Zoom H2 transfer speeds

[Colin McDonald]

Long version:
I'm probably the only idiot on the list that has been copying 24 bit/96KHz stereo WAV files via the supplied USB cable on the Zoom because I couldn't find my card reader. It was taking rather longer than real time. Then I found I needed a card reader for importing RAW images from my still camera and I bought a cheapo umpteen-in-1 card reader (£9 from Tesco). The files from the H2 are taking about 1/40 of the time to import. I feel rather silly to admit this but it might save someone else a lot of hanging around.

Short version:
DON'T use the Zoom H2 as a card reader - it takes forever.

[Andy Wilkinson]

Yes - the USB socket on the Zoom H2 is only USB 1 spec - hence the enormous amount of time you were experiencing for transfer of those huge files!!!!

This fact is "hidden" away in the specs somewhere. I've only ever used a (USB 2) card reader for transfer for this reason.

I also wouldn't kid yourself that your getting the true advantage of 24 bit/96Khz quality from it worthy of the time in dealing with audio files as huge as those! Don't get me wrong, it's a great, very cost effective (and actually pretty good!) recorder/goes everywhere with me....but you know what I mean.

[Colin McDonald]

Originally Posted by Andy Wilkinson

I also wouldn't kid yourself that your getting the true advantage of 24 bit/96Khz quality from it worthy of the time in dealing with audio files as huge as those! Don't get me wrong, it's a great, very cost effective (and actually pretty good!) recorder/goes everywhere with me....but you know what I mean.

Yup, I know... but the conditions under which these recordings are made are so variable and out of my control I have just been going for broke and taking stereo 24 bit/96Khz masters. I end up using whichever of the left or right channel sounds better (or a mixture of both) and making a much smaller mono version at a reduced sample/bit rate after editing.