Zoom has long made a name for itself amongst podcasters, journalists, students, and music enthusiasts for its line of high-quality portable audio recorders, and today the company’s tiny H1 Handy Recorder is on sale for $99. The H1 offers 24-bit/96khz stereo recording and can pack up to 50 hours of audio on a 32 GB microSDHC card (the unit ships with a 2 GB card).
“The H1 is Zoom’s smallest, most affordable recorder ever,” said Samson director of marketing Mark Wilder, in a statement. (Samson owns the Zoom brand; it also owns Hartke.) “Whether you’re a musician, journalist, filmmaker, or a business professional, this H1 is for you.”
The H1 records audio in Broadcast WAV (essentially, ordinary WAV with metadata) or MP3 format, and the unit includes a lo-cut filter for eliminating rumble, a built-in tripod mount, a track market function, and offers a reference speaker so users can quickly figure out where they are in a recording without having to fumble around for headphones. There’s also a 1/8th inch external mic input (although Zoom’s XY stereo mics are usually pretty good), and the unit runs for up to 10 hours on a single AA battery.
Zoom is also offering an accessory kit including a windscreen, USB cable, adjustable tripod stand, mic clip adapter, and carrying case for $24.99.