It’s not hard to find digital recording devices these days; heck, my iPhone has a bunch available. But there are times when you want more than just basic sounds recorded, when high-quality sound is a requirement.

For those times, consider the Zoom H2. The Zoom is an MP3/WAV recorder that fits in your hand. It comes with a 512 MB SD memory card, which should provide up to 280 hours of recording time. It records audio at a selectable number of quality settings, giving a lot of flexibility.

Some of its high-end features include automatic gain control (which will boost the recording sensitivity when a sound is particularly low) and a filter to block out excess wind noise, when recording outside.

The Zoom has a USB cord, and works with both Macs and PCs. I can see a number of uses for this recorder; we’re in the days of podcasting, and this would be a perfect gadget for recording podcasts. It would also be great for recording interviews and concerts, or recording separate audio for video cameras with built-in mics that aren’t very good (which includes the large majority of consumer video cameras).

It’s not cheap, but if your needs for audio go beyond the basics, it will end up being a good value.