Topic: Zoom H1 XLR 32bit Handy Recorder announced on Aug. 8 2024

[audBall]

Just need to find suitable wind protection now, although the Rycote I use for my Sony D100 works adequately.

Is this Rycote windscreen available separately somewhere?

[adrianb]

I've added some recording samples using the Zoom H1 XLR to YouTube. The more I use this recorder the more I think the concerns about noise floor are exaggerated.

https://youtu.be/OI4Omfc7mxU

[Ozpeter]

I've added some recording samples using the Zoom H1 XLR to YouTube. The more I use this recorder the more I think the concerns about noise floor are exaggerated.

https://youtu.be/OI4Omfc7mxU

I came across your video before reading this post, and have commented approvingly!  Very interesting samples.  As for noise - with condenser mics, there isn't any audible in normal use.  Maybe measurable but it's the ears that matter. 

[rastasean]

I've added some recording samples using the Zoom H1 XLR to YouTube. The more I use this recorder the more I think the concerns about noise floor are exaggerated.

https://youtu.be/OI4Omfc7mxU

Thanks for the testing!

When you did the recording, did you adjust the gain on the recorder at all with the mixer button or keep it at zero?

[adrianb]

When you did the recording, did you adjust the gain on the recorder at all with the mixer button or keep it at zero?

There is no gain adjustment on this recorder. The only processing in Audacity was to randomly select five 1 min sections, add them together and save as a 24-bit file. I also added 10dB of amplification.

[TheJez]

I've added some recording samples using the Zoom H1 XLR to YouTube. The more I use this recorder the more I think the concerns about noise floor are exaggerated.

https://youtu.be/OI4Omfc7mxU

Thanks for doing these tests and providing the results! Very interesting and nice to hear the effect of the DIY disc  . I think you'r right that the 'noise issue' is indeed exaggerated and a non-issue in almost all practical cases. However, being the devil's advocate, IMHO these tests cannot be used say anything about the noise performance due to the always present ambient city noise. Any self noise will be far below it. (It's not that you claimed that it could be used to judge the noise, but maybe good to mention anyway)

I guess only when recording very high dynamics (so very quiet and very loud parts in a single recording) that would require post processing compression to get the quiets parts to listenable levels, then the higher noise floor than e.g. F3 or FR-AV2 might become a problem. Or maybe not 

[adrianb]

However, being the devil's advocate, IMHO these tests cannot be used say anything about the noise performance due to the always present ambient city noise. Any self noise will be far below it. (It's not that you claimed that it could be used to judge the noise, but maybe good to mention anyway)

I guess only when recording very high dynamics (so very quiet and very loud parts in a single recording) that would require post processing compression to get the quiets parts to listenable levels, then the higher noise floor than e.g. F3 or FR-AV2 might become a problem. Or maybe not 

Very valid point. I do have recordings of some quiet scenes and will post when I get time.

The point of the experiment was really to test my DIY mics and their stereo separation compared to different setups. That was just some random samples, and what I did notice is that the mere addition of the disk improves stereo separation dramatically.

Incidentally, and somewhat irrelevant to this thread, I always thought my Rode iXY mics were a bit on the noisy side when used with my iPhones as intended, but I’ve been really impressed with them as the hacked variant plugged into my recorders. A reminder never to throw old mics away. I’m now looking for another cheap set of mics from Rode, Tascam or Zoom that were designed for 30-pin iPhones.

[Ozpeter]

I think the only mic I have ever thrown away was a ribbon mic which I destroyed with phantom power.  About 60 years ago. 

[rastasean]

Has anyone tried connecting their H1 xlr recorder to their iphone via usb-c to lightening cable?
The usb-c to lightening cable I purchased today led me to believe it was a data cable, since it mentioned transfer speeds on the packaging, but the recorder and phone don't know they're connected. I'll have to see what happens when I connected the phone and my computer together.

I do have a very short usb-c to lightening cable, which is a data cable. When connected the zoom recorder prompts me for stuff as though it's setting up the connection to be good. However, the three apps I've tested(1) with, only show the built in mono mic on my phone.

Even if you don't have an iphone, it would be helpful to know which apps got you connected to the zoom recorder.

edit...
I played a youtube video on my phone while the recorder was connected and the audio played through the phone, not the zoom recorder


(1) apps I used - rode reporter, sony motiv audio, apogee meta recorder

[rastasean]

Okay, i had success!

I used a usb-c to usb a cable with the apple (I think it's the apple one) "camera" adapter, which allows you to plug-in usb a style cables and devices, like thumb drives: https://www.amazon.com//dp/B0D7G6M7X8

Once I did this, all three apps were able to record and played the recorded audio through to the zoom. Not as portable as I'd prefer, with the dangling cables and all, but it would work.

An esoteric thing I did with a previous recorder (tascam dr-05x, which is dead), was to take a double ended 3.5mm audio cable, connect to a PC and the other end into the recorder.
Then I would use the above adapter to record videos while audio on the PC was playing. It was for work purposes, and I wanted audio directly from the PC to play in the video.
I think this would still work with the zoom recorder, but it's something I'll have to try out soon.

[rastasean]

Darn, I have confirmed the usb-c to lightening cable I purchased is power only. Guess I'll be doing a refund on it.