St. Olaf College | DiSCO
July 26, 2016
equipment
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Zoom H4 Field Recorder

zoom-H4

Unlike the H2, the H4n Zoom Handy Recorder makes it easy to use additional microphones. It has the capability to record 4 channels simultaneously due to the combined xlr and 1/4″ inputs/outputs on the bottom of the mic. So a person can use the stereo channels for a vocal track while using the internal microphones to record up to two instruments at once.

  1. Ways to record:
    1. Built in microphones (stereo).
    2. Built in Microphones plus external microphones (4CH) with two ports on bottom.
    3. As audio interface recording directly to a computer.
  2. Turning on/off:
    1. Make sure everything is set up and SD card is inserted.
    2. Slide power switch on left hand side of recorder towards power symbol.
    3. To power off, slide switch over and hold for a few seconds.
  3. To record:
    1. Press [REC] button once.
    2. When the red light is flashing you can adjust recording level without capturing sound.
      1. adjust the level of the built in microphones and external mics separately by selecting [MIC] or [1]/[2] before pressing [+] or [-] on the [rec level] button on the right hand side.
    3. When levels are set, press [REC] again to begin recording.
    4. Use the [play/pause] button to pause or resume recording.
    5. When done, press [stop] to finish and save the recording.
  4. To switch between modes:
    1. Press the [menu] key.
    2. Use the dial on the right hand side to scroll to mode and then press dial to select.
  5. To use as audio interface:
    1. Plug USB cable into zoom and computer.
    2. Using the dial, select audio I/F.
    3. Select connect.
    4. Select Zoom H4N as the input device in the preferences of your audio recording software.