Sony minidisc recorders (and newer consumer-oriented flash audio recorders for that matter) are missing.

I bought this recorder as a backup and have barely ever used it. But it was used when I picked it up. So while it's in great condition, I can't account for all the wear and tear. And to be perfectly honest with you, one of the reasons I'm selling it is that the preamps are much noisier than those on my trusty Sony MZ-R50 recorder.

It works great if you need a backup recorder for playing minidiscs. It also records crystal clear audio if you use the line input. But I wouldn't recommend using a dynamic microphone with this unit for broadcast purposes. Podcast, maybe, but not broadcast.

Anyway, eBay being what it is, I have no idea what this will sell for, but I suspect you'll be able to pick it up for under $50.

Update: And it's sold.

Sony PCM-D50: Producer's Edge video from AES

I found yet another video overview of the Sony PCM-D50 digital audio recorder. Producer's Edge Magazine recorded this 10 minute video with a Sony rep at the AES show. Here are a few highlights:

• A/B repeat feature for musicians. You can set a start and end point and have the recorder play the select audio in a loop.
• Digital pitch control
• Pre-record
• 2 hours of record time at 24 bit, 96KHz resolution using the built-in 4GB of memory
• Memory stick expansion
• 4 AA batteries run for 14 hours (He removes the battery tray to show how it slides in and out of the recorder)
• Shows the XLR-1 mic adapter, which makes the unit look a bit frightening (and hard to hold in one hand)
• Low cut filter
• Same limiter feature as the PCM-D50
• No MP3 recording
  

Sony PCM-D50: Mix Magazine video from AES

Mix Magazine has posted a nice video showing off some of the Sony PCM-D50 digital audio recorder's features. I couldn't find a way to embed the video here, so you'll have to check it out over at Mix's site, but here are some of the highlights:

• The Sony PCM-D50 has cheaper mics and preamps than the PCM-D1
  
• The recorder comes with Sound Forge software for digital audio editing
  
• It includes a digital pitch control feature that will let you slow down a recording by up to 75% without affecting the tone (great for transcribing audio or learning to play a guitar track)
• A nice explanation of the pre-record feature (in a nutshell, when you enable pre-record, the PCM-D50 is always recording, but it's not saving to the hard drive. When you hit the record button, it will start the recording from 5 seconds prior to the instant you pressed the button).
• You can adjust the mic placement, which is something you can't do on the PCM-D1. When you're in a typical XY pattern, the right mic is recording the left channel and vice versa. But the recorder will automatically adjust that when the mics are pointed outward instead of inward.

Using the Zoom H2 mic clip adapter as a handle

Here's something I totally missed when the Zoom H2 digital audio recorder was first released: it includes a mic-clip adapter. While that might not sound very exciting, it kind of is, and here's why:

1. The Zoom H4 cannot be placed on a mic stand. Instead you have to attach a standard camera tripod, making it much harder to use the H4 at a press conference or to record music using a standard mic stand.
2. Both the Zoom H2 and the H4 are susceptible to handling noise because the mic is built into the recorder. In other words, move your hands, even a tiny bit as you're holding the recorder and you'll hear a loud noise on the recording. Some users have reported that by holding the mic clip adapter instead of the unit itself, there's little noise.

In other words, the mic clip adapter can be used as a handle, and makes the Zoom H2 into a much "handier" handheld recorder. You can see some shots of the mic clip adapter/handle in action at O'Reilly Digital Media's writeup of the recent Podcast Expo.

One caveat though: the screwing mechanism is made of plastic, not metal and might not stand up to wear and tear that well. But you could probably say the same thing for the sub-$200 digital audio recorder you're plugging the handle into as well. At that price it wouldn't necessarily be a disaster if you have to buy a new recorder once every year or two. It'd be nice to know whether you can order replacement handles though.

Comparing the Sony PCM-D50, Fostex FR2-LE, Zoom H4 and Sound Devices 702

I tested out a couple of different flash audio recorders at AES yesterday. And while recording conditions weren't ideal on the noisy show room floor, here are the results. Ideally I'd love to take each of these recorders into a quiet room and record an interview and some ambiance, because even the Zoom H4 with its noisy preamp sounded halfway decent with all that background noise.

Fostex FR2-LE using an Electrovoice RE-50 microphone:



The FR2-LE is a trimmed down version of the Fostex FR2. It packs combo XLR/quarter inch inputs, track marking, and most of the features I'd want, on paper. But as you can hear when the gain is turned down the preamps are a bit noisier than I'd hoped.

Sound Devices 702 with RE-50 mic:



The Sound Devices 702 is a high end compact flash recorder. It'll set you back about $2000 but honestly, I've never heard a DAT/minidisc/Flash recorder that sounds as good.

Sony PCM-D50 with RE-50 mic:



The Sony PCM-D50 sounds surprisingly good with an external mic. Although it sports 1/8th inputs, meaning no phantom power, you can get an extraordinarily high record level with a dynamic microphone like the RE-50. That, plus the fact that you can mark tracks on the fly, pre-buffer recordings, and change record levels on the fly makes this an excellent recorder or anyone who likes the convenience of a compact minidisc recorder but wants the sound quality of a DAT or high quality flash recorder.

Sony PCM-D50 with the built-in stereo condenser mics:



The PCM-D50 also has stereo condenser mics built in. If no mic is plugged in, the recorder will use these by default. Plug anything into the mic or line input and they'll shut off. While they're not ideal for recording on a noisy show-room floor (they pick up way too much ambiance and not enough of the people they're pointed at), these mics would be excellent for quick interviews in the field or for recording music or outdoor ambiance. There's an optional wind-screen for $50, and there's almost no handling noise when using the built-in mics, which is a huge problem with the cheaper Zoom H-4.

Zoom H4 using an RE-50:



I brought along my Zoom H4 recorder in order to make a comparison recording. The preamps are pretty noisy and in a quiet recording environment a Zoom H4/RE-50 combination is really less than satisfactory. But because of all the background noise, this recording actually came out pretty decent.

In other words, take all of the other recordings with a grain of salt. That said, I think it's still safe to say that in this limited test the Sound Devices 702 an the Sony PCM-D50 both produced cleaner recordings than the Fostex FR2-LE or the Zoom H4. When you add the PCM-D50's extra features like the ability to create new tracks, change record levels, and switch between internal and external mics, I think it's the clear winner.

If you've got high quality mics that require phantom power, the PCM-D50 probably isn't the way to go unless you've got another $500 to drop on Sony's XLR-1 mic adapter. But for radio producers and podcasters looking for a high quality and affordable device for recording interviews, music, and ambiance, the PCM-D50 looks (and sounds) awesome.

Related Posts:

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Sony announces PCM-D50 handheld flash recorder

I went to the AES show this afternoon with my mind almost made up. My next field recorder would be a Fostex FR2-LE. On paper it's the next step up from my Zoom H4. It has decent preamps, combo XLR/quarter inch inputs, the ability to make track marks/split WAV files without pausing your recording. Sure, the battery compartment is a bit hard to get at, but that's a small price to pay for a $600 high quality device.

But a funny thing happened. I fell in love with a different recorder, the new Sony PCM-D50. The D50 is the follow-up to Sony's PCM-D1 recorder.

Like the PCM-D1, the D50 packs 4GB of internal flash memory, a Sony memory stick slot for expanded storage, high quality internal stereo condenser mics, and the ability to record 22.05 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz and 96 kHz, 16 and 24 bit WAV audio. But the D50 is about one third the price. While the D1 lists for $1995, the D50 will be available in November and has a list price of $599, which is the same as the Fostex FR2-LE. The street price could be even lower.

So what's the difference between the D1 and D50? The D1 has higher quality mics, old-fashioned analog VU meters, and a few more expensive components under the hood. The D50 has adjustable mics. You can change their position and the recorder will automatically adjust.

Here's a shot of the two recorders side by side:

What does the PCM-D50 have that the FR2-LE doesn't? On paper, not much. In fact, the D50 doesn't even have XLR inputs or offer phantom power for external condenser mics. But here's why I'm leaning toward picking one up in November:

1. It's compact, fits easily in the hand, and has excellent internal mics, making it great for grab and go recording. The FR2-LE has internal mics too, but they're the kind of mics you'd find on a third rate digital voice recorder. I think my PDA has a better mic.
2. When I plugged a dynamic mic into the FR2-LE I had to crank up the gain all the way to get a decent record level. When I plugged the same mic into the PCM-D50, I had to turn the record volume down to 3 or 4 to keep from clipping. This little puppy has some powerful preamps.
3. The PCM-D50 automatically detects when you've got an external mic plugged in and switches between the internal and external mic.

I picked up the Zoom H4 earlier this year because it offered some of the same features as the PCM-D1 at a fraction of the price. I was on a budget and it seemed like a good buy. But here's why I'm thinking about upgrading to the PCM-D50.

1. I haven't found a single external mic that sounds good with the H4. The preamps are way too noisy.
2. When using the excellent internal mics on the H4, the unit is susceptible to handling noise. I detected almost no handling noise when using the PCM-D50.
3. In order to save your track or create a new file on the H4, you have to stop your recording and start a new one, which causes a you to lose a few seconds of audio. The PCM-D50 lets you create new tracks on the fly.
4. The PCM-D50 controls are super easy to use, and you can change record levels on the fly with a simple jog dial. On the H4, you have to go through a bunch of software menus which will result in handling noise if you're using the internal mics.
5. The H4 has a cheap plastic feel, the PCM-D50 has a sturdy metal feel.

There are more reasons, but for now I'll just show you this side by side comparison:

Here are a few more specs:

• Runs on 4 AA batteries
• Estimated battery life: 16 hours with headphones, 20 hours without
• Weights 12.88 ounces (including batteries)
• Supports MP3 playback, but does not record to MP3
  
• Four separate circuit boards to separate analog audio, digital audio, digital recording, and power supply circuits
• Transfer recordings to your computer using USB 2.0
• High pass filter
• 5-second pre buffer when using record pause mode

I recorded some audio using with the PCM-D50, the Fostex FR2-LE, my Zoom H4, and a Sound Devices 702 (which is way out of my price range at $2000, but since the recordings were all made on the noisy show room floor I wanted to get a recording using the best gear I could find to use as a reference point).

I'll post the audio tomorrow. Since these recordings were made in a noisy environment, I don't have an answer to my biggest question: which device would sound best in a quiet interview environment. But I'm pretty sure the Fostex FR2-LE doesn't sound enough better than my H4 to justify the price.

Update: Now you can listen to some sample recordings I made in the less than ideal setting of the AES show room floor.

Update 2: It looks like this digital audio recorder is getting a street price of $499.

Update 3: Sony has started shipping the PCM-D50, and I should be getting mine in early December, so expect a comprehensive review soon.

Update 4: It's here!

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• Zoom H4 review

Tiny Marantz PMD620 gets a hand model

I knew the Marantz PMD620 was small. But so far I hadn't seen any photos of the device comparing it to other objects, so we couldn't say just how small.

Susan A. Kitchens of Family Oral History Using Digital Tools got a chance to check out the 620 last week and she uploaded a photo of the flash recorder in her hand. And I have to say, it makes my Zoom H4 look huge.

Not too much else to report. She plugged in a mic and headphones and the PMD620 sounded decent. But it's hard to really test things like the mic preamps when you're recording in a noisy setting like a showroom floor.

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• More Marantz PMD620 details emerge
  
• Marantz Announces the PMD620 handheld flash recorder
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More Marantz PMD620 details emerge

When the Marantz PMD620 flash recorder was announced a few days ago we didn't have too many details to share. That hasn't stopped people from talking though. Boing Boing, Gizmodo, and other popular gadget blogs have weighed in on the compact prosumer device.

While Marantz still hasn't posted any details about the PMD620 on its website, Podcasting News got their hands on some of the specs. So here's what we know:

• Records WAV audio in 44.1/48KHz at 16 or 24 bit resolutions
• Records direct to MP3 at three different quality levels (no word on what that means in terms of kpbs yet)
• Includes 2 internal condenser mics, a 1/8th inch external mic input, and a 1/8th inch line input
• First Marantz recorder to use SD flash memory with support for cards up to 2 TB (that's terabytes with a T)
• You'll get a nifty little red glow when you're recording so you know you're recording
• OLED display for low power consumption
• Powered by 2 AA batteries
• Configurable screen with 2 font sizes
• Do basic non-destructive copy and paste style editing directly on the device
• Transfer audio to your PC via USB 2.0
• "Skip back" feature lets transcribers review audio recorded from 1 to 60 seconds go (we assume this means while you're still recording, which means this could be an ideal device for anyone who needs to transcribe audio in real-time, like courtroom reporters).
• Level and Peak LEDs
• Display can be set to show time remaining, elapsed time, or other important numbers.
  

Now if we could just get a picture of this thing in someone's hand, or better yet, side by side with a Zoom H2. The Marantz PMD620 will be out in November, and will set you back about $400. That's twice the price of the H2, but it looks like the Marantz has a few features the H2 doesn't, like a better display, Skip Back, on-board editing, and support for massive SD cards.

Of course, the things that matter most to me are how noisy the preamps are, how clean the audio recorded with the internal mics sounds, and the ease of use. All the rest is gravy. And until we start to see some hands-on reviews, we won't know how the PMD620 stacks up against the H2, the H4, or even the PMD660.

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Zoom H2 review roundup: cure for the common minidisc?

The Zoom H2 Handy Recorder has been shipping for a few days now. This unit is a followup to Zoom's H4 Handy Recorder. It's smaller, lighter, seems to have a sturdier plastic case, can record 4 channels at once (instead of 2), and costs about $100 less.

First off, let me say that I do not own a Zoom H2 at this point, and after reading the initial reviews, I'm probably not going to buy one. But for a reporter/podcaster/musician on a budget, the H2 looks like a great step up from low-end minidisc recorders. This $199 flash-based recorder actually costs less than most of the minidisc recorders on the market today (although it's not cheaper than whatever used model you might want to pick up from eBay), but seems to pack most of the best features of a minidisc, and then some.

• Record in 16-bit or 24 bit at 44.1, 48, or 96kHz
  
• Record in WAV or MP3
• Time Stamp and Track Marker functions in BWF format (Broadcast Wave Format)
• Record in stereo or 4-way mode with the built-in 4 mic capsules
• Ships with a 512MB SD card (the Zoom H4 includes only a 128MB card), and supports cards up to 4GB (The H4 can only handle 2GB)
• Low-cut filter to help reduce wind noise
• USB 2.0 connectivity for transferring files to your computer
• Acts as a USB audio input for your computer, allowing you to record audio on your computer from the internal mic, an external mic, or the line input

The menu system and controls are reportedly a huge improvement over the H4. The convoluted system of button presses in order to configure pretty much anything on the H4 have been replaced with an interface that is simple and intuitive.

Sounds great, right? Well, sort of. I'll wait to hear more recordings before passing final judgment, but so far, one user has made a sample recording and posted it online. There's a noticeable hiss in this recording, which sounds comparable to the hiss I usually get with minidisc recorders. This recording was made using the built-in microphone. Using the internal mics on the H4, I don't get this hiss.

From this sample recording, it doesn't sound to me like the H2 has the same electronic pulsing noise you get from the H4 when running on battery power. But there was a relatively easy fix for that.

I would love to hear some samples recorded using external microphones. But I'm not optimistic that the hiss will go away. If anything, I would expect it to be louder due to the cheap preamps included in a $199 device. While the Zoom H4 uses combination XLR/quarter inch inputs, the H2 uses 1/8th inch inputs. I'm not happy with the preamps on the H4, but unless the H2 sounds amazing with external mics, I'll probably just keep my minidisc recorder for situations when I can't use the internal mic on my H4.

That said, it would be nice to be able to record direct to WAV or MP3. So perhaps I'll crack and pick one of these up at some point, although right now I'm leaning toward the Fostex FR2-LE, which is larger, sturdier, has more input options, and reportedly has a great set of preamps.

If small size is your thing though, the H2 is pretty tiny. Here are some photos from a user who placed it next to the H4 and an iPod Nano.

The Zoom H2 is distributed in the US by Samson, who has been kind enough to post the entire instruction manual online in PDF format.

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