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

[rastasean]

Hi Peter,

Greatly appreciate the video and audio demonstration. That's a small little puppy, looks like the length of the Sony A10 but the screen looks smaller.
Since people here are talking about the deity battery cover door, how is the door on this recorder? Looks pretty sturdy in the video.

I'm afraid I heard a little of what I'm assuming is RF interference starting about here and getting louder later on: https://youtu.be/u-uYC7cIbR4?feature=shared&t=804

It mostly seems to be on the left channel. Are you able to hear it? Would you be able to do with Curtis Judd does and wave your phone around the recorder and mics while its in use (making a call)? If i recall correctly, I think the Zoom m4 recorders or something had a similar problem with RF sounds.

[AbbyTaper]

Man, that thing really is tiny!  Nice to see another taper in my age range!   

[Ozpeter]

Hi Peter

I'm afraid I heard a little of what I'm assuming is RF interference starting about here and getting louder later on: https://youtu.be/u-uYC7cIbR4?feature=shared&t=804

Thanks, yes, now that you mention it, indeed there is a tone audible in that section (actually starts earlier than the point you identified).  I am now at the other house which lacks most things technical - the only way I could play the video using headphones was via a Quest 3 VR headset I brought with me! - so I may not be able to test further for a couple of days.  But I do have the new toy with me, with the Superlux mics, and if I can crank up the playback to a seriously loud level by normalising in device, I will see what I can hear, having recorded with my phone beside me.  I don't think it was very close during the test.  It is possible the noise was the fridge or something of that sort... we'll see.

Yes, the door does seem to be sturdy and shuts positively.  I did mention that as a plus point earlier, in other words, it was good enough to deserve a mention.

[Ozpeter]

Man, that thing really is tiny!  Nice to see another taper in my age range!   

That is the problem with being our age.  The girls say what you just said... 

[Ozpeter]

Well, given the choice between testing the H1 XLR again and sweeping the yard, I chose the former option.  I connected the Superlux stereo mic to the recorder in the quietest room in this suruban house, and recorded about a minute of 'silent' audio.  Part way through I fetched my phone from across the room, and sat the recorder right on top of it, with the phone screen on.  Immediately I could hear rapid ticks, but not any kind of tone.  As soon as I put the phone in my pocket with the screen off, there was nothing at all.  I'd say this would not be a problem, unless the user reallly, really wants to have their phone under the recorder... Also I could not hear any tone, nor any of the rumble I got with the Sennheiser mics when hand held.  The Superlux was just laid on a bed, untouched.

I get the feeling that the headphone output on this device is more powerful than most.  Turned fully up there really was little need to normalise the 'silent' recording - it was plenty loud enough 'out of the box'.  I did that anyway just to be sure.  That resulted in a level which almost damaged my ears when I reached the place when I had very softly whispered that the phone had been placed beneath the recorder.  In due course I will upload a  test of that kind but right now I don't have the means to do so here.  I really would like younger ears to confirm that the system noise is so low as to be of no consequence at all for any kind of music recording.  Or speech for that matter. 

[AbbyTaper]

Man, that thing really is tiny!  Nice to see another taper in my age range!   

That is the problem with being our age.  The girls say what you just said... 

Hilarious!

[Ozpeter]

Just adding that tonight in the quiet early hours of the morning I did some tests in the house and garden with the Superlux S502 and could identify no adverse noise issues.  I had my phone in my pocket.  I even did the "under the pillow on the bed" test and heard nothing suspicious even when normalised.  At the end of that test I dropped a cotton earbud onto the pillow from about 2 feet up, and the resulting highly amplified thump almost made me jump!  Yes, you can get quieter recorders but for my likely uses there would be no point. 

[rastasean]

Thanks for all the testing you've been able to do in your limited time.

some questions...
When you're doing the listening of the recordings, is it via headphones on the recorder, or are you copying the files over to your computer?
I didn't see see a speaker on the recorder, does it have one? IME, most of the small speakers are impractical anyway.
When the hold/lock is engaged, I'm assuming all button controls are locked out?
When you copy the files over to your computer, was it a fast transfer or slow? The Tascam FR-AV2 has usb-C connection but internally it's usb2 speeds, so transfers are slower.

Happy to hear you didn't detect any more RF sounds. And yes, the video you posted seemed to have clean audio and no hiss. I had headphones on and volume all the way up.

[Ozpeter]

To answer those questions -

I have made recordings so far using the Sennheiser MS rig and a Superlux S502.  I have only played the S502 recordings using the H1 XLR headphone output (as that was the only option at the time and place).  The headphone output seems subjectively to be more powerful than normal.  I have not used the tiny built in speaker yet.  I would expect it to show that there was something on the recording but otherwise its use would be limited.  But yes, I should try it and I will.  The MS recording won't decode on the device so I loaded that into Reaper and used Voxengo MSED VST on the track, then listened through headphones from the PC.

As memory serves me from two days ago (!) I transferred the audio by taking out the card.  I think the USB output is specified as standard rather than fast.  The door to the card slot on the device inspires confidence that it won't wear out fast with frequent use.  A sidenote - when I started making the video itself with my DJI Pocket 3, I got card write error messages on that device which I fixed by taking out the card and putting it back.  It hadn't been used for two or three weeks.  That makes me wonder whether it can actually assist card functionality if it is taken out and reinserted from time to time, rather than doing USB transfers.  Guesswork I admit.

Yes, hold is the usual full lock - but does it lock the "mark" button?  I will check.

[Ozpeter]

Meanwhile, Curtis Judd has published a YouTube comparative review of the F3 vs the H1 XLR.  It really makes me angry.  The review is substantially based on noise measurements taken in a studio environment, which is not where 99% of users will be using the devices (field recorders).  The review does not, as far as I can see, include a single sample from either recorder.  In my real-world tests, self noise is not a practical issue.  Why on earth would he publish a review where he does not allow viewers to make up their own minds based on actual recordings?  I would lay money that if he had uploaded comparative samples from the two recorders without identifying which was which, very few people would have got the answer right. 

Sadly the review has received thousands of views, and many of the comments are scathing about the H1 XLR, based on what they have just been told.  No, it is not the world's best recorder.  Yes, the F3 at twice the price (usually) is, on paper at least, the better device.  But I would be sad if people now didn't buy the H1 XLR who might actually have been perfectly happy with it as a device whose capabilities are perfectly adequate for most whose budgets don'r extend to more expensive kit. 

[rastasean]

Curtis also had this live stream today regarding the recorder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ8kJxUPMlk

differences with F3:
no timecode sync
all plastic body
lower price
different form factor
has 3.5mm input (f3 does not)
shared headphone/line output (f3 has one of each)
cleaner pre-amps in f3

[Ozpeter]

Correction to my previous post - it has been pointed out to me that the entire review posted by Curtis Judd was recorded on the H1 XLR.

I apologised to him for not understanding that, which in fact he stated clearly at the start of the video... oops. I also typed up a lot of stuff related to noise floors in general with reference to the Avisoft site, but my comment has not appeared for some reason.  But having revived my knowledge of that site, I plan to make a new topic related to it here.  Shortly, I hope.  But first I will rewatch the Curtis Judd video, wearing headphones, and see if I can hear the noise that makes him not recommend this device.

[rastasean]

I don't hear a lot of self noise in his video. He doesn't have a lot of pregnant pauses for me to distinguish from self noise or room noise in his recording.

I will agree that it's really strange you CANNOT adjust the fader while recording. I seem to recall reading the zoom f3 is like that as well. At least with the tascam fr-av2 you're able to adjust it.

Please let me know if you hear any of the self noise!

[Ozpeter]

I couldn't hear any self noise in his video either.  He suggested comparing this video with his earlier one where he used a different mic, which to me is not a level playing field comparison.  I cannot believe that even in a commercial environment that a client would complain. 

I do understand the concept of wanting the best, even if it makes no actual difference, but no way would I make a purchasing decision based on self noise when comparing this one with the F3.  Yes, the F3 is better on noise, on paper, but with a real world field recording any self noise would be totally swamped by background location noise.  And for taping gigs from the tapers section, the F3 would be no better when it comes to audible noise.  Of course there are many other factors when making the choice.  But I'd start with.... the price!

[Ozpeter]

some questions...

When the hold/lock is engaged, I'm assuming all button controls are locked out?

The hold switch locks all the buttons on the top panel, including the mark button (not ideal but nevermind).  It does not lock the mic/line buttons for the XLR inputs, so in theory you could stuff up a recording by accidentally moving one of those switches.