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A few Zoom H-4 complaints

Brad Linder · Mar 27, 2007 · Leave a Comment

I’ve had my Zoom H-4 a little longer now. And while I still think it’s a great recorder for $250, I do have three main complaints.

  1. When using the internal mics, the Zoom is very susceptible to handling noise. After a while you start to develop a feel for how to hold it without generating noise, but it can still be troublesome, especially when you’re used to holding a mic like the RE-50 which has very little handling noise at all.
  2. There is definitely a little electronic hiss/noise. I didn’t notice it much at first because overall the Zoom still sounds so much better than most minidisc recorders. If you listen very closely, there’s a little electronic noise, but you can only really hear it at high volumes. I still prefer the Zoom to the MZ-R50 because it has a much better signal to noise ratio.
  3. For some reason Samson ships the H-4 with a silly little pouch that barely covers the recorder and wouldn’t protect it from a fly.

The first problem can be handled with practice and/or getting a decent external mic. There’s not much you can do about the second problem.

As for the third, Farrah stepped in to save the day. Ever since she purchased a sewing machine in January she’s been spending almost as much time in front of it as I have been spending at my computer. After spending the last few years knitting, I think it’s refreshing to have a new creative outlet.

I’d been keeping my Zoom in a microphone pouch. Surprisingly, it was just about the right size. But I kind of wanted it back for my microphone. So Farrah whipped up a padded bag for the Zoom. It fits just right and provides some protection when I throw my recorder in a bag. I wouldn’t want to drop it from a great height, but I probably wouldn’t recommend that even with a titanium case.

Samson should really offer up a case like this. Not only doesn’t the Zoom ship with a real case, you can’t find one anywhere on Samson’s website. In fact, I’m not sure anyone makes a case for the Zoom yet. I saw another store selling what they called a Zoom case, but upon closer inspection it was a microphone pouch.

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About me

Brad Linder is editor of mobile tech blog Liliputing.com, host of the LPX Show podcast, and an independent journalist whose work has appeared on public radio and the web.

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