I had been keen on getting a Zoom H4 when the Zoom H2 was announced last year. The feature list, size and price was too good to pass on so I pre-ordered one from the USA and got it months before it landed here on shelves in Australia.
Absolutely brilliant device – four mics that provide 120° front and 90° stereo coverage – you can even record all four mics on independent channels, stereo or even mono mix-down. Range of compression effects with straight-to-mp3 recording with a full set of bitrates or you can record as WAV – although that tends to take up space on the removable flash storage pretty quickly which you can then download to your computer via a standard USB cable.
I’ve used mine for recording loud rock jam sessions in garages through to voice podcasts – so the three different gain options are handy. Comes with a sock, screw-in handle and base which is also the same thread as a camera so you can mount it on a tripod.
Uses AA batteries and if you want to use rechargeables make sure you change the battery type setting so the unit calculates remaining power correctly!
Tags: audio, demo, equipment, gear, handheld, mic, microphone, mp3, recording, storage, zoom
Personally, I use an Edirol and love it, but I’m always on the hunt for new gear. Having one of these is absolutely great for just setting up in the studio and recording on the ‘incidentals’ that happen between takes.
I can confirm it a great and very useful device.
The band I’m in uses it to record practice sessions. It’s amazing how much clarity there is considering you’re recording with just that one device.