Topic: Zoom H4

[Chanher]

from the video, it looks quite a bit bigger than the edirol.  i can stick the edirol in my shirt pocket and no one can see it (well, there is that red light ....) but it seems to me the H4 would stick out a lot.

i

It is bigger and more substantial than the R-09, but about the same size as the microtrack. 
I wouldn't put it in a grooms pocket for a wedding.  But it could still easily fit into your coat pocket.

hmm, maybe just big enough for some mods...

[WiFiJeff]

It is bigger and more substantial than the R-09, but about the same size as the microtrack. 
I wouldn't put it in a grooms pocket for a wedding.  But it could still easily fit into your coat pocket.

It seems quite a bit bigger than the MT to me, I'll try to get a picture up comparing them.  The MT disappears into a shirt pocket, while the Zoom will stick up and create a much bigger bulge.

Jeff

[WiFiJeff]

Here ya go.

[WiFiJeff]

I'm testing it now with at AT835ST, which is supposed to take 4ma per channel, using Sony 2500 mAh AAs.  I am using a  2GB SD card because it doesn't even see a 4GB HCSD card as being there.  I hope this will give an indication of what to expect on battery life.

Jeff

[vegas06]

Here ya go.

Sorry, I stand corrected on that one.

However, I wouldn't need to stick it in a shirt pocket, as I use it in deifferent surroundings, as I don't have the need for something that small to be sneaked into a venue in a shirt pocket. 
I normally use these recorders for placement on podiums for capturing speehces and readings, or mount it on a mic stand and run mics into the unit. I mount to a mic stand using a Windtec add on clamp (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=298906&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation), as well a double mic the stand using a double mic stand adapter.  This way I can mount everything on a mic stand, be very small in form factor, and pickup and move where ever I need to at a moments notice.

Basically I need the a recorder small enough in size size to mount on a mic stand, or hide to capture audio which rules out the larger units like the Edirol R-4 type recorders for me.

[WiFiJeff]

Each time the recording ended, either because I pushed stop or because it halted when the card was full, the recorder reverted to internal mics with phantom power off.  Has anyone found a way to keep the settings fixed?

Jeff

[Will_S]

Some interesting discussion by folks testing out their Zoom H4s (although largely not in a live taping enviornment) here:

http://www.2090.org/zoom/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=6906&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[WiFiJeff]

I'll try to get some samples up over the weekend.  I taped a piano recital this afternoon, my main setup was Josephson C617s with Gefell MK 102.1 large diaphragm caps spaced on a stand about 4-5 feet from the piano and 6 1/2-7 feet high, with a feeble baffle in between the mics to try to get a bit more stereo image, into a SD722.  I used the Enhanced Audio mounts Teddy convinced me to get and which worked very nicely the past two weeks.  My standard backup was DPA 4060s into MMA6000 preamp to Sony D1, about 3 feet back of the stand where I was sitting.  I hung the Zoom H4 on the stand about 2 1/2 feet under the Josephsons using the tripod mount and some rubber bands, and had an AT835ST rubber banded near it, using the wide cardioid setting and pointing straight into the piano lid.  The Zoom provided the 48V phantom and was set at M and levels at 100, I didn't have time for a separate sound check but it looks like I was okay.  All these were done at 24/96, and of course the H4 stopped when it hit 2GB so I will not have everything (but about 40 minutes of Chopin and Ravel) to compare.  It looked really neat with its record light and green 96kH indicator glowing and the red "access" light blinking like a warning to low flying planes (hey, this is NYC, not a bad feature).  The H4 playback throught earphones is a bit thin and tinny, but I don't think this is going to be true of the wav files.

Jeff

[spyder9]

Thanks Jeff,  Can't wait to get a sample.  Yeah, its hard to find a good pair of earphones with true bass.  I'm sure it will sound fine when you get it on the workbench.

[WiFiJeff]

Thanks Jeff,  Can't wait to get a sample.  Yeah, its hard to find a good pair of earphones with true bass.  I'm sure it will sound fine when you get it on the workbench.

It's not the earphones (I use Etymotics) but the headphone amp or DACs in the H4, I think (even my 722 sometimes scares me on headphone out, when the sound files are perfectly good).  I haven't tried the H4 line out.  I hope to get to downsampling and dithering to CD by Monday (lots of events tomorrow and Sunday), and will flac some 24/96 files of a Chopin Polonaise.  The H4 file sounds fine in my computer, but the Josephsons blow away the ATs (and most other things). 

Jeff

[spyder9]

Here's a great thread where one of the Admin's tested out the H4.  On page 1, he included 1 sample where he recorded multiple tracks and then mixed them.  On Page 2, he also recorded a bunch of guitar effect files displaying the H4's sound effects.  All recorded with the unit's on-board mics.  Test coming soon with condensors.

http://www.2090.org/zoom/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=6906

Looks like the only downer for those who like to adjust levels on the fly:  the jog wheel controls the levels.


Close up pictures:

http://www.2090.org/zoom/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=6988

Complete forum:

http://www.2090.org/zoom/bbs/viewforum.php?f=15

 

[spyder9]

I just bought one on eBay.  Can't wait till it arrives.  Though I have not heard any condensor recordings, I was impressed with the sound coming from the on-board mics.  The ADC seems to do a pretty good job too.  This unit will strictly be my    rig.  Its worth the $299 roll of the dice, IMO.

[Carlos E. Martinez]

The H4 file sounds fine in my computer, but the Josephsons blow away the ATs (and most other things). 

Which are those "most other things"? Can you name others that were equal or better?

The Josephson comparison included the AT835ST?

[WiFiJeff]

The H4 file sounds fine in my computer, but the Josephsons blow away the ATs (and most other things). 

Which are those "most other things"? Can you name others that were equal or better?

The Josephson comparison included the AT835ST?

I have tried several setups with piano in the same hall (but not generally simultaneously).  The things I tried were: Schoeps MK2S > CMC6XT, Sanken CO100K, DPA4052.  I generally backup with DPA4060>MMA6000>D1.  These all sound superb, sometimes the backup rivalled the more expensvie mic setup (different positions and baffling), but I am convinced that the Josephsons with larger diameter diaphragm caps do the best job.  The AT835ST comparison was the most exact on placement and material recorded, but the ATs cost about 1/4 what the others do, and it sounds it.

Jeff

[Carlos E. Martinez]

I have tried several setups with piano in the same hall (but not generally simultaneously).  The things I tried were: Schoeps MK2S > CMC6XT, Sanken CO100K, DPA4052.  I generally backup with DPA4060>MMA6000>D1.  These all sound superb, sometimes the backup rivalled the more expensvie mic setup (different positions and baffling), but I am convinced that the Josephsons with larger diameter diaphragm caps do the best job.  The AT835ST comparison was the most exact on placement and material recorded, but the ATs cost about 1/4 what the others do, and it sounds it.

Thanks for your comments. I didn't know the MMA6000 or the D1. The MMA very much influenced a preamp I designed in 2000, which you can see here:

http://www.preciseaudio.com/brochure.html

My unit had balanced/XLR inputs & outputs, which the MMA does not seem to have but were very important on this application. The internal circuitry was based around the SSM2017, which I am not sure if it's what the MMA uses.

But coming back to the H4, I am very much interested in it, as an alternative to the M-Audio 24/96 and the Edirol R-09. Particularly because the H4 offers XLR inputs and 48v phantom power.

My application would always be field recording, as a backup or double-system audio for video/film recordings.

How good are the internal preamps as compared to the MMA6000?

Is it difficult to setup for recording, meaning how many steps until getting to REC/Pause?

One thing I found irritating on my Sony Hi-MD portable is that it's default is "AGC" instead of "Manual", so you can't go straight into REC/Pause as was in my Sharp 722.

How would that be in the H4?

My idea is probably to use an external preamp/mixer to feed line level signals into the H4, but having a simpler option, like feeding quality mics (like Sennheiser MKH416 or Oktavas) into it would be interesting too.