Just bought a ZOOM H4n!

[Frankjohnson]

I haven't had much luck, trying to record my bass direct. Not straight in the 1/4" jack or with XLR via a preamp or DI. Seems like it just doesn't have the headroom to handle my bass.

Not surprising I suppose, given that it runs on 2 AA batteries. But if a feature is going to totally suck eggs like that, I'd rather they not be touting it.

For quick & easy live recordings with astonishing clarity, I'm still blown-away. I'm just glad I didn't get it for its multi-tracking or audio interface "capabilities".

I have a H2 , and it is easy to OD your bass in it. FWIW though - it replicates pretty much what it hears. It could be that you are setting the recording volume too hot - or you are too loud. I found that I was setting my recording volume too hot and it was very gainy in sound. Try not to be too critical until you have tried a couple fo different things. It could be that you are asking it to do something it isn't meant to do, or in a way it wasn't meant to.

 

[Frankjohnson]

Well, today I learned that I was not lowering the input level ENOUGH... My mistake. Instead of watching the level meters, one just needs to watch the light of the input. When it blinks the input clips. I really need to set the recording level very low until the light stops blinking. Sorry for wrong information, now I love my Zoom!

Also finding a good distance to match your input volume will be a help.

I would like to get a H4N when I have extra $$....

The clips are done with a H2, and basic bare bones audacity software on our myspace. The recording volume is lower than a regular CD, and I haven't been able to figure that part out yet. The tracks with the fewest plays are better recordings, if you want to check them out - as live grab recordings. I think I could do better with the H4N, so I may do it. the H2 though is light and small, and I made a small velcro strap and clip attachement that is attached to the silicone jacket, and I can always wind a place to suspend it at a show. The H4N would be a little more tricky - But I could do it.

 

[EricF]

The recording volume is lower than a regular CD, and I haven't been able to figure that part out yet.

In a typical commercial recording, there are a lot of steps between the raw recorded track and what the consumer hears on the CD that all may add some gain to the mix. The final step is mastering. Part of the mastering process includes bringing up the volume of the recording to "standard" levels.

If I'm going to post a recording from my H4N online (MySpace, etc.), I will usually drop it into a program like WaveLab, run it through an EQ and compressor, and add some volume to the track.

 

[Johnny Crab]

For recording our shows(H4), these settings are used:

1) Mics set to minimum sensitivity
2) Auto-level ON
3) Comp/Limiter ON
4) MP3 at 160 kbps(lets me get 3 shows per 1 GB chip and audio is tolerable to good).
5) Powered by AC adapter

Push the RECORD button once before we start a set, it blinks as it detects and auto-sets the level. Usually push the RECORD button again during or after the first song so the H4 has a handle on the level. Works for us. I use Goldwave( http://www.goldwave.com/ ) to cut the huge MP3 show into songs and touch it up a bit if needed.

Had a bunch of audio on Putfile but that site died.....

 

[Ed Goode]

The clips are done with a H2, and basic bare bones audacity software on our myspace. The recording volume is lower than a regular CD, and I haven't been able to figure that part out yet.

In the Audacity program, pull down the EDIT tab and then "Select All" .... that will give you access to "Amplify" in the Effects tab. Adjust volume as needed ....

 

[Stealth]

Has anyone been able to link the H4n to Reaper? Any luck there?

Am considering getting one, but the resale margins are killer over here.

 

[fasto]

like the starter of this thread: "Just bought a ZOOM H4n!"

Which input level do you use with an active bass via normal instrument cable? Seems to me that my MM Sterling has way to much output signal, i have to set the Zoom H4n almost to the minimum level to reduce clipping heavy .... is that normal? Haven´t tried passive bass.

 

[NKBassman]

Didn't really read the thread, but enjoy your purchase! I got mine just about a year ago as an early xmas gift to myself, and I love it! Amazing to have around for those magical jams when you come up with something brilliant that you just KNOW nobody will remember the next day.

 

[jondog]

Has anyone been able to link the H4n to Reaper? Any luck there?

Am considering getting one, but the resale margins are killer over here.

I love my H4N. I use it to record my shows, usually in stereo but I've done live 4 tracking a few times, it worked great but didn't seem so much better to be worth the extra effort.

What do you mean link w/ Reaper? I just take the card out after I've recorded, put it in my puter, and then open the file w/ Reaper for editing etc. I love Reaper just as much as I love my H4n!

 

[rockwellkc]

Hi H4n users,
I just got mine about two months ago. I'm trying to use it for a very simple task, recording live singing with 3 channels -- 2 for the stereo music accompaniment, and 1 for vocal mono-mixed, and live feed into a camcorder audio in. I found that H4n can not support this. All what I found is it can only record 4 channels using the 4-CH mode, and these 4 channels have to be 2 stereo pairs. When I "unlink" input 1,2 (XLR inputs), I can adjust their recording levels, but the panning is suppressing either input, instead of placing the single input on left or right channel more. Do any one of you have a solution?

Thanks!
KC

 

[NKBassman]

That's just the way the H4n records in 4-CH mode.

The only solution I could see would be in post processing the audio using the free version of Cubase that came with your Zoom, and then syncying it up with the video afterward.

Or, perhaps you could have the vocalist sing directly into the Zoom onboard mics (stereo), and record the accompaniment using the XLR inputs (stereo mix). Though you will probably run into trouble with the accomaniment bleeding into the onboard mics track.

 

[KPJ]

Hi H4n users,
I just got mine about two months ago. I'm trying to use it for a very simple task, recording live singing with 3 channels -- 2 for the stereo music accompaniment, and 1 for vocal mono-mixed, and live feed into a camcorder audio in. I found that H4n can not support this. All what I found is it can only record 4 channels using the 4-CH mode, and these 4 channels have to be 2 stereo pairs. When I "unlink" input 1,2 (XLR inputs), I can adjust their recording levels, but the panning is suppressing either input, instead of placing the single input on left or right channel more. Do any one of you have a solution?

Thanks!
KC

Can't you import the files into Audacity and then "unlink" the stereo pairs?

 

[Stumbo]

You might want to take a detailed look at the H4N's features for reference purposes: Invalid Link Removed

 

[rockwellkc]

Hi NKBassman and KPJ,

Thank you for responding.

Yes, I could do post processing but that's what I was trying to avoid as it takes a long time to put the re-mixed audio track back to video. For a 3 min clip, re-encoding (transcoding) video/audio takes about 30 min on my PC, depending on the encoding format. (I was hoping to live-feed into the HD camcorder audio-in (with manual gain control) and be done with it.) The project was done last weekend and I ended up using two large diaphragm condenser for the voice to feed both inputs. It actually provided some minimum effects (stereo/reverb?) that sounded pretty good so I was happy.

Is this a common practice to use two mics for a single voice source?

I also ended up doing post-processing because the stereo feed into the camcorder saturated at some points, but the individual 4-channels did not. I had to re-mix them to get rid of the saturation problem. I used Audacity for that.)

Yesterday I got a response from Zoom Japan which actually instructed me with a non-official way of doing what I was trying to achieve: mono-mix an XLR input to both channels so it sounds in the center. I found it very interesting and would like to put it here in case people have the same need in the future:

- Go into MENU (4CH MODE)
- Select “INPUT”
Check whether ON is selected as “1/2 Link”
- Go into ”MS MATRIX”
- “ON/OFF” : ON
- “MID LEVEL” : 0.0dB
- “SIDE LEVEL” : MUTE
- “SOURCE” : INPUT.
- “CH SETTING” : Lch=MID Rch=SIDE (in case of connecting the mic with input 1)
Then, please use the input 1 for the mic.

I'm still hoping that they can change the firmware to provide individual channel panning instead of paired panning, but what they provide above is an easy solution for 3-channel recording for now.

Thanks!

KC

 

[NKBassman]

Thanks for following up!