I have been using a Zoom H4n and haven't had any problems with it recognizing the SD card, breaking down, or anything like that. Of course, that's just one datapoint. The only problem that I have encountered is that the wav files it produces are in a slightly odd format (there is no fmt chunk identifier immediately following the wav identifier in the header), which makes some audio software gag. This isn't an insuperable problem as one can fix the files by "converting" from wav format to wav format using a program that understands this format.<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 1:15 PM, Nick Thieberger <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:thien@unimelb.edu.au">thien@unimelb.edu.au</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
I have also had good experience with the H4n, using all four tracks to<br>
record four singers in a windy river bed with minimal noise. BUT I<br>
have heard several reports now from researchers using PARADISEC<br>
equipment and from others of it failing intermittently to recognise<br>
the SD card. The Zoom website lists acceptable cards so I think they<br>
are aware of the problem too. It is very frustrating to be about to<br>
record and to have to take out the card several times until the<br>
recorder recognises that it is there.<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
Nick<br>
</font><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
On 1 June 2011 22:37, Randy LaPolla <<a href="mailto:R.LaPolla@latrobe.edu.au">R.LaPolla@latrobe.edu.au</a>> wrote:<br>
> Hi Stephen,<br>
> Many people use the Zoom H4n, but my experience recently with one was not<br>
> the best. It chewed through batteries (even the best ones available) in a<br>
> very short time, and I had assumed that once folder 1 was full it would<br>
> automatically start on folder 2, but it didn’t do that; it just stopped<br>
> without warning. The sound quality was also less than I expected. If you do<br>
> go with it, set the recording levels manually and monitor them with<br>
> headphones.<br>
><br>
> One of my students (David Sangdong) had his break down in the field after<br>
> only a short time.<br>
><br>
> Randy<br>
><br>
> ---<br>
> Randy J. LaPolla, PhD FAHA<br>
> Professor (Chair) of Linguistics<br>
> La Trobe University<br>
> VIC 3086 AUSTRALIA<br>
> Tel.: <a href="tel:%2B61%203%209479-6402" value="+61394796402">+61 3 9479-6402</a> (RCLT) / 9479-2555 (Ling)<br>
> FAX: <a href="tel:%2B61%203%209467-3053" value="+61394673053">+61 3 9467-3053</a> (RCLT) / 9479-1520 (Ling)<br>
><br>
> RCLT: <a href="http://www.latrobe.edu.au/rclt/" target="_blank">http://www.latrobe.edu.au/rclt/</a><br>
> Linguistics: <a href="http://www.latrobe.edu.au/linguistics/" target="_blank">http://www.latrobe.edu.au/linguistics/</a><br>
> The Tibeto-Burman Domain: <a href="http://tibeto-burman.net/" target="_blank">http://tibeto-burman.net/</a><br>
> Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area: <a href="http://stedt.berkeley.edu/ltba/" target="_blank">http://stedt.berkeley.edu/ltba/</a><br>
><br>
><br>
> ________________________________<br>
> From: Stephen Morey <<a href="mailto:s.morey@latrobe.edu.au">s.morey@latrobe.edu.au</a>><br>
> Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2011 22:19:15 +1000<br>
> To: "<a href="mailto:r-n-l-d@unimelb.edu.au">r-n-l-d@unimelb.edu.au</a>" <<a href="mailto:r-n-l-d@unimelb.edu.au">r-n-l-d@unimelb.edu.au</a>><br>
> Subject: Solid State recorder<br>
><br>
> Dear RNLD list,<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> I need some advice as to what would be the best most up-to-date solid state<br>
> recorder to buy for around $200-$300 , that would run on batteries. I want<br>
> to buy one for use in Myanmar by someone who is right now in Bangkok and who<br>
> needs to buy it in the next one or two days. I don't think there will be<br>
> access to a laptop download when our colleague is in the field, so we'll<br>
> need a machine that uses flash cards or some other kind of memory card -<br>
> preferably something that we can buy several of without spending too much<br>
> money.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Many thanks to all<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Stephen Morey<br>
><br>
> Research Centre for Linguistic Typology<br>
><br>
> La Trobe University<br>
><br>
><br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br>