zoom recorder

[manis]

all year at uni i tried to get the $500 allocated to each of us.., met with many and varied excuses why i couldn't get it..,' its meant for... (fill in the dots with any excuse you can think of) and not for... (fill in the may requests i made).'

the first thing i requested the money for was one of those little no tape hand recorders with the stereo mikes poking out the top.., looks like a tasor. a ZOOM H4. i figured i wouldnt have to use any sound libaries because be then i was starting to recognise them in the student movies and the odd TV commrcial, especially the FCP libary (STP).

last week the lecturer rings me and says..,

you havent spent that money!

me
(incredulously)
??????????????????
errr, no, i did try a few times

him
well you have one day to spend it
and bring me the reciept

me
(ho ho!! what a bunch of... (fill in the dots with bad language))
(light goes off in head)
well its lucky i have a credit card

him
(i could hear him pruning himself from down the phoneline)
yea, you should have spent it earlier

me
(increduously)
I tried

i dont think he heard.., but anyway i went to town and got the very first thing i had asked the money for, a small digital hand held field recorder that downloads direct to PC/Mac.., like a hard drive.its the Zoom H4.


it has great capabilities, does great ambience recording, FX recordings (ill never use a libary again). I wont go into all the specs but needless to say, if t goes what they say on the box i see no reason it cant be used for anything from DIA(it can sync with camera) to ambience.., it even as 4 track ability (quaint, took me back to the days of the tascam 4 track) so i quess if you really wanted to make a piont you could do the music too.

does anyone have any experiance with these fairly new gizmos.., edirol has one too.., but that costs more.., i man it IS an EDIROL (?).

is there any tips on this device.., it takes a boom, has phantom power, ect

to me it is great and i dont see a lot of differance between that and a DAT..

(now im waiting for the check from uni.. well i should say, the credit company is.., eeekkk)

M:)