Which zoom recorder is best

The inputs allows you to use the H4n with virtually any external professional boom mic or studio condenser microphone out there, making it a popular choice for use in music production, interviews and even narrative films. You can also use the headphone jack as a line-out to record your audio directly to your camera's SD card if you desire.

If you want to have the option to use external mics or a combination of both! However, the H5 and H6 models may be of interest for those with advanced audio experience who are looking for an easy way to record the best-quality audio in a variety of situations. Read on to find out more! The Zoom H5 recorder features two XLR inputs just like the H4n, with the added ability to switch out the mic capsules at the top according to your needs.

This is a nice option for situations where the built-in stereo XY mics might not be the best-suited for the situation. You can quickly and easily swap out these capsules like you would the lenses of a camera, rather than having to invest in additional microphones and lug around extra gear for shoots.

Each input on the H5 has its own dedicated gain control knob with a protective bar that prevents accidental movement during handling. By using the stereo line out with dedicated volume control along with the separate headphone out, you can easily route audio to your DSLR while monitoring over headphones - a feature that's not available with the H4nSP as mentioned earlier.

The H5 is a very powerful multi-track recorder which will surely bring your production abilities to the next level. However f you're looking for more than two XLR inputs for external mics, you may want to consider upgrading to Zoom's new flagship model, the legendary H6 recorder. Tascam has musicians firmly in its sights with the DRX. Not only does it feature two balanced XLR inputs for additional mics, or connection to a mixer, but it also operates as a class-compliant audio interface over USB 2.

The DRX is littered with other musician-friendly features too, including a basic but very welcome mix facility. You can play back all four tracks simultaneously, while adjusting both the mix and pan of each individual track.

Six different reverb effects, which can be applied to the input or output signal, are on tap to make your band sound suitably vast and the onboard tuner will keep you all in tune.

The perfectionist in you can also overdub as many takes as needed and, when happy with the result, bounce the tracks down to a final mix.

Tascam has implemented its own version of dual recording, which provides more headroom by recording a second safety track at a slightly lower level to capture any wayward spikes distortion free. There's is also a peak reduction feature, and a limiter, to ensure clean, idiot-proof recordings. The new Zoom H8 may look like the unfortunate love-child of Transformers' hero Optimus Prime and a Nintendo Gameboy but there's nothing '80s about the tech.

Zoom is well-known for its innovative product line — from the budget H1n right up to the pro-level F8n — but the Zoom H8 is possibly its most ground-breaking yet.

It has managed to pack an awful lot into its characterful, if slightly awkward-looking, robotic form. This is a recorder firmly targeted at the new-breed of creators. Whether you're a musician, a podcaster or a field recordist the Zoom H8 has dedicated modes just for you. A whopping eight inputs and 12 tracks means that you're unlikely to run out of sonic capacity, but if you do, you can remove the included mic capsule and replace it with a further four XLR inputs.

Or you can swap the included mic capsule with one of more than half a dozen other mic options including an Ambisonic array. The large high-resolution touch screen is a joy to use, especially for monitoring levels. Of course, there's the obligatory phone app that covers similar ground, but the built-in screen feels more immediate. Zoom likes to call it a 'Handy Recorder' but it's so much more.

You can mix, trigger sound pads, overdub and even connect to Zoom's Guitar Lab for a huge assortment of amps and effects. Plug it into your laptop and it serves as a USB interface too. Roland's baby recorder has a surprisingly grown-up feature set. This fun-sized marvel just begs to be taken everywhere with you, always ready should inspiration strike. It's dead-simple to use — hit the big Rehearsal button to automatically set levels and you're good to go.

Additionally, Roland has included ten parameter preset 'Scenes' that fine-tune the R for common recording needs — Loud Practice, Vocal, Field and so on. Select the most appropriate Scene and the R sets an optimal configuration. Dual recording provides a back-up track recorded at a lower level for increased headroom too.

Its Bluetooth capabilities are genuinely useful, enabling you to place the R close to the action but control it from a distance. It may not give you quality on a par with bigger, heavier, feature-laden recorders, but its portability and simplicity mean it will spend less time languishing in a drawer and more time capturing those priceless, unexpected moments.

Read the full Roland R review. Its sturdy aluminium frame and scaffold-like mic cage make it look and feel reassuringly robust — drop it and the pavement will probably come off worse. This is a no-nonsense field recorder that's aimed squarely at the pro end of the market and it has a price point to match. Instead, every effort has gone into making sure the PCM D captures the best recording possible, whatever the location or the conditions. Preamp circuitry is isolated from its power supply for reduced noise, and levels can be set for each mic.

These can be positioned independently too, swiveling 90 through degrees. It's just a shame it doesn't feature balanced XLR inputs. It would be awesome to hook it up to some top-notch mics to take advantage of its fabulous sound capabilities But it's certainly no lightweight when it comes to recording audio.

Where most other field recorders make do with two microphones, the pint-sized hardly even a swift half, to be accurate LS-P4 somehow manages to fit in three. Olympus' clever TRESMIC 3 system uses two outer microphones to capture a natural stereo image, while the omnidirectional centre microphone picks up the low-range. The resulting audio quality does have a pleasing low-end richness to it, which is quite remarkable for a unit of this size.

It's fair to say that this recorder is aimed at people who value simplicity over complexity, but it's easy to set recording levels, and engage the limiter and low cut filter, if you'd rather not be reliant on its Auto preset modes. Sound Devices is an iconic brand in the world of film and TV. Its pricey and series recorders are simply legendary, widely regarded as go-to devices for capturing location audio for Hollywood blockbusters, such as Oscar winner The Revenant. The recently launched MixPre II range is more wallet-friendly — ideal for sound designers, podcasters and musicians nervous at the prospect of having to sell a kidney to buy into the brand.

Its bit Float implementation is astonishing. Simply put, this increases headroom to such an extent that there's no real need to bother setting levels — any waveforms that appear clipped in your DAW just need to be normalised. Four quality Kashmir preamps deliver pristine, noise-free audio, making the MixPre-6 II ideal for ambient recordings in quiet surroundings.

This means you can record and produce a small band without the need for a laptop or DAW. Gain levels are so clean and high it will drive a notoriously gain-hungry Shure SM7B mic a podcaster favourite without recourse to a Cloudlifter.

The Zoom H5 comes with an interchangeable XY microphone capsule that can be swapped out for other mics and input modules that are sold separately by Zoom. Users compliment this recorder's build, interface, and layout of controls. One of the improved features includes the addition of manual dials which make adjusting gain input easy to do on-the-fly. It is flexible and practical for both editing and simultaneous 4-track recording.

The wide-ranging frequency response is another quality that is praised by many users, particularly the capture of low-end sounds. It does a good job of picking up sounds from a specific direction with minimal bleeding from other sources.

An example of this is in a live setting where some users said it could record the performance at a long distance without too much noise from the audience. Several reviewers have claimed the battery life wasn't long enough. The XLR outputs don't have locks so you have to be careful not to pull the plugs out while recording. One user pointed out that it doesn't work well with humid weather, and that it's best to invest in a case.

If you want a flexible unit with enough inputs for external microphones and a recorder that does simultaneous multi-tracking, then this is a great option for you. At publication time this was the Highest Rated Handheld Digital Recorder - for the second year in a row! The modular inputs allow you to use different mic modules as well as use the device as an audio interface.

Many reviewers bought the unit primarily for its 6 track simultaneous recording feature and audio interface function. The fast boot speed was also noted as a plus. The gain range was also praised for its low noise even with higher sensitivities. Some users were disappointed that the H6 All Black only includes one mic module and lacks the accessories compared to its predecessor.

The mini USB connector was also a drawback for some that want to transfer larger files at faster speeds. Rather than a total revamp and more than just a re-skin, the H6 All Black takes doesn't mess with a proven formula for a great pocket recording tool. Beyond its odd looks, the Zoom H8 is full of features beyond what you'd imagine a handheld recorder to be. This makes it ideal for multi input conferences and full bands that want a means to record everything in a multitrack format.

The interchangeable capsule system allows for multiple stereo pickup patterns for close miking or ambient sound recording. The Zoom H8 was noted to be a "beast of a recorder", with multiple uses from simple stereo recording to full band production.

Many users who originally wanted a simple recorder found that the Zoom H8 was more than capable of handling other creative and production-focused tasks that they chose it instead of buying two separate devices recorder and audio interfaces.

Latency for multitrack recording as an interface was reported to be longer than most dedicated audio interfaces. The Zoom H8 is a do-it-all wonder for those looking at having one gadget for a multitude of uses. Get it if you're a content creator that needs one gadget for multiple tasks. The first edition was published in and the current edition was published on November 9, We looked at all highly rated handheld digital audio recorders that are sold by major American retailers and short-listed the the most promising for detailed analysis.

We then examined information from over 13, sources which included retail store ratings, user and expert reviews, forum posts, and more. We processed that information with the Gearank Algorithm to generate the rating scores out of that we used to narrow down the list to just the highest rated options above. Finally, we provided important information, specifications, and summary reports of noteworthy pros and cons for each of the recorders that we recommended above.

For more information about our methods see How Gearank Works. Here are the key people and sources involved in this guide's production - click on linked names for information about their music industry backgrounds. He is primarily influenced by guitarists like Kurt Ballou and Paul Gilbert. Denise Azucena : Supplemental writing. Alexander Briones : Supplemental writing. Jason Horton : Product research, Editing and Illustrating. The individual product images were sourced from websites, promotional materials or supporting documentation provided by their respective manufacturers.

Publication of our November Edition resulted in the following recorders coming off the recommended list above:. As a result of the December update to this guide the following came off the recommended list above, but you can still see our analysis of them:.

Allo Friends, thanks for your analysis, very helpful. I am looking for an audio player that give play back the recording of private seminar information without going via internet. I want to listen, and take notes on a keyboard. Thank you very much for recommending me something! Our recommendations are primarily based on music production uses so we can't really help you with that - maybe one of the readers here will have an answer for you.

It was on our short-list however its ratings weren't high enough for us to include it in the recommended list above. The Sony PCM-D was on our short-list, however its ratings aren't high enough for us to recommend it - you can see its rating here. The Roland R was on our short-list but didn't quite rate high enough to make it into our recommendations - it was very close though and you can see it's Gearank rating in the Music Gear Database.

Does any of those recorders have some voice guidance built in? Olympus LS I have 2 questions. Can I overdub multiple guitar and bass parts one at a time? Can I plug the handheld recorder directly into monitors? All of the ones that have a line out listed in the specifications will drive powered studio monitors. If you would like to read what we said about it, then you'll find it at: Roland R Meta-Review.

Skip to main content. Zoom H1n. Zoom H2N.