In September 2024, Zoom Japan launched a new generation of portable recorders H2essential to bring convenience to the visually impaired
- ChungT.
- Feb 27
- 3 min read
In September 2024, Japan's Zoom company launched the new generation H2 series portable recorder H2essential. The only portable recorder with three built-in microphones and the ability to switch between nine sound capture ranges, H2essential is the most flexible recorder for creators. Launched in 2007, the H2 has been well received for its portability, excellent microphone settings, great battery life, manual gain dial, excellent sensitivity, great sound quality and competitive price, and was upgraded again 13 years later with the launch of the H2n portable microphone in 2011.
The new generation H2 series portable recorder H2essential just have the Palm-sized, easy use on one-handed operation, two unidirectional microphones facing front and back, one character directional microphone facing left and right, front/rear/bidirectional and supercardioid mono/stereo 90°/stereo 120°, combined with nine microphone patterns. It records in 32-bit floating point audio format with a maximum sampling rate of 96kHz, and is equipped with USB microphone functionality, which can be recorded and live-streamed on Windows/Mac/iOS/Android devices via USB-C, improving video and sound quality, and can simultaneously record to the microSD within the H2essential device.
The H2essential is an easy-to-use device. Basically, you turn it on, press the red "record" button on the front to start recording, and press the button again to stop. Depending on how you configure it, recordings can be time and date stamped. For those looking for an excellent portable digital recorder, the H2essential is ideal for recording interviews, ambience, music and vocals. Compared to the previous generation, the new 32-bit Float audio recording format increases audio dynamic range, eliminates the need for on-the-fly gain settings or level adjustments, and reduces distortion, making recording easier and faster than ever before.
By connecting a separately sold Bluetooth adapter (BTA-1), you can use the iOS app "ZOOM Handy Control & Sync" to remotely control multiple devices and perform operations such as starting and stopping recording, synchronizing timecode, and setting date and time on multiple recorders at the same time.
H2essential Handheld Recorder | Expected to be released in late October 2024
Retail Price（ZOOM STORE 19,900 Yen）
Company Profile
Zoom Corporation was founded in Tokyo in 1983 and established ZOOM HK LTD in Hong Kong in 2004 as a logistics base. With our corporate philosophy of “WE’RE FOR CREATORS”, create a world where people can become “expressors” through the development and sale of creative audio equipment and services. In 2006, Zoom launched its first handheld recorder, the H4, and has been continuously upgrading its recorders since then. In 2022, became one of the first manufacturers on the market to introduce 32-bit floating-point technology on their portable recorders. At the end of February 2024, it released the new Essential series, a redesign of the traditional handheld recorder. This was the first portable recorder that could be easily used by the blind and visually impaired. The recorder uses a built-in voice guidance system to provide audio descriptions to users as they navigate the device's menus. Available languages include English, Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Italian, and Chinese, making Zoom products accessible to more creators.
"Whenever you introduce new technology, you want to create a better user experience, but in this case, the technology enabled a better overall human experience."—— Scott Goodman, CEO of Zoom North America.
