H4 Essential Handheld Recorder for Musicians, Podcasters & Filmmakers with Stereo Microphones, 2 XLR/TRS Inputs, 4 Tracks of 32-Bit Float Recording, & USB Audio Interface

My ZOOM H4essential has been great the past few months that I have had it for. I don't use it often but I have some things to say about it First, the audio quality is better than most portable recorders with the H4essential coming with 32-bit float audio recording with most coming with 16 or 24 bit audio recording. It also supports recording at different sample rates from 44.1 kHz to 96 kHz. There are a lot of settings for recording inside of the H4essential. The audio is clear and does not distort easily. Second, the built-in X/Y stereo microphones are very good for my uses, there is a 3.5mm input jack to connect an external microphone to use that instead of the built-in one. There are also two XLR/LINE inputs for connecting any external microphones or instruments. Next, the USB port allows you to transfer files from the SD card to your computer or use the H4essential as an audio interface. These features are useful if you do a lot with a computer and the H4essential. I use the audio interface feature a lot when using it. Next, storage and file management on the H4essential is easy as it is stored in folders with the date and time on them, it supports SD cards up to 1TB. I don't use this feature as much so I don't have a lot to say about it. Next, the battery life is good on the H4essential depending on what type of batteries you have, there are power-saving modes in the H4essential that dim the display and power off automatically. You also don't need batteries as the it can also use USB power. Last, the the interface is straightforward without any problems and it has accessibility options for those who are vision impaired. The LCD display also helps with certain visuals. In my opinion, the H4essential is a good portable recorder for those who are starting and those who are experienced. The value for the price is amazing with me buying this while on discount. I hope this helps with you searching.

This is a replacement to an old zoom h4n that I was using. I make presentations and lots of different locations and I usually have the audio levels just set to whatever they were set to previously using my lapel mic. But I was in one location where there was so much reverb, that the microphone was being overloaded and it caused the zoom h4n to clip really badly, so I lost the entire recording. With this new zoom essential H4, you don't have to set levels. It has two HD converters that cover a huge range of audio and it just switches between the two of them depending which one will give it the headroom it needs. It also records in 32-bit float, which means it can record the tiniest sounds and the loudest sounds because it has such a huge dynamic range . So basically you never have to set the audio levels. However, one thing I didn't realize, was that means you have to adjust your recording level in post. You can use the built-in mixer and adjust the level that's recorded, but then you end up with the same problem as the h4n. So it's an extra little bit of work after you finish your shoot to adjust the levels, but the quality of the recordings are so much better. The noise floor is much lower to begin with. But the biggest thing is that it's just so easy and gives you tremendous peace of mind. I just hit record and walk away from it . Have used it with XLR shotgun mic requiring phantom power. Also a condenser voice mic with XLR. But I also use it often with 3.5mm lapel microphones that plug in on the side, and it just works really well. Like I said, just power it on, hit record and walk away. Would highly recommend it but it does require post-processing so just bad that in mind if you don't want to do that with your workflow.

I've been a musician and YouTuber for many years. I'm always looking for the best quality sound for the money. I want the best but I don't want to pay pro level prices all the time. The Zoom H4 essential is a perfect medium of both price and functionality. The 32 but float recordings give you pro level audio even if you're not in ideal recording environments. In post most audio files can be edited to sound amazing. I own several zoom products and they're all excellent quality. This is no different. It's a bit bulky if youre looking for a pocket sized recorder. Id suggest going with the zoom H1 essential if you need something smaller as it is half the size. The menu is easy to navigate and the the battery life gives you plenty of time to record your projects without having to worry about running out of power. You can also power the H4 by using a battery pack. I'm happy with it. This fits right in with the rest of my pro level gear.

I bought this recorder to up my game in terms of professional recording ability and to replace an old Olympus recorder which had reached the end of its useful life. I am totally blind, so the accessibility features of voice output for the menus and tactile buttons are very important to me. The recording quality is outstanding, even just using the built-in microphone. I have read complaints that the preamps can be a bit loud, and while I think this criticism is valid, for the price the preamp noise is pretty minimal. The 32-bit float makes levels easy to adjust later with no fear of distortion, and the sound quality is awesome. It was easy to set up and learn to use, and the interface with the Zoom H4 app is fantastic. I used it during a recent rehearsal to record our group, with the recorder at the back of the church and me starting and stopping the recording from the front of the church. I plan to test the range at greater distances. The ability to transfer files to a computer is also extremely smooth and intuitive. There are three reasons I gave it four stars instead of five. 1: While most of the interface provides speech output, it does not announce file names as you're going through your file list. I'm not sure why this couldn't have been incorporated into the accessibility features because the file names are simply numbers of month, day, and year. I can play the file to determine which file it is, but this is an extra step that a sighted person doesn't have to take because they can see the file names on screen. Another thing that doesn't get announced is whether one of the mic tracks is armed (active) or not. The arm/disarm button for each track is a toggle, and when you press it, it just beeps. Ideally it would announce "arm track 1" or "disarm track 2." Or if it couldn't do that, it could give a low-pitched beep for disarming and a high-pitched beep for arming. So far those are the only two parts of the interface that I have found to be inaccessible, and they both seem like easy fixes that I hope Zoom takes care of with their next firmware update. 2: When you run a line in sound source such as a computer or older external mic using the 1/8-inch port, it consistently announces "input overload" and shuts off the input of the XY microphone. It doesn't matter how low your input volume is. It consistently overloads. It continues accepting the input of the line-in jack but shuts off the input from the XY microphone built into the device. One use case that I was really hoping to use this for was playing along with recorded music coming through the line-in jack, but I will not be able to do this as of now. 3: It's a little too big to fit in a pocket, but still small enough to easily hold in your hand. I believe a simple carry loop or belt buckle that could screw into the tripod attachment on the back would be a no brainer in making this device easier to hold and less prone to being dropped. I have ordered a belt clip that I hope will work with the recorder, but that was an extra $10 I had to spend. Overall though, I'm very pleased with the H4 Essential, and I am optimistic that Zoom will take care of the accessibility challenges soon.

I didn't have an immediate need for the two extra inputs on the H6e, nor the swappable mic capsules, but given the prices at the time I purchased, I thought I'd buy myself some flexibility. The H6e it turns out, is significantly longer than the H4e, and with 4 AA batteries instead of two, significantly heavier. The dimensions given for the H6e, which suggest it's about the same length as the H4e, are the dimensions of the H6e with the flat cap on the top in place of the mic capsule. With the cap in place, the H6e is about the same length as the H4e; but with the mic capsule in place, it's significantly longer. Fully loaded, with memory card, 4 batteries and mic capsule, the H6e weighed 426g. The H4e, with memory card, 2 batteries, and mic capsule was 250g. That's a significant difference. For professionals toting these to a recording gig, the weight may not be an issue, but for carrying in a pocket, the difference is noticeable. The H6e's side-mounted XLR inputs were less convenient for my use than the bottom-mounted inputs on the H4e. YMMV. Both recorders did a great job of transcribing cassette tapes whose levels varied widely. The 32-bit float captured each tape without clipping, and allowed post-capture normalization in a DAW. The recorders each produce a pair of stereo files for each recording - one at a higher level than the other. When normalized to 0db, they look essentially identical. My guess is that each file comes off a different encoder, one set at a lower level in case the input clips on the other, and my inputs simply weren't causing clipping in the 32-bit realm. The on-board microphones are prone to wind noise (including plosives), so I assume a windscreen is a must-have to make these useable. Overall, the H (in H4 and H6) for 'handy' is well deserved.

As someone who primarily works with an audio interface and professional recording software for post-production in the studio, I’m impressed by the versatility of the Zoom H4 Essential. This new 2024 model is a significant upgrade with features that make it suitable for on-the-go recording, especially for podcasters or media creators that need a backup of their audio... Going directly to a DSLR or a Smart Phone for audio can be risky, if your audio is not being backed up somewhere else, that's because you may not see what the level is, or you may not be able to monitor through-put and DB levels on the go, and with the H4, YOU CAN ... The 32-bit floating point audio means I don’t have to worry about clipping or exceeding decibel levels, making it perfect for capturing high-quality audio without worrying about distortion. The built-in stereo microphones are surprisingly good too, they capture detailed sound with great stereo imaging (you can make this mono later if you need to) The preamps are clean, but if you’re using dynamic mics like the Shure SM57, which require a lot of gain, you may want to use a clean gain preamp before going into the ZOOM. Cloud Lifter and Triton FetHead are two I can recommend for mics like these to avoid hiss or noise on the floor from cranking the gain too much on this unit. Now, in contrast to that, condenser mics or 24V phantom-powered mics work great with the Zoom H4 Essential, and the audio quality is certainly top-notch, no noise at all. For anyone who needs versatility and portability in a recorder, this model is a fantastic choice.

I was very disappointed with this item. I was trying to record a song for my brother's memorial service, since I was sure I would not be able to sing it live. The distortion of my voice was very unpleasant. I recorded over and over again trying to get different results, but nothing worked. My voice was still distorted. I tried recording in different places of my home and with many different settings on the Zoom recorder and nothing corrected it. I finally ended up with a below average recording, that wasn't good enough for me to want to play it at the memorial, so I wasn't able to honor my brother with a song I had worked so hard on.

I have had enough time to use this recorder and I can tell you it is great. I have recorded with the built in microphones and through the cable inputs. The cable inputs are superior, but the built in mics are better than average! Nice system, great function, and does the job!

H4essential est tout petit. Qualité 32bits extra. Réglages ultra simples. Autonomie sympa. Les prises xlr jack au top. Les micros XY canons. Un prise mini jack pour un micro sans fil : pratique. Le Bluetooth super pratique. C'est une option. Et la cerise sur le gâteau, il fait carte son. Franchement pour le prix, foncez !

Muy buena grabadora! No indica muy bien la carga de las pilas y suele ser un poco “mentiroso” en ese sentido. Puede usarse conectado por cable a la corriente y es excelente. La calidad muy buena

Ottimo! Fa bene il suo lavoro

Muy buena calidad y muy fácil de usar, un poco incómodo el tener que navegar por el menú sólo con un scroll pero se puede acostumbrar La devolví porque venía maltratada y finalmente pedí una tascam x6 por las opciones extras que brinda aunque cuesta una tercera parte más Sin duda la volvería a comprar por su practicidad y relación calidad precio

32-bit float recording with dual level converters makes setting the correct recording levels a thing of the past. This is extremely useful for live recordings without the worry of clipping during unexpected loud passages if the levels were set too high on a traditional recorder like the H4n. With 32-bit float recording technology in the H4essential, this becomes a thing of the past. However, be mindful that overdub does not seem to be possible with this device compared to the H4n, ie, it does not seem to be possible to record a track while playing back another.