I'm just blown away with the features that little thing has... Always loved the brand, I'm glad to see they keep on coming with great products at a great price
I've used a tascam 24 track for years, I just like the work flow. And if you want you can transfer the files onto your computer and manipulate them there. But I started on the tascam cassette 4 track back in the 90s so it's a bit nostalgic for me
That's what i loved so much about the zoom r24. That i can demo on it as a hands on multi track, record more seriously as an interface, and as a bonus also use it as a control surface. I mainly bought it for the later 2, but its spent most of its life as the former.
I’m on the same page, I miss recording on my R24, I made the best mixes and had the most fun recording when I was using hardware and have been looking into upgrading and going back to that
This thing needs the most glorious input method Sony pioneered in the 90s: The jog wheel, in fact a lot of products would be significantly better if they slapped a jog wheel on it. They could even do it on the cheap by repurposing a mouse wheel.
Awesome run down. The R4 rules.. my approach.. I select a drum tempo and use it as a metronome, I take a stereo out from my roland kit, and record to tracks A and B, I now have my drums. I record my electric though my mxr FOD pedal into the unit and ad a guitar cab, do a second track, pan both...then bounce..bass direct, then vocals with a audio technica mic...touch of reverb, bounce, done...super easy, tactile, hands on...and most importantly...... its FUN
The R4 is awesome. I use it with my synth setup to record ideas, or stems to import into a DAW later for a finished track. If I'm jamming along on my keyboards and something sounds interesting, I can press record to instantly capture it quickly and easily, then layer it with another couple of tracks, basslines, leads, pads, etc. and it's all saved as individual tracks on the SD card to bring into a DAW later to build out. Such a cool recording tool. They did a great job with it.
That R4 looks way easier to use than my 10 year old Tascam, despite the button ballet required to change parameters. Nice price too. The H6 Essential is intriguing as well, for different purposes. 32 bit float is a game changer for me on a device like this. Sometimes I need to capture things immediately, but my hands are too busy to mess with levels. Just hitting record and letting the box do its thing is a bonus.
This looks brilliant. I used to love using a Portastudio in the '80s. It was great for quickly working out ideas as well as more finished tracks. This almost seems like its spiritual successor - but way more powerful and versatile, plus it's small enough to carry in your gig bag... Wow! 😎
Looks pretty impressive. Zoom have been pushing the envelope with compact recorders for a while now. The 32bit feature seems like a great step forward. I was convinced to buy a used Zoom R8 over a smaller recorder a few months ago. As with this R4, there are lots of built-in features, tho' the tiny interface to access them can be a bit fiddly. I've purposely avoided getting into the DAW thing, as my primary focus has been learning guitar & for me, learning a DAW would be a distraction. As you say, these multi-track recorders are ideal for players wanting to capture ideas on-the-go. With a bit of practice, it's possible to get great results.
@@menschlicheswesen84 It's likely to be something I get into at some point TBH, but ATM, I mostly want to improve my playing & jam with others... I've experimented with the DAW my mate has a few times & it's good, but there is a learning curve I have chosen not to engage with, yet. As far as recording goes, aside from one experiment at multi-tracking (mostly to check out the R8) I've only really been using it to keep track of my progress as a guitarist... I could have (& almost did) made those early recordings on cassette instead of buying the R8... As & when I feel that I want to record at a level beyond what the R8 can do, I'll either buy a DAW, or go to visit a friend who already has one. It just isn't something I need at this point.
I have the R4 and it's ancient sibling, the PS02. Main downside: you cannot use the internal mic for live band rehearsals. That requires a different mic otherwise it's too hot and distorts all audio. If anyone has mic recs for rehearsal space recordings, I'm all ears. Apart from that, it's intuitive to use and get demos done quickly
WOW This is groundbreaking, it kind of better than the R8, I wish they could make one a little bigger, with touchscreen and waveform view, and effect on any of the tracks, like a full studio in a box, and high QUALITY PREAMPS and AD DA conveters, when will someone create something that you will not need a computer to record high quality studio ready recording that is a little bigger than this, with four input combo jack, just why?
This was the best review on this recorder on youtube thansk so much for comfirming what I have been saying about how great I think this little recorder is. well done sir!
Dear Henning, thanks for the informative video. You reviewed this multi-track recorder from a sound producer perspective. I would like to share a few thoughts that might make the R4 less of a niche product and appeal to a broader audience. 1. It is the ultimate portable audio interface. If you are a beginner or intermediate guitar player and you want to get into recording, this could be an awesome beginner audio interface. In Canada, the R4 is approximately the same price as the Scarlett 2i2. Let’s say you get the R4 and you use it with Reaper and some free plugins, you get a decent setup for very little money. As a bonus, it’s also a great «portable amp/effects» when you are on the go. 2. Backing track player. (I might get one for this specific purpose. )I have yet to find a good portable backing track player. I’m a beginner and I’m at the stage where I started playing along with backing tracks and recording myself to analyze my playing. When the weather is good, I like to sit on the patio to practise. If I want to practise with a backing track and record myself, I have to use my laptop to do so. Not a big deal, but it would be so much more convenient with the R4. Simply load the backing track on the R4 and assign it to a track. You can load multiple backing tracks on various projects. It seems to me like a very valuable practice tool. (At least from my understanding of reading the manual.) Should I decide to get one, I’ll let you know how it goes. Best Regards.
Is it possible to do multiple takes of a track without do a mixdown to the backing track? The idea behind the question is: I can't do vocal recordings at my bedroom studio and want to do them elsewhere (car?). Long story short: I want to do multiple takes that are used in my DAW later on. If this is possible: a dream tool 🙂
It's such a good devices and I found nothing to compare it to really. I did some of my last videos just with guitar and pedalboard stereo out into the R4 and it worked perfect. Since the R4 got internal drums and metronome I could do sessions totally in sync with my looper, even without midi 😮 I just put the parts into my DAW afterwards and programmed some better drums. It's pretty could to not have to use my PC and be able to carry my rig into the garden to record session. Well done presenting the R4 btw and well done Zoom!!!
The R4 looks like a very useful little device. Yes, it has limitations, but for the price I think it's great. I'm mostly retired from music now, but occasionally I get the urge to think about recording bits and pieces. I had been considering the Tascam 24 track which would be nice, but the Zoom would probably do everything I'd need it to do. Perhaps if I'm a good boy until Christmas ...
This looks like a great product. I have the Zoom R24 and Zoom R8 and they are great too. Also, if someone is looking at small recorders, they should research the Boss BR-80 too.
I had the BR-80 for a month and fucking hated it. Too much menu diving. To much fiddling. Worse, it doesn't autosave your amp and effects. So if you accidentally jumped to the next patch, you have to go through all the mess of resetting everything you dialed in. Recording was the only easy part. But personally speaking, the COSM effects sounded like shit. My Zoom PS02 PalmToo Studio blows this thing out of the water for emulation.
Henning, EXCELLENT VIDEO at just the right time for me! I purchased the Zoom R4 from Amazon for $140 during the July 2024 Prime Days. I know nothing about home recording, but want to get into it. The $140 price could not be beaten, so I made the leap and bought it. I have yet to open the box because I was intimidated by the technology . However, your video is what I needed to get started. It answered all of the questions that I had and more. Great demonstrations and explanations! Thanks so much for making and posting this video.
I love this thing since I’ve bought it. I’ve taken it on two trips. You can even do a faux bass sound with just a guitar and the octave/bass amp fx. It’s only downside to me is it’s short battery life, and that you cannot edit the rhythm tracks.
I have a zoom h6 as part of my live rig. I have 4 sources I like to record live. And I use the monitor out to create a mix I send out to whatever amp I'm using. I wonder if not having to deal with the gain knobs is worth the effort of buying a new one.
Bravo for your lucid presentation and performance! I recently acquired my Zoom R4 Multitrax and USB recorder. Being unfortunately a Techno-phobic individual it takes me some time to learn the "rules of the game". But, I am impressed by the options for capturing a decent demo or backing tracks for rehearsal. Impressive.
Just a Boss Katana in my pocket. Still happy to see you Henning, almost always. Though I have no idea what I could even use as Reaper alternative to create a whole studio in my pocket watch.
Thanks for posting. Your post contained everything i needed to hear and see regards this modern bit of tech. Our drummer brought on to rehearsals last night and I was blown away with the quality of the live recordings. Stripped drums, bass, acoustic (with a few basic pedals), & 2 X Vocals. Such a simple set up, fair enough the faders are sensitive! I wonder as you proposed, is there a setting that can make it a little less sensitive. I'm giving thomann a google.
If they offered their zoom XY stereo mic as an attachment for this, or even as a dual XLR output, that would make this perfect for me. I use the older H6 ALL THE TIME to capture ideas and for acoustic and for recording room sessions, but it wish it had these multitrack features. I have more expensive condensers, but for whatever reason I just always get a perfect acoustic sound from the zoom H6 XYs with no fuss.
👍 Nice review. I agree the R4 should have user presets. A lot of them. It should also be able to save mix level scenes. They probably should have put knobs on it instead of faders. You'd have better more precise control of levels and they could have had room for a knob for controlling the bounce track level.
Doesn't recognise a tracks length. So unlike other models no track looping. Unit will continue to play indefinitely until you press stop. So it's a digital implementation of a cassette based multi track. No intelligence to realise that you only recorded 3 minutes, play that and stop. Am I missing something? Not in the manual. No play mode like repeat, allowing you to loop.
Thanks for another fantastic and detailed review. I’m currently thinking about buying a zoom R8 and my one concern is that 3.5 mm headphone jack. I found overtime that continued use of the small jacks. Makes them become unreliable for frequent use so if I buy it, I will probably get an adapter that stays there and maybe tape it to the Zoom.
Personally, I'd get the H5 or the H6 instead. If we're looking at similar spec devices, the H4n Pro. Unlike the R4, you can record both inputs and the microphone at the same time instead of losing one input to the built-in mic. If you can live without built-in effects, the H5 and H6 gives you interchangeable capsules for all sorts of things including replacing the mics with line inputs for 4 or 6 channels in total. Or you can get the H8 which is compatible with all H5 and H6 capsules and has 3 extra, one of them giving 4 extra line inputs for a total of 10 channels of audio.
@@EytschPi42 The new capsules which were introduced at the time the H8 was released allow 4 channels mostly for the ambisonics one which has 4 mics. Then they added a line input one which has 4 combo inputs.
@@EytschPi42 When you plug the specific capsule to the H8 (EXH-8), 4 extra inputs appear instead of the normal XY. With the ambisonics one (VRH-8), they appear as WXYZ.
such a shame. I'Ve been using the zoom R8 as a backingtrack machine while playing the drums live for years now because it can route 2 of the audio tracks directly to the headphone out, giving me a an audio click that can vary in tempo and I even give myself vocal que's for some parts. The inputs can also be routed to the headphones seperately so input 1 feed from monitor mix, input 2 is my kicktrigger signal, the stereo backingtracks go to output L/R and I have realtime hands on control of all these functions with the gain, volume and blend knob and of course the faders. I run the R8 and a Roland TM2 drumtrigger module for weeks between charges on a single powerbank. everything is installed on the small deluxe pedalboard from Thomann. I believe Thomann has one of my videos on their page Under the zoom R8 I found out lol. the R4 would have been a godsend for touring drummers if it had that separate headphone routing capabillity, but alas.
Woah, this is a cool thing! And exceedingly well presented. Also appreciate the overview of those other Zoom options at the start of the video. Back to the device being reviewed: There’s a word that describes it pretty well for me, and that is „visceral“. It gets out of one’s way, without the need for a PC or other device, letting one do fairly complex things we used to have to pay a lot more for (e.g. with Tascam studios), all in a toss & go package. And the ability to do a stereo bounce AND still use the 4 channels for recording more and more is stellar! I‘m surely gonna buy one of these, using your Thomann Germany link. :-) Target use: song ideas and practicing of covers with vocals plus acoustic and/or electric guitar. But I also think it‘ll serve me well live, for recording performances. Coming out of my Fender Tone Master Pro (or TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 Extreme, depending on the gig), guitar into one channel, vocals into another. And a 3rd channel for the internal mic, with it pointing a bit out towards the audience (for a bit of „live“ feeling and clapping). Maybe there‘s a better solution for all of the above, but I sure can‘t think of any off hand…😊
Unfortunately it seems that the H6 essential has no overdub functionnality, and R4 can't loop ( A/B marks & loops ) and no loopback with your computer or smartphone ( no possibility to record yourself on a backing track playing on your computer or smartphone) making both very very limited for recording 😕
I’ve had many of these pockets studios the first one I bought was The Zoom Palm Studio the first version when it was first introduced. To be honest I’ve always found the learning curve a bit too much I’ve managed to get so far with many of the basics but never fully utilised them.
I still have and use the Zoom PS02 and also have the R4. I find the PS02 is still superior in terms of the guitar amp sims and drum programming. The R4 is severely limited with stagnant drums and basic effects. The R4 was never meant to replace the PS02 as it's a different series recorder. Ease of use is superior but effects and drums are superior on the ancient PS02. I end up recording drums and guitar directly into the R4 separately and stay away from the onboard shit.
You may have mentioned this and I may have missed it, but when the guitars are recorded with effects, are the effects printed on the track? Meaning they can't be changed later? Or could you record one input to 2 tracks and record one as a di? Either way, this is insane tech! You know it will only get better with time.
Can the H6essential be connected to a microphone at a conference room podium and another in front of the audience for public comments and then connected to a speaker output for the room to hear while simultaneously connected to a laptop that is running a Zoom Rooms webinar for people online to hear, too? And, we would want the recording from the device as a backup to Zoom for taking meeting minutes.
Oooh bounce and keep separate!?! Soo far advanced from me bouncing tracks 1-3 to 4 on my reel to reel 4 track, which was technically portable but not practically as it weighed a ton and was fairly sensitive to being jostled around. Myself I kinda like the occasional jostling.
I just used the R4, for band rehearsal yesterday plugged into my Behringer P-16s trying to record the full Band with the 1/4 inch left and right outs. I was really excited but when I exported it onto my phone, it was horribly clipped. Struggling to understand the 32 bit Float considering it was the worst clipping I’ve ever had in a recording. I’m sure it’s user error and I want it to work but could use some help.
I think smartphones don’t handle 32bit float files. From what I understood for all 32 bit recorders you need to export the files in order to exploit them
Oh snap- that sequencer effect sounded Fire! Great review. Are you in Germany? Been following you for years- moved out here… Do you do studio recording? Or just YT? All the best bro
Please excuse this incredibly stupid question. Are you using the line out plug to go to an amp/cabinet/something else? I just received mine last night, after your review was so stellar. So far, it really seems cool, but Zoom lacks any real detailed material or video on how the thing works. I am old and cranky and need some better direction. Thanks!
I’ve yet to get an answer for the What do I do with the finished product ?? How can I listen in for example my car to this finished product ? Do I just plug in the R4 into my car or what ?
Interesting. I've never played with such a thing. I get the jist of it. The price is very doable. What I can do is pick up the input jack from my guitar and hit the amp every time!😂 Joking aside, this is cool!
Hallo Henning, vielen Dank für dieses Review. Was soll ich sagen? Ich hab das Ding gekauft und es ist genau das, was ich sooo lange gesucht habe. Ich hatte mal das Izotope Spire Studio, das ich geliebt habe, das aber ständig kaputt war. Gibts auch nicht mehr. Dann hab ich auch noch ein Zoom H6N, das aber eigentlich viel zu aufwändig ist für mich und ziemlich fummelig mit den Drehpotis. Jetzt sitz ich mit dem Ding im Garten, nehme meine Akustikgitarre, dann den Akustik Bass , dann den Gesang auf über das Mikro auf , hau ein paar Effekte und Hall drauf und es klingt wirklich gut. Danke Henning, Danke Zoom. Habt ihr gut gemacht.
Are DI signals are always available or if you added amp effect to a track you are stuck with it and could not "reamp" it later after importing track into the Daw?
Follow-up question upon looking this up at Thomann‘s (via your link): Is my idea stupid to record vocals + guitar + audience (the latter via the built-in mic) as 3 simultaneous tracks? Can the Zoom actually do that? The specs on Thomann say it only records 2 tracks at a time…
Only 2Tracks at a time. Track one can either be an input for Mic or instruments, or needs to be switched over to use the inbuilt mic. I thought about the same as you 😅
@@Andreas_tropicalwinter Ah, thank you for the kind clarification. Nice to know somebody else had the same hope for this. That said, I could still imagine instead recording only vocals and guitar to 1 and 2 (great for later fixing and mixing), and use another device to capture the audience. The question then is whether maybe another multitrack recorder would maybe make more sense,
@@scottbecker3485 I'm sure a four Track could do the job, but that will be in another price range I guess. Recording three tracks at a time isn't a budget option as far as I know, but maybe I missed a device...
@@Andreas_tropicalwinter Thanks again. Well, it still looks like an absolute winner for sketching out song ideas and creating demos. Gotta love it for portability and versatility. P.S. Subbed you. 😊
Could you clear up a this question: Quite a bit of music players use mp3 and it seems popular but, it seems that Zoom has abandoned that encoding in a somewhat sneaky way but removing the feature and not mentioning it ever again. As you know the Zoom H4n pro encoded mp3. Since wav files are 10 times larger than mp3 it's a lot to injest into FCPX and Resolve for post production editing for little YouTubies. IMHO. Aren't we trying to make files smaller not bigger these days? I like the little multi tracker, it's going to be great in the studio in the back seat of my car. In the meantime, Tascam is the way. Appreciate
You can transfer to your phone. You need a data cable with either a micro USB or USB C connection to the phone (depends on the phone). Set your R4 to file transfer, then connect to the phone and allow the phone to access the R4 SD card. It's stupid simple once you've done this three times.
Not impressed? And should that matter to me/us without any further remarks? Please feel free to suggest other devices that can do this stuff as well, or better, in this form factor. I‘m listening…
@@scottbecker3485 I am impressed. That said, someone interested in small sized recording may want to check out the old Boss Micro BR-80. You can save presets, edit files, use as interface, etc. Any other "small" recorder options?
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Finally, somebody has done a comprehensive video on the R4… Great job…cheers
This is the BEST tutorial on the R4 I've seen. Thank you...I love it.
I'm just blown away with the features that little thing has... Always loved the brand, I'm glad to see they keep on coming with great products at a great price
I'm slowly regressing back to outboard gear. It's just more productive than using a DAW even if it's essentially the same software.
I've used a tascam 24 track for years, I just like the work flow. And if you want you can transfer the files onto your computer and manipulate them there. But I started on the tascam cassette 4 track back in the 90s so it's a bit nostalgic for me
That's what i loved so much about the zoom r24. That i can demo on it as a hands on multi track, record more seriously as an interface, and as a bonus also use it as a control surface.
I mainly bought it for the later 2, but its spent most of its life as the former.
I’m on the same page, I miss recording on my R24, I made the best mixes and had the most fun recording when I was using hardware and have been looking into upgrading and going back to that
This thing needs the most glorious input method Sony pioneered in the 90s: The jog wheel, in fact a lot of products would be significantly better if they slapped a jog wheel on it. They could even do it on the cheap by repurposing a mouse wheel.
Awesome run down. The R4 rules.. my approach.. I select a drum tempo and use it as a metronome, I take a stereo out from my roland kit, and record to tracks A and B, I now have my drums. I record my electric though my mxr FOD pedal into the unit and ad a guitar cab, do a second track, pan both...then bounce..bass direct, then vocals with a audio technica mic...touch of reverb, bounce, done...super easy, tactile, hands on...and most importantly...... its FUN
The R4 is awesome. I use it with my synth setup to record ideas, or stems to import into a DAW later for a finished track. If I'm jamming along on my keyboards and something sounds interesting, I can press record to instantly capture it quickly and easily, then layer it with another couple of tracks, basslines, leads, pads, etc. and it's all saved as individual tracks on the SD card to bring into a DAW later to build out. Such a cool recording tool. They did a great job with it.
I am always happy to see you, Henning!
thanks for the video... that small thing is impressive
That R4 looks way easier to use than my 10 year old Tascam, despite the button ballet required to change parameters. Nice price too.
The H6 Essential is intriguing as well, for different purposes. 32 bit float is a game changer for me on a device like this. Sometimes I need to capture things immediately, but my hands are too busy to mess with levels. Just hitting record and letting the box do its thing is a bonus.
This looks brilliant. I used to love using a Portastudio in the '80s. It was great for quickly working out ideas as well as more finished tracks. This almost seems like its spiritual successor - but way more powerful and versatile, plus it's small enough to carry in your gig bag... Wow! 😎
Looks pretty impressive. Zoom have been pushing the envelope with compact recorders for a while now. The 32bit feature seems like a great step forward.
I was convinced to buy a used Zoom R8 over a smaller recorder a few months ago. As with this R4, there are lots of built-in features, tho' the tiny interface to access them can be a bit fiddly. I've purposely avoided getting into the DAW thing, as my primary focus has been learning guitar & for me, learning a DAW would be a distraction. As you say, these multi-track recorders are ideal for players wanting to capture ideas on-the-go. With a bit of practice, it's possible to get great results.
Learning a DAW is a distraction...🤔
That's good, now i say that instead of : seem's i'm just a technic dummie who can't use it properly...
@@menschlicheswesen84 It's likely to be something I get into at some point TBH, but ATM, I mostly want to improve my playing & jam with others... I've experimented with the DAW my mate has a few times & it's good, but there is a learning curve I have chosen not to engage with, yet.
As far as recording goes, aside from one experiment at multi-tracking (mostly to check out the R8) I've only really been using it to keep track of my progress as a guitarist... I could have (& almost did) made those early recordings on cassette instead of buying the R8... As & when I feel that I want to record at a level beyond what the R8 can do, I'll either buy a DAW, or go to visit a friend who already has one. It just isn't something I need at this point.
I have the R4 and it's ancient sibling, the PS02. Main downside: you cannot use the internal mic for live band rehearsals. That requires a different mic otherwise it's too hot and distorts all audio.
If anyone has mic recs for rehearsal space recordings, I'm all ears.
Apart from that, it's intuitive to use and get demos done quickly
It’s been a while since I saw this channel (work stuff) and I’m definitively buying this…
WOW This is groundbreaking, it kind of better than the R8, I wish they could make one a little bigger, with touchscreen and waveform view, and effect on any of the tracks, like a full studio in a box, and high QUALITY PREAMPS and AD DA conveters, when will someone create something that you will not need a computer to record high quality studio ready recording that is a little bigger than this, with four input combo jack, just why?
This was the best review on this recorder on youtube thansk so much for comfirming what I have been saying about how great I think this little recorder is. well done sir!
Dear Henning, thanks for the informative video. You reviewed this multi-track recorder from a sound producer perspective. I would like to share a few thoughts that might make the R4 less of a niche product and appeal to a broader audience.
1. It is the ultimate portable audio interface. If you are a beginner or intermediate guitar player and you want to get into recording, this could be an awesome beginner audio interface. In Canada, the R4 is approximately the same price as the Scarlett 2i2. Let’s say you get the R4 and you use it with Reaper and some free plugins, you get a decent setup for very little money. As a bonus, it’s also a great «portable amp/effects» when you are on the go.
2. Backing track player. (I might get one for this specific purpose. )I have yet to find a good portable backing track player. I’m a beginner and I’m at the stage where I started playing along with backing tracks and recording myself to analyze my playing. When the weather is good, I like to sit on the patio to practise. If I want to practise with a backing track and record myself, I have to use my laptop to do so. Not a big deal, but it would be so much more convenient with the R4. Simply load the backing track on the R4 and assign it to a track. You can load multiple backing tracks on various projects. It seems to me like a very valuable practice tool. (At least from my understanding of reading the manual.)
Should I decide to get one, I’ll let you know how it goes. Best Regards.
You will naturally create your own backing tracks. This is how I have used it most often.
Have watched this several times. Based on your rant videos and your review here, I have actually purchased this, and awaiting delivery.
Great coverage of this unit…Thanks for doing a deep dig…very informative…I’m impressed…Thanks for sharing…. Poncho C St Fingers
Is it possible to do multiple takes of a track without do a mixdown to the backing track? The idea behind the question is: I can't do vocal recordings at my bedroom studio and want to do them elsewhere (car?).
Long story short: I want to do multiple takes that are used in my DAW later on.
If this is possible: a dream tool 🙂
You'd have to do them on separate tracks and bounce without the volume up. That way they are on the disc, but not on the bounce
32bit has enough headroom to not need trim. If ur worries about overloading, use a passive DI before the input. they're dirt cheap.
It's such a good devices and I found nothing to compare it to really. I did some of my last videos just with guitar and pedalboard stereo out into the R4 and it worked perfect. Since the R4 got internal drums and metronome I could do sessions totally in sync with my looper, even without midi 😮
I just put the parts into my DAW afterwards and programmed some better drums. It's pretty could to not have to use my PC and be able to carry my rig into the garden to record session.
Well done presenting the R4 btw and well done Zoom!!!
Thanks Henning, for this impressive and detailed review! Your reviews are always fun and informative!
The R4 looks like a very useful little device. Yes, it has limitations, but for the price I think it's great.
I'm mostly retired from music now, but occasionally I get the urge to think about recording bits and pieces. I had been considering the Tascam 24 track which would be nice, but the Zoom would probably do everything I'd need it to do. Perhaps if I'm a good boy until Christmas ...
This looks like a great product. I have the Zoom R24 and Zoom R8 and they are great too. Also, if someone is looking at small recorders, they should research the Boss BR-80 too.
I had the BR-80 for a month and fucking hated it. Too much menu diving. To much fiddling. Worse, it doesn't autosave your amp and effects. So if you accidentally jumped to the next patch, you have to go through all the mess of resetting everything you dialed in.
Recording was the only easy part. But personally speaking, the COSM effects sounded like shit. My Zoom PS02 PalmToo Studio blows this thing out of the water for emulation.
Henning, EXCELLENT VIDEO at just the right time for me! I purchased the Zoom R4 from Amazon for $140 during the July 2024 Prime Days. I know nothing about home recording, but want to get into it. The $140 price could not be beaten, so I made the leap and bought it. I have yet to open the box because I was intimidated by the technology . However, your video is what I needed to get started. It answered all of the questions that I had and more. Great demonstrations and explanations! Thanks so much for making and posting this video.
I love this thing since I’ve bought it. I’ve taken it on two trips.
You can even do a faux bass sound with just a guitar and the octave/bass amp fx. It’s only downside to me is it’s short battery life, and that you cannot edit the rhythm tracks.
I have a zoom h6 as part of my live rig. I have 4 sources I like to record live. And I use the monitor out to create a mix I send out to whatever amp I'm using. I wonder if not having to deal with the gain knobs is worth the effort of buying a new one.
one of the best portable audio recorders I've owned. So handy and easy to use compared to the tascam x8.
Superb video, thanks.
Bravo for your lucid presentation and performance! I recently acquired my Zoom R4 Multitrax and USB recorder. Being unfortunately a Techno-phobic individual it takes me some time to learn the "rules of the game". But, I am impressed by the options for capturing a decent demo or backing tracks for rehearsal. Impressive.
my favorite reviewer period
I have a zoom R20 and I love it. I used to have a 90s tascam 4 track
Just a Boss Katana in my pocket. Still happy to see you Henning, almost always.
Though I have no idea what I could even use as Reaper alternative to create a whole studio in my pocket watch.
what guitar is that ??? 21:59 Looks like something I'd be into.
Thanks for posting. Your post contained everything i needed to hear and see regards this modern bit of tech. Our drummer brought on to rehearsals last night and I was blown away with the quality of the live recordings. Stripped drums, bass, acoustic (with a few basic pedals), & 2 X Vocals. Such a simple set up, fair enough the faders are sensitive! I wonder as you proposed, is there a setting that can make it a little less sensitive. I'm giving thomann a google.
If they offered their zoom XY stereo mic as an attachment for this, or even as a dual XLR output, that would make this perfect for me. I use the older H6 ALL THE TIME to capture ideas and for acoustic and for recording room sessions, but it wish it had these multitrack features. I have more expensive condensers, but for whatever reason I just always get a perfect acoustic sound from the zoom H6 XYs with no fuss.
Great review of great features of the R4. Only thing, what's the loud 50 Hz hum in your live recording of guitar and bass?
Single coil guitar with distortion. I don't hear it on the bass track though
I love my Zoom pedals. Had a few gigs recorded with the H6 that sounded great.
Great review your positive outlook is admirable
Bobs your uncle.😂❤😂
👍 Nice review. I agree the R4 should have user presets. A lot of them. It should also be able to save mix level scenes. They probably should have put knobs on it instead of faders. You'd have better more precise control of levels and they could have had room for a knob for controlling the bounce track level.
Doesn't recognise a tracks length. So unlike other models no track looping. Unit will continue to play indefinitely until you press stop. So it's a digital implementation of a cassette based multi track. No intelligence to realise that you only recorded 3 minutes, play that and stop.
Am I missing something? Not in the manual. No play mode like repeat, allowing you to loop.
Thanks for another fantastic and detailed review. I’m currently thinking about buying a zoom R8 and my one concern is that 3.5 mm headphone jack. I found overtime that continued use of the small jacks. Makes them become unreliable for frequent use so if I buy it, I will probably get an adapter that stays there and maybe tape it to the Zoom.
Pretty cool little device!
Personally, I'd get the H5 or the H6 instead. If we're looking at similar spec devices, the H4n Pro. Unlike the R4, you can record both inputs and the microphone at the same time instead of losing one input to the built-in mic. If you can live without built-in effects, the H5 and H6 gives you interchangeable capsules for all sorts of things including replacing the mics with line inputs for 4 or 6 channels in total. Or you can get the H8 which is compatible with all H5 and H6 capsules and has 3 extra, one of them giving 4 extra line inputs for a total of 10 channels of audio.
H8 = 8 channels
@@EytschPi42 The new capsules which were introduced at the time the H8 was released allow 4 channels mostly for the ambisonics one which has 4 mics. Then they added a line input one which has 4 combo inputs.
@@BrunodeSouzaLino aaaahhhhh
@@EytschPi42 When you plug the specific capsule to the H8 (EXH-8), 4 extra inputs appear instead of the normal XY. With the ambisonics one (VRH-8), they appear as WXYZ.
ordered… through your link!
such a shame. I'Ve been using the zoom R8 as a backingtrack machine while playing the drums live for years now because it can route 2 of the audio tracks directly to the headphone out, giving me a an audio click that can vary in tempo and I even give myself vocal que's for some parts. The inputs can also be routed to the headphones seperately so input 1 feed from monitor mix, input 2 is my kicktrigger signal, the stereo backingtracks go to output L/R and I have realtime hands on control of all these functions with the gain, volume and blend knob and of course the faders. I run the R8 and a Roland TM2 drumtrigger module for weeks between charges on a single powerbank. everything is installed on the small deluxe pedalboard from Thomann. I believe Thomann has one of my videos on their page Under the zoom R8 I found out lol. the R4 would have been a godsend for touring drummers if it had that separate headphone routing capabillity, but alas.
Woah, this is a cool thing! And exceedingly well presented. Also appreciate the overview of those other Zoom options at the start of the video. Back to the device being reviewed: There’s a word that describes it pretty well for me, and that is „visceral“. It gets out of one’s way, without the need for a PC or other device, letting one do fairly complex things we used to have to pay a lot more for (e.g. with Tascam studios), all in a toss & go package. And the ability to do a stereo bounce AND still use the 4 channels for recording more and more is stellar! I‘m surely gonna buy one of these, using your Thomann Germany link. :-) Target use: song ideas and practicing of covers with vocals plus acoustic and/or electric guitar. But I also think it‘ll serve me well live, for recording performances. Coming out of my Fender Tone Master Pro (or TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 Extreme, depending on the gig), guitar into one channel, vocals into another. And a 3rd channel for the internal mic, with it pointing a bit out towards the audience (for a bit of „live“ feeling and clapping). Maybe there‘s a better solution for all of the above, but I sure can‘t think of any off hand…😊
Unfortunately it seems that the H6 essential has no overdub functionnality, and R4 can't loop ( A/B marks & loops ) and no loopback with your computer or smartphone ( no possibility to record yourself on a backing track playing on your computer or smartphone) making both very very limited for recording 😕
I’ve had many of these pockets studios the first one I bought was The Zoom Palm Studio the first version when it was first introduced. To be honest I’ve always found the learning curve a bit too much I’ve managed to get so far with many of the basics but never fully utilised them.
I still have and use the Zoom PS02 and also have the R4. I find the PS02 is still superior in terms of the guitar amp sims and drum programming. The R4 is severely limited with stagnant drums and basic effects.
The R4 was never meant to replace the PS02 as it's a different series recorder. Ease of use is superior but effects and drums are superior on the ancient PS02.
I end up recording drums and guitar directly into the R4 separately and stay away from the onboard shit.
You may have mentioned this and I may have missed it, but when the guitars are recorded with effects, are the effects printed on the track? Meaning they can't be changed later? Or could you record one input to 2 tracks and record one as a di?
Either way, this is insane tech! You know it will only get better with time.
yes, the effects are printed
Can the H6essential be connected to a microphone at a conference room podium and another in front of the audience for public comments and then connected to a speaker output for the room to hear while simultaneously connected to a laptop that is running a Zoom Rooms webinar for people online to hear, too? And, we would want the recording from the device as a backup to Zoom for taking meeting minutes.
It might work
Oooh bounce and keep separate!?! Soo far advanced from me bouncing tracks 1-3 to 4 on my reel to reel 4 track, which was technically portable but not practically as it weighed a ton and was fairly sensitive to being jostled around. Myself I kinda like the occasional jostling.
It's a Portastudio! Anyone else remember when they became a thing?..
1980
Made its debut 1979 … hit the market in 1982 when electronic keyboards were introduced . I still have a cassette one . Doing fine
I just used the R4, for band rehearsal yesterday plugged into my Behringer P-16s trying to record the full Band with the 1/4 inch left and right outs. I was really excited but when I exported it onto my phone, it was horribly clipped. Struggling to understand the 32 bit Float considering it was the worst clipping I’ve ever had in a recording. I’m sure it’s user error and I want it to work but could use some help.
Maybe try to change volume level of 32 bit wav file in daw?
@@exop3295 that’s a good idea!
I think smartphones don’t handle 32bit float files. From what I understood for all 32 bit recorders you need to export the files in order to exploit them
Oh snap- that sequencer effect sounded Fire!
Great review. Are you in Germany? Been following you for years- moved out here… Do you do studio recording? Or just YT? All the best bro
Very interesting machine! Can you tell something about battery life? Of course this depends heavily on how you use it. But can you give an indication?
I would guess it’s a few hours of use, maybe three to four, but no more than that
@@EytschPi42 Thanks a lot!
I'd like to see you take a look at Tascam Portacapture X8 please Sir, thank you
Please excuse this incredibly stupid question. Are you using the line out plug to go to an amp/cabinet/something else? I just received mine last night, after your review was so stellar. So far, it really seems cool, but Zoom lacks any real detailed material or video on how the thing works. I am old and cranky and need some better direction. Thanks!
I’ve yet to get an answer for the What do I do with the finished product ?? How can I listen in for example my car to this finished product ? Do I just plug in the R4 into my car or what ?
take out the SD card and transfer it to your computer.
think it's called multitracking, ie being able to record multiple tracks at once
Interesting. I've never played with such a thing. I get the jist of it.
The price is very doable. What I can do is pick up the input jack from my guitar and hit the amp every time!😂 Joking aside, this is cool!
Hallo Henning, vielen Dank für dieses Review. Was soll ich sagen? Ich hab das Ding gekauft und es ist genau das, was ich sooo lange gesucht habe. Ich hatte mal das Izotope Spire Studio, das ich geliebt habe, das aber ständig kaputt war. Gibts auch nicht mehr. Dann hab ich auch noch ein Zoom H6N, das aber eigentlich viel zu aufwändig ist für mich und ziemlich fummelig mit den Drehpotis. Jetzt sitz ich mit dem Ding im Garten, nehme meine Akustikgitarre, dann den Akustik Bass , dann den Gesang auf über das Mikro auf , hau ein paar Effekte und Hall drauf und es klingt wirklich gut. Danke Henning, Danke Zoom. Habt ihr gut gemacht.
Can you load wav files from SD card and jam / record with those?
I think you can. I hadn't tried that yet myself
Awesome video! Always great content. Thank you!
Are DI signals are always available or if you added amp effect to a track you are stuck with it and could not "reamp" it later after importing track into the Daw?
I think the sounds are baked in
Better than the Korg Micro Br and Br 80?
i want one!
Silly question! But what camera do you use? Do you have a video on your camera setup!
I have loads of videos on the cameras, but I feel you don't want to know, because it's a lot...
The different studios are in this playlist
@@EytschPi42 Thanks for the update! Watching them now ❤️. I’ve been looking at the LUMIX S5iiX though! Won’t ever be as serious as you are!
Please Do the new Stomp demo. Amp and Cab
like number 369 - I AM IN THE RIGHT PLACE!! LOL!!
Follow-up question upon looking this up at Thomann‘s (via your link): Is my idea stupid to record vocals + guitar + audience (the latter via the built-in mic) as 3 simultaneous tracks? Can the Zoom actually do that? The specs on Thomann say it only records 2 tracks at a time…
Only 2Tracks at a time. Track one can either be an input for Mic or instruments, or needs to be switched over to use the inbuilt mic. I thought about the same as you 😅
@@Andreas_tropicalwinter Ah, thank you for the kind clarification. Nice to know somebody else had the same hope for this. That said, I could still imagine instead recording only vocals and guitar to 1 and 2 (great for later fixing and mixing), and use another device to capture the audience. The question then is whether maybe another multitrack recorder would maybe make more sense,
@@scottbecker3485 I'm sure a four Track could do the job, but that will be in another price range I guess. Recording three tracks at a time isn't a budget option as far as I know, but maybe I missed a device...
@@Andreas_tropicalwinter Thanks again. Well, it still looks like an absolute winner for sketching out song ideas and creating demos. Gotta love it for portability and versatility. P.S. Subbed you. 😊
@@scottbecker3485 You're welcome and thanks for subscribing!
Could you clear up a this question: Quite a bit of music players use mp3 and it seems popular but, it seems that Zoom has abandoned that encoding in a somewhat sneaky way but removing the feature and not mentioning it ever again. As you know the Zoom H4n pro encoded mp3. Since wav files are 10 times larger than mp3 it's a lot to injest into FCPX and Resolve for post production editing for little YouTubies. IMHO. Aren't we trying to make files smaller not bigger these days? I like the little multi tracker, it's going to be great in the studio in the back seat of my car. In the meantime, Tascam is the way. Appreciate
both?
I've been using this since release. I have a La-z-Boy studio, now. Still don't know how to transfer files to my phone.
You can transfer to your phone. You need a data cable with either a micro USB or USB C connection to the phone (depends on the phone). Set your R4 to file transfer, then connect to the phone and allow the phone to access the R4 SD card.
It's stupid simple once you've done this three times.
Thank you for promoting animal rescue :)
That thumbnail sounds familiar 👀🤣
Maybe...
It probably has direct monitoring over headphones, does it? 27:47 That's what she said 😂
yap
I have so many questions.
As do I...
Sau cool
Who said anything about a studio in my pocket…. Heyo. 😆
First 👍🏻
Not impressed
I am
Not impressed? And should that matter to me/us without any further remarks? Please feel free to suggest other devices that can do this stuff as well, or better, in this form factor. I‘m listening…
@@scottbecker3485 I am impressed. That said, someone interested in small sized recording may want to check out the old Boss Micro BR-80. You can save presets, edit files, use as interface, etc. Any other "small" recorder options?
Beginners question to you clever people - Can i record and transfer to my phone via usb c cable?
Nope, afaik Android devices only record and playback 16bit/48kHz WAV files. It's the Cubasis' max file format. iPhone handles 32bit, not sure