Graham, Jeff?

[West R Lee]

I've given up on attempting to download, unload, sideload, this goofy H4 to the computer. I finally figured out how to record with the damned thing, but forget putting it on the computer, it'll never happen.

I've tried to join their (Steinburg) or whoever little club, tried going to the website and off loading drivers, put the little CD in the slot, mashed it in the hole, the whole 9 yards. My gosh, you've got to be a computer genious to figure out how to use the damned thing! Anyone want to buy a Zoom H4 cheap? !@#$%^&*(*&^%$#@! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

West

 

[Jeff]

I feel for ya Jimmy, only thing that saved me was experience with the menus & function on digital pics. How are ya at downloading Digital Pictures.

Menu on my Zoom operates much the same as digital cameras. Your situation may well be hopeless if you have similar issues moving digital pics around.

If your H4 is set to record WAV format your files will be huge, really huge & take literally forever to download. Somewhere there's a thread about me'n my courtship with digital sound files. I got some help here but I was several days & on about page 68 of the manual before I finally figured out enough to get by. Still don't know squat.

Would have never figured it out without the digital picture/camera experience.

 

[West R Lee]

The digital pictures are fairly easy to me Jeff. I just plug the camera in and they download. Then I transfer them to Photobucket. I can't even get the software downloaded with this thing. I can't transfer to or play anything I've recorded on the computer. I may have some time in the next few days, I'll keep plugging, provided I don't htow the thing though the window first. As a last resort, I may even try the directions.....I hate to resort to that though, man that's desperate.

Thanks Jeff,

West

 

[Jeff]

, I may even try the directions.....I hate to resort to that though, man that's desperate.

Thanks Jeff,

West

I'm ashmed to admit I read several whole pages of the Zoom manual, worst part is I started on page one. I also spent 45 minutes or so with the young man at Music 6000 responsible for the recording counter. He was expecting me.

I don't think you need any softwware to down load files from the zoom, Windows XP will do it all by its ownself. Might be different if you want to edit the files.

Here's what I do. Careful here cuz lots of stuff I do ain't always Kosher

#1 Connect the Zoom to the computer via a USB cable.

#2. Go to "my computer", the zoom should show up as a removable disk. Of course for this to happen the zoom (2) has to be set to USB mode, which involves putting on reading glasses & using a magnifier to read the teeny tiny lil words on the screen. Also helps to find the menu choice on the zoom to set the screen light so it stays lit for more than 10 seconds. (Factory setting on my was 10 seconds, max battery conservation I guess).

#3 From "my computer" select the Zoom, it shows up as a removable disk drive, access the zoom from the computer & find the file you want to tranfer. Click the file & a menu should appear with choices like, move, copy etc, I'd suggest copy till you get the hang of it.

Hit copy & then it'll ask you where you want the file copied, my Windows XP has a built in menu choice, "My Music" so what the heck, that's what I use to store the files. Click the destination & off she goes.

Ya might want to right click the file first & see how big it is cuz if it's a WAV file it'll be huge & too big for mortal software. MP3 is what ya want.

I could show ya in a minit, easy, helps a lot to see how the menu is organized & how to navigate. :shock:

 

[JerryR]

After poor Graham's difficulties with my Digicam tape I've given up any ideas about further recordings :roll: Don't want to inflict that on Graham again, and if he had troubles getting it loaded what hope have I got

 

[West R Lee]

I just get so frustrated with this computer. It just seems like it should be easier.......you know, you plug the recorder in and a button pops up and says, "download to computer", then after you've done that, there's another that says, "playback". If they can do all this high tech stuff, why can't they do that :?:

West

 

[cjd-player]

Yea, but they can't rebuild an expensive compressor worth squat. :lol:

Be patient with yourself. :wink:

Your one son is a computer wiz isn't he?

 

[West R Lee]

Yeah he is Carl, but he lives in Austin now.

West

 

[JerryR]

I just get so frustrated with this computer. It just seems like it should be easier.......you know, you plug the recorder in and a button pops up and says, "download to computer", then after you've done that, there's another that says, "playback". If they can do all this high tech stuff, why can't they do that :?:

West

'Fraid were still living in primitive times Jim - now I'd like the 'puter to play the guitar, record it, then post it with a dead spit animation of me playing and impress y'all no end :mrgreen:

(Shush Graham - don't tell 'em :roll: )

 

[coastie99]

I just get so frustrated with this computer. It just seems like it should be easier.......you know, you plug the recorder in and a button pops up and says, "download to computer", then after you've done that, there's another that says, "playback". If they can do all this high tech stuff, why can't they do that :?:

West

Amen to that !

Some of my angriest moments in recent years have occurred while computering !!

Just ask Jeff !

 

[taabru45]

Well guys most of us have been around longer than computers...but no worries they don't byte. Oops....sorry....The upside is that we don't make music with a bunch of samples or computer gererated counterfit digital crap, or rap. We are stuck with the talents, scars and lessons that we've paid our dues getting. So lets see what any computer genius can do with a thumb and forfinger as Merle, or with a wonky left hand like Django.... we are most all of us somewhere inbetween. but we are somewhere, with or without a computer, or electricity, so if need be get someone to grab it from you on a computer, even if you hand them a cassette, and a cassette player, they'd be good to go....My life became easier, when I moved to a Mac, and some day I'll be a legend in my own (digital) mind. Graham has some kind of freak gene that makes it possible for him to work magic with computers, Its not just a Canadian thing, I was born here too. No explanation, but hey....by the way a legendary Canadian who died way too young, if you want to do a little research Lenny Breau.....Chet Atkins cried when he found out Lenny had been killed....boy....way to end on a cheery note. :shock: :roll: :wink: Steffan

 

[West R Lee]

Steffan,

I think you've brightened things for some of us just knowing that not just anyone can do what Graham does. I used to feel like I was completely computer illiterate, still not too good at it by any measure, but good to know what he does takes some time and effort. Thank God Graham is as good hearted as he is, otherwise he'd wreak havoc on the rest of us......come to think of it, he has wreaked havoc on me. Let's see, I've been a member of a gay band, a queen, a 60's band member.....let me count the ways he's wreaked havoc! :wink: :lol:

West

 

[taabru45]

Mmmmm.......now I'm feeling not only incompetant....but ignored...guess I'll have to post a pic to be fair game.... or maybe not! :roll: Steffan

But we can still make music when the lights go out, and the computers crash ! :lol:

 

[Mingus]

The only way it would be easy is if you had a Mac computer and if the H4 was made by Mac. If that were the case you would have an album out already.

PCs are complicated for a reason. They're all complicated. The more simple companies try to make devices for them, the more complicated they get. I know you'd rather hear the 1, 2, 3 list to success, but i'm in the mood to tell you why things are so complicated.

Who makes Macs? Apple.
Who makes PCs? Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Bob's computer mart, etc.

Who makes Mac OS? Apple
Who makes Windows? Microsoft

Getting the picture yet? All of these hardware components (Apple included) need software to know how to talk to eachother. When you're dealing with 40 different companies, it immediately becomes difficult to deal with.

Here's the secret, though. PCs can be just as robust and easy to use as Macs if they are set up and configured to do what you want them to do.

Now here's your help!

Answer the questions below and I will try to guide you through this process. I'll keep the questions as simple as I can and make no assumptions about your computer knowledge. This is probably a good thing to do out in the open in this thread so others can see what's going on.

1) This one is the most important question. What do you want to do? You say that you want put what you recorded on the computer. Why? What do you want the end result to be? Put them on CD? If so, do you want to leave them AS-IS or do you want to be able to edit them - remove silence, etc? Do you want to make them downloadable format?

2) What is the brand, model and serial number (you can PM me the serial if you don't want to post it. . .although it shouldn't make a difference) of the COMPUTER (not windows serial number). A lot can be learned about the PC by looking up the serial number on the manufacturer's website.

Let's start with those two questions. There will be more!

-James

 

[Ross]

The only way it would be easy is if you had a Mac computer and if the H4 was made by Mac. If that were the case you would have an album out already
-James

Second that! I sit in front of a Windows machine all day, and after years I still don't understand how it works. :?

My wife is a Mac geek and we have a fairly new Mac at home. Like most Mac enthusiasts, she's pushed me to learn how to use it. I'll bet that she regrets it now, because I've filled up the hard drive with my Garage Band "projects" :lol:

So I'm saving up to buy my own :wink:
cheers
R

 

[coastie99]

Mac's rule !!

 

[Guildmark]

I've owned, sold, installed, and repaired PC's since they were introduced. Those were the days when each PC brand had its own proprietary version of DOS. (Anybody remember Wyse, Kaypro, Victor, or Leading Edge PCs?)

Here's my best advice for fixing them:

Lay the fresh entrails of a goat on the keyboard during the height of the full moon.
Squat into a lotus position and chant "M-i-c-r-o-s-o-f-t" until your foot goes to sleep.
When your spouse threatens to call the police, laugh nervously and tell her it's just practice for the lodge play.
Save the entrails for the next full moon. You'll probably need them.

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :twisted: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Have an antiquated degree in Engineering, CADD, earned on a million dollar plus 'Prime' computer system...about 200 layers of animation. Pre PC. None of this 'push one button' stuff...all 'step by step'. When the flipping gigantic hard drive on the main frame would crash, the tech would come out and pull out the giant 'Manual' that he enthusiastically called a 'dictionary without an alphabet' ... otherwise known as 'job security'. :mrgreen:

 

[West R Lee]

The only way it would be easy is if you had a Mac computer and if the H4 was made by Mac. If that were the case you would have an album out already.

PCs are complicated for a reason. They're all complicated. The more simple companies try to make devices for them, the more complicated they get. I know you'd rather hear the 1, 2, 3 list to success, but i'm in the mood to tell you why things are so complicated.

Who makes Macs? Apple.
Who makes PCs? Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Bob's computer mart, etc.

Who makes Mac OS? Apple
Who makes Windows? Microsoft

Getting the picture yet? All of these hardware components (Apple included) need software to know how to talk to eachother. When you're dealing with 40 different companies, it immediately becomes difficult to deal with.

Here's the secret, though. PCs can be just as robust and easy to use as Macs if they are set up and configured to do what you want them to do.

Now here's your help!

Answer the questions below and I will try to guide you through this process. I'll keep the questions as simple as I can and make no assumptions about your computer knowledge. This is probably a good thing to do out in the open in this thread so others can see what's going on.

1) This one is the most important question. What do you want to do? You say that you want put what you recorded on the computer. Why? What do you want the end result to be? Put them on CD? If so, do you want to leave them AS-IS or do you want to be able to edit them - remove silence, etc? Do you want to make them downloadable format?

2) What is the brand, model and serial number (you can PM me the serial if you don't want to post it. . .although it shouldn't make a difference) of the COMPUTER (not windows serial number). A lot can be learned about the PC by looking up the serial number on the manufacturer's website.

Let's start with those two questions. There will be more!

-James

Specifically...........record a song, be able to send it to others to edit and dub over.....for instance, add lead or harmony vocals to a song and send it back. A couple of our guys are doing that and it sure sounds like fun to me. I'm just not the most patient or computer literate person in the world, and it's been a bit frustrating. Jeff and Graham have been a tremendous help though, we're making a little headway .

West