Zoom H1 Portable Digital Recorder, Version 2.0

Product Information

Below the mic cage enclosure is an LED that indicates record and input peaks, while at the business end of the unit the Record button is unmistakably placed fare and square at the centre of the body. LC graphic display provides information on its operating status and intuitive navigation is ensured by a clear multilingual menu. One-touch button controls make it simple to record songs, audio-for-film, lectures, podcasting, and more. Alternatively, you can use an optional AD-17 AC adapter, which allows you to power the H1 from any standard wallsocket. Over the past thirty years, the company has built a reputation for producing innovative yet affordable products based on original microchip designs.

An ⅛" stereo mic/line input lets you record with your external microphones or other sound sources, and supplies plug-in power (2.

An internal limiter enables the distortion-free recording of signals with up to 120dB SPL, and a switchable low-cut attenuates annoying pop and wind noises. By combining the H1 with a DSLR video camera, you can create a professional video system with high-quality sound. The sound mark feature sends an audio tone from the output jack to your camera to help synchronize sound for filmmakers. Recording music, ambient sounds, and speech is quick and easy thanks to the device's simple menu navigation, and the quality of the recordings is impeccable thanks to the sophisticated technology it employs. On the back of the H1 are slider switches for selecting Low Cut (for low end or rumble filtering), Auto or Manual input level control and the choice between MP3 or Wav recording formats.

I find the on/off switch weird - it is a slide that you have to hold for a second or two until the machine boots up/ powers down. Last but not least, the H1n features a playback speed control for simplified transcription of voice recordings. It's way lighter than I thought (I was compared it with Zoom H4 and H6 on my mind) but it's steady and stabile. More importantly perhaps is that the in-built X/Y stereo condenser microphone of the H1 delivers clear, crisp audio at all of these bit and sample rates (much to my surprise) and I wouldn’t hesitate to make a recording of an acoustic guitar or small choral concert – even a string quartet – with the Zoom H1’s onboard mics.Please give us the reason for your assessment in the following text box and – if possible – your e-mail address for further questions. The back houses the AAA battery compartment and screw mount for a tripod, microphone stand, or boom arm for various recording configurations. The H1 also provides a built-in low-cut filter for the elimination of pops, wind noise, blowing, and other kinds of low-frequency rumble. Since the Zoom-9002 (an ultra-compact multi-effects processor that can be attached to a guitar strap) was introduced in 1990, Zoom has become one of the leaders in digital audio processing.

It also has a 1/8-inch mic/input port, which means you can connect it to a lapel mic for interviews or a phantom powered shotgun microphone. Alternatively, you can connect a pair of external microphones or line level signal to the H1's Mic/Line Input mini phone jack for X/Y or other types of stereorecording. The "Limiter" button will limit the audio signal to a specific threshold, making sure the audio that you record remains undistorted. Using the Zoom H1n with condenser mics, lapel mics, or shotgun mics changes the dynamic of the audio file it captures. When testing the X/Y microphones, we noticed that the audio would distort when speaking too close to the device.This is a great feature for today’s content creators—in a matter of seconds, the Zoom H1n can turn your workstation into a powerful tool with the ability to broadcast from home or the office, or while traveling.

It hasn't failed me in anything and I've recorded a lot of stuff with it, from percussion samples to rehearsals, ambient sounds, animals, etc. While not as robust as its older brethren, the plastic casing of the H1 is by no means flimsy, and indeed feels quite substantial in the hand. The H1's built-in X/Y microphone provides two matched unidirectional microphones set at a 90 degree angle relative to one another, optimum for most stereo recordingapplications. Even after the unit was fully powered down, if a battery was left in the compartment its power would fully drain over a period of eight to 10 hours.In addition, the H1n has an overdub function that can be used to insert audio passages into existing recordings. For X/Y or other types of recording, you can connect a pair of external microphones or line level signal to the H1's Mic/Line Input mini phone jack.