Every handheld recorder has handling noise "issues". You really can't handle it while it's recording. The HPF will help, but not much. Also if you are handling it, unless you move it really slowly and/or use wind protection, there will be wind noise at the mic capsules. Show All the cheap devices sound cheap, and none of them are particularly durable. Don't drop it. Is H1N good enough for your purposes? Probably, if you really learn how to use it well. I do think Zoom recorders have a kind of ugly coloration to the sound that I don't notice on my Tascam. If you can try some out & compare that might be helpful. You will also need some other basics for your use cases, but can also be gotten relatively cheaply.
One thing that I was never a fan of in the original H1 was the somewhat dull orange display. This worked well in dark environments like clubs and band rooms, but could be difficult to see in brighter light. This has been dealt with in the H1n with the new model offering a very bright, blue-lit LCD display that stands out in any lighting conditions. This makes the H1n a great companion to a DSLR camera for filming video when you want a higher quality audio capture. You can use it on location, mounted on the camera and still see all the relevant information supplied on the screen. Easy mounting, alone with calibration for use with cameras and an external line input make this an idea video accompaniment. The stereo pair of microphones built in to the unit offer that well known Zoom quality for X-Y audio recording and sound great. Not only is this a handy tool for video recording, but the Zoom H1n was also built with musicians in mind. It can handle exceptionally high sound pressure levels with a built in limiter that is able to be engaged at the press of a button. A built-in speaker allows for quick playback without the need for headphones, though a headphone output is provided, allowing the ability to listen back whilst recording an overdub. This is ideal for songwriting and production sessions when you need to get your ideas down quickly. The one button recording facility makes this possible, so you can turn it on, set it in place and start recording right away, without needing to worry about lengthy setup procedures. That’s what’s so likeable about the H1n, it gets the job done but doesn’t hinder the creative process. Updated 2022-09-18 17:10 GMT. Finally time to get my own portable audio recorder!  A small portable field recorder capable of stereo 16-bit 48ksps lossless recording to gather material for my podcast, bat detection, and more! Product: Zoom H1n Handy field recorderHand-held field recorder.
Review summary
2020-12-18: Zoom (Not That One)I still have somewhere my previous unsuccessful attempt to put together a no-moving-parts field audio recorder and mic, USB connected, many years ago. What audio I have collected in the field has often been with a camera, sometimes in combination with video or stills. For the EOU Earth Notes podcast I upped my game significantly with the Blue Yeti mic and 16-bit 48ksps stereo recording. And then I got to borrow an Olympus LS-P4 field recorder (thanks Deniz): Diarycast - Conscious Uncouping - Travel. That showed my what could be done with a good, compact device. (And I haven't filled its 8GB internal storage yet, five months later!) Lockdown notwithstanding, the Olympus loan was not intended to be a long one. After months of reasonable use, I think I will want more of the same! On 2020-12-18 I ordered from Amazon for £82.10 (ex-VAT) a Zoom H1n/UK Handy Recorder, and for £9.45 (ex-VAT) a YOUSHARES Zoom H1n Recorder Foam & Furry Indoor/Outdoor Windscreen Muff, Pop Filter/Wind Cover Shield Fits Zoom H1n & H1. Postage was free, the order total was £91.55 including VAT, and delivery was on 2020-12-21. I am using an 8GB micro-SD card that I have to hand. The H1n did not understand what was on it (a RPi image probably!) and offered to format it, which seems to have worked. The internal store is very limited. A pair of alkaline AAA cells is supplied with the Zoom. I also have some NiMH rechargeables on their way. (The Zoom works with alkaline, NiMH and lithium cells.) (For reference, the Olympus LS-P4 was (when I bought the H1n) readily available for ~£140 including VAT and postage.) 2020-12-21: Initial ImpressionsToday has been a busy day. So not much time to do much after the H1n arrived early afternoon. I put in the AAA cells. It took a few button presses to set the date and time. Then a couple more to get the recording mode to 16-bit 48ksps lossless WAV. I took a couple of very short voice samples (with the Zoom mics pointing away from me), one bare and one with the fake fur muff on. I then took my one-mile 20-minute exercise walk around the cemetery carrying the H1n pointing in front of me, with the fur muff in place. I had adjusted the recording level with the dial at the top of the H1n (much much easier than the LS-P4) as suggested so that the recording level is kinda sorta half-scale (-12dB). I note that the H1n feels a little less solid and robust than the metal-case LS-P4. The weights seem similar though the LS-P4 is specified as 75g and the H1n as 60g (main unit only). Note that the former requires one AAA, the latter two. The H1n is also significantly larger than the LS-P4 (13.75 × 5.0 × 3.2cm vs 10.9 x 4.0 x 1.4cm), especially the bulbous head, which would make it difficult to put in my jeans pocket as I felt that I safely could with the LS-P4. The H1n's UI (eg the menus) seems better than the LS-P4's, and generally more intuitive so far. 2020-12-22: First LightThe moment of truth: trying to get yesterday's recordings off the H1n! I have found a USB-A to micro-USB cable and plugged one end in at the H1n, the other and my MacBook Air. I turned on the H1n and selected the "card reader" option presented, and the Mac now shows an A little exploring into the H1n's file system shows three WAV files: % ls -al /Volumes/H1N_SD/STEREO/FOLDER01/ total 454400 drwxrwxrwx 1 dhd staff 32768 21 Dec 13:18 . drwxrwxrwx 1 dhd staff 32768 21 Dec 13:18 .. -rwxrwxrwx 1 dhd staff 817920 21 Dec 13:19 ZOOM0001.WAV -rwxrwxrwx 1 dhd staff 625152 21 Dec 13:26 ZOOM0002.WAV -rwxrwxrwx 1 dhd staff 231084032 21 Dec 13:49 ZOOM0003.WAV I have copied them to the Mac to listen to them with Audacity. Under a minute for over 200MB, I think. I have changed the filename format for future recordings to be date/time-based. Access to the settings menu is by holding down the 'delete' button while turning the device on. While here I have also set an auto-off time of 5 minutes, and did a "quick test" of the SD card, which passed. Here are the very first two raw WAV files as-is! Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. The third recording is 20 minutes and 231MB, or ~11MB/min. So maybe the 8GB SD card can accommodate ~12h of this spec lossless recording. The % mediainfo ~/Downloads/FOLDER01/ZOOM0003.WAV General Complete name : / ... /FOLDER01/ZOOM0003.WAV Format : Wave File size : 220 MiB Duration : 20 min 3 s Overall bit rate mode : Constant Overall bit rate : 1 536 kb/s Producer : ZOOM Handy Recorder H1n Encoded date : 2020-12-21 13:29:26 Encoding settings : A=PCM,F=48000,W=16,M=stereo,T=ZOOM Handy Recorder H1n Audio Format : PCM Format settings : Little / Signed Codec ID : 1 Duration : 20 min 3 s Bit rate mode : Constant Bit rate : 1 536 kb/s Channel(s) : 2 channels Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz Bit depth : 16 bits Stream size : 220 MiB (100%) (The muff seems to have done a very good job suppressing wind noise!) The FLAC file spat out by Audacity is ~100MB, ie less than half the size. Here it is, as FLAC, MP3 stereo and mono: Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. It's good enough to be turned into a bonus ambient podcast episode... Here is a squirrel heard on today's walk (recording 4 on the H1n): Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. So far, so good! 2020-12-27: Side by SideToday I took some very unscientific side-by-side captures in the field (well, the cemetery) on my walk today. These are completely unedited, and the recorders had the last settings I'd used on them, so recording levels don't match for example. I equipped the LS-P4 with the spare (foam) muff that I have for the H1n, to even things up a little. First pair: LS-P4 then H1n: Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. Second pair: LS-P4 then H1n: Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. I meant to take three pairs of samples but somehow turned on the H1n when I stopped the LS-P4. Cue 45 minutes (500MB!) of talking to myself, bumbling around the house, etc, until I found the H1n still in my coat pocket in the hall. I'm not admitting to any of this, but the H1n seems to be quite sensitive! I had also taken a few clips on the H1n solo over the last couple of days. Jackdaws: Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. Crows: Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio. 2021-08-06: Good AAAsThe 2xAAA alkaline cells supplied with the H1n have gotten me this far, including Herne Bay. Battery charge state is now showing as 2 bars out of 3 on the display. I'm charging some NiMH AAAs as to-hand replacements. This is a slight disadvantage compared to the Olympus, where the device contained a built-in charger. So all I needed was a USB cable and (say) my laptop to ensure a topped-up battery at all times... How long can you record on the Zoom H1n?The H1n is battery-powered and offers up to 10 hours of recording time. Put it in your pocket, toss it in your backpack, or mount it to a camera—the H1n travels wherever you do.
What are Zoom recorders good for?A Zoom recorder is a piece of hardware used for capturing professional sound outside of a studio setting. These recorders are also called field recorders, digital recorders, voice recorders, or portable audio recorders.
Can I use Zoom H1n as a mic?Connections
The H1n's USB port provides a digital output of the stereo mix and allows data to be sent to and from your computer. It also allows the H1n to be used as a USB microphone and a microSD card reader.
How do you get good field recordings?Starting out with field recording. Think about why you want to make field recordings. ... . Start out with a small, affordable, easy-to-carry audio recorder. ... . If money is tight, consider second hand gear especially if you're just experimenting. ... . Practice. ... . Listen. ... . Set record levels with care. ... . Record in a high quality format.. |
Is Zoom H1n good for field recording?
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