Well, for a 'point and shoot' type of recorder, the H4 and H2 are hard to beat on price. There really aren't 'generic equivalents'.

Now, if you have a laptop on which you have a copy of PTPA, then perhaps investing in a portable audio interface and a couple of mics might be more appropriate than a Zoom.

But if you are simply looking to record sketches from the piano, the H2 suits the situation pretty well. The H4 is a little more versatile - you can use that as an audio interface to a PC or laptop, plug in more expensive microphones, etc.

But Zoom have set the low water mark for price/performance ratio, IMO.

There are a couple of PGers who have the Zoom - I've heard nothing but praise from them about their H2 recorders.

Regarding Manning's warnings - some truth there, but think about the price of what a repair would be in the first place. Take any piece of electronics in for a repair and there's a 100$ bill you need to leave on the counter.

A brand spanking new H2 is what, $180 or something? This is an item you buy on it's warranty, and then if it breaks after the warranty and you liked how it worked in the first place, you buy another one. It's a pretty low price point for what you get in the package - some halfway decent mics/preamps, software built into the thing, A/D converters, D/A converters, memory slot, navigation buttons, etc. For $180.

I would buy it at a place like Sweetwater music, where they have an excellent customer service record, could possibly come up with a more informed different solution, etc.

For an extra $120, you can get the H4n which has much more flexibility, but is bulkier (didn't seem an issue with your original post).

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