In the process of developing recording strategies for classrooms and individual faculty we considered a broad range of technologies, including hardware, software, and enterprise level systems. Because of both funding and workload constraints we chose to adopt a simpler approach to recording, with the understanding that more scalable options would be needed at some point.
Our goal was to provide faculty with a device that required the least amount of technical know-how, and the least amount post-production work load. During the research phase we discovered (to our dismay) that the majority of digital recorders were designed for a Windows-centric world, in that most recorders produced only .wav files. The .wav format isn’t actually a bad format. However, it would add a file conversion step in post-production and we viewed this step as an obstacle for most faculty.
Fortunately, we came across the H2 digital recorder from Zoom. Not only is the H2 reasonably priced (under $200), it can record directly in .mp3 format which eliminates 1 post-production step. The more I work with the H2, the more impressed I am with the value it represents. The H2 contains 4 microphones, of which 2 are oriented toward the front of the unit, and 2 oriented toward the rear of the unit. The mics can be configured 3 ways at the push of a button:
- Using the front mics only: Narrow, unidirectional (90° polar pattern)
- Using the rear mics only: Wide Unidirectional (120° polar pattern
- Using both front & rear mics (faux 360° polar pattern)
Having used various devices to record classroom lectures and interactions, it has always been a challenge to capture both the instructor’s lecture and student questions and comments with equal fidelity. The 360 degree setting on the H2 allows us to capture the instructor behind the teaching console and the students in front of the teaching console. We have been delighted with the recording quality in both large and small classrooms.
The H2 comes with a 512 Mb SD card (recommend using a 1Gb card), a 3 legged tripod “foot” that is easily attached/detached, a wind screen cover, ear buds, an adapter to turn the H2 into a hand-help mic, an AC adapter, USB cable, and a stereo X-Y cable.
The only non-intuitive thing I have discovered about the H2 is the requirement to press the record button twice to begin recording. This is actually something of a “pro” feature in that the first press of the record button activates the mics, and lets you set recording levels before you begin recording. The second push of the record button starts the recording. We had to give faculty a clear “heads-up” about the double-button-push requirement. Unfortunately, some still forget to push the button the second time which results in no recording being made. Thankfully, that only happened twice (2 different individuals), and the word got out quickly. Now both our students and faculty are able to successfully record classes and study groups with no problem. The resulting .mp3 files are easily uploaded by faculty/staff to their iTunes U course site.
Bottom line: The Zoom H2 is an outstanding value, and a delight to use.
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