 "Family Audio Snapshots - Easy Quality Audio Documentation of Your Everyday Life" | 2009-11-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2A2DQA76NX2YC |
If you have a digital camera for family pix, try this too - family sound snapshots. This device is not just for professional sound people.
I came home from a distant company work/video project and found the Amazon.com package of the Zoom H4n I ordered while I was away. I ignored the manual as I found the recorder's controls immediately very intuitive (and I am really an audio/video amateur). I bought it as a pocket device to shove into conversations I wanted to easily capture for addition to associated video clips.
I took it home and played with it at dinner, mostly leaving it standing upright on the table center (wife and three kids and me at the table). When I later played back what I had casually recorded at the table in 20 minutes(into my headphones - as the unit's speaker is terrible) I found a visually clear stereophonic visual/ audio image of my family comparable to a photograph but BETTER with more pertinent information as it recorded what we had to say. It struck me that we put so much attention into the visual snapshot but an audio snapshot has its own value and in some ways can be better. So why not carry an audio recorder to take audio snapshots in the way we may carry small digital cameras? For this I think the pocket sized and quality H4n is ideal. I found it very easy to use and to slip into a sweater or jacket side pocket, or even my pant's back pocket. I think I'll carry it often. It looks tough enough.
As for quality, the sound is good, good enough for many discriminating ears I would think. As a reference, I use as a Sound Design 744T recorder and two omnidirectional earthworks microphones cabled to it recording at much higher sampling rates that the H4n is capable of. The recorded sound imaging and detail of the H4n was comparably excellent. But the convenience of H4n's two microphones in an integral recorder unit is very appealing and very convenient. Its a very high quality pocket audio recorder that I think should be in the pockets of many amateurs.
I'll leave the professional quality comparisons to others to review. |
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| "Amazing sound quality, flexible but geeky interface" | 2009-11-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: AYJ9P6LRAB004 |
I can't believe how much better the quality of my audio captures have been since investing in this device. Of course that was the result I was hoping for, but my expectations have been exceeded. Having everything in one small, battery-operable device is incredibly convenient as well, and with today's prices and capacities for flash storage, you never have to worry about running out of room.
Simple, everyday recording tasks are very easy to figure out and perform. You can do so much more with this device that complex tasks do require studying the manual and adapting to the interface, but it is nice to have that much flexibility when it is necessary. |
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| "Great audio recorder for on-the-field video production" | 2009-10-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A30Y5LMOWYXQVZ |
Feature-full, inexpensive and reliable. That's what I think about the H4n after some weeks of use.
I use the unit mainly to record audio for video productions. For example, getting direct input from an audio console in a concert. It certanly needs a few tweaks, test audio levels, etc. (don't expect just to plug it and let it set up itself, you have tor work on that) but in the end, it has always given me great results.
I use a Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 3CCD AVCHD 24fps Camcorder video camera, and have had no sync problems at all. Just drop the video track, then the audio track, adjust them and that's all. No timing errors.
Also, it comes with a multi-watt adapter, so you could use it on 110, 240, etc. No problem if going to Europe or Brazil (the prior H4 model didn't have this feature). |
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| "A non Audio Engineer's review" | 2009-10-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A8LOWCQPHM7YQ |
Summary: 5 out of 5
This type of product tends to be bought by professional sound recordists, which I am not. Therefore I thought it might be of some interest for someone to read a point of view of an amateur's.
Evaluation
The H4n is a uniquely brilliant design, which manages to deliver sophistication and versatility whilst being easy to use, plus quality and portability that is exceptional. The sound quality of the on board mics is nothing short of brilliant and the fact that you can augment them with studio quality XLR or 1/4" connected mics which might need 48V phantom power, without the need for additional mixers, makes this a product of choice for the mobile user.
The large and clear screen and good button layout means it is easy to use in dim environments. With full 24 bit recording and great mics, it is a delight in sound quality. I applaud Zoom for providing a great Auto Level Record mode, which means that for non-critical situations, I can just hit Record and go, while at the same time this instrument can be used in demanding situations that require manual settings.
The ability of 4 track recording is brilliant. With 2x external mics plus the 2x on-board ones you can make a professional recording with little effort. The STAMINA mode almost double battery life to 11 hrs of recording (only in WAV format), which is great for field use.
I recommend the H4n coupled with a 16GB, or at minimum an 8GB SDHC memory card and some Eneloope rechargeable batteries. I also recommend getting the wired remote, for serious users.
My background
I am an IT professional and recently I had to record the audio of a conference so that I could put MP3 audio on the organisation's web site. For this I used a Behringer mixer I bought off eBay, a wireless mic we borrowed from church, a high quality but inexpensive condenser mic with XLR connection and a Vosonic portable HD media player to record the audio. It worked perfectly but was a bit cumbersome to carry all the bits.
After the conference, I visited my 84yr old uncle who has a Steinway piano worth over $100k and is an exceptional pianist and I offered to record him playing. This was such a success that we started looking at an integrated and simple to use device for him, so that he can record and then listen to, his piano playing, and one that can capture the tone of his piano. This started my investigation into portable digital recorders.
After about 8 hr's of research on the web I decided on a Zoom H2 as a cost effective product and bought one locally. It is a fine tool, but is a bit fiddly to use and has a very small screen which for the elderly, is a hindrance, and the audio is good but not stellar. Further research and listening to other people's recordings on the web had made me think that the H4n would be a better choice. I exchanged the H2 at the shop and bought two H4n's (one for myself and one for my uncle).
The H4n delivers on every front. Quality, build, ease of use and versatility. I am delighted and can recommend it without reservations.
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 "5 star machine, 4 star user" | 2009-09-29 |
| - Reviewed By caponsacchi |
I recorded a concert with the Zoom H2 and was instantly impressed by the warm and "roomy," inviting and pleasing sound. But there were weaknesses in the machine's ability to pick up spoken announcements and the faint sound of the walking string bass. So I went to the Zoom H4n, which offers the capability of using 2 onboard mics and 2 external mics simultaneously. It was a less satisfying experience overall, resulting in a better balanced recording but at a price: extra mic set-ups, bulkier equipment, mixing problems--almost enough to push me toward what I did not want to become: an engineer hauling computer, 8-band Roland recorder, manual, phone calls to the "experts"--more time, more distractions from the music (simply getting a Kurzweil PC under control is challenge enough). So I thought maybe the Sony PCM-D50 would, with its superior mics, give me the presence and balance I was looking for. The sound was louder, less forgiving, but the overall effect less pleasing than the Zoom H2. Like the H4n, the Sony is relatively heavy and bulky, anything but a pocket or stealth recorder.
I heard little difference between the Zoom and the Sony, though the Zoom is far more versatile and somewhat less expensive. It's the desirable machine but represents more of a "compromise" in terms of size and weight than a radically new, portable design.
Audiophiles and dedicated field engineers shoud see the H4n as worth twice the price of the H2; teachers and musicians will appreciate simply tossing an H2 in their pockets or purses. |
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 "Good recorder with one major flaw" | 2009-09-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1T9SCT89JJ96 |
I purchased the H4n after being unhappy with the H2's performance most significant where I couldn't record a good sounding signal that wasn't distorted with the Line In jack. Only to find that the H4n has the same problem but not as bad. If I try to record a line level signal from a sound board or stereo receiver and connect to the H4n's 1/4 inch jacks, it is almost impossible to not to have a distorted signal. It appears that on both models the line in preamp is too sensitive and clips very easily and because it is clipping in the preamp, adjusting the gain doesn't correct it. I contacted Zoom's tech support about the H2 and was told that I likely had a defective unit. I returned the H2 and decided to give Zoom another chance and try the H4n after seeing many positive reviews.
I really like the H4n's design, the menus and controls are nicely organized. It feels more sturdy than the H2. The recording quality using the built in mics is excellent. Most other recorders in this price range don't have XLR inputs. Since I plan to use it mostly for recording concerts by connecting to a line out or tape out on a sound board, if the line in jacks don't work properly and can't accept a normal line level signal without clipping, I can't use this for what I bought it for. I have used my Sony minidisc recorder for the same type of application for the past 8 years and have never had any problems. I've worked with pro sound equipment for over 25 years and have used many types of recorders and so far the Zoom products are the only ones where I have encountered this problem. If you are using this to record with mics, it works great, but if you need to record from line level sources, the Zoom recorders may not be a good choice. |
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