Zoom H1n Review for Filmmakers - Impressive Sound Effects Recorder
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- After nearly a decade, Zoom has released an update to their very popular H1 stereo audio recorder. The “H” in H1n stands for handy, and I agree, that’s a very apt name for this little field recorder. In this episode, we review it from a filmmaking perspective. I find it to be a great device for recording stereo sound effects and as a general purpose learning tool for those new to recording sound.
If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses at school.learnli...
This episode shot with the following gear:
----------------------------------
Zoom H1n Handy Stereo Recorder - One of my favorite tools for when I need to quickly and easily record stereo sound effects
B&H: bhpho.to/2EEsnhl
----------------------------------
Zoom H1n Accessory Pack - this includes the foam wind cover I find critical for recording outdoors with your H1n
B&H: bhpho.to/2HDXSJ6
----------------------------------
Zoom Hairy Wind Cover - also critical when recording outdoors
B&H: bhpho.to/2Hwo5xc
----------------------------------
SONY MDR7506 Headphones
B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/sonymd...
----------------------------------
Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro Cinema Camera - Used for the talking head clips
B&H: bhpho.to/2AKJOcN
----------------------------------
Sigma ART 24-70mm f/2.8 OS Lens (Canon EF Mount)
B&H: bhpho.to/2kjsI2x
----------------------------------
Panasonic GH5 - Used for the product shots on the white background
Amazon: geni.us/vr8A5qm
B&H: bhpho.to/2BcorBk
----------------------------------
Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 OIS Lens - incredibly versatile lens that is on the GH5 most of the time
Amazon: geni.us/RKk7yA
B&H: bhpho.to/2i6s2gv
----------------------------------
Copyright 2018 by Curtis Judd
Music - MzA by Cary Judd, used with permission
Ethics statement: Some of the links above are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or other affiliate links.
![Natanael Cano - Amor Eterno [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EO4prCs6WpM/mqdefault.jpg)
This is one of the best review videos I've ever seen.
Thanks Mr. Beat!
agreed!!
Agreed. I just bought one.
i had the exact same thoughts. the noise floor measurements at -23 LUFS really hit hard.
Definitely 💯
This review couldn't have been done any better. Pretty much perfectly executed so thanks and well done. 👌👏👌
Thanks!
THIS is the review I was looking for. I’ve been curious about capturing ambient environments, so thanks for that bit at the beginning!
👍
I just have to say that your review was by far one of the absolute best product reviews that I’ve come across. Incredibly informative, functional uses covered, pros and cons simply laid out. Thank you for your review.
Thanks for the feedback, Brian! Very much appreciated.
Have no need for such a device but I generally watch everything you post, in part because even though I am not the target audience for this device I always manage to learn something about the dark art of sound! Two personal fun notes, 1) I've lived in the south for decades and every time I see vistas of the mountains of Summit county my heart leaps! and 2) I loved your little undisclosed homage to Mr. Caleb Pike. I've followed the two of you for years and owe you both a debt of gratitude.
Thanks James, I very much appreciate the notes. :)
As a video professional, I have to say these are among the most well-shot reviews I've seen on RUclips. The overall craft in lighting, product lighting, composition and grading are simply impeccable. Really a pleasure to watch. Cheers
Thanks so much!
Thank you. I've been waiting for your review since the H1n launched, and I wasn't disappointed. You always deliver the perfect amount of detail, and in the most effective way. Loved the field recordings!
Thanks Michael!
Excellent job on this review from beginning to end in all aspects, from the inclusion of the initial text summary and complete detailed description of all functions, to the studio and location production values (nice studio lighting w/black background) as well as them being great live examples and samples of the H1n's abilities and output. I just scrolled through the comments and it looks like I'm not alone in my opinion, but this was the first review of yours that I've seen, so even though you don't need any more compliments I've already finished. Thanks for the info.
Thank you so much!
Great review ! I was going to get the Tascam, but it's shocking that with the newer versions they still have RF interference problems ...tho i really like their sound more.
Yes, it is a shame.
This is how a professional review look like. No bulshit no flashy stuff just good information, not too slow not too fast...
Thanks.
@@curtisjudd Welcome, I will watch other review of yours and also subscribed, I love the text at the beginning
Excellent! I should have watched this one first. Thank you Curtis! I'm going to enjoy using this unit. VERY helpful as always.
👍🏻Best wishes and happy recording!
Thanks Curtis!
This is much easier than the gear we used to record sounds effects with back in the 1980s. Folley work taught me a lot about how important realistic sound effects lift a scene in production.
👍 I agree on both - much easier to work with and the value of realistic effects is as important as ever. Thanks Dean!
This was the perfect video. I had just found out yesterday that there was a new H1 and now this video was posted.
👍
Thank you, I’m an absolute (sound) beginner and you make it simple
👍
Excellent video. The "digital attenuator below 3.5" was a great detail, as I tried using the h1n to record from a line out connection (quite loud compared to a mic input). Even when the levels showed that the peaks were at -12dB, there was noticeable distortion. Increasing the zoom gain to 5 and reducing the volume of the source fixed it! Not sure why the manual says "line input" when it cant work fine with such higher levels.
👍
Line level is about 1,000 times stronger than mic level. You should use an inline attenuator to take Line level audio down to Mic level. Somewhere between -25db and -40db will do the trick.
I have used h1 for almost 7 years, recording much guitar performance , now I wanna upgrade it ,thanks your video!
👍🏻
Yes i just upgraded, i had the H1 from new. Now i own both haha
Great review. I picked up the H1n to do ASMR and outdoor ambient sound videos (tight budget). I'm very happy with the audio quality for the price. However, it does pick up a lot of noise. Also, it doesn't quite have the deep binaural sound that I'm looking for, so I'm hoping an external mic will help fill in the gaps. Some triggers sound great with just the H1n, though.
Thanks for sharing. Agreed - you will not get a "deep binaural" sound from microphones in an X/Y pattern like this.
Gotta say, I really like how your videos are always packed with information. I rarely have any question left about a device after watching your take on it. Thank you.
Thanks Christian!
Thanks so much for this review! I just ordered one for my street interviewing series. :)
👍
I did the same!!! I hope your series is going well!!
This is my first recorder, and I use it for Birds sounds outdoor recording, Im pretty happy with this device.
👍
Wow. Great review, great coverage, love the b-roll, and love the lighting on this one. Nice touch on turning the unit off at the end "Goodbye." Just when I think I might have a chance to catch up on your quality reviews, you do something like this. Demon! (joking). :)
Thanks BFM, some of the shots were inspired by your work!
But I couldn’t bring myself to huck the H1n into a toilet. 😉
Basic Filmmaker waiting for your review
Chandrashekar. Not sure I can add anything than what Curtis covered. Although I'm better looking. OK, my wife said that. I'll probably do one and reference this video. Thanks!
Curtis. No kidding. I can't for the life of me think of what. Time to watch my own videos? :)
Awesome review!! I’ve been using Zoom forever, recorded numerous live performances with it, it was always with me, in my guitar case... Just got the upgraded version, it’s a must for serious musicians and filmmakers. Cheers
👍🎸
Thank you! Mine just arrived along with the H5! You taught me so much!!
Congratulations! Happy recording!
Wow. That 13 mins flew by. Awesome review. Thanks!
Thanks Dan.
Love all your reviews in fact Your my go to channel for most of my audio needs.
Thanks Bill!
That opener reminded me that I need to get out and record more audio "assets" for my catalog. Much better IMO to reference and use your own than find something comparable online. Thanks for the reminder haha
Get out there and record some cool sound Dave!
Nice to see Caleb Pike there from +dslrvideoshooter
👍
Nice cameo at 5:50. Great review, as always.
Thanks RosFromSA.
Thanks very helpful 👍
You bet and thanks for the feedback!
I just ordered one on Amazon n wanted a proper review. Thanx for the complete review.
You are welcome!
Great Review as always Curtis! Thank's for it!
Thanks 👍
No problem ;)
You just saved me 150€ with this review. An honest look at the product that made me complitely reassured that I can get this instead of investing in a much more expensive device, unitl I really feel I need to upgrade. Thanks!
🎙👍
Awesome review. Thank you so much!
Thanks 👍
Chris , you always deliver us perfect unbiased reviews, thank you for that! Almost 100k subs, congrats man! I joined at 10k mark, as I remember and I know you are going to grow with the quality of your videos! Wish you best, my friend!
Thanks TJ!
Thanks for another great overview Curtis... I got a good laugh watching you chase the car. :-)
Cheers,
Greg
Thanks Greg, I’ll do almost anything it takes to get a little cardio exercise in. 😉
Me too!
You did a wonderful job reviewing the H1n. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks Trekking All Over.
Yes ! Was just waiting for this one :)
👍
Glad your subs are up Curtis. You make GREAT content. I don't even do a lot of video, but the little I do, the results are much better because of your advise. Thanks!
Thanks topgunm!
I'm planning to get the rode ntg 4+ with the zoom h6. Is this a good choice for filming
and pls tell me how's different ntg 2 and ntg 4+
Hi Mezarans Tales, Yes, the NTG4+ and H6 are a good combination, though not my favorite combination. Which type of filmmaking will you be doing? Will you boom the mic over the talent or mount on your camera?
Curtis Judd I will boom the mic record with h6 and syn it in post
Hi, for about the same price, I'd go for the Zoom F4 and RODE NTG2. The F4 is a far superior recorder to the H6 and I personally prefer the sound of the NTG2 over the NTG4+:
Zoom F4: bhpho.to/2Aplb5d
RODE NTG2: bhpho.to/2yLen0I
Thanks you for your recommend
Really excellent, comprehensive, and extremely well made video. Thanks very much.
Thank you.
Oh there is caleb 05:51 :)
Haha, yes! Good eye.
Great spot lol Curtis and Caleb are my favourite
mine too, they are best of the best!
Wow your eyes are just beautiful. It’s amazing that they match the color of your jacket.
It is the jacket which matches the eyes. 😉
Great videos Curtis, thanks for doing these reviews on audio recorders. I have taken interest into recording live rock concerts and have been looking into stereo recorders between the $100-200 range. In this video you mention this recorder's input levels may not be able to be turned down enough for loud recordings due to the pre-amps, I was wondering if you have a list of audio recorders you would recommend for rock concerts (even beyond the price range mentioned above). Recently the Olympus LS-P4 has arrived on the market (to replace the LS-100 model) advertising as great "better than CD quality" recorder, this claim is backed by the device having 3 microphones equipped to capture 20Hz-20kHz audio files which are stored as FLAC. Could you perhaps review this audio recorder?
thanks
Hi Robert, thanks for the feedback, I appreciate that! I have the Olympus on my list but have been having some trouble borrowing gear lately. Can’t promise any timelines, but I am hoping to review it at some point. Best wishes!
Very good rereview and a nice product. I own two of the Zoom H1. For me the safety track is the best feature a recorder can have. As a one man show, I can take care of more pressing things like focus, exposure, white ballance, if the recorders do their job without my assistance.
Hi, thanks. Or a limiter which is another way to solve the same problem but with less effort in post. But a safety track is definitely a nice option as well.
Fantastic Review, waiting for Tascam's respond to the 2 recent releases from Zoom, However these seem Interestings!!
Thanks Felipe. Yes, I'd like to see Tascam respond soon.
Yep. Have a Tascam DR-22WL which has been fine for me, and Wi-Fi extra has been really useful. Has to be said Tascam have been really good with adding new firmware features to this and related devices. Always inspires confidence, when a company keeps adding features like this, to what is essentially an inexpensive device, without just bringing out new models which "replace" the old one in short time. That we can get this sort of quality, and feature sets in such reasonably priced gear these days, is amazing!
PS. And thanks once again, for your excellent reviews and guides.
Thanks Tim
Thank you for the thoroughly and well-made review, Curtis!
Thanks Achim.
I need something for Shortfilm purposes, so ideally it should be able to record the voice of one person or more people at the same time plus sound effects.
Would it be suitable for this purpose? Naturally I'm gonna need to move much while filming.
I don't really wanna spend more than that since I'm only doing it for a hobby.
Oh and what's the maximum distance for good recording?
Thanks for the video.
Hi, yes, this can do the job. Like any other microphone, you need to get the microphones close to the sound source. For example for dialogue recording, I boomed the H1n just in front and above me, just barely out of the frame. When you try to record dialogue from, say, 6 feet away, it'll pick up a bunch of ambient noise. So just get creative and get that microphone/recorder close. It'll get the job done nicely.
Curtis Judd thanks man 👍
This gave me way more confidence in buying it!
Thanks!
👍 Happy Recording!
Hi, great video. I need something to strart recording wedding, mostly the dialogs from the ceremony. Is this a good choose? Or are there better in this price range?
hi Ellie, this is a good choice for the roughly $100 price range. Best if you can hide it up as close to the officiator as possible Best wishes!
I have to give 5 stars to this review. Quite excellent.
Thanks!
is there an "instant record" option when hitting the REC-Button, or do I have to turn the recorder on before?
You have to turn it on first.
As always, great review Curits. Thanks!
Thanks Shane.
1:37 Is your channel turning into a drop-test channel ;) Great review Curtis!
No way! I have to send this back to B&H since it is only on loan. Thankfully it didn't sustain any damage. Whew!
@Chris, I was surprised by that drop test, too.
The drop clip in the video was only from about 10 or 12 inches onto an old desk. Fortunately the H1n held up well there, too. :)
Impressed how much you covered in this review - extremely useful. Subscribed!
Thanks and welcome to the channel!
MicroUSB in 2018? Makes me sad to see.
You’d prefer USB-C?
Curtis Judd It's the new standard, yes.
Curtis Judd
I do believe USB-C would make an audio interface implementation on Android much easier.
Makes sense.
i mean, yes of course, but it's not exactly insane.
brands have been doing this for years.
it's not an excuse, but microUSB is still a standard
Awesome job on the video, thank you!
Thanks Clint.
In was pretty disappointed with the VT lavalier quality, for sure won't be purchasing that.
My voice doesn’t do it justice. It is used on lots of TV shows so it is actually a good mic. My voice is brutal on lavaliers.
Recently bought the H1n, and this is a very well done review of it.
Thanks BreezeFIN. Happy recording!
"this is not a scientific test" - heck it was more scientific than a lot of "science" I've seen. Impeccable video
Thanks Rudi.
For travel and casual stuff looks good as it ticks off the biggest pro for that type of thing: size and weight
I agree.
Thank you for this review. Our podcast utilizes the Zoom H6 regularly but we are going to pick this up as a backup and for more mobile podcasts. Cheers!!!
Happy recording!
Absolutely fantastic review! All you need to know about this nice little rascal of a recorder
👍
Hey Curtis! Thank you for sharing this review, as a new filmmaker myself, I have considered this product and your input and expertise really helped my decision. I look forward to watching more videos as a new subscriber. :)
Thanks Samantha and happy recording!
Really quality video, Curtis. Thanks so much. I'm going to pick one of these up tomorrow.
Thanks Aaron, I hope it works out well for you!
excellent review as usual... thank you...
👍
You answered my question about buying the H1n. I have the original H1 and have started using it for mobile podcasting when I came across the H1n and was trying to make the decision to drop another $120. Thanks!
👍
Thank you. So very helpful. Glad I made this purchase!
Thanks Don and Happy recording!
I returned a DR07X after having it twenty minutes due to interference issues. So I bought an H1N to replace it. I need a filming set up I can fit in a backpack and this seemed like a good fit.
👍 I hope it works well for you.
You have covered all about this recorder. Awesome review.
Thanks Karthik.
Excellent review Curtis, as always top notch! I have been debating on going H1 or H1n. After watching your video, ordering the H1n... keep on crushing it!
Thanks TechSavvyDaddy. Happy recording! 🎤
I didn’t actually need this device, but I just “happened” to buy one anyway - it arrived from Thomann Thursday. I got the Accessory Kit with it, and I have a few notes on that.
The case is very nice, and that was the main reason I got the kit.
The tiny table top tripod, however, is by far the worst I’ve yet come across. I don’t know if I just had bad luck with my copy, but the ball-head is terrible. What you want, of course, is to be able to just loosen it a little, so that there’s still some resistance, and then smoothly adjust the position and tighten. But the head seems to hit a snag all the time which makes adjusting the position near impossible. Unless you unscrew the screw a long way. In that case you don’t hit any snags, but you also have to very carefully hold the head in the desired position while tightening the screw a long way. Not at all easy to work with. And one of the legs requires quite a bit of force to shift. Any - and I mean any - other tripod is likely to be better.
There’s also a stick you can screw into the 1/4” thread to adapt it to a standard microphone clip/holder. It’s not promoted as a “pistol grip” or anything like that, so although I haven’t tested it, I’d expect it not to eliminate handling noise very well.
There’s a USB cable (A to micro B) and a mains adapter. (Don’t ask me why they didn’t go with USB-C)
There’s also a foam wind screen.
But no micro SD card. They might have included just an 8, 4 or even 2GB card to get you started. But no.
Thanks for sharing, Lau.
Your content is put together so well. I’m glad I found your channel. Oh, and I just decided to order this recorder, it’ll be my first one. Thought I’d learn a little bit with this guy, before I go all out on a much more expensive unit. subscribed
Thanks Jose! Good idea to start here, its a great way to learn. Happy recording! 🎤
Fantastic review! Hello to Caleb 😄
👍
Thank you very much for providing this useful information. Been using the H1 and H1n for a couple of years now and there are still some things that I just found out by watching your video. Not being an audio engineer but "forced" to perform as one on location (as being a videographer is my main job), you have absolutely helped a lot of people, including myself.
Thanks Willy!
With all those crappy microphones for video that are flooding the market these days, packed with features but crazy sibilant and with frequency responses that would look like the Rocky Mountains, something like the Zoom H1n is incredible value. Sounds way better than it should for the price. Thanks for the demonstration!
👍
I recently used this with a R0DE Wireless GO. I have found that if the Wireless GO's receiver is in close proximity to the XY stereo microphones, there will be high-pitch whining will be picked up by the receiver. I found that it is important to keep the receiver at least 6 inches to a foot away from the XY stereo microphones; this may not be as easy with the R0DE's included red coiled cable.
Thanks for the tip, Tom.
Thanks , good review and I just bought a zoom h1n
👍
That is a suuuuper useful review, thank you SOOO much!
Thanks Małgorzata!
Great video, Curtis. Thanks. Looks like a useful tool for me.
👍
The best vid on the H1n I have seen! Thank you for such a detailed video!! I subscribed, and bought one!
Thanks Ana! Happy recording!
Since I mostly operate as a one-man crew, I opted for this paired with the Rode SmartLav+ for interviews/talking head content.
👍
Your review is very comprehensive. It helped me to choose this audio recorder. Thank you. Greetings from Poland.
Thanks Piotr. Happy recording!
Thanks again Curtis. I needed quality audio for my newest project, and I got it based on your recommendations and help (Zoom H1n + Røde VideoMic Pro)!
Glad it works well for you.
Omg thanks!! Just what I needed. I was trying to search for a video that gave an example for cooking videos🥰🥰
👍 Happy cooking!
I used to own a Zoom H6, I love these zoom recorders.
👍
Thanks a lot for your video! They are extremely helpful for someone who is just starting to learn about audio production! Your video quality is amazing and your knowledge is so helpful! Really really thankful!!
Thanks! 😀
Incredibly thorough and knowledgeable review. Thanks!
Thanks nacs!
Ordered this for $110 as My First Recorder and On Camera Mic. Plan to use it in everyway possible. Might add an Aputure A.Lav for Interview, Talking head type Shots.
Congratulations and happy recording!
Curtis Judd Its Too Plasticky, I expected some Metal on Line In, Out and Tripod Mount tbh... Feels too flimsy for $120.. Hopefully its Good Plastic and will last years to come.
Yes, this is typical at this price point among all of the recorders I have used You have to get up into at least the $150 range to start getting some metal on the body (e.g., Zoom F1)
Excellent video..
Informative and helpful content..
Thanks for such a favorable sharing..
Thanks Abdul.
i hope so much that you will review the H essential's soon
I will! I pre-ordered the H4 essential
Best review I saw till now💖💖 thank you sir... This is too much helpful
👍
Thanks, Curtis. As always Perfect.👍when you mentioned the limiter I paused the video and checked it on H5. I had never used it before.😅
👍 be careful with the limiter on the H5. I believe it is a purely digital limiter so it doesn’t work the same or as effectively as the limiters on the H1n, F4, or F8. Happy recording!
Thanks for the tip 🌼
Nice plug for Caleb in there! :D
👍
I'm going to buy this for my man for Christmas :)
Good idea and I hope you enjoys it!
thank you so much for the info,
glad to have info before purchasing the product
keeep up the good work.
and ur vid quality is really good
Thanks Rainbow Impact!
I just bought h1N. I'm still figuring it out. Thanks for your explanations. One thing, I wished for the zoom company was to make this piece of gadget a little bit decent by putting some portion of rubber so it would slip your hands.They could do it for the price of $120 dollars. I hope they can read this!
👍
Im sure you can find some to just stick on though!
Thanks so much for your review, I have been trying to decide on whether or not I should pick this device (for live ambient sound capturing), and thanks to you, I now know that this is probably the right option for that. 👍🏼
👍
Thank you for this exceptional review. It helped be conclude that the H1n is definitely worth the $90 sale price for the gray one right now (used your affiliate link; hopefully you still get credit even though I selected the gray model). Also, subbed.
Thanks and I hope it works well for you!
Your videos are get right to the point everyone. Amazing.
👍
Great in-depth explanation
👍