Zoom H2 Surround ExperimentationPosted by admin on October 2nd, 2008

I’m excited to have just purchased the Zoom H2 “Handy Recorder”!

This is a compact stereo SD card recorder that is similar to many others currently on the market, with one big exception.  There are four capsules in the unit, giving it the capability to record in “surround” or technically, quadraphonic sound.
The front two mics are a 90-degree pair, while the back two are a wider, 120-degree pair.  The unit gives the option of either recording only the front stereo pair, the rear stereo pair, a front-back combination stereo mix, or all four mics simultaneously.

When recording in “surround” mode, the unit saves each recording as two separate stereo files.  There has even been software made which encodes the output into 5.1-channel surround for DVD and home theater purposes.  I am very interested to experiment with the capabilities of the unit and will be getting back with sound samples and my reactions.  See the H2 on the Samson website.

Here’s a great video by Portland Music Company showing off the H2: