"Ted Coffey" wrote:
>
> I failed to note that the recording level was set to 127 the max
> level. I have not tried this test at other levels but maybe that
> would be informative.
The speculation I've read in online forums (fori?) indicate that the
Zoom H2's "volume control" actually increases volume digitally, after
the A/D conversion.
Conventional analog gain is added only by setting the Low-Medium-High
gain switch on the side of the recorder. There's about a 10dB gain
from Low to Medium, and 10dB from Medium to High.
The volume level of 100 seems to be unity, no gain or reduction to the
signal. Your test with gain set to 127 would add the maximum noise,
which your test results conform.
In my quick look at the Zoom H2, the recorder gave best results with a
setting of 95. I used a Sennheiser ME62, a mic with a relatively high
voltage output for a given sound pressure. This may also have helped
the quality of the Zoom H2's sound.
Other notes I've read online report that the Zoom H2's external mic
input adds extra noise, compared to the sound recorded by the built-in
mics. This matches Klas Strandberg's experience with the Zoom H4.
When Klas removed the H4's built-in mics and soldered in a set of his
EM-23 mic capsules, they sounded a lot better than when the EM-23 mics
were attached via the external mic port.
Last, others have reported that the headphone circuit of the H2 is not
of the highest quality. Recordings turn out better than they sound
when monitoring via the headphones.
There's a lot to like about the $200 Zoom H2. We just have to figure
out its limitations, and how to work with them. Ted, your tests are a
step in that direction. Thanks!
--oryoki
"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause
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