Musical Instruments Reviews

Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder specifications:

Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder Description:
World class recording for everyone Representing the next level of professional recording performance, the H4n delivers superior audio quality and considerably improves the user experience. Zoom&rsquo,s most sophisticated handheld recorder to date will amaze, no matter the application. Distinctive X/Y mic design captures perfect stereo pictures The H4n&rsquo,s onboard X/Y stereo condenser mics are arranged with the right and left mics on the same axis. This design assures that the mics are generally equidistant from the sound source for perfect localization with no phase changing. Frequency answer remains uniform during your recording. The result is great stereo recording with natural depth and correct imaging every time. The mics also change for variable recording patterns at either 90&deg, or 120&deg,. Our distinctive design allows you to rotate each mic capsule from 90&deg, standard to 120&deg, wide angle stereo for the final versatility in any recording situation. Why four channels are better than two Everyone knows that correct miking is essential to making a great recording. The H4n is the only handheld recorder that lets you to record on four channels at the same time by using its onboard mics with either external mics or direct inputs. You may be able to then use its fitted mixer to blend the channels for perfectly balanced recordings. Now your recordings may be richer than ever before. Or, to get a great recording of a live performance, use the H4n&rsquo,s onboard mics to get a room mix while at the same time recording a stereo mix from the mixing board for a live recording that’s easily one of the best you&rsquo,ve ever heard. And for media and filmmakers, the H4n makes it simple to record &ldquo,high definition&rdquo, audio at 24 bit/48kHz with booms, handhelds or lavaliers while gathering atmospheric audio with the onboard mics. The H4n also supports Broadcast Wave Format BWF so your recorded files carry time stamp info. You may be able to set markers cue points throughout recording or playback. For more versatility, the H4n includes a Mid Side stereo decoder that lets you to use this classic microphone setup. The H4n changes the mid and side channels into a regular stereo L/R signal for more versatility. It&rsquo,s only found on the H4n. It&rsquo,s all in the preamp The H4n&rsquo,s new mics and four channel recording capability, in mix with our new, digitally controlled, high quality preamplifier renders audio so exact, you&rsquo,ll sound like you recorded in a world class studio. And this new preamp means you may be able to make recording level modifications on the fly. Of course, an auto level setting function is fitted to optimize your levels as quickly as the situation requires. High resolution, 24 bit/96kHz linear PCM recording decide up to 24 bit/96 kHz linear PCM WAV files for audio resolution that surpasses DVD quality. Or, when maximum recording time with smaller file sizes is wanted, choose a range of MP3 formats from 320 kbps down to 48 kpbs to produce smaller files suited for web or e mail distribution. Secure your digital memories on SD and SDHC cards The H4n uses compact SD or high capacity SDHC memory cards of up to 32GB for over 15 hours of recording time at 24 bit/96kHz. Or, using MP3 format at 128 kpbs, get over 550 hours of recording time on one card. It&rsquo,s about the music. For musicians and songwriters, the H4n is a user friendly, multi track studio MTR that records at CD quality, 16 bit/44.1kHz resolution. Plug in your guitar or bass and use the H4n&rsquo,s classic amp models to inspire your creativity and find tone perfection throughout your recording sessions. The MTR mode lets concurrent 2 track recording and 4 track playback. With this feature, you may be able to sketch songs by overdubbing vocals and instruments with ease. Level and panning may be adjusted individually for each track on the fitted mixer, and you may be able to do a mixdown right on the H4n. Perfect for pre production sessions with the band. The H4n offers a choice of 50 studio quality DSP effects as well as compressor, chorus, delay, and reverb. These onboard studio effects, with its tuner and metronome make the H4n musician friendly. The H4n&rsquo,s phrase trainer capability makes learning new songs easy with an adjustable playback feature that changes the speed from 50 to 150 , while maintaining pitch. Or use its center cancel feature to suppress audio that’s recorded with center imaging. And because the H4n allows you to alter pitch without changing playback speed, you may be able to decide source material, suppress the center audio and use it as a backing track while recording a vocal or guitar track. It&rsquo,s a USB audio interface The H4n also functions as a USB audio interface, letting you record straight to either a Mac or PC. Use your beloved recording software or the bundled Cubase LE four from Steinberg, so you may be able to start to produce and edit your recording right out of the box. Everyone likes surprises, but not while you&rsquo,re recording you may be able to set your H4n to automatically record whenever sound above a chosen level is detected. This assures that you catch everything of importance while minimizing blank sections like when recording a conference or lecture. The H4n may also be set to continuously record the last two seconds of audio in memory. Now, you&rsquo,ll never miss the beginning of anything you want to record, if it begins . Brains with a body too The H4n has a new rubberized, shock tolerant chassis that improves durability while decreasing handling sound. A big, 1.9 inch LCD screen with backlit graphic display shows all the tracking info at a glance and makes it simple to navigate the functions of the unit. The H4n has a fitted reference speaker to let you check recordings without earphones. Faster file move The H4n is a USB 2.0 Hi Speed device, meaning that files may be moved to your computer at the highest rate available. Then use recording software for editing, create your original CDs, post your recordings on your myspace page or send out your recordings by e mail&hellip, the possibilities are endless. Stamina mode extends battery life to eleven hours For situations where you require maximized, uninterrupted recording operation you may be able to choose stamina mode that effectively doubles battery life, letting you record continuously for roughly eleven hours in 16 bit/44.1kHz linear PCM format. Completely loaded A one GB SD card, windscreen, mic clip adapter, AC adapter, USB cable, protecting case and Cubase LE recording software are included with your H4n. The windscreen is particularly useful to decrease wind sound. The mic clip adapter works perfectly when attaching the unit to a regular mic stand, or you may be able to use the fitted tripod mount with a regular camera tripod. Go remote with the RC4 An optional remote control RC4 gives you access to a range of functions as well as recording start, play, stop, fast forward/reverse, recording level modification, and input source switching. It’s also useful for preventing any handling sound. The H4n is the epitome of sophistication made simple. For anybody who needs professional recording capability with surprising versatility, the H4n will give you the capability to catch everything with the clearness and resolution earlier found only in the world&rsquo,s finest recording studios. You&rsquo,ll be amazed at how easy it’s to make world class recordings, wherever you’re in the world. Features:
Fitted X/Y stereo mics record at either 90&deg, or 120&deg, Four channel concurrent recording using fitted and external mics Digitally controlled, high quality mic preamp for improved audio quality big 1.9 Inch LCD screen and improved user interface for easy operation 24bit/96kHz Linear PCM recording for pristine recording MP3 recording for increased recording time fitted reference speaker to check recordings Shock tolerant rubberized body for improved chassis protection Broadcast Wave Format BWF matched time stamp and track marker Records on SD/SDHC media of up to 32GB for maximum recording time Auto record and pre record feature so you never miss a moment Variable speed playback capability for &ldquo,phrase training&rdquo, Stamina mode enables ten hours of uninterrupted battery life Onboard mid side matrix decoder for extra miking possibilities fitted mounting joint for tripod and mic stand mounting USB 2.0 port for faster file move XLR inputs with phantom power let recording with any mic Supports plug in power type external mics Hi Z Inputs for recording guitar and bass Studio effects onboard, as well as guitar and bass amp modeling USB audio interface capability Low cut filter to decrease sound Normalizing and file splitting functions Mono mix function Onboard tuner and metronome will include one GB SD card, wind screen, mic clip adapter, AC adapter, USB cable, protecting case and Cubase LE recording software Optional remote control RC4 available &nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp, 90&deg, standard&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp, 120&deg, wide angle stereo
Fitted Microphone Frequency answer H4n useful Recorder Features at a Glance The H4n useful Recorder is the final in professional, movable recording. A big 1.9 inch, backlit display features recording levels, file format, time elapsed, file name, left over battery life and recording time. Optional features like low cut filter, compressor/limiter and phantom power are shown when utilized. LEDs point to Stereo, 4 Channel or MTR mode. Transport controls include one button recording, playback and pause, forward and rewind buttons. You have greater control over functions like Folder, File, Speed or Format selection with the Short Cut/Track choose keys. These keys double as track selectors with the Multi Track Recorder mode. On right side of the H4n, the Jog Dial and Menu Key are located together for easy navigation. Push the Menu Key to enter the menu and the Jog Dial to navigate through the plentiful features. Use the record level buttons to toggle your levels up or down, and replace your SDHC card by folding down the rubberized door. The left side of the H4n holds a jack for the RC4 remote control, Phone/Line Output for monitoring and playback. Playback Volume, USB 2.0 interface, Power On and Hold. Use the USB 2.0 Hi Speed Interface to move your files to a PC or Mac for storage, editing or playback. And you may be able to use the H4n as a USB interface and record straight to your beloved audio software or the supplied Cubase LE software. On the back, you&rsquo,ll find a reference speaker, external mic input for plug in power type mics and a tripod mount. Remove the battery cover to turn on Stamina Mode. There’s also mount for a carry strap. On the bottom of the H4n, you&rsquo,ll find the mix XLR/Phone inputs and the AC power input is here also. Our most sophisticated recorder, the H4n is very easy to navigate and setup for the most diverse recording situations you could ever meet. Now you may be able to catch every sonic detail with the kind of quality and precision typically found in the world&rsquo,s finest recording studios.

Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder Reviews:

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74 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of five stars
One of the best field recorders out there,
March 28, 2009

By&nbsp,Aaron Morris “Audio Engineer” Seattle, Wa USA See all my reviews
REAL NAME
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Just like the buyer above me, I have a pretty early model serial 2211. I do not imagine them having any revisions or anything, because this unit is really hard. Let me start by saying that this device shouldn’t be considered a Mic in own right. Sure, it has two condenser microphones stuck on top to record in stereo, but I would not use these mics in any studio unless I had nothing better. This unit is for those people who want to record in the field, and be able to catch four tracks of audio in a handheld device.

First, the build quality. Clearly Zoom took many of criticism to heart from their 1st H2 and H4 models. The H4n sports a “rubberized” hardshell design that is easy to grip, and looks to stand up well to surface scratches. Mind you, the rubber texture can attract greasy fingerprints which can get annoying if you are a gadget freak like me. The top of the unit where the mics are is metal. There’s many plastic on the unit, but certainly better intended than the last two recorders from zoom. The buttons are easy to press, and the screen is big, allowing you to see everything you have to easily.

The poster above me wondered why there was no metal cage defending the microphones like the last H4 had. The answer to this is the switchable pattern on the microphones. Each mic may be twisted and swiveled to change the directionality that the mic pics up. In its native position the mics pic up at a 90 degree angle, giving a pretty good stereo image. But when you turn them, the mics are then a 120 degree angle. This is good for picking up resources that are farther away, or ambient sounds for a wider stereo image. If there was a metal cage over the mics, you could not reach your fingers in to turn them. In general, I could rather have a switchable pickup pattern, than a protecting cage. Just do not drop a $350 recorder.

Second, the packaging. Inside the box, the unit came with a hardshell plastic carrying case, usb cable, bubble windscreen, ac adapter, mic stand adapter, manuals and cubase le software, and a 1gb memory card. This is leaps and bounds above the competition. Most other recorders will not come with any of this. Other businesses will make you purchase your ac adapter and memory card. And Zoom went more and added a plastic carrying case for those of you worried about dropping it. They were certainly thinking about the customers on this one.

Third, and most importantly, the sound quality. This is why you purchase the unit right? The sound quality must be good or nothing else matters. In general I was amazingly impressed with the sound quality. I’m an audio engineering student, going to school for sound reproduction, and sound reinforcement. Needless to I know my way around a microphone. I expected this unit to sound average, just like a pocket or handheld recorder typically sounds. But in fact, the H4n sounds pretty decent. The high end is nice and defined, the microphones built into the unit sound really clear. The one thing I can say about the sound is that it’s correct. I recorded some tests using my voice, a guitar, and many other misc. Elements. I did notice that the microphones gave off a bit of condenser hiss when the input get has been turned up. This could most likely be solved or lessened if you were to get closer to the object and turn down the recording level. But still, it worries me to have a bit of sound floor coming from the mics, particularly if I were to use the recordings for post production video work.

The other thing I noticed was a lack of bass answer. This may have been because I was a foot or two away from the microphones, but the bass on the microphones was a little missing. My voice sounded a little thin. My guitar sounded good, but guitars do not really have many of low end in the 1st place. Also watch out for handling sound. If you think that you are going to carry the unit around and do interviews while holding it, forget it. All handheld recorders suffer from this I’ve read, but its true for this unit also. Anytime you hold the H4n and move it around, you may be able to hear low end rumbling and handling sound. Just use a tripod, or the included hand/mic clip adapter and you may want to be good. Also get a better windscreen if you are going to use it outside, the one included does not do anything outdoors for wind sound. You may want to purchase a fuzzy or “hairy” windscreen if you want to use it outside

Overall I think this recorder is the best on the market now. Though there are some units that have better sounding fitted microphones sony, it is only marginally better. Plus the H4 is cheaper by about $150 and has more build in features/functionality. Like the fact that the H4n can record with two fitted mics, and two XLR mics at the same time 4 tracks at once. That means that you may record with the fitted mics, but also use your microphones if you want to add range, redundancy, etc. You may also just use the unit for a preamp if you only want to use your microphones to record in the field. I will not name off all of the features, but many included features were not needed and Zoom was nice enough to add them in anyway guitar tuner, audio interface, stamina mode, MTR mode, 96k recording, etc.

Needless to if you need a recorder for any reason, if it is just for a school project, or for recreation, do not purchase the cheapest recorder you may be able to find. Use up a little extra money and get the H4n, it is seriously worth the extra cash for something that will last you much longer. It is simply the best value for a handheld recorder on the market now.

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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of five stars
Impressive with minor flaws,
April 11, 2009

By&nbsp,J. Doubek Salt Lake City, Ut See all my reviews
REAL NAME
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In looking for a movable handheld recorder for scratch tracks and samples, I weighed the benefits of some of the handhelds available today and settled on the H4n. The other recorders on my short list were the Edirol R 09 and Sony PCM D50, and also the H4. So far the H4n has not disappointed.

I settled on the Zoom H4n for a couple of reasons:

1 1/4″ and XLR inputs with phantom power useful for throwing a mic on a kick and snare, and the H4n will record those plus the interior condensor at the same time, which is perfect to get the rest of the drum kit for many fast loop scratch tracks.

2 More geeked out features than the others They aren’t needed but still fun to have. The H4n is like the Leatherman of handheld pocket recorders with lots of fitted effects which sound really good btw, fitted four track recorder mode, tuners and metronome, playback speed control, MP3 encoder, acts as USB audio interface both input and output, fitted monitor speaker, and more. I also like the little things I am still discovering, like when I put Ni MH batteries in , then plugin in the adapter it recharges the batteries.

3 Build I like the build quality in comparison to the H4 Not as nice as the Sony but the thing does feel hard and considerable in your hand. The fitted mics are a little exposed without a wire cage on the top like others have, it could most likely not be a good thing to drop this unit and have the mics hit 1st.

4 Cost This recorder was midrange with it being brand new. It is less than the Sony and more than the H4 or R 09. I suspect the price will come down a bit when it is been out for a couple months down to where the R 09 is. For what it has fitted it is amazing to be it is as inexpensive as it’s.

5 Sound quality The H4n sounds clean. I believe turning on the fitted compressor, or boosting a really weak input signal with many of input get could cause hiss, but for the most part I do not notice any. Typically the sound floor is so low on what I have recorded that it isn’t audible. Many different mics and setups may have different results, time will tell.

6 Menu and button layout I really like the way they set this unit up. Easy to navigate and record with, and does what I want quickly with only some caveats mentioned below.

7 SD card format SD cards are cheap and readily available. I do not care so much for the memory sticks the Sony uses.

Now the downsides, maybe all these handheld recorders suffer from alike issues but I am going to give my 1st impressions never having used one before and the H4n is the best I have to compare with:

1 Menu system While easy to navigate, still feels like it may use refining through a firmware update. It feels like it was not finished when the product shipped. The fonts look a little like a five year old put them together, Zoom may have done better with the screen they put in the H4n. Many of merchandise like this are rushed to market to meet profit objectives, so hopefully they’ll get time to take another look at the firmware and make UI enhancements. Also the firmware is trying to be a little too cool with the menus. There’s a little expanding box effect that happens when you open a menu, but it ends up just looking like screen artifacts when changing the menus. It could have been better to now jump to the menu, it could be faster and could look better.

2 File naming another UI complaint I really wish the firmware gave you the capability to delete a character in a file name. The filename may be edited, but characters can only be added or changed, not deleted. If you use divide alot, the name gets bigger and bigger but can not be made smaller. This is a bit annoying when joint with the divide implementation..

3 No divide while recording there’s no divide while recording that I could find. It looks like it could have been easy to make one of the unused buttons act like a divide when recording. Instead you may be able to set a “mark” non editabled btw, after one is set it’s permament in that wav file. The marks let you easily jump to that point and divide it afterward, but when it divides the file you end up with an ‘A’ or a ‘B’ tacked on to the filename. Now, imagine recording an complete gig or practice with only marks to use to delimit the songs, , then you must divide them afterward with the naming scheme and lack of delete character function I mentioned above. What you end up to get is files named something like ‘STE 001A.Wav’, STE 001B.Wav’, ‘STE 001BBBBA.Wav’, and eventualy ‘STE 001BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBA.Wav’ etc and there is not many you may be able to do on the device to fix it since the best you may be able to do is replace the extra characters with spaces so that you end up with a file named something like ’song blah .Wav’ you can plug it in as a USB interface afterward and fix all the filenames in the folders, but not many you may be able to do on site except stop and restart recordings versus using “marks”.

4 Documentation I am not sure what Zoom thinked here. The documentation seems it has been passed through a translation program without any evidence reading before shipping. It’s filled with sentences like “On stereo mode may be made 19 different setting using. WAV & MP3. If you want to change, operate before recording”. I get the general intention most of the time but it hurts. Luckily the unit is easy enough to use that you do not have to rely on the documentation too much.

As I see it, the complaints I have are primarily around details of the UI implementation and documentation and comparatively minor. All around the unit is great and many of fun to use. The sound quality is top notch, and the potential of the device are F. I could have given it five stars if the not many UI details had been better thought out and someone had read the documenation. For a great all around handheld recorder with excellent sound quality, lots of features, and a reasonable price, the Zoom unit is going to be hard to defeat.

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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of five stars
Zoom outdoes itself,
March 23, 2009

By&nbsp,G. Lundberg See all my reviews
REAL NAME
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Among the many other recorders on the market today, I looked seriously at the H2 and the original H4. I ended up not purchasing anything for awhile because every single one of these devices seemed to be missing something or have a negative part that I just was not enthusiastic about paying for. Then I heard many rumbling that Zoom comed out with the H4n, which has been supposed to be their answer to all the feedback they’d gotten about the H2 & H4. So after all the good things I’d read about those two, the H4n had me at hello. I grabbed one once it became available, which was about a month after they declared it. Serial # 1438!

I will not review every little detail of the H4n but I will tell you the three big enhancements that made me purchase this:

The screen is a healthy size and displays everything you have to know obviously.

The interface in general is a pleasure to use. You may be able to operate it easily with one hand. It is intuitive and all the controls feel hard. I typically go through the manual once anytime I get a new part, but for basic recording you really would not have to. The 4 track mode is a breeze.

Zoom has really increased the build quality on this part. Unlike its all plastic predecessors, the H4n’s case is rubberized and the mics are solidly mounted on. What is this, metal? It has a nice hard weight and feels pro. One thing I did not understand though: the original H4 had these protecting pieces bordering the mics and the H4n doesn’t. But it is somewhat top heavy and if dropped I can imagine the mics hitting the floor 1st and I am pretty sure they could be tweaked/broken. Or what could happen if you had this in your back pocket and sat on the mics? It is like, for all the work they put into making this more lasting, they left the most vital part susceptible. Which kind of makes me wonder if the extra heft of this unit is just for feel, not for real. Time will tell..

I will mainly be using this to record DJ sets and sounds from the field. I did that this past weekend and the quality is just as good as the other reviews say it’s. I am looking forward to being able to record a stereo mix from the mixer, concurrent with a room mix with crowd sound, in four channel mode. Also this is the 1st condenser I have owned and I look forward to using it in the studio. I leave many cables hanging off the back of the cable box if I hear something on TV I can just plug in and hit record. I thought I would not use the 4 track but already it has me exploring ideas in the car. The fitted speaker is really useful. The FX are high quality and there are many interesting ones beyond the common reverb and delay.

The H4n is like the Swiss Army Knife of field recorders. The big one, with all the strange blades and tools you will most likely never need. It is one of those rare times of technical glory when a company collects a ton of great ideas from their customers, refuses to agreement, and you end up with a really inspired product.

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Related Zoom H4n Handy Products:

17 Responses to “zoom h4n handy”

1. Steve T Says:
   May 1, 2009 at 4:42 pm

   Staples had the best price before, buy it there

2. Prince Says:
   May 2, 2009 at 10:35 pm

   Anyone know of a coupon for Las Vegas area?

3. Frederick Says:
   May 3, 2009 at 5:35 pm

   Is online price generally better than store price?

4. Raymond Says:
   May 4, 2009 at 5:29 pm

   It’s on all price comparison web sites, just look around if you dont think this is the best deal

5. Edith Says:
   May 5, 2009 at 9:25 pm

   It’s hard to find it on a discount or closeout sales

6. Nathanial Says:
   May 6, 2009 at 9:12 pm

   Your best bet is to compare zoom h4n handy prices on ebay

7. Tim Says:
   May 7, 2009 at 3:49 pm

   Very good value for the money.

8. Gary80 Says:
   May 8, 2009 at 7:23 pm

   Staples had the lowest price last month, without a rebate

9. Melody Says:
   May 9, 2009 at 7:45 pm

   Check any price comparison web sites for lowest price.

10. Avis Says:
    May 10, 2009 at 7:50 pm

    None of the stores in Portland had it in stock so i had to buy it from ebay

11. Christina T. Says:
    May 11, 2009 at 5:49 pm

    You break you buy

12. Adam Z Says:
    May 12, 2009 at 6:29 pm

    i got it in Costco store that had a clearance sale, but generally online deals are better

13. Danny N Says:
    May 13, 2009 at 8:50 pm

    Not a bad price and usually you can find it discounted in outlet stores.

14. Debra O. Says:
    May 14, 2009 at 2:49 pm

    What’s zoom h4n compared to other musical instruments?

15. Billy I Says:
    May 15, 2009 at 0:35 pm

    Circuit city used to offer free shipping

16. Corinne Says:
    May 16, 2009 at 4:46 pm

    It has been reviewed everywhere, but i still couldnt find a coupon

17. Delbert Says:
    May 17, 2009 at 2:42 pm

    Is that the lowest price for zoom h4n handy online, or all deals included?

Audio Technica AT-LP2D-USB Fully Automatic Stereo Turntable with USB Output- Includes Recording Software and Dual Magnet Cartridge specifications:

Audio Technica AT-LP2D-USB Fully Automatic Stereo Turntable with USB Output, Includes Recording Software and Dual Magnet Cartridge Description:
Get your classic albums off the counter and into your MP3 player. Audio Technica makes it easier than ever to move your albums to the digital realm with this new AT LP2D USB recording system. The AT LP2D USB stereo turntable comes equipped with a USB output that lets direct connection to your computer. The system also offers: state of the art recording software—,Cakewalk for PC use and Audacity for MAC or PC, an integral dual magnet Audio Technica phono cartridge, and a USB cable and adapter cables. The turntable includes a fitted switchable phono/line preamp that lets connection to a stereo system equipped with either a phono or line level input.

Audio Technica AT-LP2D-USB Fully Automatic Stereo Turntable with USB Output, Includes Recording Software and Dual Magnet Cartridge Reviews:

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241 of 244 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of five stars
Excellent quality, particularly for the price!,
October 23, 2007

By&nbsp,Juniorverse1 See all my reviews

First, I am not sure if the last reviewer had his sound card input set properly, or if he forgot to switch this turntable’s pre amp switch to the correct setting, but mine sounded great. As well, I elected to use the RCA output on this and not the USB. Maybe he haved audio quality problems with the USB part? Many users seem to have an issue with static and otherwise poor audio when using the USB connection. Instead, I propose using the RCA output on this unit connected to your PC’s audio in jack for the best sound quality. Read on.

I’ve never owned any LPs before, but I newly got a real craving for many combinations that only appeared on DJ only LPs. So I bought some, with this turntable so I can rip them into MP3s.

Everything arrived on the same day, so I was like a kid in a candy store. All I can say is HOORAY!

There are two variants of this Audio Technica turntable. One has USB potential, and the other which is a bit less expensive doesn’t. But, with the USB output, there are good old RCA outputs on this turntable. The turntable also comes with two RCA to stereo 3.5mm mini plug adapters: one male adapter for connecting to stereos, powered speakers, or a mixer with 3.5mm mini jack inputs, and one female adapter for connecting to amplified speakers or another devices with a mini plug. Just, you may be able to connect this turntable to nearly anything without having to go out and buy extra cables or adapters.

The unit has three buttons on the front: start, stop, and up/down. I am sure you may be able to guess what each of these does. This is an auto turntable, so the arm is controlled by the buttons no have to manually lift and place the needle back down.

The turntable also has a pre amp switch, for either “line” or “phono” output. This way, you may be able to connect it to most devices, if they have an amplifier or not.

The setup of the turntable itself is pretty easy. Follow the information to easily place the platter onto the turntable and pull the drive belt onto the motor spindle illustrations are included.

I elected to connect the RCA cables to one of the adapters, and connected that to the “line in” mini jack input on my digital sound card. Theoretically, I did not have to buy this more expensive USB variant of the turntable since I’m not using the USB output, but that is next to the point :

There are two CDs included in the package: one for Cakewalk Pyro 2004/2005 commercial software, and one for Audacity open source software. Cakewalk Pyro isn’t matched with Windows Vista, so I installed Audacity check their web site for newer variants if desired.

After installing Audacity, I selected my input source “line in”, put the 1st LP on, and heard exactly what I hoped to hear. High quality music and sound. So I restarted the LP, hit the record button in Audacity, and waiting for the song to finish. Then I hit the “stop” button in Audacity to stop recording, quickly and easily trimmed some the dead space before and after the song, and exported it to a high quality, high bit rate MP3.

For the money, I could not asked for anything better. Everything sounds very clear, and could not be easier. I greatly recommend this product. If you have a line in jack on your sound card which most do, and could like to use that, save yourself some bucks and go with the model that does not have the USB output. I am not sure if the other model comes with a CD for Audacity maybe only Pyro, but Audacity is an open source free download on the web anyway. Either way, you will not be disappointed.

Happy ripping! :

The non USB variant of this turntable appears here:

Audio Technica AT LP2DA LP to Digital Recording System

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105 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of five stars
Audio Technica LP2D USB works as advertised,
November 26, 2007

By&nbsp,Jim in Virginia Alexandria, VA , USA See all my reviews

I bought the Audio Technica AT LP2D USB turntable through from SkyBox USA. Item arrived punctually and was so easy to set up and use as part of my normal stereo system. USB cable is six feet so we left it connected to turntable all the time and feed it out the side of the stereo cabinet to connect to laptop.

Pyro software is user friendly I have a PC. My son loaded the Audacity software on his Mac and began making his own recordings too. The manual that came with this product allowed us to set up in 30 minutes and we began digitizing the 1st album now. 1st evening we digitized four albums. The turntable and software produced excellent recordings. Lets editing, cleaning up and marking tracks at the click of the mouse. An LP takes about 40 minutes to play and record. It then took about 3 5 minutes to clean up and mark, and another four to burn the CD. You may be able to keep the “raw” digital project data on your hard drive till you’re pleased with the recordings MP3 or CD.

Since this variant of the turntable also has the USB feed out the back, we connected as our normal turntable and connect the laptop “in parallel” to make the recordings. We enjoyed listening to the music through the stereo amplifier and speakers simultaneously we recorded.

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92 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of five stars
Lovin’ It,
April 2, 2008

By&nbsp,J.C. Southern California See all my reviews

&nbsp,&nbsp,

I received this as a gift some months ago. I loaded the software, plugged the turntable into my computer had to assemble many parts, but it’s pretty straight forward and started playing my music. The sound is great and the recording easy. The software audacity is pretty easy to use, but you must research the information on the internet because they don’t come with the software disk. They’re readily available though.

The turntable is pretty hard. It has what appear like shock absorbing feet as you see on high quality electronic parts. The turntable is aluminum not plastic with a rubber mat that sits on it to protect the LP. It has a much needed dust cover which many don’t come with. There are three buttons: up/down, start and stop. The start button lifts the arm, starts the table turning and gently sets the needle on the record. Stop does the reverse. Up down, simply raises or gently lowers the needle. There’s never a have to touch the arm of the turntable, which is a big advantage to your records by minimizing the likelihood of your causing scratches by setting down or lifting the needle manually. The arm does return automatically at the end.

Great product and could greatly recommend.

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24 Responses to “audio technica at”

1. Irvin Says:
   May 1, 2009 at 4:32 pm

   I saw Staples has it for sale

2. Ashley W. Says:
   May 2, 2009 at 6:31 pm

   Closeout prices aren’t a better deal so no point in waiting, buy it now.

3. Says:
   May 3, 2009 at 4:56 pm

   So far the best offer for audio technica can usually be found at an online dealer

4. Adeline Says:
   May 4, 2009 at 5:56 pm

   Cant beat online deals for audio technica, plus free shipping at most stores over a certain amount

5. Tina K. Says:
   May 5, 2009 at 11:54 pm

   Getting it online will always be more cheap than store price

6. Cory Says:
   May 6, 2009 at 5:49 pm

   Not sure, but it’s pretty expensive in Chicago area, maybe try Bestbuy

7. Louis J Says:
   May 7, 2009 at 0:14 pm

   None of the stores in Fort Worth had it in stock so i had to buy it from ebay

8. Phyllis R. Says:
   May 8, 2009 at 2:48 pm

   Is price of audio technica at lower online than in Walmart

9. Santos Says:
   May 9, 2009 at 2:23 pm

   saw audio technica at reviewed everywhere, and this really is the cheapest price

10. Stanley Z Says:
    May 10, 2009 at 5:40 pm

    Buy it at amazon, has free shipping over $50, i think

11. Carl74 Says:
    May 11, 2009 at 3:20 pm

    I did try Target, no deals worth mentioning

12. Betty E. Says:
    May 12, 2009 at 0:13 pm

    Usually price of audio technica is cheap for musical instruments

13. Gregory73 Says:
    May 13, 2009 at 11:42 pm

    Anyone know of a coupon for Denver area?

14. Troy Says:
    May 14, 2009 at 7:54 pm

    Bestbuy had it for sale

15. Ernest A Says:
    May 15, 2009 at 1:25 pm

    Looked for coupon sites

16. Stephanie G. Says:
    May 16, 2009 at 11:52 pm

    Pros: Great product for the price. Cons: Hard to find in stock

17. Melissa T. Says:
    May 17, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    price of audio technica is a great deal for musical instruments

18. Gloria B. Says:
    May 18, 2009 at 10:43 pm

    Nothing in Frye Electronics, couldnt find rebates or coupons

19. Cary Says:
    May 19, 2009 at 6:28 pm

    I am looking to buy one in El Paso so i dont pay for shipping if it’s not free

20. Alfred B Says:
    May 20, 2009 at 11:14 pm

    Review pretty much sums it up, great deal

21. Sandra R. Says:
    May 21, 2009 at 4:23 pm

    Very good value for the money.

22. Dorothy K. Says:
    May 22, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    i got it in Staples store that had a clearance sale, but generally online deals are better

23. Carla Says:
    May 23, 2009 at 6:30 pm

    I checked Costco and they dont have any wholesale deals are there any wholesale deals online?

24. Jonathan F Says:
    May 24, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    Will check local outlet for any discounted deals on