Samson unveils Podcast studio for your pocket

Ontario (CA) - Samson, makers of professional audio gear, has released the Zoom H4 Handy Digital Recorder, which promises to capture professional sounding audio to SD cards. The H4 has two condenser microphones that are mounted for stereo sound capture. Samson representatives told us the integrated microphones can sweep a room and record true stereo sound without any channel dropouts.

See pictures of the H4 recorder ...

Samson demonstrated the H4 at the annual Podcast and Portable Media Expo in Ontario California. The silver chassis was slightly smaller than a paperback book and had a small LCD screen in the center along with an array of buttons and switches along the sides. Two combination audio ports are on the bottom and can accept professional XLR or ¼" microphones. The H4 records 24-bit/96 KHz audio at up to 320 kb/s sampling rate.

Audio in either WAV or MP3 format is recorded to SD cards. The files can then be transferred to a computer through the unit’s USB port. 2 AA batteries power the H4 and the rep claims it will last up to four hours on fully-charged batteries.

The H4 is shipping this week for $300. It comes with a small plastic stand and a foam windscreen.