Zoom H4n

SlitYourDrums

Senior Member
Hey guys

So for with my Christmas I might buy a Zoom H4n. I have a few questions:

What is your experience with it and what do you use it for?
Does it work well with using two extra mics? If so, what bass drum and snare mic should I buy?
How's the sound quality?
How does it transfer to your DAW or computer in general?

Thanks
 
I only have the original H4. 8 years old, still going strong.

Use it for all kinds of stereo recordings, including choir and string quartet concerts on a tall stand in front of the audience, etc. Also sitting on a table for interviews and voice recordings. Have used it as a mic/audio interface to record directly into a computer.

Original H4 only records two channels at a time. Works well with external mics. I tend to use a pair of matched condensers, so I don't know how to set different gain levels on each mic. I believe the new version can record 4 tracks at once. There is a better model which can record 6 at once, but that costs much more.

Sound quality is excellent, both with built in mics and external. Original model had a clock speed issue, which meant it didn't sync with video cameras and such. Discovered this when recording a play with a video camera at the back, H4 by the stage. The audio was shorter than the video, and had to be stretched via software. New model fixed that.

Transfer sound via a USB cable (the memory card appears as a drive on the computer) or by taking the memory card out and placing it in your computer. Same as a camera really.

Compared to the video versions (Q2, Q3, etc.) the batteries last much longer (10 times? 8 times?) and you can connect external mics.
 
I only have the original H4. 8 years old, still going strong.

Use it for all kinds of stereo recordings, including choir and string quartet concerts on a tall stand in front of the audience, etc. Also sitting on a table for interviews and voice recordings. Have used it as a mic/audio interface to record directly into a computer.

Original H4 only records two channels at a time. Works well with external mics. I tend to use a pair of matched condensers, so I don't know how to set different gain levels on each mic. I believe the new version can record 4 tracks at once. There is a better model which can record 6 at once, but that costs much more.

Sound quality is excellent, both with built in mics and external. Original model had a clock speed issue, which meant it didn't sync with video cameras and such. Discovered this when recording a play with a video camera at the back, H4 by the stage. The audio was shorter than the video, and had to be stretched via software. New model fixed that.

Transfer sound via a USB cable (the memory card appears as a drive on the computer) or by taking the memory card out and placing it in your computer. Same as a camera really.

Compared to the video versions (Q2, Q3, etc.) the batteries last much longer (10 times? 8 times?) and you can connect external mics.

Ok, thanks! Will probably get one.
 
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