Zoom H4essential 4-Track Handy Recorder (2024 Model, Essential Series) with 32-Bit Float, Accessibility, Stereo Microphones, 2 XLR/TRS Combo Inputs, USB Interface, for Musicians, Podcasters, and More

The Zoom H4 essential is a great recorder for the money. It is very durable, I have no worries about tossing it in bag. The audio quality is great and it is easy to operate. The battery life isn’t great, especially when using on cold days. I have tried both alkaline and NiMH batteries. Just make sure you have a couple sets of batteries when using for extended periods of time. I have been very happy with this product.

My ZOOM H4essential has been great the past few months that I have had it for. I don't use it often but I have some things to say about itFirst, the audio quality is better than most portable recorders with the H4essential coming with 32-bit float audio recording with most coming with 16 or 24 bit audio recording. It also supports recording at different sample rates from 44.1 kHz to 96 kHz. There are a lot of settings for recording inside of the H4essential. The audio is clear and does not distort easily.Second, the built-in X/Y stereo microphones are very good for my uses, there is a 3.5mm input jack to connect an external microphone to use that instead of the built-in one. There are also two XLR/LINE inputs for connecting any external microphones or instruments.Next, the USB port allows you to transfer files from the SD card to your computer or use the H4essential as an audio interface. These features are useful if you do a lot with a computer and the H4essential. I use the audio interface feature a lot when using it.Next, storage and file management on the H4essential is easy as it is stored in folders with the date and time on them, it supports SD cards up to 1TB. I don't use this feature as much so I don't have a lot to say about it.Next, the battery life is good on the H4essential depending on what type of batteries you have, there are power-saving modes in the H4essential that dim the display and power off automatically. You also don't need batteries as the it can also use USB power.Last, the the interface is straightforward without any problems and it has accessibility options for those who are vision impaired. The LCD display also helps with certain visuals.In my opinion, the H4essential is a good portable recorder for those who are starting and those who are experienced. The value for the price is amazing with me buying this while on discount. I hope this helps with you searching.

This thing works amazingly! I keep one in my gig backpack. Great for recording live shows!

I bought this recorder to up my game in terms of professional recording ability and to replace an old Olympus recorder which had reached the end of its useful life. I am totally blind, so the accessibility features of voice output for the menus and tactile buttons are very important to me. The recording quality is outstanding, even just using the built-in microphone. I have read complaints that the preamps can be a bit loud, and while I think this criticism is valid, for the price the preamp noise is pretty minimal. The 32-bit float makes levels easy to adjust later with no fear of distortion, and the sound quality is awesome. It was easy to set up and learn to use, and the interface with the Zoom H4 app is fantastic. I used it during a recent rehearsal to record our group, with the recorder at the back of the church and me starting and stopping the recording from the front of the church. I plan to test the range at greater distances. The ability to transfer files to a computer is also extremely smooth and intuitive.There are three reasons I gave it four stars instead of five. 1: While most of the interface provides speech output, it does not announce file names as you're going through your file list. I'm not sure why this couldn't have been incorporated into the accessibility features because the file names are simply numbers of month, day, and year. I can play the file to determine which file it is, but this is an extra step that a sighted person doesn't have to take because they can see the file names on screen. Another thing that doesn't get announced is whether one of the mic tracks is armed (active) or not. The arm/disarm button for each track is a toggle, and when you press it, it just beeps. Ideally it would announce "arm track 1" or "disarm track 2." Or if it couldn't do that, it could give a low-pitched beep for disarming and a high-pitched beep for arming. So far those are the only two parts of the interface that I have found to be inaccessible, and they both seem like easy fixes that I hope Zoom takes care of with their next firmware update. 2: When you run a line in sound source such as a computer or older external mic using the 1/8-inch port, it consistently announces "input overload" and shuts off the input of the XY microphone. It doesn't matter how low your input volume is. It consistently overloads. It continues accepting the input of the line-in jack but shuts off the input from the XY microphone built into the device. One use case that I was really hoping to use this for was playing along with recorded music coming through the line-in jack, but I will not be able to do this as of now. 3: It's a little too big to fit in a pocket, but still small enough to easily hold in your hand. I believe a simple carry loop or belt buckle that could screw into the tripod attachment on the back would be a no brainer in making this device easier to hold and less prone to being dropped. I have ordered a belt clip that I hope will work with the recorder, but that was an extra $10 I had to spend.Overall though, I'm very pleased with the H4 Essential, and I am optimistic that Zoom will take care of the accessibility challenges soon.

Increiblemente liviana.Super sencillo de usar.Me hubiera gustado mayor calidad en la construcción de los mic XY stereo, se sienten de material plástico muy barato, jamás se compara a la calidad de construcción del Zoom H4 Pro Zoom H5 o Zoom H6.El cuerpo de plástico negro da sensación de algo que podría salir mal. Pero realmente sorprende la calidad de captura de Audio y lo sencillo e intuitivo. Además los 32 bit coma flotante es increíble.