Feature:
Though I wouldn't call the interface intuitive, it is very easy to use with just a little practice. I work outside of the U.S. and explaining the use and operation to non English speakers has never been an issue. Plenty of great options and functions. I don't use them all (i.e. guitar modes, or mic emulations) but they all function great. We use it mostly for recording directly from the live sound board at events.

Quality:
Okay, so it IS plastic. It still holds up to daily use and abuse. We do keep it in a case when not in use. The battery door is my only complaint, however it too has held up to 6 months of continuous use.

Value:
I would think that the function justifies the pricing, but at a $300 price point, I would have expected the housing to feel more sturdy. However, if mine got damaged, I would be ordering another one before the end of the day.

Desirability:
When I first saw a friend in the business with one, I knew I would be buying it. Size and styling are great and I consider it and recommend it as a "Must Have".

Sound:
After updating the BIOS, this unit does everything you can imagine. There was one audio mode that didn't work correctly until I did the update from the Zoom home page. Since then, the sound quality is unbelievable.

Ease of Use:
Easy setup and very easy to download the audio to any device. Good instructions, but who really uses those anyway. Once you get the hang of it, everything is simple.

Support:
Never had to talk to anyone directly, but their web page has a good FAQ and the download for the BIOS flash was easy enough to do for anyone who can plug in a USB cable.

Overall:
I think any product would have to be unbelievably great to get me to switch. The Zoom is not perfect, but it is the closest I have seen for the pricing and function.

• Submitted: 7/4/2008
• Style of Music: Pop and Rock
• Location: Georgia, USA

Feature:
This has a gazillion features: recorder, audio interface, 4 track, effects, what else do you want...?

Quality:
This is where this device could be improved the most. The build quality is poor and it is made of plastic. Luckily the mics have a metal sort of cage around them.

Sound:
This sounds good for my purposes, external mics help...

Ease of Use:
This is not hard to use but the interface could use work... other reviews are correct on this. If you are bad with technology this might be hard, if you are good with technology this is not hard.

• Submitted: 4/2/2008

Feature:
Lots of things this baby does. Audio interface, 4 track, and stereo mics are great. This thing can do it all

Quality:
ive had no problems with it....seems pretty well built.....i would get a case for it tho...

Value:
price is pretty decent.....best sound ull get within a 300 dollar price range....

Desirability:
it looks decent i guess.....its a great addition to my setup...

Sound:
Sound quality is fantastic. i get super clear when i record stereo or direct. it even has phantom power =]

Ease of Use:
SO EASY to use....right out of the box i turned the stereo mics and it sounded brilliant

Overall:
overall i would recommend it to anyone

• User: a customer from verizon.net
• Submitted: 2/4/2008
• Style of Music: rock, blues rock,
• Location: phili

Feature:
The features of this unit can't be beat by any other field recorder in its price range from what I have seen. I did alot or reading and research before I purchased the Zoom H4 and I was impressed with its versatility. The accessories it comes with are great. The cradle for tripod mounting is perfect. In fact a camera tripod is a must have additional accessory you should purchase separately. I immediately bought the Quantaray by Sunpak QSX 7001 DX Medium Duty digital camera tripod for around $40.00 at my local Ritz Camera store and it works great! It lets me position the recorder exactly where I want it for various recording situations. Without a tripod you are likely going to drop the H4 on the floor if you use it with any external mics or plug your guitars into it. The wind screen is useful for outdoor recording projects too. The AC adaptor is a nice addition to the package also. Many manufacturer make you buy the AC adaptor separately for thier devices. I use it whenever possible to conserve the batteries. I use the Energizer E2 batteries which last a good long time in this unit. When downloading your recorded audio files to your PC (for burning on CD or editing in your DAW) the H4 is powered by the USB interface which also saves internal battery power. The external Combo 1/4"/XLR inputs are a great feature that I have not seen on any other hand held size recorder in this price range. Real time level monitoring and 3 level input gain sensitivity selection for the 2 external inputs and the built in mics guarantees you can set your recording levels appropriately for your sound source. The ability to use the unit as a quick and dirty audio interface is another great feature. The H4 includes Steinberg Cubase LE, or you can use your own existing DAW software to edit your recordings. A real manual is also included so you can sit in your favorite comfortable chair and read it, rather than the usual .pdf file manual included with most modern gadgets. My unit came with a 512Mb SD card, which was an upgrade to the advertised 128 Mb card. I did however go out and purchase a Sandisk Ultra II 2 Gb SD card (model SDSDH-2048-901) which not only greatly increases my total recording time, but also improved the file transfer time when copying my recordings out of the H4 to my PC. The ability to record in Stereo Mode or 4 Track mode is just another one of the great features of the unit. The included pouch is also nice to protect the H4 when not in use, but I also recommend getting a nice canvas type carrying/storage bag like the ones you can purchase in Best Buy or Staples for storing cameras and accesories. I have one in which I keep: extra batteries, the USB cable, wind screen, my spare 512 Mb SD card, power supply and the H4 itself. I could even fit an external mic or two and a mic cable or guitar cables in this carrying bag. This makes the unit and everything you need to bring along very portable for those on the road recording jobs. There are so many other great fetures of the H4 I can't possibly discuss them all here. My only negative comment about the H4 would be (as you will probably read in other reviews) the size of the display screen. The writing is so tiny that I have to use drug store reading glasses to see it well enough to read it. But the H4's quality, features and price far outweigh this slight inconvenience.

Quality:
The quality of the H4 is excellent. I have not had any problems with the unit. It is small, compact, and sleak looking. I am very satisfied with the quality of it. It is a delicate unit however that needs to be handled with care. The battery/memory card compartment door feels a little flimsy and is a little tricky to open. However when you get the hang of it and do it exactly as is shown in the instruction manual it is easy and should not be a problem. I highly recommend getting a tripod to mount it on which will keep it from getting damaged from a fall or drop. With appropriate handling this unit should last many years.

Value:
I think the H4 is probably the best value for the money as far as compact handheld portable field recorders go. As I said above, I did alot of research before purchasing the H4 and this unit has the most features, and flexibility.

Desirability:
It's a cool piece of gear period! It gave me the freedom to record anywhere. It's flexible, feature packed and a great value for the money. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a compact, super portable field recorder.

Sound:
With .WAV 24 bit/96 Khz capabilties this unit has excellent sound. I mostly have used it at 16 bit/44 Khz so far, but the higher sample rate is there if you want it. The built in Mics sound great. You can use them for close micing to get a studio sound with less room acoustics and add reverb later, or they work great as room mics capturing a live performance sound. You can move the unit closer or farther away from the source to capture more or less room acoustics to your taste. Also the built in mics are ideal for quick and dirty capturing of song ideas when inspiration hits you. I have also used it with my Shure KSM27 Condenser mic and it works great! The built in phantom power was sufficient to power that mic (which requires 48v), and it gave me an excellent recording level to work with.

Ease of Use:
The H4 is highly intuitive to use. I am a manual reader by nature, so I read the manual cover to cover to learn as much as I could about the product. However, there are a few Quick Start Guides for both the Stereo and 4 Track modes in the manual that get you started recording right away. I found that once I was familiar with the basic recording functions and the menu system that I could accomplish most recording tasks without referring to the manual. The manual is extremely well written with very few if any typos or misleading, conflicting or confusing information like I find in so much of the documentation for tech gadgets these days. One of the first things I did with the H4 was to connect it up to my home stereo/turntable and record some of my old albums to transfer them to CD. For this I used stereo mode and simply recorded each song from the LP to a separate .wav file. Then I just transfered the .wav files to my PC and burned them on a CD in the correct order. It was very easy, and the recordings came out great. Just set your levels correctly and you'll get great results. Another early project I produced with the H4 was to record a friend of mine reading some Christmas Stories into my Shure KSM 27 mic connected to the H4. We recorded 10 short stories and burned them on a CD for him to give as Christmas gifts to some of his friends with young children. I pulled the recordings into my DAW, added a little soft Christmas music to the background on another track and the result were awesome! The most exciting thing that I find I can do with the H4 (and my original purpose for buying it) is that I can do a quick mix of some backing tracks I have made in my home studio and dump them into the H4, go down into my garage (or a room at another location for that matter) that has great acoustics, and add vocals or other instrument tracks, (using my expensive studio mics even) and then bring them back to my studio, dump them back into my DAW and do my final mix. In other words I am not tied to my spare bedroom studio with poor acoustics where my PC DAW resides to make all my recordings anymore! It's a whole new ballgame. The world is my recording studio now! To get some other great ideas of how you can use the H4 visit http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h4/index.php and be sure to click on the link that says "H4 Usage Examples". Also visit http://www.zoomh4.net/ I found the learning curve to be minimal if you are at least somewhat familiar with recording techniques in general.

Support:
I have not needed to contact the tech support for this unit so I cannot comment on that. I have looked at the website however and the support information is very good and seems to be updated regularly (ie. firmware updates, support SD card information etc.)

Overall:
I expect to be satisfied with this product for a long time to come. I would definetely buy another one if this one were lost, stolen or accidentally broken.

• User: a customer from yahoo.com
• Submitted: 1/19/2008
• Style of Music: Pop, Rock, Guitar
• Location: Townsend, MA USA

Feature:
I was puzzled, working with a rental and 6 pages of cheat sheets that it was so hard, maybe impossible to delete a file I did not want. Later, wehn hooked up to a computer it was easy to delete copy paste rename files in the hd from the computer. The accessory package was great and well thought out. When we bought one and saw the full manual I found it to be clear and extensive. I loved the crossed mike system, its a classic UK approach and gives great definition and made my mediocre ears happy. Negatives, you cannot update the OS without the auxiliary power supply hooked up. My colleague bought one on my recommendation and brought it over to update without the power supply. I was suprised at how many of my 9v adaptors were either too hot or too low for the 300 ma requirements. We did not dare risk using a 200 or a 500 for the delicate task of upgrading the os. Why wont it boot upgrade from batteries? I also think big files on cd quality eat batteries and we went with the new lithium rechargeables (4x longer) because I don't think you'll get 4 hours continous file at 44 rate on alkalines. Carry a spare set for a work day in the field.

Quality:
For rugged fieldwork I'd like rubberized buttons and some light rain protection. I think there is a market for someone making a silicon case for these. But its so cheap buy a backup one! The accessory kit needs a belt pouch. My teenage daughter thought it was a bit big for someone raised in ipod land. I laughed at teh mickey mouse camera cradle and then was amazed at how easy it waas to use and how simple it was to borrow anyone's camera tripod and use it.

Value:
Fabulous

Desirability:
This is break through gear. All it needs is someone making a waterproof or matel case for field work to bring it into film work big time.

Sound:
I used this on a camera stand to record a Cantonese Opera company. The drums had nice bass tone and the crashing cymbals and high metallic hits didn't phase it. It did a good job on the 12 striong players and picked up the already miked through PA singers with nioce definition. With almost new batteries it died after 1 hour 40 minutes at cd quality and in one 1.2 gig audio file, no gimmicks on. Worried i changed the batteries later and bingo the file was there uncorrupted. It was a piece of cake to drag and drop in sound forger or to play files from it via usb through my audio station. I also heard some pretty good ambient field work (waves with wind on a pebble beach) so the windscreen works okay. This unit was ver 1.30 and there is now a 2.3 or some such driver on the website and cubase and asio updates.

Ease of Use:
In the world of Ipod wheels I found the menu button and jog wheel that clicks on the side odd and not what I wanted in a fluid work environment. If they had that it woudl be perfect in a tactile sense.

Support:
Website www.zoom.co.jp has the updates and clear instructions. Always update yours. Don't trust the battery advice for high end big files: buy some lithium rechargables.

Overall:
Buy this one, not the H2. You wont regret it.

• User: a customer from uvic.ca
• Submitted: 1/3/2008
• Location: Victoria, BC canada

Feature:
I place it on a camera tRIPOD. BEST FEATURE IS U CAN USE IT"LIVE" OR DIRECT, ONLY THING THAT BOTHERS ME IT SAYS U CAN GO STRAIGHT INTO CUBASE BUT IT DOESN'T WORK MAYBE THE VER. OF LE OR SOUNDCARD I HAVE

Quality:
HAD IT FOR A/B 6MO NO WORRIES YET? TREAT IT LIKE A STRATAVARIOUS OR CONDENSER MIC ITS NOT REALLY A TASER GUN!!!!! LIKE ANY PEICE OF EQUIP. TRY & KEEP IT OUTTA HARMS WAY (DRUNKS, KIDS ETC.)

Sound:
Good sound quality spot on, translate sounds good for stereo live, better for direct recording like any mic placement is the key Very responsive to Bass low freq. it made my Bass player fine tune his rig and has helped taylored the sound in a Live sitch, product sounds best w/ no effect when recording live thru built in mics, a spot of comp. maybe will work also. for direct rec. i use it w/ mixer, POD for guitar Direct is cleaner use my own mic also for vox you can experiment w/ this baby very versitable!!!!

Ease of Use:
EASE TO USE OF COURSE THE DISPLAY PUTS A STRIAN ON YOUR EYES, EASIER TO USE 'LIVE'BUT LIKE MUST DIGITAL RECORDER U HAVE TO NAME PROJECT SO IT U CAN FIND IT LATER LIKE THE EASE OF UPLOAD ON THE COMPUTER EDIT IT IN CUBASE BURN CD

Support:
NO BUT I SHOULD ASK THEM A/B RECORDING DIRECT INTO CUBASE LE

Overall:
I'll wear it out, I would buy another one cuz its easy to get a good Live recording quickly

• Submitted: 9/18/2007
• Style of Music: Rock metal
• Location: aurora,,co

Feature:
Great features you might not appreciate at first: Backlit screen so you can use it in a dark room, AA batteries so you can reload without plugging in, and recording level set with a dedicated switch, not buried in a menu. Acutally, it would be nicer to have a knob for the input level, but the three-position switch is adequate.

Quality:
The downside of the Zoom is the cheap case and cheezy buttons. Listen to this, Zoom people: I would gladly pay another hundred dollars for better buttons and a nice case. Just look at the Sony recorder; that's what I want on the outside. Now go fire the dope who designed your buttons.

Desirability:
You are so VERY close to having a killer product.

Ease of Use:
The H4 passes with flying colors my own Test of User Friendliness: Can I figure out nearly everything without looking at the manual? Yes I can. Everything you want to do right away is easily accessible and obvious, and all the advanced features are buried. Kudos to the Zoom for ease of use. I own a Lexicon recorder rig (basically a USB interface to a computer, not portable) which is about 100 times harder to set up and use. The Lexicon does more of course, but the Zoom beats the crap out of it for ease of use.

Support:
The best support is not needing any. That's what I have.

Overall:
I have an old Sony Minidisk player/recorder. I am now going to smash it to little pieces with a hammer.

• Submitted: 9/16/2007

Feature:
Can't really imagine what else Zoom could pack into this tiny machine. After all, this is meant for portable use. The mics are astoundingly accurate and the stereo stage is smooth and natural. Once you know the buttons, the thing isn't daunting at all, even for an old-timer like me, and being able to record either stereo in 96/24 or 4-Track is wonderful. The windscreen works well for close miking .... I like the Zoom!!

Quality:
Sure, it is plasticky, but I don't feel that the quality is below par. Camcorders and Digicams use a similar material and until now, I haven't broken one of those.

Value:
I have looked at two other similar recorders and since I do like the 4-Track feature, I ended up basing my decision on it. The sound is excellent, the price seems completely justified.

Desirability:
Looks like some kind of Taser gun..... but who's the arbiter of cool? I like it.

Sound:
I'm old enough to recall battling S/N ratios of open reel machines back in the 60s, so the almost(!) complete silence of this recorder still amazes me. Sofar, I have recorded a fair bit of voice (stage and outside) and a few short acoustic guitar licks, and the sound has been throroughly convincing. Next week, I shall record our choir and I am looking forward to the reaction. The tripod holder will come in handy. Were it not for the slightest amount of .... one can't even call it hiss .... I'd give it a 10.

Ease of Use:
I don't mind the buttons that much, not even the hyrarchical menu, but the display is ridiculously tiny. Being of an age, when close vision is in any case somewhat iffy, I am seriously considering a mangifier as accessory for my kit bag. That said, I find that for many actions, once one has become familiar with the work-flow, can become automatic, not dependent on display watching any more. For 4-Track, however, the display is seriously undersized. Good that one can load the various tracks - before bouncing - onto my laptop. That's where I do all mastering anyway.

Support:
no need for it yet. So, I just give'em a 10 on the hope..... ;)

Overall:
As soon as Zoom comes out with an H5 which has a larger display, I'll switch, because that's the only true beef I have with it. Otherwise, I believe, I have found what I was looking for. A superb recorder for on the road and when setting up gear would kill the mood.

• User: a customer from kreativeDVD.com
• Submitted: 9/1/2007
• Style of Music: choir and acoustic
• Location: Berlin, Germany

Feature:
The handy tri-pod thingy is neat and necessary for serious recording. The manual explains this in detail. The biggest benefit for me was using the mic sims. WOW!! I have used all of these mics in the studio and can honestly say that this unit mirrors those sounds. Think ANTARES mic mod. I tested the Comp, Limiter, and Auto-gain in stereo mode via the built in mics - no problems there. I have yet to test the 4 track mode with all the effects that are avail. If you know zoom, you should know what to expect as far as effects go! Let's just say, there are too many to mention here. Having showed my enthusiasm for this machine, i sadly admit that the housing for this machine is NOT road worthy. It is made of plastic that, to me, says i DARE you to DROP me! Don't do that! Also, the teeny lcd is annoying to me. Bummer. The pluses to this machine are almost embarrassing to the competition. the micro thingy? Yup, you have to send the micro thingy back to the dealer to change the battery. That alone was enough for me to say no to.

Quality:
Not road worthy, maybe they have a case that protects it? If you treat it well and Don't DROP it, you'll get some mileage out of it. Since it uses batteries that i can replace, i think the unit will last me a long time. No down time because i won't have to send the machine back in for a new battery.

Value:
Yes

Sound:
The sound of this unit is imho, very good! As a songwriter, i have always been fighting with capturing my spur of the moment ideas on tape. This is where this tool really shines. I have not recorded any bands yet, but if i do, i have no doubt that this unit will deliver. I have a motu 828 and a marshall v67 mic using a MIM strat. I hate to say it but, i really think that the H4 sounds just as good as the more costly interface and mic. The only gripe i have is the screen is teeny weeny. And, sub-menus are the price you pay for the size and features of this little gem! Not a big deal if you have worked with other recording devices. In summary, if you are a songwriter that wants to lay down ideas, or a band that wants a live recording at your rehearsal space, this is the tool to use!! This thing can handle just about anything i can throw at it. It is what it is, a very capable tool for the inspired artist.

Ease of Use:
Easy, you plug in or use the two internal mics and press record. Really that simple. Record to wav or mp3. Mp3 was my option because i did not get the 2gig card. I use the standard 128. These cards can be purchased at any electronics store. The quality of sound in Mp3 mode was most satisfying. The wav mode was awesome. Again, i really use the H4 as more of a sketch tool. And i can upload the ideas i have to my pc via the included usb cable and cubase le software that comes with the H4. Although you can use it with just about any recording software you have.

Support:
Haven't needed it yet.

• Submitted: 8/1/2007

Feature:
Highest score for this. This is one of the most feature packed portable recorders I`ve seen so far, and in this price range you could not ask for more. For me it works very well as an USB audio interface for my laptop, with low latency ASIO driver. Great!

Quality:
Feels a bit cheap and plasticky, but again.. I wouldn`t expect more for the price

Value:
I think the value for this unit is great. Maybe not the best recorder in the price range, but with all its built in features you get a lot for your money!

Desirability:
It could definately have been cooler looking. It should have been 1-1,5 inch shorter and black, then it had been dead cool

Sound:
Good enough sound with the built in mic`s, have not tried it with external mic. Line input work well.

Ease of Use:
It`s easy enough. Could have had bigger buttons, or have had all the mic/line gain switches done in the software instead.

Support:
Haven`t had any use for support other than software updates which is easy available on the website

Overall:
Very pleased with this. It has worked great for me. The only draw back as far as I`m concerned is its size(should have been shorter) and to some extent the cheap feel.

• User: a customer from start.no
• Submitted: 7/14/2007
• Style of Music: Alternative
• Location: Oslo, Norway

Feature:
The SD card was the first thing I replaced. I use a 2 gig card and I can record for hours and hours. The batteries don't last very long, maybe 3 hours. I wish they lasted longer.

Quality:
Does seem a little cheap. I agree that the switches could be better however I am sure that would increase the price. I have had my recorder for about a year and carry it in my computer case and have had no problem.

Value:
I believe it is well worth the price. Compaired to what it would cost for other equipment, mics, software etc. for the sound quality it is worth every penny.

Desirability:
Everyone I have showed it to loves it!

Sound:
The sound is the best part of this recorder. I use it to record my big band (17) and I can hear every instrument. I have also used it to record my country band (5) and the sound is just as good as what we recorded in a studio. It recorded my big band better than a professional dat recorder with 9 mics!

Ease of Use:
For what I use it for it is very easy to use. I have not used the additional mic in puts

Support:
Don't know never had to call

Overall:
I have found exactly what I was looking for. It would have to be somthing really drasticly better for me to purchase somthing else.