Zoom h4 recorder

[Aran]

Had some friends around for a picking session last week and one of them produced a little silver box called a Zoom H4 to record the session.

Anyway a couple of days later I receive some emails with mp3's attached from the girl with the recorder.

Man they sounded pretty good.

I could hear the bass clearly and to be honest I think my mandolin was too loud so I'll tone it down on the next occasion.

Anyway wondering if any of you folks have tried these gadgets?

It seems like quite a cool gadget for $300.

[fiddler59]

I have one and love it !!!
Very handy....great quality

David B

[Walter Newton]

Yes, do a search and you'll find plenty of discussion about these, as well as the new Zoom H2 which is $100 cheaper.

[jefflester]

Several previous topics on the Zoom H4 (and H2):

http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....hl=zoom (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=8;t=47026;hl=zoom)
http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....hl=zoom (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=8;t=46709;hl=zoom)
http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....hl=zoom (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=8;t=46263;hl=zoom)
http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....hl=zoom (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=8;t=44292;hl=zoom)
http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....hl=zoom (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=8;t=39444;hl=zoom)
http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....hl=zoom (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=8;t=38445;hl=zoom)

[Gary]

I've had one for a while and i love it. I've used it to record acoustic bands and it sounds great. I've also recorded a very loud noise ("experimental") band. Even using the automatic level function the sound quality of the recording was fine. The construction of the unit leaves a bit to be desired but it is fairly inexpensive. I've purchased a hard plastic pistol case to tote it around.

gary

[Aran]

Ah sorry should have done a search. thanks

[Don Christy]

I have a zoom h4 and love it too. Though I'm thinking of selling it to get the smaller H2. I don't need all the features of the H4 and the smaller size appeals to me.

Let me know if you're interested in a mint H4.
Don

[Brad Weiss]

I just purchased (literally, my PayPal account is still smoking) an H2. #It looks too simple to screw up, the reviews have been excellent all around, and the price was REALLY good. #Why do I keep listening to all of you!! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Thanks!

[Dave Reiner]

Another option... The Edirol R-09 is a bit more $, but works really well and records beautifully.

Dave

[ApK]

Just be aware, the H4 is a hand-held MULTI-TRACKING device, if that's what you're looking for, the r09 and the H2 are not.
If you want ONLY a high quality field recorder, then look at the r09 or the h2, as the H4 would have you paying for features and complexity you may not want.

IOW, the R09 and H2 compete directly, the H4 and the Boss Micro BR compete directly. #If you are firmly and only looking at one for those categories, that should help narrow your choices. #If you're open to a bunch of possibles secondary features, then the field is wide open.

[250sc]

The Edirol R-09 is $200 more than the H2 but doesn't have any features to justify the extra cost accept digital outputs. If I had to choose between these two devices I'd select the H2.

If your selecting between the H4 and H2 and own a PC I'd only select the H4 if I wanted the XLR inputs for external mics. Personally I own the H4 but never use the multitrack features. I record directly into the PC for multitrack recording. It's lots less complicated and I don't have to spend time stepping through the screen options to change the settings and select tracks and mixing on the H4.

Good luck.

[steve V. johnson]

Using any of these recorders with a computer is just wonderful. Previous to this, DAT (tape) recorders and minidisk recorders required 'real time' transfers, that is, playing back the whole program into the computer to do any serious editing or mixing.

Just being able to wire up a USB connection and open the files with the audio program of your choice, or to simply copy the files to a hard drive, then open 'em, is just wonderful and saves a tremendous amount of time.

And all these recorders' mics and analog-to-digital conversion seems to be good enough that if you want to be real serious and do 24bit recordings and careful post-production, you can pretty easily make audio that's every bit as good as what you can hear on commercial CDs.

Bravo.

stv

[foldedpath]

And all these recorders' mics and analog-to-digital conversion seems to be good enough that if you want to be real serious and do 24bit recordings and careful post-production, you can pretty easily make audio that's every bit as good as what you can hear on commercial CDs.

I like my Zoom H2 very much for what it's designed for: a nice cheap field recorder that does much better than old-style analog cassette, or first-gen digital like minidisk. But that last sentence about commercial CD quality is a little bit exaggerated. Unless the "pretty much" was a massive disclaimer.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

I've done a comparison of the Zoom H2 against my computer-based home studio rig, which uses nice condenser mics into a Great River preamp and RME A/D conversion. The difference isn't subtle. There is a depth and clarity in the higher-end gear that the cheap recorder just can't deliver, if you're looking for a "serious" recording to be released commercially. That's not really the target market for these things.

The first steps to getting a decent amateur recording are easy... actually, insanely easy these days, with cheap digital recording. It's those last steps to approaching commercial quality that are difficult. It's a slow, painful, expensive series of gradually diminishing returns as you try to tweak out that last bit of quality and eliminate the weak links in the chain (which often include the operator!). A cheap pocket recorder on the front end is not how you get there. But that's not what they're designed for. For the intended purpose, they're wonderful!

[ApK]

Actually, he said they were about as good as what you HEAR on commercial CD, not what CD are mastered on. Since many CDs are over-processed, over-loud, and over-compressed, or so I'm told, maybe he's right.

[foldedpath]

Actually, he said they were about as good as what you HEAR on commercial CD, not what CD are mastered on. Since many CDs are over-processed, over-loud, and over-compressed, or so I'm told, maybe he's right.

The way mastering works, is that you start with a higher-quality source recording than the final output, in order to survive the numeric mangling in the editing stage (mixing, EQ, effects), and then the reduction to 16 bit/44.1k on the CD. Any of the cheap recorders we're talking about will record at a higher bit depth and sampling rate than that. But it's mostly about what happens on the front end: the mic quality, mic preamps, quality of A/D conversion, not just the basic specs. All of that stuff acts as a filter. You can't edit "back in" what doesn't get captured in the first place.

I take your point about the "loudness wars" in most pop recordings these days, but there are still producers working in the acoustic music scene who haven't jumped on that bandwagon. A well-recorded and nicely mastered acoustic CD is still a thing of beauty (to me, anyway), and you don't get there with a $200 digital recorder as the front end. I don't know... maybe this won't matter in a few years if everyone is listening to music on compressed 128kbps MP3's through cheap earbuds or computer speakers. YouTube is doing its part to drive appreciation of audio quality into the floor. But on current, well-produced audio CD's heard through decent playback gear, the difference is still there.

BTW, sorry to be a grump about this. I really do like my Zoom H2. It just wouldn't be my first choice if I was shooting for a commercial-quality CD release, and I think it's misleading to give people that impression. You can do great things with these new gadgets... but you can't do THAT. Not yet, anyway.

[stevem]

I'm also thinking about downgrading from the h4 to the h2.

2 things I like about the h4: 1)the fact that it is powered through the usb cable when plugged into my computer, and 2)the numerous sound effect presets (electric guitar sounds, etc.)

Does the h2 offer these features?

[tortuga]

Has anyone used the M_Audio MicroTrack Recorders? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[steve V. johnson]

Foldedpath makes good points. I especially like (and agree with) #the "insanely easy" part! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

And then he says,

"BTW, sorry to be a grump about this. I really do like my Zoom H2. It just wouldn't be my first choice if I was shooting for a commercial-quality CD release, and I think it's misleading to give people that impression. You can do great things with these new gadgets... but you can't do THAT. Not yet, anyway. "

Far be it from me to aggravate a grump... #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I certainly don't mean to be misleading, but I wouldn't mind getting a 24bit/44.1 file of a live performance from a Cafe member for post production. #I wouldn't groan. # It wouldn't "be my first choice" either if I were again commissioned to
produce a pop record. # But if I need to get the truth of a live performance in the least invasive way, I'd sure include one
of these things in my toolkit. I've used tracks from these, and I don't find them particularly problematic.

Actually, I don't know what "commercial-quality CD release" means any more.

Engineers and producers I know are using everything from cassette recorders and horrible cheap and broken mics, to fabulously high sample rates and $10k mics, and absolutely everything in between, and my mastering friends say that they've never been so challenged by difficulties with audio they get from big buck projects -and- simultaneously amazed at the high ('we just pretty much left it alone...') quality of DIY projects that come to their mastering labs.

So, if, say, a Cafe member wants to make a CD for release and has one of these things to use, I'll work with it. # I -really- don't want to discourage anyone from trying anything within their reach to share their music.

Disclaimer (for real!): #What comes right out of your field recorder after you're recorded yourself will NOT sound just like a "commercial-quality CD release" without some serious post-production. # # #

... Probably. # # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

stv

[steve V. johnson]

I see that Marantz has now got one of these things out on the mkt, too.

stv