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Zoom H4 Handy Recorder

Web Item #ZOMH4

This product can only be ordered by phone. Please call us at 866-SHIP-SDM (744-7736).

Overall User Ratings

Overall:: 7.9 out of 10
Quality:: 7.3 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 7.8 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 7.8 out of 10

Features:: 8.1 out of 10
Value:: 7.9 out of 10
Sound:: 6.9 out of 10
Manufacturer Support:: 6.2 out of 10

User Reviews for Zoom H4 Handy Recorder

Overall:: 8 out of 10
Features:: 8 out of 10
Quality:: 7 out of 10
Value:: 9 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 7 out of 10
Sound:: 7 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 8 out of 10
Manufacturer Support:: 6 out of 10

100% of users found this reviews helpful (4 votes).

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By a customer from unl.edu

Submitted: 7/31/2008

Style of Music: Jazz/Blues

Experience: Singer/Songwriter/Hobbyist

"I love my Zoom Handy Recorder 4"

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Sound:

It's not as nice as my computer soundcard with some nice mics but this thing sounds pretty darn good. I used it at church and it recorded our practice almost perfectly. I didn't get a windscreen with my first one, which I just broke. Reordered last night--I can't live without it now. I'm using it as a recording interface into my computer to use with my very nice video cam to make music recordings for my myspace page.

Feature:

There are indeed a lot of features on this thing. I'll never use the 4-trace mode. I just want to record my piano and voice. I will remember not to let the tripod fall over again next time which broke the usb insert and then ultimately when I tried to fix it, it broke even worse. I don't recommend trying to open this thing.

Ease of Use:

It's a little difficult to figure out for like a day, but it's pretty easy to get up and running. The connecting it to the computer is a little tricky but once you do it right, you'll never do it wrong again. I love that feature and it sounds really nice.

Quality:

Well, it's been knocked over several times. But this drop really screwed it up, and now I'm out $600 for this thing. But it's worth it to replace it in my eyes. And I have two nice soundcard interfaces for both my laptop and my pc. They just don't work for recording with my webcam. Only the first channel will record.

Manufacturer Support:

Never had to deal with it. The warranty had expired on my unit.

Value:

I think this is a great product that will give you good results. I would definitely recommend it. Heck, i replaced mine the same night I broke it. I can't live without it.

The Wow Factor:

I thought this would be worse than my mrs-8 by Zoom (I don't like it much) but I think this is much nicer, even if it doesn't do all the tracks the mrs-8 does or have all the effects. I don't use the effects anyway, I do that in the computer.

Overall:

I plan on keeping this product as long as it's made because I know it works for exactly what I'm needing it for. I can't guarantee any other product out there can do that for me.

Overall:: 9 out of 10
Features:: 9 out of 10
Quality:: 8 out of 10
Value:: 10 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 8 out of 10
Sound:: 7 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 9 out of 10
Manufacturer Support:: 9 out of 10

91% of users found this reviews helpful (11 votes).

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By a customer from msa.hinet.net

Submitted: 4/28/2007

Style of Music: Classical

Experience: Classical Pianist

"I am pleased to this product."

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Sound:

Generally speaking, it is good. However, since I am a classical piano player, I feel the sound of the bass is not very clear and transparent, king of vague. I used Sony MD recorder before and I have a Sony MS907 Mic. I got much better sound when I plug the Sony mic into Zoom H4. Compared to the sound recorded by using same Mic, I personally like Zoom H4 better than my old MD recorder.

Feature:

the purpose for me to use Zoom H4 is to record my lessons, my pracitce and recital. I am pleased for now since I only use the stereo recording. However, I haven't fitured out how to burn the CD from the 96 khz recording. My nero software is not able to recognize this file, so... if I record in the better quality than CD, I will have to buy or figure out how to save it to CD.

Ease of Use:

It is easy for me. Even though I have heard people said it is hard to pull out the SD card, I don't have the problem. I guess maybe it is easy for female's fingers to take it out. :)

Quality:

For the recording quality, I think it is good. but I wish it is not plastic because it looks less valuable than it should be.

Manufacturer Support:

I never contact the company.

Value:

For this price and all its feature and quality, I think it would be a good try.

The Wow Factor:

like MD players, they have a feature to remember where you stopped so.. next time when you replay, you won't need to search again. I also wish there is a faster fast forward so it won't take forever to find a place where I want to listen to.

Overall:

Overall it is good, if the mic is better, I would be more happy to have it. I think I will use it for a long time.

Overall:: 10 out of 10
Features:: 10 out of 10
Quality:: 10 out of 10
Value:: 9 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 10 out of 10
Sound:: 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 9 out of 10

88% of users found this reviews helpful (8 votes).

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By a customer from inbox.com

Submitted: 1/24/2007

Style of Music: Acoustic, Rock, Jazz, Classical

Experience: Active Musician

"A pefect song-writer's companion."

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Sound:

I was impressed with the sound, especially with the built-in mics, and I've only used it on low sensitivity. the EQs might be a bit warm, but that's an easy fix afterward.

Feature:

This thing has a ton of features, I find something new every time I use it. The latest thing I discovered is that you can add many new tracks without having to bounce the file. (Only 4 tracks can play at a time, but you can record as many as you like). This also allows for multiple takes of a part without having to delete or overdub what you already did. Record now, decide later. [This particular aspect wasn't entirely spelled out in the manual, just move the arrow down to the file name and switch it to "no data" and voila!, you've got a fresh track.]

Ease of Use:

Many of the reviews I read seemed very discouraged about figuring it out. Really it's a matter of familiarity. The jog wheel controls almost everything, as far as navigation. You just have to get used to it (which doesn't take long at all). For more advanced features, I find the manual very helpful. If you like features, this thing has a lot of potential, but if you like simplicity, you don't have to bother with them.

Quality:

I read a lot of reviews which referred to "cheap plastic", and I was expecting the worst. When I got it, I was pleasantly surprised. The unit feels sturdy to me. Difficulty getting the memory card out? It's spring-loaded, so just press down and pull away quick to snap it out. Overall, this thing comes in a tiny package, but packs a big punch. I found it so much easier to record demos with this than going into my computer directly.

Value:

There really are no other portable 4-track recorders to compare it to. Stereo recorders seem to go for $50-$150 more than this thing, and the Zoom H4 allows you to keep adding tracks. In comparison, it seems like a great deal, but I also feel like those other items are overpriced. Regardless, this still seems like a pretty good value for what it can do.

The Wow Factor:

This thing looks like a quirky mad-scientist invention--to me it looks nifty, but the size is the best part of the aesthetic.

Overall:

I'm really glad I took a chance on buying this. I'd been wanting a recorder for years, and when I saw this, I knew it was what I needed. I can record anywhere, put down ideas, add vocals, add harmonies, add more guitars, add more vocals, and so on... I can build the entire song on this unit, then just copy the files onto my computer [haven't figured out the direct connection, but I recommend using an SD card reader--probably faster transfer rate on large files, as well]. I am impressed with the recording quality--picks up everything; the versatility--so many featurs; the size; etc. Really haven't had any problems that people discussed in other reviews. I definitely recommend it for musicians and songwriters. Microphone sounds good with guitar and vocals both (only two things I've tried). It's a perfect unit to get down your songs and ideas before you forget them.

Overall:: 7 out of 10
Features:: 7 out of 10
Quality:: 7 out of 10
Value:: 8 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 8 out of 10
Sound:: 8 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 7 out of 10
Manufacturer Support:: 7 out of 10

84% of users found this reviews helpful (19 votes).

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By a customer from hotmail.com

Submitted: 8/15/2007

Style of Music: Varied, jazz, rock, blues, folk...

Experience: Semi-pro recorded musician, composer

"Great stereo recording! 4-track is good scratchpad but not on par with other Zoom products..."

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Sound:

In stereo mode the sound is excellent. I am impressed by the microphones. Some say they color the sound, but as a musician I find the color is just right (the best mics in the business do this too). In 4 track mode, with multiple tracks my impression is that some deifinition is lost.

Feature:

Like I said, the stereo recording mode is great. The 4 track is a real let down in my opinion. I own the Zoom MRS-8, and if you are used to a 4 track, let's just say that the H4 is the LE of an LE of a 4 track. Effects are only pre-insertable and hard recordable. You can record 2 tracks simultaneously but can't use the mic and inputs at the same time. 4 track is 16 bit 44.1 kHz not 24 bit. Having experience what Zoom can do in multitrack, the H4 is the strict minimum. No markers, no post-effects, no drums, but, and this is important, in a pinch it will record your idea for a great song. What would've saved this for me is if the 4 track allowe to work in MP3 mode. That would've been soooo useful turning a 1GB SD card into a 20GB hard drive equivalent.

Ease of Use:

For anyone used to multitracks this device is simple to use. There's a little bit of poking around menus but nothing to gripe about here. I'd say the device is almost intuitive. Post-effects would've been good allowing to keep the raw signal for eventual post-prod on another platform.

Quality:

I like the products setup. The battery and SD card cover and the central control button are OK. Time will tell if they are solid enough.

Manufacturer Support:

My experience with Zoom is that they respond if you need help.

Value:

I haven't tried the competition but the stereo recording is really impressive, the detail is fantastic. I didn't know my voice could sound so good. I've paid more for just a mic, so this is a bargain as far as I'm concerned. And, SD cards are really cheap now...

The Wow Factor:

Well, I really needed something to record live in clubs. My MP3 player distorts at loud volumes and so does the MRS-8 with the onboard mic. So, this is what I needed. I had my hopes up about the 4 track, so that was a bit of a let down considering what Zoom is capable of. All in all a good product.

Overall:

I like this device. However, I am still looking at other products. The same product with post-effects on the 4 track and the possibility to multitrack in MP3 mode would make me change products. My question is, if Zoom could put a decent 4 track on their little palm held model (with onboard drums and bass), why couldn't they put one in the H4? I'm a little baffled... Of course, the H4 records at 24 bit in stereo and has phantom powered XLR inputs! That's new in this size, and hard to beat at any prioe!!

Overall:: 6 out of 10
Features:: 10 out of 10
Quality:: 6 out of 10
Value:: 7 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 7 out of 10
Sound:: 6 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 10 out of 10

83% of users found this reviews helpful (12 votes).

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Submitted: 11/11/2006

"almost everything you ever wanted"

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Sound:

I tried to record in mp3 mode and it seems to create some kind of noise. This happend with the card supplied and with the 2 gig I bought seperately. In wave mode with the internal mics I am getting varied results mic placement seems to be a bit critical. I like the sound of the minidisc better but Sony refuses to make it interface with the computer. I was hoping this would perform better. It has all the features I was looking for but I am not so sure about the sound quality.

Overall:: 1 out of 10
Features:: 3 out of 10
Quality:: 2 out of 10
Value:: 2 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 6 out of 10
Sound:: 3 out of 10

24% of users found this reviews helpful (25 votes).

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By a customer from hotmail.com

Submitted: 2/5/2007

Style of Music: Lead guitarist Rythym guitarist. Country, Rock, Jazz, anything else..

Experience: 51 years as a musician..

"General mess of crap....."

Sound:

It sounds like a toy tape deck I bought for my seven year old son..

Feature:

The features are lousy cheap made..

Ease of Use:

You cannot get great sounds..

Quality:

Myself I dont think it will last very long.. I have had a problem with the switch sticking already. Forget about taking it out in cold weather unless you bundle it up with a heater..

Manufacturer Support:

I had no problem with support, however the problem was getting to someone who knew what they were talking about..

Value:

No Way...

The Wow Factor:

It appears to look very well but dont let looks fool you..

Overall:

I am totally dissatisfied withthis product.. I would not sell it to anybody else..