Zoom H4essential: I'm Ambivalent... | Curtis Judd

Important note: Only the XLR/combo inputs have dual analogue to digital converters so they're the only inputs that support wider dynamic range capture.

Hi Curtis ! Totally agree with you ! I’m a blind field recordist, who own the H6essential, as it’s the most advanced multi channel portable recorder packing a voice guidance system available on the market. From this point of view, it is a pleasant and easy to use device, and I have to say that the 32bits float is a very handy feature for people who can’t check the levels on a screen. My only complain might be about the preamps, which are not the best ever, compared to those of my Centrance MixerFace R4R for example. But honestly, if you pair the H6essential with some hot output microphones like the Rycote OM-08 and CA-08, the results are really decent in most of the cases. In addition, the built-in mics of the H6E are decent, which doesn’t seem to be the case with the H4E. Of course, I would have wished that the ZOOM F3,F6, or even M4 and SD MixPre’s may pack a similar accessibility feature, but for lack of anything better, the H6essential is a good starting point for visually impaired field recordists, in my opinion. Cheers ! Kevin

I know everytime there's a release or something that stand out on the audiovisual scene, I HAVE TO COME BACK TO THIS CHANNEL! Big up for the content and quality!!! Best regards from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

Thank you for this review. I just purchased the H6 essential and I would be very thankful to see a comprehensive review such as this from you.

I just spent like 2 hours watching your older videos and just as I closed the last one I saw this

I had been thinking of the new Zoom recorders. I really appreciate your detailed reviews and your input.

Thanks for the review! I trust your experience very much!

Thank you for this Curtis. I’m also a long time user of the H4 range and this time, stepped down to the H1e which I found underwhelming as well. I decided to wait with regards to the H4E because of my experience with preamp noise hasn’t been great with the h4’s and I suspected the same from the H4E as you have found. I guess the H1e is the same in that it is aimed at people starting out in audio. I started with noisy preamps, so I guess it was good ‘training’ to learn tricks to minimise and I think I was hoping for a little bit more from the H4E this time around. Many thanks for going to the trouble of testing it.

You can avoid post production with this recorder. You can set a post or premix inside the recorder. You can even have it normalize automatically within the recorder and save as a separate file on the memory card in 32, 24, or 16 bit. So when you put the memory card in your computer, you already have a normalized file ready to go.

As usual a video I enjoyed to watch. And I totally agree with the 'outgrowing' statement. My first recorder was a H4n and not long after that I got me a Zoom F4. Yes, it was quite more money to spend, but I still use it. Other than the H4n it always felt like a swiss army knife of sound recording to me. I am still only a hobbyist on his way to become an amateur, but having a recorder that suits you can be, as they say, priceless. If I may add, I personally prefer the summary at the beginnings. But then again, it's your party and I'm only a guest here. However, please keep up the great work, I will kepp watching wherever the summaries are to be found.

Glad to see an unsponsered video Curtis! It's something more Youtubers should aspire to.

Just grabbed the H6 E to replace my H8, still haven’t messed around with it just yet but I love recording live bands and plugging it in to the sound board. It’s nice not having to worry about sound while I’m filming

Thanks for the video. Good unit for people starting off. Your video has made me realise something! I now see the value on my F8nPro/F6 of having the option to adjust/set the record levels for each track input. That way, you can potentially minimize the noise floor of the mics! Yes? It hadn't occurred to me before and I'd wondered about those seemingly redundant level functions in a 32bit machine. Brilliant! Thanks.🙂

As someone with both a portacapture x8 and a zoom h6 essential, they're definitely meant for different groups, and honestly I like both for what they do. I find the portacapture is going to give you much cleaner audio and much more control over the output, while the h6 essential is basically designed for "turn it on, maybe change two settings, record." I personally am no recording expert by any stretch of the imagination, but my test recordings so far have been fine, though my use case is wildly different from yours. Mine is currently being used as a portable recorder for myself and a couple pieces of electronic music gear while I'm out and about. The capsule mic is pointed at me, while my gear is hooked in via TRS connectors set up in stereo. Super simple, and I can just turn it on, record and have fun. I can almost do the same with the portacapture, but I find I regularly have to fiddle with settings and stuff before recording for a few minutes. I'll have to see if I can do a side by side of the same audio sources at the same time onto both recorders to see what the differences is in the final product.

Thank you Curtis

4 minutes in and I've heard enough. Thanks.

The H4n was such an easy tool to work with. In stamina mode, its battery lasts for ever. In my company (public radio broadcaster), there are many authors, that want a recorder, where they don’t need to setup much. So the H4n and its successors are still great for them.

Thx Curtis!

I got an h4n pro in 2022, so I wasn’t really planning on upgrading anytime soon, but this is good to know.

I just got my 10 year old H6 replaced under warranty because of the sticky plastic issue, and was hoping for a cross grade, but glad they sent a H6 black so I can still use all of my accessories, plus I have F3 for the more serious stuff. The Fetheads have always been a part of my workflow, so should be good for another 10 easily.