Gadget Bloggers

I am not a rock musician, but I still love to get the zZounds.com catalog to browse through all the cool new audio gear.  That’s where I first saw this.

The Zoom H4 Handy Recorder would be fun for musicians or to smuggle into concerts.  But it really looks perfect for those intrepid National Public Radio reporters who sprinkle pieces of natural sound throughout their reports.  This little puppy has built-in stereo microphones, pointing “X/Y” to get the full stereo effect.  It also has XLR-1/4″ phone jacks to hook up ordinary microphones.  It also has 4-track recording capability and can be used as a direct USB interface to record music live onto your PC or Mac.

It records audio to SD memory cards.  If you want CD quality, a 2GB card will record 380 minutes’ worth.  USB interface, AC adapter, windscreen and tripod adapter are all included.

For those intrepid field reports, it runs on 2 AA batteries for about four hours.

At $299.95, even underpaid freelance public radio reporters could afford them.

[via zZounds.com]Â