Just got one of these Zoom R4 multitrack recorders. Excellent review in terms of demonstrating key points on the inevitable but logical "learning curve". Thanks!
Im still on the look out for something like this with an extended 'skip back' function. eg alway recording mode, so you can retrospectively 'capture' audio and save it without first initiating record. eg you would jam into the device knowing if you chanced on an interesting idea, you could still save it. This would be like the sp-404 only store audio longer than 40 seconds, to make it suitable for a muscian.
Hi, thanks for watching! The R4 isn't that device, unfortunately. But this gives me an idea for a cheap and simple DIY project that would do exactly that (and make a very good RUclips video ;-)
@@mr_floydst I can't wait to see what you do with this idea. I was thinking of Arduino using the DFR0745 module to record, but then you would need a USB host module like the CH376S to read files off that module. Then you do some basic file splicing before sending it via I2C to a microSD writer module. Alternatively, if you had a cheap tiny digital dictaphone board, you might use that to record, with an Arduino to manage the wav files stored on its board via usb. Then you might have 3 or 4 buttons to capture/save the last 5, 10 15 or 20 minutes to microSD. Internally it would swap two master files, looping by recording over one and then the other in rotation.. All this would need those modules to behave as described. Its just a shame Roland or Korg or Berhinger haven't done this already. A postmodern reel-to-reel, like most synth heads had back in the day.
Been wondering about this. Thanks for the great demo. Love the song at the end 🎶 Interesting feature set. Very portable scratch pad, with stereo XLR/guitar inputs, and effects/drum machine. New dual A to Ds are also attractive for low noise field recordings.
Thank goodness an actual demo, and avery kickass demo at that. Sorry, theres too many wnkers and standup comedians on youtube wasting people's time with narcissist clickbait garbage, lol this was a breath of fresh air. Thx for the vid again.
@@mr_floydst Yessir, dig the classic presentation. I knew I landed on a goldmine channel and subbed , only to find synth/retro gaming vids which is a total win for me haha I don't even know what half of those things are, which is what fascinates me. Btw, the stuff you played kinda reminded me of the keyboards on the Rolling Stones' tune Aladdin Story, very cool psychedelic tones =:D
Great Video ! Can you select the same input twice on two different tracks ? The idea would be so that you can use one for recording, and the other one for monitoring only with the extra "insert" effects (instead of the limited echo and delay sends) ? Thanks a lot ! :)
Thanks a lot ! So all the insert effect you use are printed in the wav recorded file right? No way to get the dry file@@mr_floydst ?Thank you very much ! =)
@@mr_floydst ahaha love that! You think a dynamic microphone like a sm-58 would work as well with a Y cable to keep a dry version !? Thanks a lot, your video is the best on the subject! Bravo!! Great work !
Great demo, thanks. To be honest the only thing i didn't like was the onboard rhythms, i know this will help a lot of people, but i think just having a simple metronome would have been fine for keeping time while getting down ideas. I'm just not sure how good or inspiring the drum sounds are! But either way, this machine for it's size, and the fact that it come's with a small built in Mic, will be a life saver for singer songwriters everywhere! Thank you!
Nice overview, Floyd. Your video confirmed my suspicions about how the R4 would operate and perform. I think your R20 comparison also shows that if you are recording in a studio or controlled environment that most of these recorders are going to perform similarly. Out in the wild the R4 should do better with it's 32-bit headspace. The R4 just confuses me as part of Zoom's product line up, though. It's not really an R-series because you can't edit tracks like all the other R's. It's somewhat more like a 32-bit H handy series that exists between the H4n and the H6, but also has a healthy overlap with those new 32-bit mic/handy multitracker M-series recorders. So it's a Zoom handy recorder with physical faders. I think the two things that hold is back are A) lack of 3.5mm TRS line in input on the side and B) Zoom can't decide on what bit recording / sample rates they want to offer in their gear. If you record something on the R4, there is no option for 24-bit / 44.1kHz that allows you to bring those .WAV files to an R-series for further editing and recording. Their handy series are inconsistent depending on what model you get, and the M-series let you record at 44.1, 48, 96, or 192 (which is awesome), but only at 32-bit. At these budget prices ($199 US) nothing is ever perfect, but I would pay $229 for this with the line input and some more options for sample rates.
Thanks! You're right, I never viewed it from that angle. The compability among their products isn't there (but the number of customers that own more than one of their recorders might be lower than we think). One thing I noticed after finishing this video was that some major Windows apps can't read those 32bit mono WAV files correctly, among them Reaper and Audacity. The recordings will be much too loud and distorted (because of their 32bit range). Only the Windows Audio player seems to play along nicely. Funnily enough, stereo files are no problem, so bouncing before exporting helps.
@@mr_floydst Thanks for this comment. Are you certain the issue with reading 32 bit mono files wasn't user error or perhaps needing to adjust a certain setting in these apps? I'm looking for a multi track line-in recorder, and the R4 looks great on every front except that I need to be able to easily drag the recorded files into Reaper.
@@mr_floydst In response to your comment above: "One thing I noticed after finishing this video was that some major Windows apps can't read those 32bit mono WAV files correctly, among them Reaper and Audacity. The recordings will be much too loud and distorted (because of their 32bit range)." Reaper can read the files correctly. Once the recording is dropped into a Reaper project, all you need to do is lower the volume of the item. You can hover over the upper edge of the clip until you get the up/down arrows and drag the item volume down. Then the full waveform is visible since the recording itself is not clipped. This is different than lowering the track volume in the mixer in Reaper. Alternately, you can click on a clip, press F2 to get to the item preferences, and "normalize" the volume there. It will drop the volume of the item so it's not clipping. Mentioning in case this is helpful to anyone.
@@chancemeeting2849 Thanks for your feedback! My comment is obsolute, shortly after I released this video, everything worked just fine. The problem I'm wrote about does not exist (any more).
Awesome run down! Seems these are nowhere in Canada at the moment, ordered mine a couple weeks ago, still waiting.. I will be pulling this vid up again for sure.
If you're searching for a handheld multitrack audio recorder, this certainly isn't the worst one. (Boss' and Tascams products have a very weird and annoying way of exporting WAV files)
Thanks for the review! I was particularly surprised that the effects were mono only. Can you clarify: does that apply to the track settings effects (reverb, echo, anything else) that we can see next to the levels when you recorded the vocal? I’m wondering if basic echo, reverb or delay would be available on a stereo input for a synth. (Although I’m mostly interested in those for mono synths so it wouldn’t be a deal breaker)
Oh that's a deal breaker for me. Yeah I understand that this thing can't be everything for everyone. Would the R8 be the better option if you're looking for say a good sounding master reverb?
One thing you didn't show is the back of the device! I've been trying to find info about this, but can't see a picture anywhere. I'd be very interested to know if the Zoom r4 has a 1/4" 20 hole (like the Roland R-07 does, for instance).
I’ve owned a number of these handheld recording studios right back to the Palm Studio PS02 from more than 20 years ago to replace my Tascam Porta Studio. I’ve owned a Korg various desktop variants, Boss BR and the latest Boss BR80. I’ve got to be honest I’ve always found the learning curve quite big especially with the multi function buttons and adding drum parts I’ve never really got beyond the basics I really should spend the time.
Thank you, Floyd. I bought an R4 a week ago and have made good use of it without needing to read the manual. It took a few moments to figure out that the amp sims / fx were on the inputs and not able to be applied to a recorded guitar track - at least that I could figure out (without reading the manual). That's of little concern to me since I'm an acoustic guitar player - at most I might apply a little chorus or delay to an AG. I do need to delve into the manual to see whether there's an ability to trim the beginning and ending of a song for those times when recording without a click track - and record handling noise before actually starting to play. It's easy enough to import to Reaper or Audacity to trim up the master - and I would do some post processing there anyway. The R4 joins an H2 and H2n. Thinking about an H6pro or P4 unit for round table readings of scripts. In hindsight, I should have bought stock in Zoom. ;^)
Great review thanks so much for this! Just subscribed. I do videos on travel and want to record my own music for them (acoustic guitar) just got the R4 and look forward to using your demo to get it rolling🤙
You can record in stereo, but two mono files will be created. You have to pan them in a DAW correctly / join them in a sample editing program like Audacity.
@@mr_floydst so in a situation such as that, it’s not as simple as hard pan L/R? Also wondering if you (in theory) could bounce audio through the onboard effects. Maybe headphone out back in through the regular inputs?
@@mickd22 The R4 will know it's a stereo track, there's no need to pan anything on the device itself. Also, bouncing will capture all the effects and your mix. Please watch the video ;-)
Thanks for the video, Mr. Steinberg. I find it helpful as I am a total novice with home recording. I do have a few questions. however. So, I'm a guitar and bass player wanting to record some original material. I don't know which pre-recorded drum tracks I would like for my pieces yet. I thought I would maybe play along to the click track to keep me in time but I want to remove that click track eventually. If I play along to the click track but not necessarily record it. Does it record it automatically and if so, does it create a separate track (that I can delete or perhaps just not use later) or will it be behind my guitar on the same track as the guitar? Also, if I want one pre-recorded drum beat for the verse and another for the chorus, do I record those on separate tracks and fade them in/out while bouncing the tracks? Sorry for the long posts and questions. Just trying to figure this thing out. Thanks in advance.
Hi, the drums are not on one of the four audio tracks - they're played back by an extra "drum synthesizer/sampler" on the metronome track. So you can have 4 audio tracks + drums or metronome. Because of this, adding variety to the drums in the different parts of a song is possible, but a bit awkwark - you'd have to record the drums to the audio tracks using the mixdown function. On the positive side, you can always change the drum pattern if you feel another one would be better.
@@mr_floydst Thank you. Can I record the guitars, bass, vocals, keys (4 tracks) to the metronome track, then bounce those down to one track and then record 1-4 tracks of the various drum synths/samples to the song (varying the levels as I bounce those tracks to the previously bounced tracks? Again, all new to me. I greatly appreciate your expertise, advice and guidance before I get too far in the weeds.
You can always "bounce" all 4 audio tracks _and_ the drum track into an audio file. You can also choose to switch off the drum track before bouncing, allowing you to add other drums in the next take.
Thank you so much for the video. Is the SD card format the same for the R20 Zoom recorder. And, can you play the tracks from one to another without having to use a computer
No, the data format for projects is not the same (the SD card format is). You can only theoretically load samples from one into the other - the R4 uses 32bit samples, while the R20 uses 24bit samples.
Thanks for this informative video! I’m almost ready to buy one of these. I have a question: Regarding the usb-c connection capabilities to an iOS device. Simply, can I use an iPhone as an audio signal input source? For example, using Koala or Samplr or some such app as my sound source to record INTO the Zoom R4?
Hi, thanks for watching! You can't use your phone as an USB audio source for the R4. You can, however, transfer your finished recordings to the R4 and use them there. You could also use an audio cable.
@@mr_floydst Thanks for your reply! That is very helpful. I’ll try to use an audio cable converter from usb-c to 1/4 inch into the R4 inputs. Thanks again!
what type of cables do you recommend for connecting a guitar fx pedal like the hx stomp xl with the Zoom R4, i would like to record the guitar in stereo :) Any advice is greatly appreciated😊 Great video and the first one I've seen that goes through all the different features. Thanks!
Can you also use click track to synchronize equipment like a drum computer that has 'Sync IN'? I do that sometimes via the right channel of the line/headphone OUT of my portable recorder.
This trick was possible on the R8, R16 and R24 - you could just sample the sync signal and use it as a metronome sound and route it to the headphone output. Unfortunately, that's not possible here - the rythm tracks can't be panned. You could record the sync signal and use one of the audio tracks / the bounce track to achieve this, though.
Hi there - I can see how you take your recorded tracks off the r4 onto your computer. Can you take a wav file off your computer onto the r4? I work with young people where I may be recording a backing track at home and then taking it record vocals at a youth centre for example. Is it just drag and drop? Many thanks. Great video.
Hi, thanks for watching! You can drag and drop WAV files onto the R4 when it's connected to your computer in file transfer mode. After that's done, you still need to assign the file you copied to the recorder to a track, which is a matter of 2 button presses on the R4 itself.
Hi, thanks for watching - you can hear all the effects while recording, but only reverb and delay are send effects (they're not recorded but applied "live" while recording and playing back). In order to record them, you must render or bounce your tracks.
You don't, not on this machine. This is like a 4 track tape recorder, you can punch in at any given moment if you want to, overwriting what was on that track previously.
@@deepsynth3495 somewhere in between. I'm using it for my RUclips videos when a PC is needed, and as a mobile Reaper DAW sometimes. The tiny screen is both a blessing and a curse :)
So it is possible to insert markers? Sad the guitar effects are mono… lackluster guitar tones are a dealbreaker for inspiration…back to garageband and ipad. Thx!
@@mr_floydst Here is my question. At 5:20 of the video you ar testting some effects for the guitar and we are hearing that "LIVEl"? How are we hearing that live?
Thanks for the video. Can anyone answer me this.... Can you only hear the reverb during recording and playback... but not actually apply the reverb to the recorded track? It seems it only actually records a dry track unless I'm doing something wrong?
Thanks for watching! The R4 has insert and send effects. Insert effects (amp sims, flanger etc.) will be captured in the audio recording, while send effects (reverb, delay, eq) are added in realtime everytime you play back your recordings. In order to capture them on a track, you have to use the render function or "bounce" your mix.
Yes, you can. This recorder can record up to two tracks and play back up to 4 tracks (counting the bounce track) at the same time, and also add insert and send effects while you're doing it.
Please help. How to I recover tracks that I have accidentally recorder over? I have talked with Zoom but they are no help. Here is what happened. I recorded 3 hour long sessions. I hit record and after an hour I stopped, then turned off the power. The next day I hit record, then stopped an hour later and turned off the recorder. The third day I did the same, hit record, and after an hour I hit stop and turned off the recorder. When I Put the card in my computer, the only file I can hear is the one hour long session from the 3rd day. It recorded over the other two because I never pressed "new project". BUT! When I use a data recovery program on the card, I can see that the tracks are all still there! All three! But I can't get the other tracks to play in any audio software (not even VLC, Audacity, or Audition). How to I recover those tracks? Zoom says it is possible, but their instructions make no sense (like they put them through google translate too many times). Please help if you can. Thank you.
Hi! I'm sorry to hear you're in that situation. To be honest, chances are you might not be able to recover these files if they have already been overwritten with something else (depending on how long your other recordings were, this is more or less likely). Here's what you need to do: 1) create an image of your SD card immediately. There are numerous tools for this, e.g. win32 imager. 2) the only program I know that really could recover files in such a case is "Wondershare Recoverit". It has some algorithms for the most common filetypes and tries to repair corrupted files when reading them "low level". That app isn't free, but I found it to be worth it. I think it lets you recover one file in trial mode, so give it a spin. Also, Audacity can't play back the R4's audio files regardless if they're corrupted or not. For me, the only app that works was the windows audio player ;-) You have to render them on the R4 first to be compatible.
Thanks Floyd. Just bought one off the back of this most excellent review. You covered the most important thing. One question that does come to mind ( and will find out tonight when it arrives) are the rhythm tracks rendered into the audio that is recorded or they played again and time coded along.
Hi, the drums are on a seperate track that only gets recorded when you do a mixdown. So it's 4 mono audio tracks + 1 stereo mixdown track + drum track really.
Thanks - so far, I didn't regret my purchase. The lack of markers (as mentioned in this video) is the only thing that might be of concern to musicians.
The dated drum samples you displayed pretty much kill the whole idea of this all-in-1 idea tool. Although just for ideas it is not very inspiring. They should raise the price some to accommodate better samples than what you show in this demo. But I assume they probably don't have better ones or you picked the one that is not of the best.
The 2 decade old PS02 PalmTop Studio and still has a superior drum section and guitar emulation. The R4 was not meant to replace that device. I wish they would bring it back.
@@joellebrodeur1015Yes,you can get one cheap! So go get you some! We purchased our R4 for what is has,not what it doesn't. We knew before-hand what we were buying. As far as more drum track options,that's what the inputs are for. We use a Roland Jd-Xi synth with our R4 and it's exactly what we want--a non-DAW option for demos. Cheers!
You need special USB drivers for this device? Well, no, then thank you very much Zoom. I do not buy future garbage anymore. Maybe companies should start to realize how to not produce more technological trash. Thanks for the review though.
ASIO Drivers :-) This registers as a standard USB audio device, so there's no need for drivers. Musicians who like low latency when recording need to use ASIO drivers, and Zoom provides them. You can also use ASIO4All if you choose to.
@@mr_floydst Thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately, there are also enough devices (we don't want to mention anyone by name here, don't we K.rg) that require manufacturer-specific drivers, which often leads to problems in the future.
🤔There are significant concerns regarding the design of the ZOOM R4 device, particularly regarding its faders. Are these faders dust and waterproof⁉ If the device is intended for outdoor use, the grooves of the faders are likely to accumulate sand, dust, raindrops, and other debris. Over time, this accumulation may lead to operational issues, as the dirt builds up within the grooves. This design does not inspire confidence in its durability. Do you agree? 🫥
I wouldn't take this recorder into a dusty situation / to the beach / into heavy rain. Neither would I do with any of my instruments, to be honest. Used indoors, protected from sandstorms and rain and sea mist, I think this is going to work just fine and neither longer nor shorter than other mobile recorders.
Best song I’ve heard for a gear review video! Enjoyed this.
Thanks for your kind words :)
Didn't expect for this to have that many features! Really nice.
It's not too shabby, isn't it :-)
Just got an R4 today and this video comes in handy! Great work, as always, Floyd!
Thanks for watching! :-)
Just got one of these Zoom R4 multitrack recorders. Excellent review in terms of demonstrating key points on the inevitable but logical "learning curve". Thanks!
Thanks for watching! :-)
Im still on the look out for something like this with an extended 'skip back' function. eg alway recording mode, so you can retrospectively 'capture' audio and save it without first initiating record. eg you would jam into the device knowing if you chanced on an interesting idea, you could still save it. This would be like the sp-404 only store audio longer than 40 seconds, to make it suitable for a muscian.
Hi, thanks for watching! The R4 isn't that device, unfortunately. But this gives me an idea for a cheap and simple DIY project that would do exactly that (and make a very good RUclips video ;-)
@@mr_floydst I can't wait to see what you do with this idea.
I was thinking of Arduino using the DFR0745 module to record, but then you would need a USB host module like the CH376S to read files off that module. Then you do some basic file splicing before sending it via I2C to a microSD writer module.
Alternatively, if you had a cheap tiny digital dictaphone board, you might use that to record, with an Arduino to manage the wav files stored on its board via usb.
Then you might have 3 or 4 buttons to capture/save the last 5, 10 15 or 20 minutes to microSD. Internally it would swap two master files, looping by recording over one and then the other in rotation..
All this would need those modules to behave as described. Its just a shame Roland or Korg or Berhinger haven't done this already. A postmodern reel-to-reel, like most synth heads had back in the day.
@@mr_floydst ....and he made it so. /watch?v=tK1HD1OWCKw
@@mr_floydstWhat’s the device you’re running reaper on?
I'm running Reaper on both as Raspi 5 and a RasPi 400 (plus Windows PC, obviously)
Great review. I think this fits my needs very well.
Thanks for watching!
Been wondering about this. Thanks for the great demo. Love the song at the end 🎶
Interesting feature set. Very portable scratch pad, with stereo XLR/guitar inputs, and effects/drum machine.
New dual A to Ds are also attractive for low noise field recordings.
Thanks for watching!
Thank goodness an actual demo, and avery kickass demo at that. Sorry, theres too many wnkers and standup comedians on youtube wasting people's time with narcissist clickbait garbage, lol this was a breath of fresh air. Thx for the vid again.
Thanks for your kind words! Well yes, when people click I video that says "ZOOM R4" my guess is they want to see an R4. ;-)
@@mr_floydst Yessir, dig the classic presentation. I knew I landed on a goldmine channel and subbed , only to find synth/retro gaming vids which is a total win for me haha I don't even know what half of those things are, which is what fascinates me. Btw, the stuff you played kinda reminded me of the keyboards on the Rolling Stones' tune Aladdin Story, very cool psychedelic tones =:D
Great Video ! Can you select the same input twice on two different tracks ? The idea would be so that you can use one for recording, and the other one for monitoring only with the extra "insert" effects (instead of the limited echo and delay sends) ? Thanks a lot ! :)
Thanks! No, that's not possible. You can assign the same recording to multiple tracks, though.
Thanks a lot ! So all the insert effect you use are printed in the wav recorded file right? No way to get the dry file@@mr_floydst ?Thank you very much ! =)
That's right. You could use a Y-cable for recording guitars as a simple workaround.
@@mr_floydst ahaha love that! You think a dynamic microphone like a sm-58 would work as well with a Y cable to keep a dry version !? Thanks a lot, your video is the best on the subject! Bravo!! Great work !
Yes! A two-microphone setup would be another solution to your problem. :-)
looks like a very nice gadget, i am tempated, i can see it being very useful. great review and demo, thanks
Thanks for watching this, Woody ;) It's quite good. Nice for capturing an audio track and voiceover quickly without doing so much setup beforehand.
Great demo, thanks. To be honest the only thing i didn't like was the onboard rhythms, i know this will help a lot of people, but i think just having a simple metronome would have been fine for keeping time while getting down ideas. I'm just not sure how good or inspiring the drum sounds are! But either way, this machine for it's size, and the fact that it come's with a small built in Mic, will be a life saver for singer songwriters everywhere! Thank you!
Thanks for watching! Well, you can use a standard metronome. So I guess it's nice to have the drum tracks on top of that. :-)
Excellent video review ❤❤❤❤
Thank you!
Excellent real-world demo of this interesting musical notebook, thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Nice overview, Floyd. Your video confirmed my suspicions about how the R4 would operate and perform. I think your R20 comparison also shows that if you are recording in a studio or controlled environment that most of these recorders are going to perform similarly. Out in the wild the R4 should do better with it's 32-bit headspace.
The R4 just confuses me as part of Zoom's product line up, though. It's not really an R-series because you can't edit tracks like all the other R's. It's somewhat more like a 32-bit H handy series that exists between the H4n and the H6, but also has a healthy overlap with those new 32-bit mic/handy multitracker M-series recorders. So it's a Zoom handy recorder with physical faders.
I think the two things that hold is back are A) lack of 3.5mm TRS line in input on the side and B) Zoom can't decide on what bit recording / sample rates they want to offer in their gear. If you record something on the R4, there is no option for 24-bit / 44.1kHz that allows you to bring those .WAV files to an R-series for further editing and recording. Their handy series are inconsistent depending on what model you get, and the M-series let you record at 44.1, 48, 96, or 192 (which is awesome), but only at 32-bit. At these budget prices ($199 US) nothing is ever perfect, but I would pay $229 for this with the line input and some more options for sample rates.
Thanks!
You're right, I never viewed it from that angle. The compability among their products isn't there (but the number of customers that own more than one of their recorders might be lower than we think).
One thing I noticed after finishing this video was that some major Windows apps can't read those 32bit mono WAV files correctly, among them Reaper and Audacity. The recordings will be much too loud and distorted (because of their 32bit range). Only the Windows Audio player seems to play along nicely. Funnily enough, stereo files are no problem, so bouncing before exporting helps.
@@mr_floydst Thanks for this comment. Are you certain the issue with reading 32 bit mono files wasn't user error or perhaps needing to adjust a certain setting in these apps?
I'm looking for a multi track line-in recorder, and the R4 looks great on every front except that I need to be able to easily drag the recorded files into Reaper.
@@chancemeeting2849 In the meantime, the audio files can be loaded into both Reaper and Audacity.
@@mr_floydst In response to your comment above:
"One thing I noticed after finishing this video was that some major Windows apps can't read those 32bit mono WAV files correctly, among them Reaper and Audacity. The recordings will be much too loud and distorted (because of their 32bit range)."
Reaper can read the files correctly. Once the recording is dropped into a Reaper project, all you need to do is lower the volume of the item. You can hover over the upper edge of the clip until you get the up/down arrows and drag the item volume down. Then the full waveform is visible since the recording itself is not clipped. This is different than lowering the track volume in the mixer in Reaper.
Alternately, you can click on a clip, press F2 to get to the item preferences, and "normalize" the volume there. It will drop the volume of the item so it's not clipping.
Mentioning in case this is helpful to anyone.
@@chancemeeting2849 Thanks for your feedback! My comment is obsolute, shortly after I released this video, everything worked just fine. The problem I'm wrote about does not exist (any more).
Awesome run down! Seems these are nowhere in Canada at the moment, ordered mine a couple weeks ago, still waiting.. I will be pulling this vid up again for sure.
Thanks!
Really nice! Seems like a good value.
Thanks for watching!
Lovely and fun review Floyd, this is a more than competent device and lightweight. Could work great for quick recordings of my “garage of synths”
If you're searching for a handheld multitrack audio recorder, this certainly isn't the worst one. (Boss' and Tascams products have a very weird and annoying way of exporting WAV files)
Nice video.. Nice portable recorder!
Thanks for watching!
Nice little recorder to haul around and tune capture ideas.
Yes, absolutely. It's like a Tascam back in the day, but with professional audio quality. ;-)
Great review! I would be interested in seeing the process to punch-in record !
Thanks! I'll talk about that some day.
Thanks for the review! I was particularly surprised that the effects were mono only. Can you clarify: does that apply to the track settings effects (reverb, echo, anything else) that we can see next to the levels when you recorded the vocal? I’m wondering if basic echo, reverb or delay would be available on a stereo input for a synth. (Although I’m mostly interested in those for mono synths so it wouldn’t be a deal breaker)
Hi, thanks for watching! It's true, all the effect are mono, even reverb and delay. No way around that.
Oh that's a deal breaker for me. Yeah I understand that this thing can't be everything for everyone. Would the R8 be the better option if you're looking for say a good sounding master reverb?
One thing you didn't show is the back of the device! I've been trying to find info about this, but can't see a picture anywhere. I'd be very interested to know if the Zoom r4 has a 1/4" 20 hole (like the Roland R-07 does, for instance).
It has. You can mount it on a tripod / microphone arm.
@@mr_floydst Thanks muchly!
11:25 Who makes that Tiny PC touchscreen computer?
It's a "higole mini pc", and I have a video on it here: ruclips.net/video/2-OdfBjW3Qk/видео.html
@@mr_floydstthat is such a good idea,bro. we gave that set-up a spin,very fun. Cheers
I’ve owned a number of these handheld recording studios right back to the Palm Studio PS02 from more than 20 years ago to replace my Tascam Porta Studio. I’ve owned a Korg various desktop variants, Boss BR and the latest Boss BR80.
I’ve got to be honest I’ve always found the learning curve quite big especially with the multi function buttons and adding drum parts I’ve never really got beyond the basics I really should spend the time.
This one is easy to handle. Mainly because it is not overburdened with functionality (to say it in a positive way). ;-)
Thank you, Floyd. I bought an R4 a week ago and have made good use of it without needing to read the manual. It took a few moments to figure out that the amp sims / fx were on the inputs and not able to be applied to a recorded guitar track - at least that I could figure out (without reading the manual). That's of little concern to me since I'm an acoustic guitar player - at most I might apply a little chorus or delay to an AG. I do need to delve into the manual to see whether there's an ability to trim the beginning and ending of a song for those times when recording without a click track - and record handling noise before actually starting to play. It's easy enough to import to Reaper or Audacity to trim up the master - and I would do some post processing there anyway. The R4 joins an H2 and H2n. Thinking about an H6pro or P4 unit for round table readings of scripts. In hindsight, I should have bought stock in Zoom. ;^)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Yes, R4 is quite intuitive to use, you don't really need to read the manual.
Only Mic IN or also LINE in?
Both. The R4 will automatically adjust to the input found (Guitar, Mic, Synth...)
As an audio interface, can it do two inputs and two outputs simultaneously, so that I do real-time effects on the PC?
You can use the the XLR inputs and the headphone out simultaneously.
Great review thanks so much for this! Just subscribed. I do videos on travel and want to record my own music for them (acoustic guitar) just got the R4 and look forward to using your demo to get it rolling🤙
Thank you very much!
What tablet is that @11:09 ?
It's a "highgole mini pc" and I made a video on that: ruclips.net/video/2-OdfBjW3Qk/видео.html
Can you record in stereo or do both inputs sum to mono?
Hi, the answer is in this video both in the short overview in the beginning as in the very first example. :)
@@mr_floydst thanks man - would you mind telling me what the answer is? I won’t be able to use audio for a while.
You can record in stereo, but two mono files will be created. You have to pan them in a DAW correctly / join them in a sample editing program like Audacity.
@@mr_floydst so in a situation such as that, it’s not as simple as hard pan L/R?
Also wondering if you (in theory) could bounce audio through the onboard effects. Maybe headphone out back in through the regular inputs?
@@mickd22 The R4 will know it's a stereo track, there's no need to pan anything on the device itself. Also, bouncing will capture all the effects and your mix.
Please watch the video ;-)
Thanks for the video, Mr. Steinberg. I find it helpful as I am a total novice with home recording. I do have a few questions. however. So, I'm a guitar and bass player wanting to record some original material. I don't know which pre-recorded drum tracks I would like for my pieces yet. I thought I would maybe play along to the click track to keep me in time but I want to remove that click track eventually. If I play along to the click track but not necessarily record it. Does it record it automatically and if so, does it create a separate track (that I can delete or perhaps just not use later) or will it be behind my guitar on the same track as the guitar? Also, if I want one pre-recorded drum beat for the verse and another for the chorus, do I record those on separate tracks and fade them in/out while bouncing the tracks? Sorry for the long posts and questions. Just trying to figure this thing out. Thanks in advance.
Hi, the drums are not on one of the four audio tracks - they're played back by an extra "drum synthesizer/sampler" on the metronome track. So you can have 4 audio tracks + drums or metronome.
Because of this, adding variety to the drums in the different parts of a song is possible, but a bit awkwark - you'd have to record the drums to the audio tracks using the mixdown function.
On the positive side, you can always change the drum pattern if you feel another one would be better.
@@mr_floydst Thank you. Can I record the guitars, bass, vocals, keys (4 tracks) to the metronome track, then bounce those down to one track and then record 1-4 tracks of the various drum synths/samples to the song (varying the levels as I bounce those tracks to the previously bounced tracks? Again, all new to me. I greatly appreciate your expertise, advice and guidance before I get too far in the weeds.
You can always "bounce" all 4 audio tracks _and_ the drum track into an audio file. You can also choose to switch off the drum track before bouncing, allowing you to add other drums in the next take.
Thank you so much for the video. Is the SD card format the same for the R20 Zoom recorder. And, can you play the tracks from one to another without having to use a computer
No, the data format for projects is not the same (the SD card format is).
You can only theoretically load samples from one into the other - the R4 uses 32bit samples, while the R20 uses 24bit samples.
What’s the mini pc you are using
It's the "Higole Mini PC with Touchscreen". Made a video on this a year ago: ruclips.net/video/2-OdfBjW3Qk/видео.html
Thanks for this informative video! I’m almost ready to buy one of these.
I have a question: Regarding the usb-c connection capabilities to an iOS device. Simply, can I use an iPhone as an audio signal input source? For example, using Koala or Samplr or some such app as my sound source to record INTO the Zoom R4?
Hi, thanks for watching! You can't use your phone as an USB audio source for the R4. You can, however, transfer your finished recordings to the R4 and use them there.
You could also use an audio cable.
@@mr_floydst Thanks for your reply! That is very helpful. I’ll try to use an audio cable converter from usb-c to 1/4 inch into the R4 inputs. Thanks again!
what type of cables do you recommend for connecting a guitar fx pedal like the hx stomp xl with the Zoom R4, i would like to record the guitar in stereo :) Any advice is greatly appreciated😊 Great video and the first one I've seen that goes through all the different features. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! You can use your regular "guitar cables" without any downsides.
@@mr_floydst oh great thats good to know :)
Are the original, separate recordings deleted when you bounce channels to make room for more layers?
Hi, thanks for watching! No, it's kept on the SD card for further use.
Thanks
Hello .. when i input audio in track 4 .. why sound not clear ? Sometime lot of revere ... already turn off the effects
Is it possible that the microphone is still turned on? (Just guessing)
Can you also use click track to synchronize equipment like a drum computer that has 'Sync IN'? I do that sometimes via the right channel of the line/headphone OUT of my portable recorder.
This trick was possible on the R8, R16 and R24 - you could just sample the sync signal and use it as a metronome sound and route it to the headphone output. Unfortunately, that's not possible here - the rythm tracks can't be panned. You could record the sync signal and use one of the audio tracks / the bounce track to achieve this, though.
@@mr_floydst Thank you for clearing that up. 🙂
Hi there - I can see how you take your recorded tracks off the r4 onto your computer. Can you take a wav file off your computer onto the r4? I work with young people where I may be recording a backing track at home and then taking it record vocals at a youth centre for example. Is it just drag and drop? Many thanks. Great video.
Hi, thanks for watching!
You can drag and drop WAV files onto the R4 when it's connected to your computer in file transfer mode.
After that's done, you still need to assign the file you copied to the recorder to a track, which is a matter of 2 button presses on the R4 itself.
@@mr_floydst that’s very helpful Floyd and thanks very much 👍
Can you hear the reveb while recording? Great video
Hi, thanks for watching - you can hear all the effects while recording, but only reverb and delay are send effects (they're not recorded but applied "live" while recording and playing back). In order to record them, you must render or bounce your tracks.
Thats great thanks
Hi Floyd nice review!
One question: does the zoom r4 come with cables and batteries?
Thanks! No, you only get the recorder and some short manuals, in a cardboard box (as seen in the video)
How are you trimming the loops of each track recording?
You don't, not on this machine. This is like a 4 track tape recorder, you can punch in at any given moment if you want to, overwriting what was on that track previously.
Hey thanks for the video, I wanted to ask if that’s just a small touch screen monitor or how are you running reaper like that. Thanks
Hi, that's a "Higole" mini PC. amzn.to/45Ijobu
@@mr_floydst thanks man. Is it more a gimmick or are you using it as a “standalone” recording setup
@@deepsynth3495 somewhere in between. I'm using it for my RUclips videos when a PC is needed, and as a mobile Reaper DAW sometimes. The tiny screen is both a blessing and a curse :)
@@mr_floydst thanks for the honest answer, I really like the idea of that rather then an Mpc
So it is possible to insert markers? Sad the guitar effects are mono…
lackluster guitar tones are a dealbreaker for inspiration…back to garageband and ipad. Thx!
There are no markers, sadly.
So how many tracks can you record all up?
You can record (and simultaneously play back) 4 mono tracks.
You can play back 4 mono tracks and a stereo bounce track.
1:37 😂😂😂
:-)
Can this gear be used for live RUclips or other social media?
Hi, thanks for watching! You can use this for live broadcasting, it has an audio interface mode and there's a microphone mount screw on it's back.
@@mr_floydst So this gear is also compatible with mobile phones like android or iphone, right?
@@sweetmelon666 Yes it is. You'll need a USB type C to type C cable.
@@mr_floydst thank you Mr.Floyd 😁👍
Does this have any sort of midi over usb for control?
Hi, thanks for watching - no, it doesn't.
Question, are you using the line out plug to broadcast the rhythm, and your playing?
Thanks for watchin! Indeed, for this video, I plugged the R4 into my R20 and recorded the line out.
@@mr_floydst Here is my question. At 5:20 of the video you ar testting some effects for the guitar and we are hearing that "LIVEl"? How are we hearing that live?
@@TheAdjacents-ABQ The line out cable is going straight into my R20 multitrack recorder.
@@mr_floydst So, that is what I am hearing as you record the video? It's a live audio of what is hapening on the R4.
@@TheAdjacents-ABQ yes that's what it is.
Thanks for the video. Can anyone answer me this.... Can you only hear the reverb during recording and playback... but not actually apply the reverb to the recorded track? It seems it only actually records a dry track unless I'm doing something wrong?
Thanks for watching! The R4 has insert and send effects. Insert effects (amp sims, flanger etc.) will be captured in the audio recording, while send effects (reverb, delay, eq) are added in realtime everytime you play back your recordings.
In order to capture them on a track, you have to use the render function or "bounce" your mix.
A guitar/synth --> Looper/Multi effects pedal --> R4 would cover a lot of ground
I'm waiting for a great deal on one
It's a nice tool to have.
Does it have punch in and punch out
Should be a standard for every record
Hi, thanks for starting my video ;-)
Please also watch 12:10 and the seconds following.
can record a track and listen to another track at the same time ?
Yes, you can. This recorder can record up to two tracks and play back up to 4 tracks (counting the bounce track) at the same time, and also add insert and send effects while you're doing it.
Can I use this as an MP3 Player?
I just checked: No, WAV files only.
What is That mini PC ? 🤩
It's a "Higole mini pc with touchscreen". I made a video a year ago: ruclips.net/video/2-OdfBjW3Qk/видео.html
Please help. How to I recover tracks that I have accidentally recorder over? I have talked with Zoom but they are no help. Here is what happened. I recorded 3 hour long sessions. I hit record and after an hour I stopped, then turned off the power. The next day I hit record, then stopped an hour later and turned off the recorder. The third day I did the same, hit record, and after an hour I hit stop and turned off the recorder. When I Put the card in my computer, the only file I can hear is the one hour long session from the 3rd day. It recorded over the other two because I never pressed "new project". BUT! When I use a data recovery program on the card, I can see that the tracks are all still there! All three! But I can't get the other tracks to play in any audio software (not even VLC, Audacity, or Audition). How to I recover those tracks? Zoom says it is possible, but their instructions make no sense (like they put them through google translate too many times). Please help if you can. Thank you.
Hi! I'm sorry to hear you're in that situation. To be honest, chances are you might not be able to recover these files if they have already been overwritten with something else (depending on how long your other recordings were, this is more or less likely).
Here's what you need to do:
1) create an image of your SD card immediately. There are numerous tools for this, e.g. win32 imager.
2) the only program I know that really could recover files in such a case is "Wondershare Recoverit". It has some algorithms for the most common filetypes and tries to repair corrupted files when reading them "low level". That app isn't free, but I found it to be worth it. I think it lets you recover one file in trial mode, so give it a spin.
Also, Audacity can't play back the R4's audio files regardless if they're corrupted or not. For me, the only app that works was the windows audio player ;-) You have to render them on the R4 first to be compatible.
Record mp3?
No, that's not possible.
Thanks Floyd. Just bought one off the back of this most excellent review. You covered the most important thing.
One question that does come to mind ( and will find out tonight when it arrives) are the rhythm tracks rendered into the audio that is recorded or they played again and time coded along.
Hi, the drums are on a seperate track that only gets recorded when you do a mixdown. So it's 4 mono audio tracks + 1 stereo mixdown track + drum track really.
@@mr_floydst thank you. By far best review of the zoom R4.
Also love the disclaimer up front that you paid for unit.
Just wish these devices ran on an internal battery instead of disposable’s
I'm using some rechargable Eneloop AA "black" batteries with this, didn't have to swap them yet.
You wouldn't want internal battery. Those only have a specific lifespan and cannot be replaced.
We use usb-c batteries
Too bad they did not include a 3.5 mm jack for line in as well.
I guess you could use adapters, but I can totally see why you wouldn't want to.
Steerio!
Cheerio! :)
Great song! Hhaha😂
Thanks! :-)
I kept watching after you said you paid for it with your own money.
Thanks - so far, I didn't regret my purchase. The lack of markers (as mentioned in this video) is the only thing that might be of concern to musicians.
Battery compartment issue: NiMH can cause the lock to fail. Poorly designed really.
Thanks for watching - I'm using this with Ni-MH batteries exclusively and it didn't fail yet. Which brand of batteries are you using?
The dated drum samples you displayed pretty much kill the whole idea of this all-in-1 idea tool. Although just for ideas it is not very inspiring. They should raise the price some to accommodate better samples than what you show in this demo. But I assume they probably don't have better ones or you picked the one that is not of the best.
Hi, thanks for watching! There's only one drum kit here for all the loops.
The 2 decade old PS02 PalmTop Studio and still has a superior drum section and guitar emulation. The R4 was not meant to replace that device. I wish they would bring it back.
@@joellebrodeur1015Yes,you can get one cheap! So go get you some! We purchased our R4 for what is has,not what it doesn't. We knew before-hand what we were buying. As far as more drum track options,that's what the inputs are for. We use a Roland Jd-Xi synth with our R4 and it's exactly what we want--a non-DAW option for demos. Cheers!
Is there a better option at this price?
Spent way too much time on the guitar effects
Thanks for your feedback! I always provide a table of contents for my videos which you can use for skipping chapters you're not interested in.
Why does dude talk like BORAT?!!😆😆😆 pretty annoying is he AI??
Funny thing about people mocking my accent is they always have horrible grammar (and they're old enough to know Borat)
No, you're the one who's annoying.
You need special USB drivers for this device? Well, no, then thank you very much Zoom.
I do not buy future garbage anymore. Maybe companies should start to realize how to not produce more technological trash. Thanks for the review though.
ASIO Drivers :-)
This registers as a standard USB audio device, so there's no need for drivers.
Musicians who like low latency when recording need to use ASIO drivers, and Zoom provides them. You can also use ASIO4All if you choose to.
@@mr_floydst Thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately, there are also enough devices (we don't want to mention anyone by name here, don't we K.rg) that require manufacturer-specific drivers, which often leads to problems in the future.
🤔There are significant concerns regarding the design of the ZOOM R4 device, particularly regarding its faders. Are these faders dust and waterproof⁉ If the device is intended for outdoor use, the grooves of the faders are likely to accumulate sand, dust, raindrops, and other debris. Over time, this accumulation may lead to operational issues, as the dirt builds up within the grooves. This design does not inspire confidence in its durability. Do you agree? 🫥
I wouldn't take this recorder into a dusty situation / to the beach / into heavy rain. Neither would I do with any of my instruments, to be honest.
Used indoors, protected from sandstorms and rain and sea mist, I think this is going to work just fine and neither longer nor shorter than other mobile recorders.