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Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder: Turn Up the Volume

Fame?

My brother is a musician. He’s not bad, but he has ambition and drive. What he doesn’t have is money. And to really make a great recording you need studio time, which is super expensive. He is convinced that if he and his band can make a good enough recording, they can “break into” the business… whatever that means. For now, he and the guys are booking graduation parties and saving for that studio time. Studios cost between $30 and $150 an hour around here. And to record a song could take ten hours or so to get all the sound right. They’ve been pretty bummed because that is a lot of money to save up. Then I found him the Zoom H4n.

Research

I like to research. This may make me weird, but it’s true. I started looking for ways for my brother and his band to a get a professional sound without actually having to shell out thousands of dollars for studio time. I found that there are portable digital recorders out there that actually record with professional quality. Now, I’m no sucker. I know a sales pitch when I hear one, so I dug deeper. And deeper. And a little tiny bit deeper. And then I set my sights on the Zoom H4n.

Confusion and Features

First off, my brother didn’t believe that I had found anything. Secondly, I don’t really understand all the audio jargon used in the research. Here’s what I DO know. It has:

  • Unique X/Y mic arrangement is on an axis that is equal from the sound source so it gets the stereo sound perfectly.
  • Versatile condenser mics
  • High resolution 24 bit/96-kHz linear PCM recording
  • Uses SD and SDHC cards for secure storage
  • Preamplified audio
  • Phrase trainer with speed control playback
  • Low cut filter and limiter
  • Stamina mode for battery life extension to 11 hours
  • Four channels
  • Automatic recording setting
  • Pre-record feature
  • Audio edit without computer
  • Versatile options for playback
  • Broadcast ready with time stamp and track markers
  • Monaural mix function for interviews
  • Mid-side stereo decoder
  • Four track MTR mode
  • Musician friendly tools
  • Large display
  • USB 2.0 Hi-Speed for fast file transfer
  • Power from battery, AC adapter, or USB bus power
  • All the accessories included

Admission

I have no clue what most of that means. Let me try to explain as best I can. I’ve done a little research J and found that basically the X/Y mic thing means that stereo recording sounds natural because both mics are equidistant from the source of the sound. The condenser mics allow users to set the recording area from 90° to 120° for narrow or wide-angle recording so whether you have two or ten band members, you can record them all. The SD thing is all about securing your music and saving it. Preamplifier makes the audio more precise. The phrase trainer is basically an adjustable payback speed that maintains pitch. The low-cut filter keeps out background noise. Stamina mode increases battery life for continuous recording for extended periods of time. How am I doing so far?

Okay, the four channels give more depth and clarity to the sound. The automatic recording is an option to autorecord whenever the sound is above a designated level. This minimizes blank sections. Pre-record can be set to record the most recent two seconds of audio in the memory. Audio editing without a computer can be done right on the H4n. Playback has several features including the ability to zoom in on a specific section of the recording. Time stamping and track markers are for broadcasting. Monaural mix is for recording interviews. Mid-side stereo decoder does something that converts channels and I don’t understand it so maybe you can figure it out or ask my brother.

The MTR mode allows 2 track recording and 4 track playback which must make sense somewhere in the universe. The musician friendly tools explain thoroughly why I am not a musician and don’t understand this in the least.  A large display would seem self-explanatory, wouldn’t it? And faster file transfer is what digital life is all about. Multiple power sources mean you never have to quit because the batteries died, so that excuse is out. And accessories….

Accessories

  • Zoom H4n digital voice recorder
  • 1GB SD Memory Card
  • Wind Screen
  • Mic Clip Adaptor
  • AC Adaptor
  • USB Cable
  • Protective Case

Specifications

Okay, I hope that word made you laugh, because after trying to list the features, there’s no way I can even think of listing things like WAV Quantization: 16/24 bit without falling off my chair laughing. If you speak tech and want to know, because there are a gazillion specs for each mode (stereo, 4CH, MTR, STAMINA, Common) go to the Zoom website and read. The font is set at about a 2.3 so it all fits on one page. Go ahead. I dare you.

Different Research

As much as I like to research, I also like to find out what real people who have used a product think of it. The Zoom H4n rates 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is really good. And I’m assuming these people are probably, y’know, musicians and stuff so they know what it’s all about. One reviewer did a video comparison of a few different combinations of recording equipment. It is pretty amazing. The H4n makes the audio sound gorgeous and really captures the sound well. That’s kind of the consensus among the “yay” reviews. The “ew” reviews were more of the “I don’t know what’s going on and I’m not sure how to use tech support” variety.

Oh, Brother

I pushed up my glasses, gathered my research, and took it to my brother and his band. After the requisite eye rolling, they actually looked at the information I had and listened to what I was saying. They even understood some of the technical stuff and graphs and charts. When they saw that the price was really reasonable, they were hooked. It was a small investment to try it out.

We’ll See

The guys got their Zoom H4n digital voice recorder today. They haven’t stopped playing with it for the past 4 hours, which is awesome because I can watch what I want to on TV and not have to fight my brother for the remote. The sounds from the garage are pretty exciting. Voices yelling, singing, high-fives. Maybe I should go see if they need me to play tambourine.

Where Can You Buy the Zoom H4n?

You can buy this Zoom H4n from Amazon. At the moment they include free shipping and from what I can tell when comparing prices with other online merchants, Amazon do currently have the best deal especially with the free shipping option. Click here to view on Amazon.

Where Can You Read More Reviews for the Zoom H4n?

The best place for reviews from people who actually use the product is Amazon. Click here to read more.