Instead of having an unusable “scratch track” recorded by the built-in mic on the camera, you can record a rather good sounding version of the audio in the camera by connecting the headphone output of the H4n to the mic-input on the camera. Nice! As with so many of Zoom's products, there's literally too much to go into in detail in a review of this length, and I'd recommend visiting Zoom's web site if you're genuinely curious about the range and quality on offer. I searched for a similar specification for the original H4n and could not find it. Zoom's more budget H2 recorder offers four‑track recording, which the others don't. Putting the H4N into four-track mode is as simple as clicking the menu button, scrolling to 'Mode' and clicking, then selecting '4CH' and clicking again. . Re: Ground loop issue, snipped cable screen connections... Re: SOS article: AMD vs Intel CPUs Tested. You need to turn the preamp up more to get a good level with a dynamic mic, so you tend to hear more noise (if it’s there). To adjust settings and get the H4n doing whatever it is you need it to, you’re reliant on a 1.9in, backlit monochrome display, a selection of face-mounted buttons and a jog dial on the right hand side, which you can use to navigate the various menus. The noise floor of the H4n Pro is only minutely less noisy. DJ mixers typically do not have mic-level outputs, they only have line-level outputs. If you plan on using the built-in mics outdoors, you will definitely need a furry windscreen like the Zoom WSU-1. In the past, I never thought of plugging a line-level signal in there. The first line-level test I did with the H4n Pro was to plug into the 3.5mm input on the back of the device. , Thanks again for your comment, David! For example, the Electro-Voice RE-50B is the most common microphone used for on-the-street interviews. I haven’t even found space to cover some of its other little tricks – the auto record feature which listens in and pauses in and out as the sound reaches a specific level; the pre-record feature that cleverly adds the last two seconds before you started recording to your recording; the built-in chromatic, guitar and bass tuners (complete with alternative tunings for guitar); the karaoke function. Thanks for the detailed review and commentary. Sound Test #1 is about DR40X-vs-DR70D-dynamic not Zoom H4N Pro nor H4N. Tackling the handling-noise issues of the H4 and upgrading the external mic preamps makes quite a difference. The Tascam DR-40X is a very similar recorder to the H4n Pro, and it has a physical switch that lets you change the sensitivity of the inputs to line-level, and you can use either XLR or the 1/4″. Thanks for the great review. I'm a big fan of the H4N, and found very little to dislike about it. Zoom's H4 digital stereo recorder remains hugely popular and, despite a few reservations, is one of my favourites. Dynamic microphones are commonly used in music recording and in live music. About a year ago we looked at the Olympus LS-10 digital recorder, a sort of super Dictaphone that, with its advanced built-in stereo microphones and 24-bit/96KHz sampling rates was ideal for budding podcasters, sound recordists and amateur musicians in need of a quick and dirty way to record rehearsals and live gigs. The preamp in the H4n Pro had slightly more gain, which required me to adjust it down to 81, because setting the same as the original H4n was just slightly too hot. This is really useful, because I often found the ideal setting for getting a good level around 0.5 or so. Now, stereo recording was effectively all that the LS-10 did, but the H4N has more than one string to its recording bow. If you’re in the market for a portable audio recorder, the big question you have to ask yourself is this: do I really need all this stuff? I plugged my Stratocaster electric guitar directly into it, and used the built-in effects (I think the “Arena” reverb is on the guitar). A copy of Cubase LE4 is even thrown in for this purpose. Just read my post entitled How To Set Audio Levels. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The H4's preamps could be better, navigating the menu can be fiddly, the casing might be a bit more robust, and so on, but on balance it's an excellent portable recorder. If you do find handling noise an issue, there's a camera‑tripod mounting socket on the rear, and a separate mic‑stand adaptor for this. If, however, you want a versatile device for the applications above, plus your own musical interests, then the H4N is by far the stronger and more versatile product. If your camera doesn’t have a headphone output, this cable from Movo features a splitter with a headphone jack so you can hear the audio. When you select Audio I/F, you next need to select the resolution, either 44.1 or 48 kHz. Locking XLR inputs are better than non-locking ones. Capturing jam sessions in stereo while, say, DI'ing keyboard and bass/guitar parts, is easy; or you could similarly take a feed off an FOH desk and DI a couple of instruments or set up a pair of ambient or audience mics to give you more options in post production. QUICK NOTE: If you don’t fully understand how to properly set audio levels, don’t worry! I currently own the original H4n (not the model you are reviewing here), and for several years have been annoyed because the rubbery body has become sticky.