skiphunt

I recently got in a needless spat with one of your beloved contributers that resulted in a lot of insults being tossed about and the thread being deleted. Although I think that GuitarFX got a bit too sensitive about the whole matter.. I too got a bit too sensitive and did antagonize him somewhat in reaction to what I believed to be arrogance regarding his years of experience. Sometimes I get a bit of a knee-jerk reaction when I feel like I'm being insulted. I need to learn to take some of the flippant forum comments with little more than a grain of salt and not react so hastily. Reacting like this is not normally in my nature. And I sincerely apologize for any ill-will I inadvertantly AND intentionally caused Mr. GuitarFX. I'm sorry he decided to leave your site, as he did seem like a very good knowledge resource. I hope that he will read this and reconsider rejoining your community. I never intended to cause anyone to feel like they needed to leave your community based on anything I wrote. Again, to all and to Mr. GuitarFX... I sincerely, apologize. Skip Hunt Austin, Texas http://www.skiphuntphotography.com

Take anothe look. It was all pretty civil until I had the nerve to question is samples from the RH1 and H2. And I asked him why he still didn't try the 96/24. He then started with the arogance and chest beating about how much experience he has... yada, yada. Seems to me he's a perfectly fine individual.. as long as you agree with him and never question him. Yes, his initial responses seemed fair and well thought out. Then, he starts going ballistic when questioned and starts making blanket statements like "Hey oz , I am an Audio engineer ok , Full Scale ,Schooled In it Live it Eat It Breathe it ........ you not taking my points seriously enough , The preamp for the EXT Mic input ,, how can I say this nicely ...... SUCKS !!!!!!!!!! I know how to test any given piece of equipment on any given Day . YOU WILL BE DISSAPPOINTED BIG TIME , if you use external mics of ANY kind ." I was actually interested in what this guy had to say after he did more legitimate testing without all the uppercase insults etc. and after he finally experimented with other mics, the limiter, and 96/24. Too bad he can't take honest questioning without getting all worked up about it. Hey Guitarfxr, I thought you already said you were outta here two times already. Why are you getting so freakin' bent out of shape and tossing insults left and right? This is a thread about the H2. Someone referenced my sample clips and I offered personal observations of the H2 since I own one. How is that inappropriate for this thread? Seriously, you really need to learn how to control your temper. You don't really fly off the handle like that with your students do you? Look, I get it. The H2 doesn't suit your needs and you find the pre-amps sub-par for your needs. I just don't see how you can start flinging insults when someone merely questions you. AND has even shown the capacity to admit when he's wrong or has misinterpretted something as I have shown. Why don't you just take a few deep breaths, admit you got a bit too sensitive about all this... and then move past it? I don't care if you apologize for all the insults to me or not, but for your own health.. you might want to chill a bit. Seriously dude, none of this is really all that important to start insulting your fellow human beings and getting yourself in a tizzy over it. These are all just nifty gizmos for recording. Some are better than others. And some are better at specific things. Not really worth getting into a heated argument about. So, I'm virtually reaching my hand out to shake hands in a virtual truce.

This guy Guitarfx stated that his intial recording is "the best you would ever get from the H2.." this simply isn't true. He didn't record a 96/24bit and still refuses to for some reason. He also states that "if you record with ANY external mic.... you WILL be disappointed..." Again, this is simply not true. I did sample clips with an ME66 that are not "disappointing" in the slightest. With better placement and level adjustment.. it'd be even better. Look, I never wanted to argue with this guy. I merely posted questions regarding his methods and conclusions. Instead of simply answering me... he launched into insults, claims of how knowledgable he is... how great he is to have guessed a couple specs... how great a guitar player he believes he is... etc. It was like trying to have an adult conversation with Cartman from Southpark. (in the voice of Cartman) "I'm a studio rat... I live, eat, and breath it.. how dare you question my supreme self?.... YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORA-TAHHHH!!!!" Then he gets his panties in a bunch and trys to get the thread locked... and then removes is samples and stomps away all hurt. Is this guy an adult? Why not just stick to the facts and if he's a "teacher".. answer legitimate questions instead of puffing himself all up and resorting to insults? Geez.. he claims to have students... glad I'm not one of them.

Huhhh??? WOW! Unbelievable. Even takin' yer marbles home too? Heh.. not surprised. Hey fanimej, I'll put up more real-world recording situations with different mics later this week if I get time. Some in a studio, some wild sound, and maybe some live music as well. Just realworld applications without all the "studio rat" puffery. You and others can listen and decide for yourselves if the H2 will meet your needs or not.

Salesman? Just stating facts and my own personal observations about the topic at hand. Sorry the facts got your feathers ruffled. But, if you want to do a fair test.. you should really compare the H2s 96/24bit recording to the best your RH1 has to offer. Sure, makes since to offer up two recordings both at 44.1, but you shouldn't stop there if you're trying to do a legitimate review. Also, promoting ZOOM is the furthest from my mind. They seem like a cheapo outfit that doesn't really put that much emphasis on build-quality. BUT, in the H2.. they've offered up alot of bang for the buck in a small versatile package. For this, I applaud them. If someone else makes something with even better recording options, and a solid/tough chassis, then I'll upgrade to their's instead. I have no loyalty or great love for ZOOM as you evidently have for Sony. This is the first ZOOM product I've ever bought. If they keep on the path of offering a great deal of value in the most portable package, but with a little more solid build... it won't be the last.

Where did I "complain"? I suggested you record at H2's best settings. Not at it's weakest. You worked for ZOOM? Did they fire you? Do you work for Sony now? LOL Again, as I've stated adnauseum... the H2 is a fine performer and beats the RH1 for MY needs. The H2 records at 96/24 the RH1 is only 44.1. (why don't you give the H2s 96/24 it a try?) The H2 has decent built-in mics so less storage, and less gear to bring along. The RH1 doesn't even have a builtin mic. I can fit everything I need into one small pocket in my camerabag. The RH1 would require more storage. I've already using SD cards in my camera gear. The RH1 has specialized media. SD cards are pretty easy to find anywhere. No so with RH1 media. The H2 uses standard AA batteries. Again, easy to find even in the most remote locales. The RH1 requires expensive proprietary Sony Lithium batteries. Hard to find in a small Mexican village when you've run out of power or forgot to recharge. I can find AAs pretty much anywhere. The H2 has builtin mics that allow me to record a 90deg pattern, a 120deg pattern, or a combination of each. Or, a 4channel recording. The RH1 is only 2channel and has no built-in mic. To get a variety of recording patterns you'd have to bring an assortment of mics with you. The H2 has AGC, a Limiter, and Compressor.. all in specific flavors, ie. for studio, instuments, live bands, vocals, speech, etc. The RH1 doesn't have this. The RH1 sells for double the price of an H2. So, again.. for MY needs.. and those who're looking for a portable recording device with the most versatility in a small package for less money. The H2 is a good choice. If you don't mind buying Sony's expensive batteries, hard to find media, having to carry along your own mics, don't need a limiter, and don't mind carrying along your mics, don't mind the fact the RH1 will likely be obsolete in the not too distant future... etc. then sure... maybe the RH1 will suit you better.

Ha! Well aren't you just precious? Hey, that reminds me... I think a more fitting avatar for you.. instead of the venerable Master Yoda... would be an image of Gollum stroking his "Precious".. only, instead of the magical ring... it'd be your "Precious" RH1. LOL ps. I also asked if you found some much fault with the H2, what did you recommend that was better for MY needs. You offered nothing that handled all the performance I was looking for in the smallest possible package. And at what point did I antagonize your poor self? Please point out where that occurred. It was never intentional and I'm sorry if you misinterpretted it as such. Lastly, you STILL have not offered anything up in 96/24 as I originally suggested. Why is that? I compared 44.1/16 to 96/24 and found the latter to be noticably superior. Why do you only offer up mp3 compressed onboard the H2, or 44/16? Why not use the best the H2 has to offer instead of stacking the deck?

Chill-out dude. Who said I was arguing with you? And didn't you read my initial post? I never claimed to be a "studio rat" as you seem hell-bent on reminding everyone every few posts. Good for you!!! You also seem awfully proud of yourself in your posts... with all the proclamations about being a "damn good guitar player..." etc. Whatever... I'm a fairly dandy photographer as well.. but what does that have to do with anything? I live in Austin, Texas... so I know many splendid guitar players. They're a dime a dozen here.. Doesn't mean they know anything about sound just because they're a decent guitar player. I know plenty of guitar players who'd blow your mind with their skill... but at the same time know almost nothing of recording tech. So why all the puffery? Anyhow, this is a MD forum.. so I'm not surprised MD will be defended until it's death. It sounds like your RH1 is a swell recording device. It'll be a shame when MD tech is finally relegated to the dustbins of obsolescence. Looks like the RH1 was a fine achievement. Not for me though. Not enough included in the package, and not interested in soon having to special order media for it.... or, carry along a mic for basic stuff. For what I was looking for, the H2 meets my needs very well. Not perfect mind you... but very close. When something better comes along, I'll upgrade. The RH1 won't meet my current needs, but if it meets yours.. good for you! I only came here because I was looking at the stats for my site and saw all these hits coming from this forum to my little test clip page. Thought I'd come over and see what the folks here were saying about the H2. I should have known it'd be futile to state any possitive benifits of anything other than minidisc on a minidisc forum. ;-) The H2 does a fine job in the situations I plan to use it for. I'll do more personal testing of it to zero in on all it's strengths and weaknesses.. but I'll likely just keep it to myself instead posting publically. I've no interest in arguing with anyone. I know what works for me. If minidisc works will for you... more power to ya. And good luck!

Something has to be wrong. With those very settings you spec in your recording.. my H2 with the ME66 would produce a much fuller,louder recording than what you're referencing. I might just try that to compare. But I already know... with the ME66 with HI gain and a level of 125 as you state.. I'd be clipping it'd be so loud. Are you running through a line-matching transformer?

You can shave with it TOO?!?!?! Awesome!!! ;-)

Yes, it was the fridge. The ME66 isn't really a true shotgun... it's a passable low-end one, not the cheapest but it's popular for budget/mid-range video work and it gets some pickup from the back. The quickie recordings I did were at the bar in my kitchen.. it was late, but I wanted to put up a few quick clips... so, I didn't fuss with getting everything perfect. I just turned off the AC and ceiling fans (dangerous this time of year in Texas) ;-) But I was still hearing audible hum from the fridge that was about 7-8ft directly behind the ME66. I really didn't think the ME66 and H2 would even pick it up.. but they certainly did. I'm supposed to shoot a muscian some time this coming week and some of the shots will be "the making of the CD" kinds of shots in some colleague's studio http://www.lavastudios.net If I think about it, I'll try to get some quick recordings in a sound booth with even higher end mics at the studio.. and will pay closer attention to placement, levels, etc. I'm sorta curious myself what real high-end mics will sound like. They keep their best mics in a safe. :-) Though, I doubt any will have built-in phantom power. They do have decent Rodes that I believe have built-in power. Might try one of those. I actually prefer the Rodes for dialogue.

Well, I personally prefer fruit you don't have to peel for traveling.. like apples. They taste better at moderate temps and take a beating much better. Oranges don't hold up so well and don't taste as good warm. Bananas? Forget about it!

I can't legitimately comment on this any more. I don't have an RH1 and don't do the sort of recording many of you must do. Again, for my needs the H2 is perfect. For others interested.. check it out for yourself. It's not perfect, and may not be your RH1 killer (can't say since I don't have one and have no intention of investing is the last vestages of MD tech). That's not the slam the RH1 at all. Wouldn't be prudent since I don't have one, and LOTS of great superior technology gets stomped by smaller,faster,cheaper gear. But for $200, a convenient small package with lots of versatility.. you owe it to yourself to at least check it out. I'm happy with what I have and harbour no desire to convince anyone else of what will work for them. For me and my specific needs, for the money... the H2 can't be beat.

How much life do you really think MD has before it's completely obsolete and you can't buy the media any more? I'm sure the RH1 is a dandy recorder, but I've always had a pet peave regarding Sony's proprietary batteries and compression. And think about it.... with a single 4GB SD card I get a couple hours of 96/24 recording. How is this RH1 more stealth than the H2 running off a "stealth" external lapel mic? If I've got to carry extra proprietary batteries, external mic, a stack of miniDisks.. I might as well carry along a Tascam P2 and even get sync-sound with the package. Yes, for my needs (alot of potential in the smallest, reasonably-priced package) I think you'd be hard-pressed to beat the H2.

Also... I might not have emphasized it enough.. but I was looking for something that fit all the criteria I noted in my first post AND I needed it in a SMALL package, ie. long battery life, many recording options for various situations, convenient and in a SMALL package. In my camera bag I'm toting 2 dSLRs, lenses, flashes, filters, media AND very basic HDV video gear... small tripods, etc. So I don't have room for convertors, XLR cables, a dozen blank miniDisks, proprietary batteries and charger, etc. The H2 uses the same media as my Nikon dSLRs. Same batteries as my Nikon speedlights, etc. I also do some motorcycle touring and like to report back with video, images, and I hope decent audio from motorcycle touring like the one I did in Mexico on a Kawasaki KLR650 (now a Suzuki DL650). Like here: http://www.poppinfreshmedia.com/skipmexmc.html (read from bottom up) or here: http://www.poppinfreshmedia.com/skipmexmc.html I simply don't have room to carry any more gear. I don't know how much backpacking and motorcycle touring you've done... but space is ALWAYS at a premium. But, I sometimes stumble across audio opportunities I'd love to capture and share with others. For this.. so far... the H2 reigns surpeme. Haven't played with the limiter yet because I thought it'd be all over the place. You sound like you know what you're talking about so I'm going to go play with it some. No need to get another card. You can get a solid 15mins with the 512MB card at 96/24. I've already used the Sennheiser ME66 with the Sony MD. I have to use a line-matching transformer to get decent results. BUT, I have to carry the transformer, Sennheiser, XLR cabling, batteries, and miniDisks. With the H2, I don't need to carry any more batteries than I already carry. Don't need a stack of miniDisks since I'm already shooting SD cards in my dSLR gear... don't need to carry another mic since the onboard mics are passable. Don't need to carry additional mounting devices since the H2 is a standard tripod mount and I carry a couple gorillapods and ultrapods for photo gear. I just pull a standard table pod or gorillapod and I'm all set for hands-free H2 recording. The only additional space I need to take up is not much more than a cell phone. In return, I get up to 96/24 recording, several recording patterns built-in to the H2, easy/intuitive record settins... and certainly usable audio quality. I don't get ALL of that from the MD angle.