I'm curious about the 1/8-inch TRS jack that appears on the back of the recorder, close to the built-in mics. The online literature says this jack can provide plug-in power to mics that need it. It seemed to me that it might be possible to plug in a pair of mics via the 1/8-inch jack, and a second pair via the XLR jacks.
I wrote to Samsontech support. Within a couple of hours I received this reply:
"Hi, plugging into the 1/8th" jack does indeed turn off the internal mics. When using the mics and inputs simultaneously, the input from the jack is also routed to the two channels normally used for audio from the internal
mics. I think the configuration you're describing would work."
So it appears that the H4n can be used with four external mics. If you have four mics that need 48V power, you'll have to use a battery box for the pair connected to the 1/8-inch TRS jack.
Flintstone