Digital Audio Recording

SULIMATION

I have been researching and using digital audio recorders for the past three years. My interest was motivated by requests from friends in the Dharma, who wanted to make good audio recordings for distribution of Buddhist talks and other audio materials such as Buddhist songs, chanting, etc.

First, please read my review of digital audio recorders, featuring the Zoom H2: Click Me

Links to sample recordings:

1. Test recording with built-in microphone: Click Me

2. Test recording with external Sony microphone: Click Me

3. Test recording of Buddhist Song, Breathing In, Breathing Out by Plum Village with internal mics in front recording mode: Click Me

4. Test recording of Buddhist Song, Mettta Metta by Bro. Daniel Kwok with internal mics used in surround mode : Click Me

Note: All files are taken direclty of the Zoom H2 without any editing, in order to let you hear the original recording quality.

Pictorial guide on Zoom H2 usage:

	The Zoom H2 is shown here with headphones and Sony external microphone. The H2 is about the size of and iPod video (but several times thicker!). It uses 2xAA batteries and I have a pair of GP Ni-MH rechargeable batteries in my H2. The H2 uses SD cards (same as those used for digital cameras). A 512 MB card is supplied. I am using my H2 with a Kingston 2GB SD card.
	The supplied windshield for the H2 looks cute, like the hat of the England queen's guard! The windshield helps to cut out sounds made by air blowing across the built-in microphones. You can record audio directly from the 4 (!) built-in microphones in a variety of situations and don't really need an external microphone. The microphones can be set to record from the front, back and surround directions. Recordings can be in stereo or 4-track (requires specialized software to process the 4-track recording).
	Recordings can be made in WAV or MP3 formats in a variety of qualities. Typical 192-kbps MP3 recordings will yield 12 hours of recording on a 1 GB SD card! Batteries will only last about 4 hours, but the H2 comes with a power adaptor that will help you keep on recording if you need to. You can also record using the Line In input with the supplied cables. You might want to do this if you can access the PA amplifier and can connect directly to the Line Out jacks. Then you don't have to place the H2 in front of the Dharma speaker, as you will be tapping from the amplifier.
	The H2 comes with several accesories, one of them being a microphone holder adaptor. You can attach this to the bottom of the H2 and hold it like a regular microphone , except that this one records as well!
	Here is the same attachment used to mount the H2 on a regular microphone stand. Very handy.
	Don't have a microphone stand? Then attach the H2 directly to a camera tripod! Camera tripods are cheaper and lighter thus easier to carry around than a microphone stand. If you are into photography or videography, any camera or video tripod will do.
	Here's a photo of how the H2 was used to record music. Here, I am working with Bro. Daniel Kwok of the i.gemz on one of the test recordings above.
	Hope you've enjoyed my site and information shared. Above all, happy recording!

Zoom H2 is available in Kuala Lumpur from: CK Music Sdn Bhd, www.ckmusic.com.my