Zoom H4
I have been reading about this little SD memory recorder. I have a decent home studio setup and a decent on location (laptop) setup but now look at this.
Now I can go anywhere with just a handheld unit…microphones are in the unit. 4 hours of 24bit/96khz recording on 2 AA batteries… mmmmmm… yummy. Even comes with it’s own microphone stand and built in limiter (great for those percussion concerts).
I told my wife this is the last purchase of the year… and I mean it. 
At first I thought it was a tazer.
WoW…last purchase for the year??? That’s only 3 months…what a sacrifice!!!
KF
Hey Doc,
Looks pretty practical for recording your acuostic and vocals, sicne it has those two 1/4 in pluggins.
But it doesn’t say it has any RCA inputs for multiple other mics through a mixer.
Also it says you can record in 4 track mode, doesn’t specify if it’s stereo, or mono. And with only the two built in mics and two other additonal mics you can add that doesn’t leave much options to even use the four tracks simetaniously.
Also the sample rate is CD quality, I guess that’s alright, but I have read around here you want to record at the highest rate you can, then send your tracks out to be mastered or master and mix them down yourself to 16 bit.
Looks like a great device for preserving ideas on the fly, and maybe even taking to your local open mic acuostic gig, but beyond that it’s limited, and in a year or two will be outdated.
Without seeing the price on that page not even sure of it’s worth having for a year or two until they get the higher bit rate, more input, model.
keep shinin
I guess I should have specified that I do a lot of “on location” stereo recording. I rarely do any recordings deeper than 24bit/96khz (stereo mode for the H4). This little gadget will save me from taking out my “portable” rig; a laptop computer, external harddrive, M-Audio USB Duo, 2 Microphone stands, 2 50 foot microphone cables, 2 condenser mics (Lately using Marshall 2001s), 2 isolation microphone clips, 50 feet of extension AC cable and a filtered power strip plus all power cables and wall warts.
The Zoom has both XLR phantom powered inputs for mics and unbalanced inputs for guitars/mixers etc. I’m not really interested in it’s ability to record 4 tracks so I don’t have to record at 16bit/44khz.
Lastly, it has a USB out so that I can bring the unit home and dump the audio into my editing computer. How cool is that?
Mobile Field Recording
Fits in the palm of your hand
Ideal for infinite variety of mobile recording applications
Records 24-bit/96 kHz digital audio as well as MP3 format with bitrates up to 320kbps
Two studio quality X/Y pattern condenser microphones for true stereo recording
Two combination XLR-1/4-inch input jacks with phantom power
Onboard studio effects compression, limiting and mic modeling
1/8-inch headphone jack provided for monitoring
128MB Secure Digital (SD) card included.
Using a 2GB SD memory card provides 380 minutes of recording with CD Quality sound
Up to 34 hours recording in MP3 stereo mode
USB mass-storage interface
Four hours of continuous recording operation from 2 AA batteries
Back-lit, 128×64 pixel LCD provides the visual interface
AC adapter, windshield cover, USB Cable and tripod adapter included
I don’t see,
<!–QuoteBegin>
| Quote |
| unbalanced inputs for guitars/mixers etc |
Then again I’m not real keen on technical abbreviations.
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| Two combination XLR-1/4-inch input jacks with phantom power |
I don’t see anything about balanced or unbalanced in this sentence.
Also I don’t see anything about a metro, if your gonna attempt to use those tracks later to add too gonna need a bpm.
No midi capability? Eek what will a musician do without that?
I’ve seen other small digital recorders(not as small) but with more capabilities, and the ones I’ve seen double as mixing boards with multiple ins and outs and midi inputs. Price range 2-400$.
BTW these small devices are notorious for picking up vibration from like (amplified base) through there built in mics. I hope they sell a holder/stand that limits the vibration. I don’t see an off switch for those things, reading the manual now to see what other options you have.
Like I said a great device for the acuostic gig, but limited otherwise.
keep shinin’
jerm
Two mics already in a stereo pair ?
How cool is that ?
Looks like a winner
W.
That’s a pretty sweet lookin’ gadget there Doc. Let us know how it works out eh?
D
Hey Jeremy,
In the manual it states the 1/4" inputs as being unbalanced and have a setting for line level (mxing boards etc…) You can also set the input level for gain so that cheap microphones with 1/4" ends can be used. If you prefer, you can use the balanced XLR inputs with or without phantom power (both 24v or 48v).
It really is quite a useful tool if you are in that field (which I am). I’m not really into midi (certainly not for field recording), so that is of no concern. I really like the addition of the built-in microphones.
Sony has a similar unit for $1900. The Zoom H4 is just $299. It is amazing how similar they look…
Eyup!
Ah feeull som o’ that thar bootleggin’ comin’ on.
Yup, just get centre stage at the next Robbie Williams concert and flog those discs at the local car boot sale.
Looks like a real handy device.
Steve
LOL,
Watch out Steve, Sony is looking over your shoulder. Although I wasn’t thinking about that, I now realize I attend a fair amount of music festivals where recording is actually sanctioned. The last festival I went to, they actually send out the live concert feed, in stereo, over the local FM radio so that you can hear the concert no matter where you are locally on or off the fairgounds.
Mike
| Quote (DrGuitar @ Sep. 26 2006,15:03) |
| LOL, Watch out Steve, Sony is looking over your shoulder. Although I wasn't thinking about that, I now realize I attend a fair amount of music festivals where recording is actually sanctioned. The last festival I went to, they actually send out the live concert feed, in stereo, over the local FM radio so that you can hear the concert no matter where you are locally on or off the fairgounds. Mike |
Eyup!
Well, Sony had better treat me nice or I may never agree to record any of my songs for them - so there!
I agree, some bands / promoters are quite enlightened.
I was looking around the Wishbone Ash site a few days ago and was quite refreshed to find whole songs and videos in downloadable form.
Also, they were actually asking people to do TABS and MIDI files of their songs and upload them to the site to share.
Steve