Item Reviews for:
Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder  -  ZOO H4N LIST
A Great Workhorse!
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Ron E. Dee from N. Prov. RI
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Very well made. Again, it could use a little more protection around the plastic mics. And a better carrying case... the compromise ok by me for a great sound, and reachable price. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Definitely the 4 track simul-recording! The only feature I would add is a metal bar over the built-in mics. I had one pop off on me when taking a light blow from a tri-pod. Fortunately it didn't require an expensive repair. Also, the plastic cases with [both, I have 2!] of my H4n's are not good protectors, and the latches spring open unexpectedly from time-to-time. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? I agree with most that say it's a bit complicated getting started...but if you use it frequently you'll zip through the settings and controls. Sound How is its Tone? As stated by me and others who own this product, it's just great compared to anything in the price range! I shoot video and use (2)H4's on mic stands in corners of the rooms, and just let them run all night in stamina mode. I get a feed from the board, and use my camera mic. I then striped them all down in a my editing software, and have fun getting an incredible sound that rivals some of the best concert footage I've ever listened to! I also have a few originals bands that I play guitar with, and we record EVERYTHING!! I've made pro-sounding, finished CD's from casual jam sessions using the H4n, and my editing/mastering sw! Just an awesome tool to have! Don't hesitate to buy one for work or play. You'll LOVE IT! Reliability How has it stood up over time? FIRST OFF....WHY are people writing a review here that haven't used the product but for a week??!! That's just ludicris. I've owned my first H4Nn for a year, I picked up a second H4n a few months ago. Except for the bump I had mentioned earlier, both units have performed perfectly ...and indeed have survived falls on "concrete" to the bodies only. The built-in plastic mics will break with a direct hit. I tape the windscreens on [needed or not] for added physical protection. Overall Your general opinion of this product. For the dough?! There's NOTHING that can compete with the sound quailty and versatility of these units! My only complaint is with the over-ladden, feature fest. Most users will never use the effects, or tuner... and metronome?!
This took my production to another level
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Dark South Records Inc from Atlanta GA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? It wont survive mant drops on concrete, but its ok Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Has all the features a musician or film producer will need. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Very easy to use Sound How is its Tone? Very clear sound Reliability How has it stood up over time? Always gets the job done Overall Your general opinion of this product. This is a great product
Great recorder
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rene hall from washington, d.c.
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Yes. 1/4" are tight maybe too tight. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? portable four track What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Display, controls, and menu. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Very easy to use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Very easy Sound How is its Tone? Good sound How is its Tone? great Reliability How has it stood up over time? very well How has it stood up over time? Just got it. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Excellent Your general opinion of this product. I love it
Enjoying my new zoom
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42filmrocks from Houston, TX USA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Yes. I just wish for a flexible pouch to clip on my belt. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? The best is that it is a 4 channel recorder so I have many options. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? This is an easy product. I used it with a ntg-2 and I really liked the recording. Sound How is its Tone? Good, just lower the volume and put the wind cover on and its cool. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Haven't had it that long. So I don't know but will let you know someday. Overall Your general opinion of this product. This is a very good product. I like it.
Takes a lickin and keeps on...
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Video Guy from La,ca
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Good, would love to see a bit more protection over the elements and a easier to fit foam cover. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Manual requires a bit of study as it has A lot of functionality, also update the firmware as the company seems responsive to glitches via updates. would love to see the next model be about 30 percent smaller and lighter to be useful as capture device for a lav mic capture device, or a shoe mount for a SLR/video camera mount (see H-1 for that). A wireless remote would be awesome as well, though the wired is nice for most applications. Has a mono mode for "shotgun" quality. Love the adjustable 90/120 degree heads! Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? I have had this fine contraption for just over 2 years and have recorded hundreds of hours of audio with it, mostly as a sermon recorder for pro videos, works wonderfully as a very live stereo capture, and very good for small acoustic bands/vocals. Sound How is its Tone? Luscious live sweetness. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Solid performer Overall Your general opinion of this product. Good value, Bought it from AMS, great customer service! Great product!
Simply Amazing!
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Russell Foust Jr from Carlisle Pa USA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Seems to be very well made and has been very dependable regarding recording setup and off loads. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Recording is a snap and to create/off load MP3's to a PC is done in a blink of an eye. Very, very simple to use. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? The H4N is intuitive and simple to use and one of the best purchases I've been in regard to recording devices. Sound How is its Tone? The resulting wave or MP3 sound quality is outstanding! Reliability How has it stood up over time? So far so good. I have only had the product for a few weeks. However, as a musican, turning on the H4N and hooking up mics in a snap gives me the freedom to work on my songs, not spend creative time figuring out how to hookup mics or get the recorder to function! Overall Your general opinion of this product. Zoom H4N rocks! Wow, GREAT sound quality of the generated Wave and MP3's. Play back sound quality on the device itself is ok, but is to be expected due to the speaker size. The H4N easily allows external mic hookup giving the recorder the ability to have a terrific overhead type recording. The internal mics pick up every little detail. With the addition of two external mics, you've got an excellent sound quality recording! And to then move the recording to a PC as either a wave or MP3...oh my....so easy and extremely quick!
Great Recorder
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Sonic from USA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Yes. 1/4" are tight maybe too tight. Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Display, controls, and menu. What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? portable four track Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Very easy How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Very easy to use Sound How is its Tone? Good sound How is its Tone? great Reliability How has it stood up over time? very well How has it stood up over time? Just got it. Overall Your general opinion of this product. I love it Your general opinion of this product. Excellent
Most useful audio tool
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MSepello from Sherburne, NY, USA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? No complaints whatesoever with the build quality, dependability, or features of this product and highly recommend it. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? It's really hard to pick this unit's "best feature" because it does so many thing well. If I'm forced to pick one, I'll go with the sound quality from the built in mics. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? The manual is well written for this product and once you start playing around in the setting, you learn where to find things pretty quickly. Sound How is its Tone? Recordings come out crystal clear and I can count on it for professional use when filming commercials. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I have had no trouble at all with the build quality and it seems very solid. Overall Your general opinion of this product. I give this produc t the highest marks because I have used it in all sorts of environments and it has come through for me every time. I originally bought this as a location audio recorder for capturing voice with a shotgun mic and boom pole for TV and short film projects. It's great to be able to pop out the card and let the director just dump the files onto his/her laptop when the shoot is done. I've also used this as a 24bit audio interface when I've needed to do work outside the studio. I ran my Neumann TLm-49 into a Focusrite ISA One mic preamp and into the H4n which was the audio interface for my computer running Cubase 5. It worked perfectly and the commercial we were shooting came out sounding fantastic. It is also the best little recorder for capturing song ideas as my band is in the practice studio. It's so easy to set this up on a microphone stand and set the input level. The recordings come out clear as day! I can't think of anything I would like it to do better.
Hot Recorder!
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Smoothbassman from York, PA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Its pretty solid. Haven't had it that long so time will tell. I keep it in a hard SKB case when it's not in use and when Im transporting it. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Love the Multi track recording. As well as the ability to record a line in from an external analog device. Very clean recordings using 24 bit wave files. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? After the initial setup for your job. It is very easy to use. I wish that the menu button was on the front of the device along with the control wheel. It would make using the device much easier. Works very well with the wired remote control. Sound How is its Tone? Very natural sounding from the line-in. The pre-amp for the mics are very good. The onboard mics are crisp but just are just a tad bass heavy. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Only had it a month and it has worked every time I have needed it to. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Very nice recorder. I love the remote control and the sound quality. Love that you can plug this into your computer via USB and use it as an interface.
Awesome!
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J.G. from Madera
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Quality seem pretty solid.. It feels pretty sturdy. I would only worry about dropping it and having one of the mics break off, but it looks like if you take care of it, it'll last for years. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Too many features to list just one. I like that you can record 4 tracks simultaneously. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? It's easy to point and record straight away. Looks kind of complicated if you want to use all of the features. Sound How is its Tone? Sound quality is good using the onboard mics. My husband recorded himself playing an upright bass and you could hear all the notes and clicks very clearly. I haven't tried to mic anything or use a d.i. yet, but if the onboards are a clue, it should sound stellar. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I've only had it a month. Time will tell, but I own the Zoom H4 and it's lasted for about five years. This one looks to be built even better than the H4. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Looks cooler and sturdier than the original Zoom 4. Comes with Cubase software and a little plastic case to hold the Zoom H4n which I thought was pretty cool (the H4 didn't).
Great Tool
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Scredly from Providence, RI , USA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? I don't think it'll survive a drop onto concrete. Build quality meet or exceeds price. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? I love the 4-Ch mode. I take vocal only and instrument only sub group outs from the mixer to the line inputs and align in a DAW with the mic tracks to make excellent live board recordings. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Use is pretty straight forward. Sound How is its Tone? Excellent sound quality. Mic pres can be a little noisy if cranked. Reliability How has it stood up over time? So far, so good. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Excellent value.
Impressive little machine
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Bob from Oakdale,NY USA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? very good Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Having built in mikes AND 2 XLR & guitar jack inputs Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? learning curve not too steep, the manual could be clearer Sound How is its Tone? great Reliability How has it stood up over time? So far,so good.Too soon to tell,really. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Other than the inferior & difficult to install Cubase LE4 software included,I'm completely satisfied
Zoom H4n is worth the $
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Dmac1971 from Northeast, PA drummer
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Overall the unit seems quite sturdy and well built. I have read where people were reporting issues with the SD card door but I have had no problem with it. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? You cannot beat the touch and go recording once you get it set to where you need it. I run 2 XLR cables from my drum module into the XLR inputs on the H4n and it does exactly what I need. Then I simply take the SD card and download the recordings to my desktop. It is awesome! I also like the fact that you can attach it to a simple tripod for use. This works great set up within my drum kit. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? I only gave a three due to so much that can be done with the H4n. It takes a long time to get to know all of its fetaures. The rating isn't a put down at all. Just be prepared to put some time in to access all of its features. Sound How is its Tone? The sound overall is quite good. I have had no issues with my recordings. Of course its not the same as a high end mixing scenario but you will be pleasantly surprised with the sound quality. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Only have it a month so I really can't comment on this area yet but it does seem pretty durable. Just like any other piece of equipment. Take care of it and it should last you a long time. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Worth every penny for the features you get!
Great for the money
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Nick R. from Seattle, WA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Great product. Would, and have, recommended to friends. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Versatility... works for several situations. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Menus are a little bit of a pain, but once one memorizes them, it's a snap. Sound How is its Tone? Seems like the built in mics are adequate, if not "good," and use with external mics and sources is wonderful. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Seems that with normal use, it'll work great. Like the plastic case, simple but effective. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Very handy, high quality. Like it a lot.
A whole lot of pro in a little package!
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Danny from Uptown from land of liberty
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? absolutely! if you're on the fence, leap off! Buy it! Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? the xlr inputs were by far the biggest selling point for me. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? its pretty no brainer stuff, you should be up and running in a matter of minutes, but its always good to peruse the manual, although I never do. Sound How is its Tone? good for the price, it's not Sound Device or anything, but no complaints so far. Reliability How has it stood up over time? the jury is still out. Overall Your general opinion of this product. so far so good, this summer should be a good test of its durability as I have several shoots i'll be using this on, but with the solid build quality I'm not very concerned.
Zoom H4N
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Anthony G. - Drummer - Musician from Mission Viejo, CA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Indeed well made, good solid hard shell clam style case is included. A bit bulky but look at all that you get for the price. This unit is indeed jam packed. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? So many features to say which is the best. Perhaps the 96k/24 Bit recording. Sure, it uses up more disc space but what a differnce between recording in MP or 96/24 - Night and day. ALso the multi track bouncing feature - very cool. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? In order to obtain the max potential of this device you might need a bit of background in 4 track recording. Personally, I have limited knowledge her but am willing to explore. The manual is somewhat arcane and takes a bit of getting used to. Navigation wasn't as bad as some say. Like anything else, its awkward on 1st or 2nd use. It gets easier once you begin to memorize the navigation which is logical from a hierarchial standpoint Sound How is its Tone? There are several Limiter options. Be sure to check those out. Sound quality was quite good though in one of our songs the auto lmiiting feature started out too loud, then got lower then to normal. I re-EQ'd the WAV tracks with a bass frequency additive as it was a bit thin though sound was crisp. This could be also that our bassist was a bit low in volume. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Too new to say. Only flimsy part of the unti is the door that opens where the SD card gets inserted. Could have been better constructed. ALl else seems solid. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Highly recommended. Once we recorded our band rehearsal we then became the audience and were able to hear accurately our mistakes and where we needed improvement
Decent with exceptions
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Brian R. from Columbia, SC, USA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? So far this seems like a rock, really solid. But only had a short while.. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Mic in and guitar in (what I bought it for in the first place) seem fine and easy to use. The mounted stereo mics on the device record easily enough, but sounds like it's underwater (digital artifacts bigtime). That might be a setting error on my part (still trying to figure the manual out). Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Bought to use as easy to use USB guitar interface for my computer. Can't really say I'm the best one to rate this. Just got about 3 wks ago. So far very steep learning curve for an amateur such as I am, even though, would be easier to pick up if I spoke Japanese as a second language (broken English throughout the rather long-winded manual). A few months longer should tell me more about ease of use. Sound How is its Tone? Tinny mounted speaker is accurate, no distortion, but only a monitor for handheld, so don't expect bose sound. The recorded stuff played through another device seems ok to me, no complaints. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Only few weeks old, so far, so good. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Good solid device. Lots of features. In for long haul & I expect to work it all out once I have a better handle on how to use it.
A great machine!
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Robert L. Smith from New York City, NY USA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Feels like it is built very well Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Sound is beautiful. Like the ability to record with 4 inputs at one time. Only thing that is not perfect is the handling noise. Meaning set your levels and don't touch it if you want a clean recording. I plan on getting the remote control to get rid of this problem Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Very easy to use, though to be fair I'm a recording engineer Sound How is its Tone? Sound is great. I will be happy to use this in even pro sessions as an additional recording system Reliability How has it stood up over time? I've only had it for a month, so far so good. Overall Your general opinion of this product. So far I'm very happy with it. I needed an excellent quality recorder with tons of recording time and a USB connection so I can dump the files straight into my computer
Outstanding Recorder
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Roland Gaskin from North Augusta, SC
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Solid parts, nothing cheap at all. I use this product more that I use my top of the line gear. Gives me a solid recording all the time Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? The mic pres are solid. Use as a recorder, player, and to upload files to my computer. Use it with an 8gig flish card and gets well over 12 sermons recorded before having to empty the card Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? This product is so easy to use until I haven't read the manual since I purchased it 5 months ago Sound How is its Tone? Sound quality is crisp and clean. I really hesitated before purchasing this item, but the clean crisp sound make me glad that I made this purchase Reliability How has it stood up over time? Never have it once stop recording. Use it to record sermans at church and it delivers everytime Overall Your general opinion of this product. I was using the masterlink to record sermans at my church. I need something compact with excellent sound. The sound quality is just as good as my masterlink
Features!
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Dan Zimmerman from Minnesota
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Good quality aside from the amount of handling noise while holding the H4n Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? 4-channel recording, guitar simulator, metronome, tuner, audio interface, etc. The 4-channel possibility is the only reason I chose the H4n over the Sony PCM-D50 Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Ease of use is okay. Definitely don't look to the manual for help. Terrible translation to English makes it virtually unreadable. Sound How is its Tone? Haven't had a chance to compare my personal recordings with other similar equipment. Reliability How has it stood up over time? No problems so far. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Great product overall. Definitely worth the price. My personal sound effects library has been expanding dramatically with all the field recording I've been doing with the H4n.
small box-big sound
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stringbender from somewhere in northern Ohio
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? As far as the recorder, I wouldn't change a thing. My only complaint is the included CD that came with it. While it still loaded fine, it looks like somebody stepped on it. The bottom was all scratched up. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? I originally bought it to record my original music. But after seeing everything it can do, I use it for much more now. I take it with me and record all our gigs. You wouldn't believe how much you can learn from listening to your gigs. We are much better musicians because of this machine. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? It looks really intimidating, with all the features it has. But if you just learn one feature at a time, it's really quite easy to use. Alot of thought went into the design to make it user friendly. Sound How is its Tone? Better than CD quality, and I am very picky. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I've used it twice a week for about two months now. No problems yet. Overall Your general opinion of this product. This machine is worth every penny of what I paid for it. I would not hesitate to purchase it again, and highly recommend it to anyone who wants a top quality digital recorder.
Worst ever
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Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Its fragile. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? The 32 gig card is a good feature, but so far i've only used 8 gig cards. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? I've owned an Edirol and a small zoom recorder under 350 of far better sound quality...This one... the moment I used it I repented from buying it. First of all the wind is an annoyance if you record outside and happen to lose your wind screen your recorded material will sound like a storm even under soft wind. Right now the volume goes crazy,(uncontrolled),the ear phone is broken and zoom sent it back to me unrepaired after having it there for almost a month.... Id buy the new Marantz instead..in fact I'm saving for it. ZOOM CAN ONLY BUILD TOYS that break easily and can't even repair the damage. Sound How is its Tone? The cheap zoom (four hidden mics)worked far better (200$) Reliability How has it stood up over time? Broke first month. Overall Your general opinion of this product. It sucks.
IF I CAN USE IT, ANYBODY CAN
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Ramiro L Guzman from Walnut Creek CA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? It feels solid inyour hand. Not too heavy, not too light. It should very well withstrand the rigourous recording schedule that I have....24/7. The only thing the vulnearability of the built-in mics. Be carefull not to drop it or it won't be pretty. I hate to see grown men cry. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? WOW, where do I begin. For starters you can record a guitar and vocal with it built-in mics. Sweet sound. It has a four track mode and an MTP mode where you can layer tracks one at a time and bounce them anyway you want with absolutley no degradation in sound, unlike older 4 track machines. You can convert cassettes and LPs to CD quality tracks. If you are into documentaries you can press record and record the wind, trees and birds the way they were meant to be. For interviews, you can even hear the person talking breath! And I haven't even mentioned the bundled CUBASE LE software. This is a do-everything recorder. I probably won't use all it's features, but I'll be digging in deeper and keep you posted. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? Took it out of the box and started recording! I am currently using it in MTP (ultitrack mode). It took a little getting used to because on button has different uses, but it certainly isn't rocket science. I already have a few cd quality songs ready to e-mail to my publisher. In basic record mode even a kid can use it. In MTP it is a little more elaborate but not out of this worldy hard. I even edited a vocal patch that I tailored to my style of singing and saved it. Hey, I was used to the "old school" style. I had and old Tascam 4 track for demos. I was kind of skeptical, but now I am sold on this redorder. IF I CAN USE IT, ANYBODY CAN. Sound How is its Tone? I talked with my producer over the phone and told him I was sending some songs that I had in the can. He heard them over the phone when I was getting them together and asked "what studio are you renting? I mean,you don't have to spend all that money for demos.He almost fell out of his chair when I told him what I was using. He has been producing for 25 or thirty years and he has been in the best studios in Hollywood, Miami and Mexico City and it fooled him. He couldn't believe that this small thing was what I was using. Reliability How has it stood up over time? It is rubber coated on the outside which is why I decided to buy it over the original H4. The only thing I wish it had is a cover for the built-in mics. I cringe whenever imagine it falling down. I have had it for five days now, I haven't turned the thing off because when inspiration arrives it's got to be ready and it has not failed. Five straight...well six with today...of it working 24/6 and it is solid as a rock. Overall Your general opinion of this product. If you only buy one piece of equipment this year....this is it. The ease of use, the multi-task laden features, the portability, and last but not least the sweet sound of this machine is awesome. If you are a guitarists, singer, writer, producer, it even has a Karaoke feature for you Karaoke singers, if you are into documentaries, interviews, recording concerts or seminars, sampling, need something portable with great sound AND are on a budget, buy it with your eyes closed. You absolultly won't regret it.
The swiss army knife of audio recorders.
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Van L. from Santa Cruz
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Over all, the H4n is pretty solidly built. It seems to be a hybrid of a metal skeleton covered with a plastic grip material (Better than the H4, but I would have liked a more rubbery grip). The only cheap part of the H4n is the SD port cover. Very flimsy and feels like it could fall off at any moment. Also, the included windscreen is useless. If want to use the built-in mics, a third part softie is a must buy. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? The Zoom H4n pretty much has every feature you could want (4 channel recording, MP3 recording, XLR inputs, USB interface, Tuner, Metronome, the list is endless!) at the expense of the user interface. The menu is dubiously designed and the placement of the buttons isn't ideal. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? The H4n isn't as easy to use as some of it's competition (eg. the Edirol), but its easy enough to figure out basic recording without cracking open the manual. Sound How is its Tone? The built-in mics are surprisingly good quality. They work in both 120° and 90° modes. The only problem with the built in mics is their high susceptibility to handling noise. Plugging in an external mic fixes this. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Hasn't failed me. (Yet...) Overall Your general opinion of this product. Over all, the H4n is a good value. It's overly complicated due to all the extra features, but if you can live with that then I recommend it.
Great Value - Great Sound
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Bernie Parsons from So. California
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Well made and dependable Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? The product just arrived in the last week, but I would like an easy way to convert some 4-track reel to reel live recordings I made on my old TEAC so I can preserve them digitally - I think this may be the answer, but just in case. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? I had an earlier version of the Zoom (the H2) and loved the sound quality, portability, features and price of that unit. This adds a lot more features, a larger screen and ruggedness to that earlier version - Great value and sound! Sound How is its Tone? Excellent Reliability How has it stood up over time? This seems much better built than earlier incarnations - doing well and I also bought the road case for this one. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Great product - everyone is very impressed with the size, ease of use and the amazing quality of the recordings. The new, larger capacity are very welcome for live shows, etc.
Great for those of us who hate complicated recording set-ups!
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NR Jeffery (LadyFingers) from Tampa, FL USA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? I purchased the entire package, carrying case with remote, and headphones. The unit itself is rubberized to prevent slipping. I like that, It can also be mounted on a mic stand. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Since I haven't used many features, I can only talk about how easy it is to just turn on and record.....and it's EASY!! I would add the features of the Q3 so I wouldn't have to buy it now!!! (just kidding!) Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? So far, I've only used it to record in stereo mode, and it's SO simple, and sounds great! I intend to explore the other modes next. Anxious to use the comp limit function, and others. Recorded a gig over the weekend, and it sounds GREAT! Sound How is its Tone? Amazing......When I listened to my first recording thru the built in speaker, I wasn't happy, but when I put on the headphones.......wonderful!! Reliability How has it stood up over time? Still new. Overall Your general opinion of this product. I love it!!
great box
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calaverasgrande from Oakland CA
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? seems well made. Though I wish they had placed the buttons better. I wish it was smaller though and had less buttons. I also wish it did not suffer so badly from handling noise. You really can not do anything while it is recording. If you move, change your grip, or click the button to leave a marker, then it will be audible. Also, the windscreen is a joke. As is the case. I wish it came with a better windscreen, and a case which protects it while allowing access to the buttons. Kind of like the ones you canget for the marantz and sony recorders. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? the recording quality is better than I thought it would be. Shortly after purchasing it I recorded a blues act at a nightclub, just setting the recorder on the table in front of me. Sounds so good its like you are there. The mic stand adapter is a joke. Just get a camera mount to mic stand mount at any film/camera store. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? the buttons are very awkwardly placed. It is not too easy to navigate the menus either. It works very well, but as a 2nd/3rd generation product I would expect a bit more of a well thought out feature set. I would much rather a rudimentary drum machine than the bland effects that come with it. I also dont see the value of effects you can not manipulate in real time. Sound How is its Tone? The builtin mics sound great. They are not Neumans. But neither are they terrible tinny toy mics. I am having a lot of fun field recording with this guy. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Have only had it for a month so cant speak to this. Overall Your general opinion of this product. It sounds great, but is hard to access certain features. The audio interface function works great btw. I am able to get 5ms latency on my laptop. 10ms if its a big mix.
H4N - Lots of features at a reasonable price.
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Marco from Stony Brook, New York
Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Overall, the unit seems well made. I expect that it will hold up well over time. Like any portable electronics, I wouldn't be too rough on it. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? I selected the H4N based on it having XLR inputs. Most hand-held units with XLR mic inputs were at higher price point. The other feature I wanted which the H4N has (and is fairly common with other units) is that it can be used as an audio input to a PC. One feature which I think is not too useful in real life is the 4 track recording studio. I haven't tried it, but it seems cumbersome to use on a hand held device. One feature I wish it had is pitch transposing. The unit also comes with a nice set of accessories (mike stand adapter, protective case, wind screen, cables, memory card). Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? I found the unit very easy to use with minimal reading of the owners manual. Sound How is its Tone? The H4N has a built in speaker which is OK for a quick listen back, but does not sound great (as would be expected from a small speaker). Headsets or monitor speakers are the better way to listen to what you have recorded. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I've only had it a week so can't comment. I am a bit concerned how the selection wheel on the side will hold up to long-term use, but I don't expect any problems. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Overall, I'm very happy with the H4N. I plan on making it a regular accessory in my guitar case when I go for my lessons. Also on using it as an audio interface to my PC.
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