Zoom H4 user reviews ( 6/10) - 50 user reviews

• 09/12/11

  yoTrakkz's review

  Overall Opinion

  The Zoom H-4 is a handy little recorder, I have been using it for about 6 months now after I was on my search for the perfect pocket on the go recorder. I must say I love this recorder, I came across it while looking in my guitar center magazine so I went to the store and bought it. I do a lot of sampling of almost anything you can think of. I take this everywhere with me , I mean everywhere! If there is something I want to record really fast I can pull it out and get it in really great quality.
  
  
  
  With the quality that it produces you will get studio ready sounds. You can import the sounds into your computer several ways, I just load it right into my sampler and go from there depending on what I want to do with what I just recorded. I have even used it to record some live instruments on the go, someone else might be playing an instrument that I don’t know how to play or don’t have access to. I well tell them what I want them to play and record with this, take it right back and put it on my project and there it is. A perfectly recorded live instrument.
  
  
  
  I have used several hand held recorders throughout the years especially when I was interning at the radio station and had to go out and record some interviews and live audio with the recorders they provided. Those recorders cant compete at all with the Zoom H 4, this recorder out shined anything I have ever used. The price is pretty high for this recorder but you are paying for a great quality so its worth it. If you are in need of a pocket recorder with great quality, purchase this one.
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• 02/09/09

  Howiegeo's review

  Overall Opinion

  I have been using the Zoom H-4 for a year now.
  
  Its excellent as a handy recorder to capture gigs, jams , song ideas and very basic demos.
  
  I like the convenience of its MP3 recording mode , to simply drag and drop lengthly recordings into the PC already compressed. The WAV mode makes higher quality recordings which are obviously much bigger files and use up the memory card quickly.
  
  The two built in condenser mics do give very good results just by pointing at the sound source.
  
  What I don't like is its lack of user friendliness , the functions seem un-logical and frustrating.I found it difficult and time consuming to use in multi track mode, for one thing the screen being very small and navigation around the features is slow, though I must admit that I'm just a musician and limited in the technical aspect.
  
  The solution is just to use it as a mic and interface for the PC using Cubase which is bundled.
  
  The feel of it overall is quite cheap and there are some obvious design flaws like the screen being upside when you are recording yourself.
  
  The 200 GB pound price tag makes it good value as it boasts more feaures than its rivals,which is why I bought it, but I would prefer less features with better quality and easier to use functions.
  
  The H4 is limited to being a useful amateur tool rather than the pocket multi track studio
  
  it claims to be.
  
  If I needed to replace it I would pay more for another brand.
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• 04/01/08

  Drummerguy's review

  Overall Opinion

  Whoh- this thing is pretty amazing.
  
  
  
  If you're looking for an affordable field recorder- this sucker is where its at. It records directly to .wav or mp3 so you can dump the files directly onto your computer and tinker with them. It features two great condenser mics for left and right stereo recordings and does very well just dropped in a room.
  
  
  
  I've recorded many, many live shows with the H4, both for myself and for others and have very rarely been disappointed with the results. There are adjustable gain levels for the built in mics as well as a built in EQ function.
  
  
  
  If you're an amateur home studio type then you're in luck- the H4 also has two combo XLR / 0.25 inch mic inputs for you to hook up your own mics. Run this via the enclosed USB chord to your computer with the cubase that comes bundled with it and you've got your own portable home studio (especially if you've got a laptop!).
  
  
  
  One very important thing to note however, is that its difficult to surpass the 'extremely good field recording' and reach the actual 'studio quality' recordings because of one fatal flaw of the H4. Its marketed as a 'four track mixer' but in fact only has two inputs (each that can take EITHER an XLR cable or ¼ inch input, but not both at the same time). This makes close micing fairly impossible if not merely improbable. More so- each mic records only to the Left or the Right channel, respectively, so that what ever is going in one mic is going in the right headphone and whatever is going in second mic is going in the Left. If you know your way around some digital editing software (like cubase, or audacity) than this can be overcome by splitting stereo tracks into two independent mono tracks- but that still means that at most you've only got two tracks you can record to at any one time.
  
  
  
  For the money however, there is no better tool than the H4 for field recording and amateur portable home studio use.
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• 12/26/11

  Maytouk's review ( translated ) Improve this translation " Convenient and portable"

  Overall Opinion

  Purchased without instructions, without a map and without adaptateur.Ce explains the price.
  
  Practice records trs well, better than in gnral Tascam. We just have to position the machine. Can be used also to play the guitar with headphones because it has simus amp and effects Intgr.
  
  
  
  The +
  
  
  
  Practice
  
  Quality check
  
  
  
  The -
  
  
  
  Small Screen
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• 10/25/11

  louinico's review ( translated ) Improve this translation

  Overall Opinion

  How long have you use it?
  
  
  
  -> About 2 years.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  What is so special that you love the most, least?
  
  
  
  -> The records are of good quality, there are many presets that allow you to play guitar with headphones on a trip, etc ...
  
  
  
  -> You have to spend some time on the record to know how to use (it is also a little logic to the placement of microphones), it seems fragile (very light, but in the end he has never fallen failure), the microphones are too sensitive despite the three sensitivity level possible.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Have you tried many other models before buying it?
  
  
  
  -> No
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  How would you rate the quality / price?
  
  
  
  -> Really good, the price is low compared to other device of this kind, it is less convenient but you can get good results if one takes a bit of trouble. Comes with Cubase LE4.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  With experience, you do again this choice?
  
  
  
  -> Yes, the multi-track recording is very complicated to use to register a group, make a model, etc ... However, the Zoom H4 is handy for recording Repeat ', concerts, etc ... with a quality that identifies defects in the game and to improve. In the end it is cheap and it makes good service.
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• 10/04/11

  paradies's review ( translated ) Improve this translation " Too much or not enough ..."

  Overall Opinion

  I occasionally use the aid for the interview.
  
  
  
  J likes the concept of compact digital recorder without mechanical support (read dat, MD etc.)
  
  J not at all like the tiny screen and unreadable, the management of four tracks, the navigation menu ....
  
  ten been the interest of a machine of this field to go fast chopper sound, then he must go into menus in tiny, illegible in the dark.
  
  
  
  J gave it up to use the recording via input 3 and 4, which is however that for which j had advised that at the expense of H2 h4 (like to set the output of a console to get the front ...)
  
  
  
  Adjust the level of registration efait s by a small button "L / M / H" no finesse, unusable for the sound.
  
  
  
  In fact a force to want to make tons, the H4 does nothing very well. I have never used his catch.
  
  
  
  H1 simply prefer him at least, or else a true digital recorder if the need justifies the H4 is bastard and you might crash ...
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• 09/20/10

  clyde51's review ( translated ) Improve this translation " practical and comprehensive"

  Overall Opinion

  I use it for 2 years and this is my first digital recorder.
  
  It is comprehensive, practical for an amateur. The quality is there and then there's a good range of effective and effi + well. A small UP: the screen lacks clarity in certain cases.
  
  Otherwise everything is said.
  
  Namely that in late June (30) 2010.1 months before the end of warranty, you can not enter the 4-track mode. So I returned Thomann making clear the fault and that seemed very simple to explain and understand.
  
  July 30 (one month later) I get the H4 repaired. Error! Still the same problem, they understood nothing. So I took the lead by email with a matching French who tried to help me out by Successive messages.
  
  Finally she asked me after 10 days, so on August 9, send me the beast. Finally I received it on September 14 and there they found the problem and it rolls. So 2 ½ months of waiting! I have not thanked.
  
  Otherwise I do a good job with, anyway.
  
  If I will have to change the H4n, but it is still a bit expensive and I'm in no hurry.
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• 03/21/10

  MicMicMan's review ( translated ) Improve this translation

  Overall Opinion

  It has now been a year since I bought this and I use it quite intensively. 
  
  I had the opportunity to use a Boss BR600, which is not really the same hardware as it is more a "mobile studio," with 2 stereo microphones.
  
  
  
  The pros:
  
  - The 2 inputs have phantom power, while the preamps are accurate and capable of handling almost any level of input, as the gain selector has 3 positions.
  
  - You have the ability to connect the sound card using ASIO drivers, with all the benefits that that entails: power only over USB, use of built-in effects, and instantaneous monitoring of the track that plays ...
  
  - The complete autonomy to record whatever the situation is, regardless of the volume: on battery, mains, and you can register and get a decent result ...
  
  - Simple file transfer
  
  - The ability to change the SD card...
  
  - The possibility of using a click...
  
  
  
  The 'bof':
  
  - The XY microphones are pretty accurate, but nothing more. Their main problem is they are very sensitive to vibrations of the chassis. If you can properly isolate the H4, one can obtain accurate recordings, even very good results on acoustic instruments like piano, guitar or violin, but it's very difficult to obtain.
  
  - Built-in effects ... It does the job but it's not pretty. I sometimes use the effects to record an electric guitar, using an amp modeler, and it is not a better result than getting the sound naturally. The quality of the effects are difficult to compare with that of multi-effects for guitar (the G9), from the same brand though. It works well for what I use it for...
  
  
  
  The cons:
  
  - Only a 2 GB maximum memory card, which hard to remove by the way, it fills up quickly.
  
  - The interface is rather inconvenient and not always very intuitive to record in stereo.
  
  - No real audio output, apart from the line-out and headphone output, which is a mini-jack. It's impractical to have a monitor other than headphones with this, which is a shame.
  
  - It's absolutely not a mobile studio. It is better to forget the idea of ​​using this 4-track to create a semblance of production independently, as it can be done better with the Boss BR600. You can not really fail to track better with this, and apply effects in post production.
  
  In the end, it's still a convenient, versatile and well designed overall. I carry around with me. But it has its limits ...
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• 12/21/09

  8oris's review ( translated ) Improve this translation

  Overall Opinion

  <ul class="ul">
  
  
  
  For how long have you been using it?
  
  
  
  </ul>
  
  
  
  6 months. Sold since.
  
  <ul class="ul">
  
  
  
  What thing do you like most/least about it?
  
  
  
  </ul>
  
  
  
  <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Most:</span>
  
  PortabilitéQualité recording without microphones (using the audio input)
  
  Sound quality
  
  Number of Full connectivity functions
  
  PricesThe medium (SD)
  
  <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Minimum:</span>
  
  Navigation
  
  Quality recording with microphones
  
  
  
  <ul class="ul">
  
  
  
  Did you try many other models before getting this one?
  
  
  
  </ul>
  
  
  
  No, I got a Boss BR-600 but nothing to see.
  
  <ul class="ul">
  
  
  
  What is your opinion about the value for the price?
  
  
  
  </ul>
  
  
  
  Very good to Excellent. The number of functions / settings, the sound quality, connectivity.
  
  .
  
  <ul class="ul">
  
  
  
  Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? ...
  
  
  
  </ul>
  
  
  
  No. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">BALANCE:</span>
  
  
  
  In fact, I wanted a device that allows me:
  
  <ol>
  
  
  
  record repetitions easily
  
  
  
  to have a portable system to play at my parents (without "material" other than a guitar
  
  
  
  </ol> For this second point, no worries, the H4 is complete and is to be a great tool. The sounds are effective even if it seems unthinkable to me to produce a full track by not passing by the H4. Metal, Rock, Pop, Acoustic, and there's something for everyone.
  
  The settings are not very intuitive, but we found it with the guide Quick.
  
  
  
  In terms of recording using microphones, I found the final result very average. The offering is obviously paramount, but the camera is very (too) sensitive to such an extent that captures everything, and because it takes is a little tricky. Must surely take time, try and try again, perhaps with other mics, but unfortunately I do not want to spend (waste?) This time. I expected something more "Start & Rec ...
  
  In short, in terms of podcasts, recordings of concerts, I have not tested, but to use "quick" in Repeat 'is a bit in my misery, or it takes a good time of "Positioning" ...
  
  At that price, it's still a very good material ... 6 / 10 for me.
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• 09/11/09

  Phi lou 1's review ( translated ) Improve this translation

  Overall Opinion

  <img class="smiley" src="http://fr.audiofanzine.com/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt="sad" /> I utils about 4 years before a Tascam j'ultilisais DAP1 (DAT). The H4 is very easy to use, it takes up little space, the rendering is excellent but it is fragile. It is expensive and when it breaks down once a guarantee is not Exceeds rparable (according to the seller). After a few years of service, for no apparent reason, he will not turn on. I changed the batteries, used AC power, connected to the PC but its more than image and APRS what the salesman told me I had bought o does not have rpar! I am green!
  
  
  
  10/10 for use, 0 / 10 for reliability!
  
  
  
  I get out my Tascam!
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