I did tap my H4n...it helped some....but I went into input and made certain everything was off...and that helped totally. Thank you for this post....made me brave enough to try.
Same problem with mine. The fault is the bypass switch in the jack which becomes noisy, sometimes very noisy. Plugging in and out sometimes fixes it but I found a longer lasting solution was to spray a small amount of electronic contact cleaner into the jack and then plug and unplug several times. Fault comes back months later but at least you know what to do.
I’ll be goddamm!!. I had significant white noise on the right xy mic on my H5. I followed your suggestion and plugged into LINE IN on the xy mic and then powered it back and presto! White noise bye bye! All I hear is crispy clean sound. Ashley, thank you!
Saved me with a college assignment, I plugged and unplugged my headphones in the Exit Mic jack when the H4N wasn’t even on and it fixed the issue! Many many thanks! 🙏🫶
Big thanks for the external mic plug fixing the static! I got a used one and I even tried taking out the capsule to see if a wire came loose. Was thinking about returning it then ran into your video and what do you know, just plugging in the jack fixed it.
I am so thankful to your video explaining the problem I was having. I was convinced that it was destined for the garbage. The static was deafening and mostly in the right side. I was unable to make adjustments in the recording level either. Just by plugging in my earphone jack into the rear microphone input made everything perfect in just two seconds. Just amazing….. :)
Thank you too! In 2011 I was recording a lecture and my H4n fell from the stand. I took it to the authorized technical support in Brazil and they just said they didn't have spare parts to fix it... (I believe they haven't even opened it to check). Now, 9 years later, I found your video and fixed it myself! A hug to you!
I had put my h4n down for several years because of the static in the right mic. Then I brought it out to record with an 1/8” (3.5mm) mic and upon moving it after recording, dropped it from a music stand onto concrete. The static went away in the internal right mic. I can only think it was the drop because before putting away years ago, the external mic was how I was using it. Now though I have a problem where the output material wavers between the headphone out and the speaker- a much better problem than the mic being caput.
Thanks good thinking. I have the H4N Pro and mine does not have this issue. Built in is loose on the right causing rattle and is annoying. Wish they would have fixed this in new versions. It also needs protection a cage but can't be sourced from zoom. I doubt they will warranty this.
You can always try to ask them about a warranty ... seems like built in on right should not become loose under normal usage. ... anyway thanks for stopping by, thanks for sharing your experience!
Recording through the external mic unit is from where I'm recording the static, although I haven't checked to see if it's either from left or right channel. But I'm using a two way jack and recording directly from the headphone port from my desktop.
Thank you very much ! I was going crazy with that static noise on the R channel and I thought it was due to the fact that, while falling down , the microphone tilted and I was desperade that it didn't work anymore. At same time, I'm totally unabled to manage electric things like you perfectly do. This your brilliant suggestion solved the issue perfectly. As it seems, this is a well-known Zoom problem. Thanks a lot again ! If you'll come in Italy, you have a paid beer !
You are welcome, glad it worked. Yeah, apparently the old H4N is prone to static build up of some kind, where inserting the microphone seems to clear it up for a good while anyway. I try to remember to do it before using it. Thanks for stopping by, be well/safe.
With the rec level set to 20, my right channel was showing around -6dB of noise continuously and had been doing so for some time. Your suggestion to connect and disconnect an ext mic seems to have sorted that nicely - thanks for the useful tip, and the interesting video showing the inside of the unit :-)
A lovely comment to read on Friday after an exhausting work week... thank you for letting me know, glad the vid helped! Please have a wonderful weekend... and happy (hopefully good quality) recording on your H4n! :)
@johndoo1265 not officially, no, but eBay seems to sell both working and "for parts not working" H4Ns. It is 2023 now, forgive the delayed reply, was on long break from channel.
@johndoo1265 that's awesome 👍 ... I never would have thought of FB Marketplace for electronic item parts... a quick search shows me quite a bit going on there... great idea... thanks... I will keep it in mind for myself next time. Take care, good fortune in your audio and other endeavors.
Hello, I'm having almost the same issue, but one difference: the right channel is making kind of white noise. One day to another it come back to work well. Then I turned the mic from 120 degree to 90 degree and the noise started right away. The noise also shows on the digital meters. That sudden pause of the noise made realize that the capsule isn't broken, but might be an electrical problem. I'm not into technical stuff, I'd only take the risk to open it if there's any chance to repair it by myself. Could you solve the static noise of your device? Thank you for the video, I enjoy it.
+khabros Well, just yesterday, I noticed the noise came back so my repair to tighten the microphone did not solve that particular problem, but at least I know it is not caused by that loose microphone issue. As expected, I inserted and removed a microphone from the external microphone jack, and the noise went away (same remedy I applied before). I guess, for now, I will just have to do that as a workaround. My guess is an electrical field is building up somewhere where inserting and removing and ext mic causes it to discharge. I've seen that happen with other equipment before (after it ages... not sure why). I bought this H4N used and it is old so I am not sure if I will spend more time on this. Maybe one day I will get curious again and examine the circuit more closely. ;) Not today though. Thank you for watching and your nice comment!
I can only guess... my guesses would be to check your unit's features which can produce an echo and ensure they're not activated or in a state you wish them to be in. Try downloading your model's manual, search for the words "reverb" or "echo" and you will find pages discussing features related to reverb/echo. See if they are unexpectedly enabled. I believe the H4N has a "factory reset" option that can reset your unit, while you can try that feature, make sure you backup your data first, and that you know what settings to put back after factory reset, assuming you have special settings. Those would be my first guesses if that were happening to me. Best of luck figuring it out, and thanks for stopping by!
The only static I've heard is the issue that occurs recording which is mentioned in the video, where I insert a mic or headset temporarily into the ext mic jack, then remove it, static goes away... seems like some sort of electron build up or something. I can't say whether that's your issue or not... if you copy the audio files to another device, like a PC, and you heard static, it means the static is being recorded... if that's the case, you might try the ext mic insert/removal workaround. That's the only one I know of... best of luck with it!
I did tap my H4n...it helped some....but I went into input and made certain everything was off...and that helped totally. Thank you for this post....made me brave enough to try.
@BarryWick, glad it helped! It is 2023 now, forgive the delayed reply, was on long break from channel.
Didn’t know this was a common problem… My right microphone is all static! I will try this out! Thank you!!
Np, thanks!
Same problem with mine. The fault is the bypass switch in the jack which becomes noisy, sometimes very noisy. Plugging in and out sometimes fixes it but I found a longer lasting solution was to spray a small amount of electronic contact cleaner into the jack and then plug and unplug several times. Fault comes back months later but at least you know what to do.
I’ll be goddamm!!. I had significant white noise on the right xy mic on my H5. I followed your suggestion and plugged into LINE IN on the xy mic and then powered it back and presto! White noise bye bye! All I hear is crispy clean sound. Ashley, thank you!
@Mrero1971, I am so glad it was helpful, thank you for the kind words! It is 2023 now, forgive the delayed reply, was on long break from channel.
Saved me with a college assignment, I plugged and unplugged my headphones in the Exit Mic jack when the H4N wasn’t even on and it fixed the issue! Many many thanks! 🙏🫶
@hvw8557 😊 That is wonderful to hear... thank you!
Plugging a headphone into the line-in jack on my Zoom H5 totally fixed the problem for me. THANK YOU!
So awesome @sonarun... so glad it worked!
Big thanks for the external mic plug fixing the static! I got a used one and I even tried taking out the capsule to see if a wire came loose. Was thinking about returning it then ran into your video and what do you know, just plugging in the jack fixed it.
I am so thankful to your video explaining the problem I was having. I was convinced that it was destined for the garbage. The static was deafening and mostly in the right side. I was unable to make adjustments in the recording level either. Just by plugging in my earphone jack into the rear microphone input made everything perfect in just two seconds. Just amazing….. :)
@willieswyer2467, So glad it was helpful, thank you for the kind words! It is 2023 now... forgive the delayed reply... was on long break from channel.
wow this worked for me, what a strange solution to what I thought was some complex wiring problem
Thank you too! In 2011 I was recording a lecture and my H4n fell from the stand. I took it to the authorized technical support in Brazil and they just said they didn't have spare parts to fix it... (I believe they haven't even opened it to check). Now, 9 years later, I found your video and fixed it myself! A hug to you!
You are welcome, glad it worked!
I had put my h4n down for several years because of the static in the right mic. Then I brought it out to record with an 1/8” (3.5mm) mic and upon moving it after recording, dropped it from a music stand onto concrete. The static went away in the internal right mic. I can only think it was the drop because before putting away years ago, the external mic was how I was using it. Now though I have a problem where the output material wavers between the headphone out and the speaker- a much better problem than the mic being caput.
Thanks good thinking. I have the H4N Pro and mine does not have this issue. Built in is loose on the right causing rattle and is annoying. Wish they would have fixed this in new versions. It also needs protection a cage but can't be sourced from zoom. I doubt they will warranty this.
You can always try to ask them about a warranty ... seems like built in on right should not become loose under normal usage. ... anyway thanks for stopping by, thanks for sharing your experience!
The tip for the external mic fixed my static, thanks!
Glad it worked! 👍 Hope you stop by again sometime, thanks!
I have a similar problem but with the line in, the right side has static
You are braver than I. Thanks for the tip about the external microphone. It worked on mine.
Glad it worked for you, thanks for stopping by!!
Had the same problems with a used Zoom H1 I just bought. That external mic trick fixed it! Thank you so much!
Awesome, so glad to hear it! Thank you for stopping by! Forgive the delayed reply, was on long break from channel.
Recording through the external mic unit is from where I'm recording the static, although I haven't checked to see if it's either from left or right channel. But I'm using a two way jack and recording directly from the headphone port from my desktop.
Thank you so much for the external mic tip. I was in despairing!
You are welcome, I'm glad you liked it. Forgive this delayed reply, was on long break from the channel.
Thank you very much ! I was going crazy with that static noise on the R channel and I thought it was due to the fact that, while falling down , the microphone tilted and I was desperade that it didn't work anymore. At same time, I'm totally unabled to manage electric things like you perfectly do. This your brilliant suggestion solved the issue perfectly. As it seems, this is a well-known Zoom problem. Thanks a lot again ! If you'll come in Italy, you have a paid beer !
You are welcome, glad it worked. Yeah, apparently the old H4N is prone to static build up of some kind, where inserting the microphone seems to clear it up for a good while anyway. I try to remember to do it before using it. Thanks for stopping by, be well/safe.
I had the same problem and then following what you said at the start, I put in a mic at the back 3.5 jack, and it worked! Thanks!!
You are welcome, glad it worked.
Had constant static in my right channel. Inserted and removed external mic and it was fixed. Thank you!!
You are welcome, glad it worked!
With the rec level set to 20, my right channel was showing around -6dB of noise continuously and had been doing so for some time. Your suggestion to connect and disconnect an ext mic seems to have sorted that nicely - thanks for the useful tip, and the interesting video showing the inside of the unit :-)
A lovely comment to read on Friday after an exhausting work week... thank you for letting me know, glad the vid helped! Please have a wonderful weekend... and happy (hopefully good quality) recording on your H4n! :)
Thank you for this. You saved my zoom recorder!
@mooseeygoosey That is so awesome to hear, thank you! It is September 2023 now, forgive the delayed reply, was taking a long break.
you're a dammed legend, life saver, cheers!
OMG! Ashley you rock! thank you so much, I did the same thing you did. It worked!
So happy to hear that, thank you for letting me know. Please forgive delayed reply, was on a long hiatus from channel.
Plugged headphones in the external mic and it worked!! Thanks!!
You are welcome, glad it worked!
Hello Ashley, do you know where to find spare parts from this H4N?
@johndoo1265 not officially, no, but eBay seems to sell both working and "for parts not working" H4Ns. It is 2023 now, forgive the delayed reply, was on long break from channel.
@@AshleyPurring Thank you anyway :)
I got the spare parts on Facebook 😅
@johndoo1265 that's awesome 👍 ... I never would have thought of FB Marketplace for electronic item parts... a quick search shows me quite a bit going on there... great idea... thanks... I will keep it in mind for myself next time. Take care, good fortune in your audio and other endeavors.
@@AshleyPurring ☺
Like many here - thank you for the external mic tip
Np ... thanks!
OMG! yes. thank you for the quick fix! i didn't even stick a real headphone in, just my headphones, and it worked!
You are welcome, thank you for the kind words.
thanx forthat trick with side mic. I had white noise no its gone ! chears
Glad it worked, thanks for stopping by!
Hello, I'm having almost the same issue, but one difference: the right channel is making kind of white noise. One day to another it come back to work well. Then I turned the mic from 120 degree to 90 degree and the noise started right away. The noise also shows on the digital meters. That sudden pause of the noise made realize that the capsule isn't broken, but might be an electrical problem. I'm not into technical stuff, I'd only take the risk to open it if there's any chance to repair it by myself.
Could you solve the static noise of your device?
Thank you for the video, I enjoy it.
+khabros Well, just yesterday, I noticed the noise came back so my repair to tighten the microphone did not solve that particular problem, but at least I know it is not caused by that loose microphone issue. As expected, I inserted and removed a microphone from the external microphone jack, and the noise went away (same remedy I applied before). I guess, for now, I will just have to do that as a workaround. My guess is an electrical field is building up somewhere where inserting and removing and ext mic causes it to discharge. I've seen that happen with other equipment before (after it ages... not sure why). I bought this H4N used and it is old so I am not sure if I will spend more time on this. Maybe one day I will get curious again and examine the circuit more closely. ;) Not today though. Thank you for watching and your nice comment!
Does anyone have electrical scheme of the device?
Hello, could you tell me why my h4n zoom is recording on the input channels and getting with echo?
I can only guess... my guesses would be to check your unit's features which can produce an echo and ensure they're not activated or in a state you wish them to be in. Try downloading your model's manual, search for the words "reverb" or "echo" and you will find pages discussing features related to reverb/echo. See if they are unexpectedly enabled. I believe the H4N has a "factory reset" option that can reset your unit, while you can try that feature, make sure you backup your data first, and that you know what settings to put back after factory reset, assuming you have special settings. Those would be my first guesses if that were happening to me. Best of luck figuring it out, and thanks for stopping by!
Thank you! You fixed my problem
That is great to know... you are welcome and thank you for mentioning it!
This really helped me out. Thank you!
Glad it helped, you're welcome and thank you!
thank you so much ..
Glad you liked it, thanks for stopping by!!
My playback is very staticy...any reason why...Almost like water is in it..or whatever. Very annoying.
The only static I've heard is the issue that occurs recording which is mentioned in the video, where I insert a mic or headset temporarily into the ext mic jack, then remove it, static goes away... seems like some sort of electron build up or something. I can't say whether that's your issue or not... if you copy the audio files to another device, like a PC, and you heard static, it means the static is being recorded... if that's the case, you might try the ext mic insert/removal workaround. That's the only one I know of... best of luck with it!
tnx! it was so useful
@_navesni, Glad it was helpful, thank you for the kind words! It is 2023 now, forgive the delayed reply, was on long break from channel.
Same problem.
Hope the workarounds get things working right for you... thanks for stopping by!
This is what I look for
Super! Thank you for stopping by!
Mine is doing it
Hope the workarounds get things working right for you... thanks for stopping by!