Topic: zoom h2

[Kevin T]

Please let us know how the mods work and if you can retrofit for others.  It might sound cool to have a cadioid/omni combo in the 4 mic mode.

I would be willing to rip the mic capsules off my H2 if I could get two working (TRUE LINE LEVEL) inputs to record 4-channel!

I am still really bummed about the low levels at which the existing line input "brickwalls."

I'm quessing to save $ Zoom just route and switch a padded 2 channel lines to the front left & Front Rt mic preamps
when you plug in the line jack

[micmonster]

I had the feeling that there's only very few distortion recording 24/44 wavs. I'll try it out again tonight.

I did not measure it, but I didn't realize any distortion in 24/44. When my new 2GB SD arrives, I 'll try a surround-recording with this settings.

[Semayat]

I was taping Max Romeo (reggae) last night and running : AT831's>H2 (24/48)
My battery box did not work (one more time!  ) so i had to wire the mics into "mic in".
I was really close to the stage, something like 2-3 meters, and i did not realize i was even closer to the stacks!!
The sound came out really bad : way TOO much bass, distorsion and what is really weird (and I think it comes from my setting) the levels were cut (12db if i am right)

I used the H2 one time during another show, and the sound came out excatly that way (and the other time i was using my batt box) with too much bass.

i don't know why, but i've never had that problem with my Ihp-120.

[micmonster]

What about the mod?

[Church-Audio]

What about the mod?

I just got the h2 and I am working on it

[micmonster]

ok, tank you!

[colorado_bob]

I just got the h2 and I am working on it

While you're working on it, if you come up with any insights on which of your preamps would be a good match for a stock unit, please share them.

[Emile]

I have just bought a H2, but there doesnt seem to be an input on the Line in..

Mic in works fine, but when I use my bat box with mics on line in it wont give a signal.. same when I connect a digital output to it from my computer..

anyone who can help me? is it broken?

[gearscout]

I have just bought a H2, but there doesnt seem to be an input on the Line in..

Mic in works fine, but when I use my bat box with mics on line in it wont give a signal.. same when I connect a digital output to it from my computer..

anyone who can help me? is it broken?

No, it's not broken.  Microphones don't have enough "signal" to operate on "Line In."  You would need a pre-amplifier.

[Emile]

I used a battery box, that should be enough right? SP bat box

[Church-Audio]

I used a battery box, that should be enough right? SP bat box

If you talk directly into the mics with the gain set to max on the zoom you should be getting some kind of levels. if not I would suspect the cable you have going from your battery box to your mics also check the battery This has happened in the past... If all else fails plug in a cd player into the line input make sure with a set of headphones that its sending audio and if you still have nothing then ether its a setting in your zoom or your zoom is $ucked up.

[Emile]

So here is what I found out:

1) the line in is definitely broken..
2) however, if I turn off plug in power, and hook my SP bat box + AT831s to mic in, it works fine.. same with a signal from my radio. works fine

So my question:
Is mic in the same as line in, when I turn off plug in power?

[gearscout]

So my question:
Is mic in the same as line in, when I turn off plug in power?

No.  Mic Power only affects the Mic In port by feeding a small amount of electricity to power a condenser microphone.  The recorder is expecting much more signal to come from the device when it is plugged into Line In.

Here's how SHURE, the microphone, pre-amp, mixer etc. company's engineers explain the difference between Mic Levels and Line Levels:

"Mic-level or microphone-level signal is the amount of voltage that comes out of a microphone when someone speaks into it - just a few ten-thousandths of a volt. (Of course, this voltage varies somewhat in response to changes in speaking volume and source-to-mic distance.)

A line-level signal is approximately one volt, or about 10,000 times as strong as a mic-level signal, so the two do not ordinarily use the same input.

Connecting a microphone to a line-level input will result in almost no sound at all, because the signal is so faint that the line input cannot hear it.

Connecting a line-level source (such as a CD player) to a mic-level input will cause the sound to be loud and distorted because the line signal is much stronger than what the mic input will accept.

Microphone level is usually specified between -60 and -40 dBu. Line level is considered to be +4 dBu"

Hope that helps.

Having said all that, you should be getting a signal when you plug a CD player or any "Line Out" source into "Line In" on the H2.  You may, indeed, have a problem with your unit. 

But a battery box does not equal a pre-amplifier.  If you use a battery box, you still use "Mic In."

[Emile]

Ok thanks for your awnser..

So basicly:

AT831 > Bat Box > Zoom H2 (Mic in w/ Plugin power switched off)

is the way to go?

Church Audio, what do you think?

And yes, My line in is broken.. I will take it back to the store, to get a new one..

[Church-Audio]

So my question:
Is mic in the same as line in, when I turn off plug in power?

 If you use a battery box, you still use "Mic In."

Actually most people that use a battery box do so because they want to use the line input because the mic input on most devices will overload easily where as the line input will not.