Zoom H2 vs Olympus LS-10

J

jonE5

Veteran
Hey guys which of these is better?

Looks like you can get an H2 off ebay for about $150-160 or so, i just got a quote from my rep through another place that can get me the Olympus for $199 + tax/shipping (so prolly $215 or so total)

Which would you go with? I will be shooting with a D90 and need some better sound.

Pros/cons of each?

Thanks,

jon
 
to start out with ill just be using the onboard mic, and eventually branch out.

My budget is super limited so even saving for one of these by itself is a big step
 
I like the recording quality of the H2 a lot, especially for ambience.

For some reason I mainly hear people just using the LS-10 as a line-in recorder. Not sure how its built-in mics compare.

Just keep in mind that neither unit has preamps built-in. You'd need a mixer in addition to a mic and then plug the mixer's "line out" jack into the H2 or the LS-10.
 
ohhh, so if i wanted to use this in conjuction with a mic id have to use a mixer to?

So basically, this is mainly only useful as a standalone unit?
 
The olympus has pretty tinny sounding mics. At least go for the Zoom H4n - then you have XLR inputs for nice mics. It has better built in mics than the H2 or the Olympus. But really any stereo mic is going to sound hollow if you are recording people talking. The H4n supplies Phantom power. With the 2 you mentioned you have a 1/8" mini jack, so you'll need a mic that runs on battery, or a mixer that supplies phantom.

For cheap indoor mic w/battery try a Rode NT3
For cheap outdoor shotgun w/battery try Rode NTG-2

Theoretically with an XLR to Stereo Mini jack you could run either of those 2 mics into your camera direct, though you have no control over levels etc.
 
I would certainly go for the LS-10 over the Zoom H2 - and you may find bargains around as the new LS-11 has just come out.

You can pug an electret mic. directly into the LS-10 (11) as it *does* have mic. pre-amps. But it does not have phantom power.

The Edirol R-09HR is also a good little unit ad is the only one (I know of) that has a built-in "file fixer" so you don't lose a complete recording if the power/batteries fail during the session.
 
I have the LS10 -- it has been very sturdy for me. Condenser mics plug directly in with mini to XLR adapter. Built in mics not bad in a pinch, though I've only done some podcast interviews that way, and the unit was very close to the subject.
 
Chadfish said:
The olympus has pretty tinny sounding mics.
Click to expand...

The Olympus LS-10 is a MUCH BETTER recorder than the Zoom H2.

- The LS-10 has a permanently set 150 Hz bass rolloff filter, that makes
it sound a little sharp, but can easily be correctly with a little EQ.

- The LS-10 has a much better noise floor than the H2, by at least 15-20 dB.
( translation : both the H2 and the H4N are noisy compared to the LS-10 )

- The line-in plug on the LS-10 bypasses the 150 Hz rolloff filter, which is
why many people are using it.

- LS-10 will record for 10+ hours on 2 AA batteries
( the H2 will barely record 2 hours with the same batteries )

For more info on the new LS-11 check out this forum
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,124586.0/all.html
 
You can't put back bass that is rolled off. If one wants to use the built in mics on a recorder the H4n or the Sony D50 are the way to go. The Sony being the best of the bunch.
 
Chadfish said:
You can't put back bass that is rolled off.
Click to expand...

...It's a roll-off filter, not a cut-off filter, so if the bass below 150 Hz has been de-emphasized, you can reverse most of this.

Yes, you run the risk of introducing some noise, but if the recording is good to start with, the final EQ'd audio is still good.
 
TheDingo said:
...It's a roll-off filter, not a cut-off filter, so if the bass below 150 Hz has been de-emphasized, you can reverse most of this.

Yes, you run the risk of introducing some noise, but if the recording is good to start with, the final EQ'd audio is still good.
Click to expand...


I prefer to have my audio unmolested. Whatever method they use to filter/rolloff bass - it has changed the waveform. If you have a choice to defeat the bass or not that's cool, but it seems like they are doing it to defeat the mics getting constantly distorted by wind/breath. IMO
 
TheDingo said:
The Olympus LS-10 is a MUCH BETTER recorder than the Zoom H2.

....

- The LS-10 has a much better noise floor than the H2, by at least 15-20 dB.
( translation : both the H2 and the H4N are noisy compared to the LS-10 )
Click to expand...

Untrue, and unfounded.

http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/portable-recorder-noise.html#samples

If anything there appears to be some sort of a gate on the recording of the H2's internal mic test, but not to an annoying extent. But even a deaf man can hear the noise floor is much much much lower on the H2 compared to the LS-10. All that, and less tinny sound, less sibilance, and richer bass. I'll choose the H2 internal mic over the LS-10's any day of the week.

(Nothing quite compares to the noise floor of the Sony PCM-D1. But for $2000, you get what you pay for.)

On top of that, the H2 has FOUR mics compared to the LS-10's 2, which is much more suited for atmospheric recordings in large halls and such.

More samples (comapre the Choral samples):
http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/portable-recorder-sound-samples.html

EDIT:

Sorry, but I'm starting to think TheDingo is an employee of Olympus or something.

TheDingo said:
- LS-10 will record for 10+ hours on 2 AA batteries
( the H2 will barely record 2 hours with the same batteries )
Click to expand...

http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/portable-recorder-battery-life.html

Again, you'll find that the 10+ hours is exaggerated by at least an hour and "barely 2 hours" measurement is only off by 300%.

Please stop spreading misinformation, people are trying to make an informed decision about a product that doen't exactly come cheap.
 
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Hey IndiRock, that's a great link to those recorder samples! It reveals a lot. I have a ZoomH4 that I like a lot for messing around, but I don't use it for serious stuff. I thing both the LS-10 and the H4n sounded pretty thin and noisy compared to something like the Sony D50. And the LS-10 definitely sounded worse than the H4n. I think people tend to promote the gear they own.

In those tests I wish they would have thrown in some of the 4-track contenders like the Edirol R-4 Pro, and R-44, and that new Tascam 8 track that just came out. Those are more serious recorders, but still within reach without going balls-out pro with prices to match.
 
indorock said:
Again, you'll find that the 10+ hours (LS-10) is exaggerated by at least an hour
Click to expand...

Not at all - I get about 12 hours from my LS-10 - my problem is that the batteries last so long I forget to change them.

I find the LS-10 a great little machine and the new LS-11 even better.

It's small and pocketable with superb ergonomics - personally I don't lile the H2 at all (though the new H4n seems very nice).

My only gripe is they there is no digital input so I can use it as a bit-bucket back-up machine.

Though if you want a cheap but serious little recorder for video use I would definitely get the Edirol R-09HR - can be synced and it has a built-in repair facility that can recover a recording if there was a failure that prevented the TOC being written. The R-09HR is very popular among location sound recordists in the UK (not as a main machine, of course, SD takes the crown there).
 
Chadfish said:
John

How can the R-09 be synced? Can it be synced to an EX1?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure as I have never used it myself - I just know sound recordists have done this. I think it's reading the in-built timing code.

If you really need to know more, send me a PM asking the question in detail and I'll post it on a closed Broadcast forum that I'm on and will get back to you with the answers posted.
 
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