• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Zoom H4/H2/(other field recorder) Tips?

Jefenator

Jefenator

Supporting Member
Aug 22, 2008
6,955
10,123
Oregon
www.jeffaddicottglassworks.com
#1
Well in the 1 week I've had my Zoom H4n, I've already recorded 10 different events (including a couple rehearsals and a friend's gig). I'm getting a feel for it but I'd love to swap notes with fellow users, get some advice from the gurus.

I set the input on "compression 1". Auto level bumps the level all the way down to 1 on loud gigs. I now go manual and bump that up to about 3. The occasional snare hit might clip but the rest of the track seems to have a healthier level & requires less work at home.

I've settled on recording to .wav format at 48KHz/20bit. Obviously, that's better quality than mp3 and it also opens faster in Audacity where I usually edit and convert stuff. With an 8G card, capacity is not an issue. (For rehearsals or gigs I know I won't be bothering to edit, I go straight to mp3. 128k seems to suffice, 64k sounds terrible.)

I use Audacity to select, then export each song from a set as a 256K mp3. I dump those in to iTunes where I can keep it all organized & burn discs for band mates real easy.

For gigs that went particularly well, I hang on to the original .wav file, just in case...

I sometimes do some crude "mastering" in Audacity. That would entail manually cutting the biggest peaks down by 3dB, then normalizing the whole song. This can get time consuming and I don't see myself spending 90 minutes or so, 5 times or more a week! It might be worth it eventually to invest in some fancier software that could give me better results and/or speed up the work flow.

So... what do you think? Am I doing any of this right?
 
#3
I'm still using my trusty M-Audio Microtrack 24/96, but when it retires I'll likely go the Zoom route....if for no other reason than the compression options. Even on the lowest levels, I occasionally get clipping on loud gigs. FWIW, here are my thoughts, based on your post...

- I'd record @ 24/96. This is the audio equivalent of setting your digital camera to the highest possible resolution. As you mentioned, capacity isn't a concern. The price - longer load times into Audacity - is a small one to pay, especially when you've captured a particularly nice moment/song/set.

- I really like Audacity, and have found that I can work pretty quickly on each track. I'll generally fade in/out, amplify where needed, and normalize. I generally export to 320k mp3 - following the same logic above - but will shrink for clips I specifically intend to share on the web.

To me, the biggest variable is placement of the recorder. Portability/convenience remains my biggest goal, and the T-mic does a relatively good job of capturing everything. Ideally I'd love to get some separation and better placement, but for most gigs this just isn't realistic. Bottom line - capture the best you can, record at the highest possible quality, and anything you do on the back end will be icing on the cake.
 
#7
we record our jams and always have problems w/mic placement which is crucial to getting a good mix. I've wanted to try headphones though the H but figured it wouldn't work due to SPLs in the room. was thinking of using some drummers headphones (sound attenuating) with earbuds underneath.
Plus the owner of the H, the guitarist, likes to place it so he's guaranteed to be in the mix. Is anyone shocked?
 
#8
On most of the gigs I play, the mains are back in a corner, doubling as side-fill monitors. Aside from being my favorite way to do PA for performance reasons, it's also great for recording. I put the H4 in the middle front of the stage area and the mix comes out just about perfect, with awesome stereo separation, minimum yakking and just the right amount of applause.

On another front, in Audacity I've discovered that the "compression" effect can be used to automatically trim down the extreme peaks, then normalize the whole thing to a half decent level. All with one key stroke! (To help decide where to set the threshold, you can select a small portion, analyze it & get a good idea of where the average & peak levels are.)
 
#10
Fret Noise said:
How do you export the file to change the format from wav to mp3? When I do this in Audacity, it says it cant do it and I need some other software to finish the conversion.
Click to expand...

You have to download & install a freeware plug-in. Google Audacity, mp3 & maybe LAME and you should find it. (LAME is the name associated with the author of said plug-in. Perhaps not the best choice of nickname but it works fine IME.)
 
#15
Hello fellow recording maniacs!!
I have the zoom h4n as well and IM GOING crazy trying to figure out how to record using a backing track lined in through the headphones line and a mp3 player.
I have searched the manual, paid 40 bucks for video tutorial, and still,,,,, I'm at a loss- any help would be very appreciated.

LULUTREEWOMAN
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back