ZOOM H.4 Recorder

[Conflow]

Hi All,

This will be of interest to all of you who own a Zoom H.4 Sound Recorder and its

'ultra-sensitivity' problem when making 'Voice-Overs' for your PTE Slideshows.

Hither too and up to recently the Zoom Manufacturers have denied that such a

problem exists (despite your personal experience of it) ~ Its rather interesting

that they have released the "H.4 Version 2" where this defect has been rectified.

See Attachment: Image-0 (below)

For those of you who own a (normal) H.4 Version1 ~ a work-around solution can

be found in your User-Manual ~ Pages 90 to 92.

This applies to 'Voice-Overs' only.

Here are things you have to do:-

* Use 'Mono Recording Mode' only.

* Stereo or 4 Channel should never be used.

* Use the lowest Mic Sensitivity Level (L)

* If possible use Mp3 Recording at VBR setting.

* In 'Mic-Preamp Effects' (Page.90-92) select FLAT MPRE

* In 'Mic Effect' select 'Low-Cutoff' 1~10 and select 'Shure Mic SM57'.

The combination of these settings will prevent input A/D Overload and will reduce

the excessive 'Bass Response' which causes the overload resulting in an unplesant

"sound warble" and in extreme cases "sound-clipping".

See Attachment: Image-1 (below)

There is a 'Supplemental-Manual H.4' available from the Zoom Site for download

which explains these issues which I had reported in an earlier Post reviewing the H4.

Hope this helps with the problems.

Brian.Conflow.

[fh1805]

Brian,

Thanks for bringing this to the attention of the forum members. I'll now have to go and investigate all this on my Zoom H4.

regards,

Peter

[Conflow]

Peter,

Firstly may I say your NWR Production is really excellent ~ particularily the way you captured the 'ambience'

of the Locomotives & Carriages, the colour photography is also very well balanced. I too photograph Trains

for Technical purposes and as you know its quite difficult to get it right ~ particularily when its raining.

Below are 2 of the most difficult ones I ever photographed, too shiny and too fast.

Back to the H.4 Recorder, the 'spectrum-graph' I illustrated was 20.secs of your 'Voice-Over' in the NWR Show

and the fault shows up clearly ~nothing to do with you~ its a machine problem, but there are ways around it.

This is a 'Digital Thing'~ The H.4 is not the only Recorder which has such a problem.These Recorders are so new

on the Market...that many smaller Manufacturers are still grappling with the dynamics of Acoustics where in comparison

the 'Big Boys' like Sony have been in this business since the late '50s, so they know a thing or two about Digitial-Audio

which they don't intend to share.

It's also a very steep learning curve for Forum Members.

If I can be of any help in this respect, just let me know.

Brian.Conflow.