A while ago I borrowed a Samson Zoom H4 for some recording and I did not want to give it back. The zoom works very well and is the best low end professional recorder for the price. It could record 4 tracks, although I was recording in stereo (I was making a demo CD for a friend's band).I just saw where Samson is coming out this August with a stereo version of the Zoom H4 called the Samson Zoom H2. This is a great recorder for most purposes. The best thing is the price. The H4 is available for around $300 or a bit less most places. The Zoom H2 is already advertised at $199 and as low as $180 at one place. I expect that it will go even lower by the end of the year.
Why do I need this? I can think of a number of reasons. It is easier to use and has more storage than a mini-disc or a tape recorder. There is no tape hiss. It stores files as MP3 or WAV files so if you want to edit your music with Garage Band or Audacity, there is no messing with cables and transferring to digital media. It has a high quality microphones built in, not like the crappy little overly compressed mics in most tape recorders. You can still use a studio mic and mixer with it if you want. It is perfect for practicing. You can record yourself and then play back right away to critique your playing.
A few years ago I searched for a good digital media recorder and couldn't find one. Now there are a dozen priced at about $1000. The Zoom H2 is the first professional quality recorder that is priced so that even cash strapped musicians can consider buying one.
Samson - Zoom - H2
