>After two years on the market, the Zoom H4N continues to be the recorder to beat in its price range. For anyone who remembers the none to shabby Zoom H4, the H4N is an entirely different and evolved beast, which serves its intended market extremely well. Initially it was a tad bit higher priced than the H4, but like with all things a little bit of time has made the most affordable pro level portable digital recorder on the market.
Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder
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Its uses are near infinite and limited only by the imagination of the artist who wields it; whether they be filmmakers or musicians this thing has a thousand uses. In all honesty I didn’t own the old version very long as I just didn’t see the point of owning the device until playing back some video I’d recorded on my Canon 7D, and being morally destroyed at hearing the video in concert with the beautiful footage captured by the HD DSLR.
The first impressive thing about the new H4N is the actual build of it. The body has a heavy rubber coating on the sides of it. This serves two purposes; firstly it protects the H4N from falls and other mishaps that can happen on a film set, or rowdy studio sessions. Secondly, the rubber serves to make the Zoom H4N easier to handle in relation to noise reduction. The original H4 would reflect the noise of the handler anytime the unit was moved, which is a definite no-no in post-production. You can further reduce noise by mounting the Zoom on any ¼-20 screw mount that will keep the Zoom isolated.
A great feature of the Zoom H4N is the screen. When i’m looking to buy any electronic device, I’m very concerned about the visibility of the screen. When you are in the field you need to be able to see the menu settings to make the correct adjustments. The H4N screen is nice and clear with large lettering for easy determination of settings. That said the wheel on the side of the Zoom that are necessary to make menu changes is terrible. Using it makes me want to throw it at times, and means you have to take your time to scroll and make the necessary changes when working with it. Then again I might just may be to heavy handed when using it. With that said the other controls of the H4N are more than competent and you can use the track keys as a sort of macros/shortcut for common functions.
Let’s talk about the microphones. They are an extremely pleasant surprise. You can acquire a crisp stereo signal from the built in mics, and even move them if need be by simple rotation. If you’d like to acquire an even higher quality signal, simply use the XLR jacks on the bottom of the unit to connect external microphones. Likewise they serve as Z inputs for any instrument that uses a Z input system such as guitars etc. All this is complimented by the upgraded mic pres that are sound really good for this class of device. Don’t expect to get a pair of Avalon quality pre-amps but they are comparable to many mid-level mic dedicated mic pres in its class. And while phantom power is available, you will definitely need external power for the Zoom as using phantom power is a real drain on the unit.
Speaking of power, the unit can be powered via AA batteries or a walwart. The better option is to select an external power source that will allow you to run the unit for a longer time worry free. Personally, we use the we prefer the Tekkeon batteries as they can provide power for these units for a long term worry free run.
Recording formats are variable. From the highest quality settings for MP3’s to master quality WAV files , the Zoom H4N has a format appropriate for whatever medium you need. With SD cards being so cheap you don’t have to worry about time limits for whatever format you choose. Using standard SD cards means you can have a huge cache of cards available whenever you need them. This also makes the Zoom an excellent portable mastering deck.
While the Zoom has been adapted by DSLR users for outboard audio recording, it’s original purpose is for musician and multi-track recording. The H4N for its size is a wunderkind with a built in mixer. While impressive in a unit this size, the unit can be used simultaneously with the external inputs. By bouncing the internal tracks you are really able to use an unlimited amount of tracks. Using the Z inputs (or Combi inputs), you can DI any instrument able to output the signal. This can be great for scratch recording audio and vocal tracks for demos and mastering audio. Multi track recording is attained by switching the scroll wheel to 4ch. The procedure is the same foe all recording modes.
What would a digital multi track recorder be without an effects suite? At this price point you wouldn’t expect to find any at all, but the Zoom is equipped with compressors as well as comprehensive EQ’s. For your Z input pleasure, there are distortion effects as well as delays that can be applied to guitar tracks.
My absolute favorite feature of the Zoom H4n is the ability to use it as a professional audio interface. Whether its Cubase, Logic, or Pro Tools LE you can save a buck or two by using the Zoom as an audio interface complete with a low latency ASIO driver. This is one sweet piece of gear and everyone who hears it want to know where they can buy a Zoom H4N. The best price on a Zoom H4N is on amazon, who coincidentally has the best return policy and customer service. If you are looking for a great all around portable digital recorder at the cheapest price, than the Zoom H4N is the best product for your needs.
