Experiences with Zoom HN4 Recorders

The H5 is still solid, and AFAIK the main difference between the H4N and the H5 was ergonomics (volume controls instead of menu diving) and the swappable mic thing. 

The H4N was never an entry level recorder, it was a workhorse location sound thing, comparable to a pro DAT recorder in the 90s or a high end Marantz portable cassette machine in the 80s or a Uher reel to reel in the 70s.  It should still be more than good enough.

  On 4/19/2021 at 4:54 PM, TubularCorporation said:

The H5 is still solid, and AFAIK the main difference between the H4N and the H5 was ergonomics (volume controls instead of menu diving) and the swappable mic thing. 

The H4N was never an entry level recorder, it was a workhorse location sound thing, comparable to a pro DAT recorder in the 90s or a high end Marantz portable cassette machine in the 80s or a Uher reel to reel in the 70s.  It should still be more than good enough.

Expand  

Uber helpful, thank you (and appreciate the history lesson).

Still got my decade old (probably more than that) Zoom H2 and have no intention in upgrading - Still great for field recordings (and recording in general). So you should be absolutely a-ok with that h4n if it's in good condition!

  On 4/19/2021 at 6:15 PM, mcbpete said:

Still got my decade old (probably more than that) Zoom H2 and have no intention in upgrading - Still great for field recordings (and recording in general). So you should be absolutely a-ok with that h4n if it's in good condition!

Awwwesssoome! Kinda nuts to revive this thread and see people (like you) posting almost 10 years later about the same piece of tech still functioning (and functioning well). 

I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a used one on EBAY - should arrive in a week, I'm stoked! 

  On 4/19/2021 at 4:54 PM, TubularCorporation said:

The H5 is still solid, and AFAIK the main difference between the H4N and the H5 was ergonomics (volume controls instead of menu diving) and the swappable mic thing. 

The H4N was never an entry level recorder, it was a workhorse location sound thing, comparable to a pro DAT recorder in the 90s or a high end Marantz portable cassette machine in the 80s or a Uher reel to reel in the 70s.  It should still be more than good enough.

Expand  

Yeah. The adjustable volume wheels for the separate inputs on the H5 are a big plus as the H4 has a single up/down button on the side that control everything together. 
 

I still use my H4 all the time. It’s perfect for quick setups that require XLR or 1/4” inputs. It’s also a solid usb audio interface for a DAW, btw.

I think you can even do basic 4 track overdubbing on it, right?  The h5 has that but I've only used it once, when I had to record in a tiny bedroom and couldn't control the fan noise enough.  saved a stereo mix, loaded it on to the H5, turned the computer off, and dd a bunch of takes of the part I needed with the h5 overdub feature, then loaded them all into the original project and comped something together there.

The big advantage of the H4N over the H5 is it doesn't have that rubberized finish that tends to break down and get sticky (apparently it's so common that Zoom will replace an out of warranty H5 for free if it goes sticky; mine did but it got almost completely better after a month or two so I didn't bother seeing if that's actually true, although it still gets a little sticky when the weather is humid)

  On 4/19/2021 at 4:30 PM, T3551ER said:

Resur-erecting this thread 'cause also looking into getting a used H4N. Want something that will do a generally good job of sound capture, but absolutely not looking to break the bank - my wife wants something to record our toddler while she's still in the "babbling" phase so using it as an opportunity to also try and get something to do basic field recordings. 

Does the H4N still hold up as a good entry-level recorder? Are there newer, even more cost effective options? You can snag an H4N for about 130 on Ebay these days which is about where I want to sit with this thing. 

Thoughts? Ruminations? Revelations? 

Expand  

The h2n has a better mic, so if it’s all you’re planning on using get it instead. The h4n has a lot of other options tho- specifically the ability to use a different mic, but if you aren’t planning on that......

It surprises me someone hasn't disrupted the market in compact digital recorders. I want a super fast/slick lithium ion compact digital recorder with fast editing and library management features. I get by with the H4n pro with it's fantastic quality and whatnot but it takes a while to boot, battery life not as nice as I'd like, and wish it was quicker to organize and rename things and keep track of them. oled display with Scrubbing and waveform would be cool too. That kind of thing, easier device sync/bluetooth/wifi. With the "dawless" boom you'd think it'd be more of a thing. It's like the TI-89 or whatever.. this kind of design is just standard I guess.

  On 4/27/2021 at 11:38 PM, Stickfigger said:

I just acquired one of these after my father in law passed away this week. Found it stashed away with a bunch of laptops that he used in his business

That sucks about your father in law. Good find tho- I got so much weird shit like that when my uncle passed, too. It’s a nice way to honor them tho, to use stuff that’s been obtained that way, I think.

  On 4/27/2021 at 11:38 PM, Stickfigger said:

I just acquired one of these after my father in law passed away this week. Found it stashed away with a bunch of laptops that he used in his business

I'm sorry for your loss, mate
 

  On 4/27/2021 at 1:31 AM, Valleyfold said:

The rubber coating on my Zoom went bad and now it’s just covered in slime and dust. Pretty gross. 

I haven't tried it yet, but probably will as this rubber coating fad isn't going away soon, tragically. I'm weary of my mpc live's fate, my mate's turned into a mush too. maybe keeping it in its case may have helped but my 2nd hand HN4 Pro still looks pristine after a couple of years even with the high air humidity here
 

  On 4/28/2021 at 2:46 AM, tbf said:

I'm sorry for your loss, mate
 

I haven't tried it yet, but probably will as this rubber coating fad isn't going away soon, tragically. I'm weary of my mpc live's fate, my mate's turned into a mush too. maybe keeping it in its case may have helped but my 2nd hand HN4 Pro still looks pristine after a couple of years even with the high air humidity here
 

 

Expand  

I just figure if my mpc live gets gross, I’ll buy one of those panels that go over it and make it look like an old beige one. I debated getting one anyways. I still haven’t taken the plastic off the touchscreen either, haha, but it will be nice when it gets nasty. Everything should just be the normal plastic or metal, why do they think we suddenly want this rubber feel? Don’t they know people don’t like like thin layers of rubber coating their favorite..... units