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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: WiFiJeff on October 20, 2006, 11:44:49 PM

Title: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: WiFiJeff on October 20, 2006, 11:44:49 PM
While monitoring the recording I got this afternoon with the H4 using a 4GB Transcend SD card, I noticed a strange digiblip at one point, which would be pretty close to the 2 GB limit.  It seems to have kept recording, but when I zoom in on the wave function I can see  a 250 millisecond (1/4 second) area where the wave is down about 7 dB from the surrounding waveform.  Needless to say, this is not something from the piano, and the Sony D1 and 722 recordings didn't do this.  I "fixed" this with a 7 dB boost over that area, which sounds better than the unedited wave but is not perfect.  Anyone getting anything like this?  Does the R9 do this with a 4GB card, too?

Jeff
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: udovdh on October 21, 2006, 02:05:01 AM
Isn't this a weird coincidence?
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: WiFiJeff on October 21, 2006, 12:12:15 PM
Isn't this a weird coincidence?

I'd prefer to think it is linked to the 2GB file limit than to think it is a random feature thrown in by the H4 whenever it feels like knocking 7 dBs off your signal!

Jeff
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: gewwang on October 21, 2006, 07:49:18 PM
Does the R9 do this with a 4GB card, too?

nope, the R-09 seems to record 2GB+ files just fine. You can't play them back on the R-09 though and occasionally the header has to be fixed on the final .wav file.
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: bozac26 on October 25, 2006, 09:46:36 AM
How did you format your 4GB card? Zoom H4 does not recognize mine. Thanks for your help in advance. -Danny :)
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: WiFiJeff on October 25, 2006, 09:50:55 AM
How did you format your 4GB card? Zoom H4 does not recognize mine. Thanks for your help in advance. -Danny :)

Mine worked as shipped from Transcend, but to reformat it after use I used my desktop computer, that worked.  SD/HC cards will NOT be  recognized by the H4.

Jeff
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: bozac26 on October 25, 2006, 11:10:14 PM
Hi. After plugging my H4 into my Laptop via usb, H4 power off, I am unable to format my 4GB transend media. I keep getting "Write protected error" .

Can anyone tell this newbie how to "Write unprotect"? t-Thanks Danny- ???
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: spyder9 on October 26, 2006, 01:59:18 AM
Pull the SD card out of the H4 and put it in a USB SD card reader, then connect the card reader to your laptop, if it isn't already.  The card reader/sd card will show up as an external drive.  Right click on that drive, and then click "format".  After formatting, put the SD card back in the H4, and you should be good to go.

Which SD card do you have?
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: bozac26 on October 27, 2006, 04:58:30 PM
I have the ultra speed secure digital 4gb card by transend. Thanks for the help I will try it!

-Danny-
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: bozac26 on November 03, 2006, 02:59:29 AM
4GB card formats great after changing the tiny slider button to un-protect. Thanks to Yi Ding my process Eng who has a PHD in Physics . Goddamit I hate you!
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: mnr102 on November 27, 2006, 10:41:57 AM
According to the manual shipped w/ my H4, it's firmware only works w/ a maximum of 2GB cards.  If you have the same firmware, AND it recognized a 4GB card & kept recording, that seems pretty lucky.
Title: Re: Zoom H4: Weirdness at the 2GB file limit?
Post by: WiFiJeff on November 27, 2006, 10:58:45 AM
According to the manual shipped w/ my H4, it's firmware only works w/ a maximum of 2GB cards.  If you have the same firmware, AND it recognized a 4GB card & kept recording, that seems pretty lucky.

Nothing like luck.  The R9 also was supposed to be limited to 2GB before the recent firmware upgrade, and people got it to run Transcend 4GB cards continuously as one big file, same need to reformat on the computer.  That's what the H4 does, I'm now hoping for a firmware upgrade so it can use SDHC cards 4GB and bigger, but that's not a sure thing by any means.

Jeff