RGAlix « Great performances, but lack of ergonomics »
Published on 03/02/16 at 10:50
Best value:
Excellent
Audience:
Anyone
Pros
The H5 is super powerful; great built-in mics, great preamps, and the gain control knobs are a great step up from the H4n.
I highly recommend it, it offers a great quality and can be used in almost any situation.
Cons
The only concerns that I have are about ergonomics. My main issue is about powering it; on batteries, it doesn't last long at all when phantom powering an external mic. And the only option to plug it to a power source is using the mini-USB port. This is a shame, because it can be very easily get unplugged, either when moving the Zoom around, or because of the weight of an USB/AC power adapter + extension cord.
My workaround
I have found a way to power the Zoom that keeps things easy and handy; through power banks. They are cheap, lightweight and last forever (even when using phantom power). Here is a little explanation : http://rgalix.com/audio/power.png
The H5 is super powerful; great built-in mics, great preamps, and the gain control knobs are a great step up from the H4n.
I highly recommend it, it offers a great quality and can be used in almost any situation.
Cons
The only concerns that I have are about ergonomics. My main issue is about powering it; on batteries, it doesn't last long at all when phantom powering an external mic. And the only option to plug it to a power source is using the mini-USB port. This is a shame, because it can be very easily get unplugged, either when moving the Zoom around, or because of the weight of an USB/AC power adapter + extension cord.
My workaround
I have found a way to power the Zoom that keeps things easy and handy; through power banks. They are cheap, lightweight and last forever (even when using phantom power). Here is a little explanation : http://rgalix.com/audio/power.png