RE: [Harp-L] Zoom H4 first impressions

["John Balding" <John.Balding@xxxxxxxxx>]

Richard,

I record our band's gigs with a stereo condenser mic into a standard
cassette player which has left/right record level adjustments and LED
meters. This set-up actually makes excellent recordings, but the
availability of A/C power is a bit of a problem when you want to set the
recorder up on a table in the audience area. Then there's always the
problem of drunks tripping over the cord.
I like everything about the H4, especially the idea of being able to go
home and burn a CD directly from the unit. My only concern is the record
level. Does the H4 have any type of input level adjustment? I am worried
that recording cymbal crashes, snare drums, etc. in a live situation,
using the H4's built-in mics will overload the signal and sound harsh on
playback. My tape deck may be a bit outdated, but it does make a great
live recording when placed on a table at the "50-yard line".

Thanks for any info,

John Balding

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Richard Hunter
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 1:34 AM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx; harptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] Zoom H4 first impressions

I bought a Zoom H4 "Handy recorder" Saturday, and have spent a few hours
working with it since.  My first impressions follow.

The device retails for about $300, and includes a hefty list of
features: 
- 2 track mode for stereo recording
- 4 track mode for multi track recording
- built in stereo condensor mics
- combination inputs for hi-z 1/4" instruments like guitar and bass and
XLR (with phantom power)
- WAV (up to 24 bit/96 kHz) and MP3 recording; will do up to 190 minutes
of 16-bit 44.1 kHz WAV recordings with a 2 GB Secure Digital card
- USB connection to computer; device can serve as an audio interface and
a mass storage device
- built in equivalent of a Zoom G2 amp modeling/effects pedal

That's a lot of stuff for the money.  When you open the package, you see
immediately that costs were kept down in part by building the device out
of lightweight plastic.  I would be very concerned about dropping this
thing from waist height onto a hard floor.  

Fortunately, the list of serious issues stops there.  The device's
operating system is fairly straightforward, and within an hour I was
navigating confidently.  The recording quality is simply excellent, even
with the built-in mics.  It runs for four hours on 2 AA batteries; I
haven't hit this limit yet, but it's been over three hours for my first
set of batteries, and it's still going strong.

It's a great unit for recording a band live, either with the built-in
mics or via feed from a mixer; the only cause for concern here is the
potential for the unit getting knocked over or stepped on in a live
situation, serious issues given the plastic case.  It's also a great
unit for catching ideas on the fly, given its quick startup, excellent
sound quality, and high storage capacity.

In short, this is a pretty potent package for $300, and well worth
consideration by anyone in the market for a small, high-quality
recorder.

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com


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