At 2:57 PM -0500 9/22/08, Curt Olson wrote:
>A follow-up report, as promised...
>
>My new Zoom H2 came today from Sweetwater. A quick and dirty comparison
>with a Hi-MD recorder reveals the following:
>
>(AT3032s > SD MixPre > recorder line input) This H2's line in seems to
>be slightly cleaner and quieter than my Sony Hi-MD recorder.
Do you recall if the Hi-MD's line input gain was set to "30?" I
believe this circuit is attenuation only. We'll keep tabs on this
unusual observation!
>
>(AT3032s > ART Phantom II > recorder mic input ) This H2's mic pre is
>audibly noisier than my Sony Hi-MD. I decided to not test any deeper,
>except...
>
>(WL-183s > recorder input with PIP) Same results as above.
>
>USB connectivity to my MAC is fast and easy, especially compared to the
>many clunky steps required of the Hi-MD.
>
>So I think I'll be keeping the H2. For my main purpose of capturing the
>"Tape Out" signal of SD MixPre, it looks to be an improvement over
>Hi-MD in many important ways. But for low-profile recording, with PIP
>mics, the Hi-MD recorder will still get used -- sometimes.
Using an (expensive) external pre and the -10dB line input has
precedence. In the 90's, many recordists used expensive external mic
pres in conjunction with consumer-grade (DAT, MD) recorders. The
Aerco mic pres that Bernie is now selling are a prime example. The
total system price of this solution is considerably higher than HiMD
+ Art Phantom II and the quality difference, even with very low noise
mics, is insignificant. People seem to be tiring of Hi-MD's uploading
antics, but extra labor aside, the Hi-MD + Art Phantom II combo is
still the lowest cost low-noise solution allowing folks on limited
budgets to invest more mics were it counts the most. Are you setting
up a 2nd rig? I'm curious as to why your Fostex FR2-LE isn't the
recorder of choice. Rob D.
>
>Curt Olson
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