Audacity 2.2.1 & zoom H2n mic/recorder

Hello, I am new to audacity and trying to connect my zoom H2n mic but it doesn’t seem to be recognized. I went through and downloaded the lame plug in and it was actually working last night and the zoom was recognized, but now when I try to use it today I only get the built in mic again. I have reloaded lame and done what I think I can but nothing is working. Any ideas? thank you

The LAME plugin has nothing to do with Audacity recognizing the Zoom. LAME is for exporting MP3 files.

Please have a look at this page and see if it helps.

– Bill

My H2 has a setting that makes the built-in microphone(s) available as a USB microphone. Without that setting, the H2 will appear as a USB storage device for transferring sound files. That’s how they got around doing two different jobs with one connection.

Koz

A quick note: It’s very highly recommended you record high quality performances by not using the computer. If you look over all the problems people have recording good quality audiobook or other performance works, the initial days of troubleshooting have to do with beating the computer into submission. You should be able to walk up to the H2n in a quiet, echo free room and start recording your work. Maybe choosing which microphone pattern you need. Done.

Mac people tend not to worry about this, but if you find you have computer noise in your location, you can move the H2n to a new location or separate the two with almost no effort. The computer people start to worry about USB cable length and connection problems.

If your job is on-line communication, then you’re stuck. But even if you’re doing game commentary, I’d be tempted to record on the H2n and sync it up later. Two sound programs, game and Audacity don’t always get along together on the same computer.

Koz

Thank you! So, Koz, I do have a Mac but perhaps it’s better if I just record everything directly on to the H2n on the SD card & then transfer it to the computer after, from the card?

You can walk the chip over (if you have a chip mounting device) or plug the H2n in via the USB cable and pull the files over that way. If everything is healthy, either way works.

It’s very highly recommended that you make safety copies of all original work. While the work is on the H2n, the H2n is the backup. If you delete the work from the H2n you need to make copies somewhere else. I sometimes use stand-alone USB sticks. I also have large, external, spinning-metal hard drives. You should be able to point to two separate places that hold your work.

There’s just nothing like having Audacity go face-first into the mud and take all your sound files with it—permanently. No, we don’t plan it that way, but it happens.

Koz