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All recordings on this website were made using the
Zoom PS-04 digital four-track palmtop recording unit.
I'm Howard Lang, and this is one of my web sites. I built this site to share information and music made with my Zoom PS-04. Although Zoom is no longer making the unit, you can still pick one up used for a good price, then refer here for some tips on how to use it.
Zoom calls this little device a palmtop studio, and there's no wonder why. It's about the size of a PDA or GameBoy. The PS-04 features a multi-effects processor with drum and bass tracks, which are stored on a rom chip inside the unit, powered by four AA batteries or an optional power supply. Each of the four recordable tracks has ten virtual tracks, which is helpful when you are deciding which version of a track to mix down in your final recording.
The PS-04 is the second in Zoom's line of miniature hand-held recording studios. It's predecessor was the Zoom PS-02. If we stick to the small size, the H-4 could come next, although the MRS-8 actually came before that. Confused? You are bound to be, since you are faced with many choices in home recording these days. the MRS-8 is a fine machine, although not small enough to be called a hand-held. Now they've come out with the H-2, which is not a multitrack recorder, but a handy hand-held unit.
The MRS-8 is similar in size to a laptop computer, although half the dimension front-to-back (Dimensions: 300(W) x 165(D) x 60(H) mm). Check them all out before buying.
Zoom also makes hard disk recorders with CD burners such as the MRS-1608 and the MRS-802CD. these units are no longer in production, and have been replaced by the HD8CD and HD16CD. Go to go to zZounds.com to check them out. Their website is fast and easy to use. Their search features are good. They have specs, photos, and reviews.
I used to try to keep up with Zoom by posting information on their latest, but it's all moving too fast for that. Just go to zZounds.com and select Zoom products or do a search, and you'll find what you need.
If you've never used a digital home recording unit, and have only had experience with tape-based units, you will be amazed. If you've had absolutely no experience with home recording, you will find any unit challenging at first. Stick with it, and you'll be pleased with the result. You can probably tell I am a Zoom fan.
About This Website
On-site navigation links open in the same window. Off-site links open in a new window.
This website has four pages. You are on the home page now. The music page is where you'll hear recordings I have made on my PS-04, plus a short tutorial to get you started with your first recording. The coding page tells you the in's and out's of putting music on your own website. It's a coding tutorial for musicians who want to make their own music website. It's not limited to the PS-04. The information there is true for all kinds of recorders. There is also a contact page on this website, where you can send me a message. I like to hear from visitors to the website, if only to say "nice job" and will try to answer all questions, even if I have to do a little research. Please however, if you do ask me a question and I take the time to answer it, answer me back to say you got the email, and whether or not it answered your question. It's just plain courtesy. I do take inquiries seriously, because I remember how lost I was at first. And, if you find this website so absolutely wonderful that you are thinking "Gee, this guy ought to be rewarded!" instead of sending money, you can buy my CD of songs for kids. There is a photo link to the CD on the music page. I am also an affiliate for zZounds , so if you click on a link here that takes you to their site right before you buy something from them, I get a small commission.
Visit Web Page Help, if you want to learn more about building your own web site.
Many of my visitors have come from the 2090 forum, or the Zoomforum. These are the same forum with different names. If you haven't visited the forum, you owe it to yourself to make a visit. Many PS-04 users have been helped by other users on that bulletin board. The board has no affiliation with the Zoom corporation or Samson, the U.S. importer. It's run by regular folks who are Zoom products users and who like to share their knowledge of the ins and outs of making them work.
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XD-SM Adapter
Because SmartMedia cards are getting hard to find and therefore very expensive, you might be interested to know you can use a readily-available xd card by using an xd-sm adapter. The following photos are from my collection of things I use to do the job.
xd-sm adapter
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xd card
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SM card, xd-sm adapter, with
xd card below adapter
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SM card reader
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card reader and assembled
xd-sm adapter
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card reader with assembled
xd-sm adapter plugged in
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PS-04 with xd-sm adapter in place (the battery cover needs to be left off the PS-04 in order to use the adapter)
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You'll need an xd-sm adapter, an xd card (be careful not to get one larger than 128mb), and, if you don't have a card reader built-in to the front of your computer, you'll need a card reader that plugs into a USB port like the one pictured above. You probably already have that if you've been using a SmartMedia card.
Plug the xd card into the xd-sm adapter. Plug the xd-sm adapter with the xd card plugged into it into the PS-04 where the SM card normally goes. Turn on the PS-04. Record like usual. When you want to take the project to your computer, turn off the PS-04. Keeping the xd card plugged into the adapter, unplug the adapter from the PS-04 and plug it into the card reader. Look for the xd card on your computer where you used to find the SmartMedia card.
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Arrangement Sheets
I made up some arrangement sheets, and put them up here for you to download. These can be helpful if you need scratch sheets for jotting down notes about arrangements when you are recording:
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my PS-04 unit
sitting on my
Mexican Strat
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Humsites.com