User MENU process is fast responding wrapping type, but a bit UN-intuitive to understand at first.
The three identical Preset lists seem way too tedious with 24 categories to make operating choices, at least at first. And learning the appropriate choice of two push-for-select function buttons is at first confusing. Preset selection process needs practice, and seems quickest with TWO HANDED THUMB operation.
The presets might seem a touch difficult at first glance, but you get used to them really quickly. It is sort of nice that you can make a couple of configurations and save them; then, at the show, you can just select the one that best matches your situation. The reality is that many of the items in the list won't be needed often, so won't need to be changed often either. After a little practice, I can blaze through the menu/options one-handed...
The things I would be motivated to let go of cash for are #1- 24 bit with good line-in, and #2 - a decent mic input pre-amp.....
Build quality seems good here, how about the above. Otherwise, I still love my h-140.....
I am waiting on some good mics and a pre-amp (should be here any moment; I am wearing a path to the mailbox!), so I haven't tested the line-in yet, but I have looked at the mic-in with a cheap electret I already owned (really designed for voice recording) in a non-scientific way. I was looking to compare the Zoom H2 with the PMD620. I recorded the same piece of music from my stereo, from the same spot, with both recorders, burned the samples to CD, and listened to them at a pretty loud volume. The PMD620 sounded better to me, with less audible evidence of handling. I think this is in line with expectations, as the Zoom mic-in has been previously reported to be noisy (see posts on the Zoom forum,
http://www.2090.org/zoom/bbs/viewforum.php?f=15). To my ears, the pre-amp sounds better than the Zoom. But better mics may make a difference, so I will revisit the issue when the package arrives, as well as look at the line-in a bit...