Features:

  • Streamlined Body with matte finish and newly designed protective mic enclosure
  • Built-in stereo condenser microphones in 90-Degree x/Y format
  • One-touch button controls.Battery life (alkaline batteries): Approximately 10 hours (continuous recording time using built-in mic, 44.1 kHz/16-bit)
  • Localized and intuitive menus for easy operation
  • Playback Speed Control, Voice Emphasize Filter, and Stereo overdubbing functions
Good quality for the price

I realize most people wouldn’t consider this “cheap” but compared to the costs of truly high-end mobile recording solutions, this is an absolute bargain. The quality is crisp and clear, it has granular quality control, and is easy to handle without even looking at the buttons/slides. I use it for my professional shoots, as well as recording my thoughts and ideas while driving hours to and from remote clients. It works great for both. It even links to my camera. A note of caution: this unit is VERY sensitive if you push up the recording volume, and it will even pick up the sound of your skin scraping against its plastic shell. That’s not a complaint; you usually will only want it above 40-55% recording volume if it is mounted on a camera or a tripod picking up a specific audio source. I keep it at 45% for everyday use, 70-85% for recording sources farther away while mounted on a tripod (meeting minutes, public events, family events). Is is also better at recording stereo than most of the other audio recorders I’ve used; if you are recording while holding it in your hand, or the unit or your subject is moving around a lot, you may want to re-mix your audio files to mono to keep you from getting dizzy. It’s almost TOO good at directional audio.

So far so good. I don't have professional needs so it's perfect ...

I'm a novice with sound recording devices. So far so good. I don't have professional needs so it's perfect for me. I like the option of compressed (mp3) or uncompressed(Wav). It great for recording in my immediate environment. Even lightly touching it is recorded, but I suspect that is normal behavior. A minor Con - the usb connector is Mini-B, so it's my only device with that connector. the chip with it is only 2G, but it can handle 32g (and they are cheap now days). It uses a single AA battery. I suspect it will use rechargables. It's got jacks for earphones and Mic, and a mounting hole for a tripod. It has a speaker in the bottom so it will do playback, but it clearly is not designed as HiFi player.

Excellent

This little gadget is impressive and works excellently. I suggest buying mic cover for the top even if you aren't recording outside. I pulled one off an old microphone that suits it well enough. 2G SD card came formatted FAT12 but I stuck a 64G FAT32 sd inside it instead and it works as well. With 64G card inside the device says it has a remaing 99:99:99 minutes of record time, and I record WAV. Having an out line for headphones is most wonderful. Also being able to plug an IN on the other side and record from the line in instead of the microphone is really useful. We use to need a laptop with Sony Sound Forge to do our recordings. Now all we need is this device. Some complained about battery life but I haven't had an issue with that.

GREAT for DSLR filmmaking! Just bought a second one!

These Zooms are just great! BUT HERE'S STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW: (1) Take a few seconds to set good levels in each location. Any cheap closed ear headphones will help you find the sweet spot between low noise floor and strong signal for whatever background noise is around you. (2) Any "shake" results in a noise like 3 Tic-Tacs rattling in their case. Your unit is not broken; ALL H1s are like this. The culprit is the 3 gray switches on the back & topside (Lo Cut, Auto Level, & Format). This is fixed with a small piece of tape across all three. Don't worry, you shouldn't be using those buttons much anyway. (Lo Cut is pretty much only for heavy wind; Auto Level ain't for anything but recording lectures or notes never intended to be shared as entertainment; and why waste the truly extraordinary fidelity capable in these with MP3 when you can use WAV? (3) You can wire it to a lavaliere microphone and use it like a radio mic. The unit is about the size of an iPhone so it's not that hard to tuck into someone's pants, purse, a pocket, etc. ZOOM now makes an iPhone app you can buy for $5 that works the same way. However, iPhone storage will be limited & non-expandable, while the H1 can use 32GB microSD cards. Also, iPhones have limited battery life while the H1 gets 10 hours off a single AA battery. You do need to beware of WICKED HANDLING NOISE on the H1, but if you can find clever ways to avoid the case & cable rubbing, you can achieve spectacularly clean audio. If you want to step it up a notch, add a small mixer to your set up or get the new, incredibly cool ZOOM H6. Finally, the only mic input on the H1 is a mini plug, but adaptors and cables are cheap. For the price, it's hard to beat this as a micro-budget recorder. It can also work as a self-contained interview mic if you ALWAYS use a foam ball atop the X/Y mics built atop the unit and spend a few minutes with earphones on learning to find the "sweet spot" distance/position range at your subject's typical volume. And if you're outdoors, pick up a $15 fuzzy to really reduce wind noise. Learn these handful of simple tips and you can do a ton of easy, fast, highly mobile recording for under $100. Have fun!

Great audio solution for wedding video (plugs into sound system!)

My company produces videos for corporations, weddings, and events. We use high-end equipment (GH5 cameras, stabilizers, drones, etc.), and have always hired out the audio to local companies to make sure we captured professional-quality audio. Going forward we wanted to do audio ourselves, so we were about to purchase some expensive audio gear (in the $1,000 range), but a friend let us use his Zoom H1 to evaluate. After testing the H1 and a few other recorders, we purchased one, and we haven't looked back. As far as value goes, it's hard to overstate how good this thing is for the money--and how super easy it is to use. For the most recent wedding we shot, we connected my white Zoom H1 that we got on amazon for $65 to the wedding DJ's sound system using a .5mm 1/8" Male to 6.35mm 1/4" Male TRS Stereo Audio Cable that cost $12 on amazon. Once it was plugged in to the sound system, all we had to do was turn on the Zoom, adjust the volume input, and hit record. We left it in all day and captured audio for the entire day. Since the DJ had provided the officiating priest with a lav mic, all the audio for the ceremony flowed through his sound system. Even though we will create only a 10 minute highlight video, having access to all of the audio for the day makes it very easy to pull into Adobe Premiere as needed. We also used it to capture some pre-ceremony interviews and communion. It's a powerful one-button solution. As other reviewers noted, it's plastic and breakable, but not flimsy or precious. Just treat it like you would any of your professional equipment and you will be fine. The quality is on par with (if not better than) the audio from past shoots for which we paid other companies thousands of dollars. A few tips we learned to make it easy to connect to a sound system: --Reach out to the DJ or audio folks ahead of time to make sure they are ok with you connecting to their sound board (good professional hygiene) and confirm that their connection is the standard quarter inch input I mentioned above. --Use a bigger sd card than the 2 GB one that comes with it. Don't risk running out of space. The Zoom will show you exactly how much time is left, but don't cut it close. I have a 32 Gb one that works great. You'll be able to capture an entire day's worth of high quality audio. --Bring extra batteries. At the end of an 8 hour recording day, the batteries were shot. Always have backups. --Use a Movo windscreen muff. I used it outdoors in light wind and it cuts the sound of wind out completely. --Monitor the device. If you can, it's best to have someone monitor the device regularly to adjust the audio input volume because most events like weddings will go from low speech volume at the ceremony (when you will need to raise the input volume) to very high volume during the dance/music (where you will need to lower the input volume almost all the way down). If you are a one or two man video operation and don't have the bandwidth to monitor the Zoom to make these adjustments, don't worry too much. Set the input near the middle and you'll get enough quality audio that is fairly easy to adjust in post production. To summarize what you should buy: Zoom H1, backup AA batteries, 32Gb Micro SDHC card, windscreen muff, carrying case. I got all this on amazon for about $125. I wish someone had left a review telling me how easy it is to use this way, because man does it make audio easy to work with. Good luck!

All I need

This is a great little recorder. Its very light weight and has all the functionality you want in a run and gun recorder with no added fluff. It's very easy to use and sounds great for its price range. There is a noticeable noise floor above 50% volume but still better than recorders that cost twice its price. It is very susceptible to your hand moving around on the body while recording, I found this a issue to get used to when starting to use it as a handheld interview mic. Recorders get better, but you have to dish out an additional 1-300 to get something that is justifiably better than the H1 It definitely improves the quality of your recording when you pair with a deadcat wind filter (furry little filter) Battery life is surprisingly long, the light up screen is useful in the dark, the hold slider ensures you don't accidentally stop your recording and did I say it was affordable? With some simple work arounds you can record a pair of lav microphones for interviews and monitoring works great. I love that this can be used as a audio interface. Even though I have pro quality studio equipment, this is already with me and works well for a simple setup when I need a interface to run audio and record my podcasts while I am on the road. I would definitely buy this again!

A great bargain in sound recorders

This is the audio solution I'd been searching for for my YouTube videos. It's really an all-in-one device - a pocket or belt clip-sized recorder (for a separate wired lapel mic), a standalone microphone and a USB desktop microphone. I'd tried a couple of wireless mic systems to allow me to move around in my videos without being tethered to the camera, but I just wasn't happy with the sound quality from any of them in the consumer price range. The Zoom H1, though, sounds great and achieves the same purpose while also filling those aforementioned extra roles that I never really expected it to. The included microphones (it has two for stereo) sound great - very high fidelity with low noise. Noise has been one problem I've had with every other microphone system I've tried, wired or wireless - either there's a lot of noise and/or hiss, or the sound is muffled on the high end as that's how the inherent noise is being controlled. But that's not true of the H1. If anything, despite the relative lack of noise it's a little too bright, but I'm pretty confident that a basic windscreen could tame that. Workflow using a separate off-camera audio recorder is a little different than recording through the camera, but with Davinci Resolve (even the free version) it's a snap to sync it up, so don't worry about it if that's what's holding you back. There's basically one extra step, which is to import the audio files in addition to the video files, but you can tell Resolve to just sync everything up by waveform (assuming you also recorded audio on camera) and it'll compare the files and automatically link and sync your audio files to their video files. I assume other apps have similar functions, although with some you may need to do it manually, which would make a slate helpful. With this recorder, while shooting myself I will typically have the H1 on my belt with a Sony ECMCS3 lapel mic connected and attached to my shirt. This allows me to move anywhere while filming (my camera also allows smartphone control), and I just need to remember to press record on both devices - honestly, this has been easy to get used to doing. The H1's record button is so big that you can just press it by feel, without looking at the recorder, which is, well, handy. If there's any minor criticism I might have, it's overall build quality, construction and design other than the big record button. The unit is plastic, and it's that nasty slippery smooth plastic that forever feels yucky and sweaty after the first few days of use without constant cleaning. Also, the buttons other than the record button are tiny and recessed, all the better so you don't accidentally press them, but initial setup can be a bit of a challenge as a result, as is changing settings whenever you need to. I've also noticed that there seems to be slightly more noise when I switch to 24k sample rates rather than 16k. For me, I don't need 24k since I'm just recording my speaking voice, but for someone recording music, it might be a concern. It's still a very tiny amount of noise, but I tested in silence and I could hear it through headphones with the volume turned up a fair amount. It was true with either the built-in mic or external mic activated, so I'm pretty sure it is the recorder. For what it's worth, I had auto level control turned off, and had the record level at around 75. Still, at around $100 (or much less for the white one as I write this), I consider this recorder a bargain. I'm recording literally all of my audio with it at this point, and it sounds great for both "live" stuff and in-studio voice-overs. I do recommend a few accessories to make this recorder truly useful and versatile. The first is a belt clip. Second is a desktop tripod. Third is an external lapel mic. And fourth is probably a windscreen to tame the high end (though I don't have one that fits yet myself). With a windscreen you don't really need a pop filter either, though I'm using one now myself. It's also handy to have a mini-USB cable to use the recorder as a USB mic, but you probably already have like 15 of those. With those things, you can do anything with this recorder, and you're going to get great, near-pro quality sound for not much money.

Probably the BEST Digital Recorder in its Class

I evaluated quite a number of digital recorders before deciding on the Zoom H1n. And I'm glad I selected this one. The two main reasons I wanted a digital recorder are for recording live music concerts and for recording GOOD voice audio to put with videos I shoot. I have only used this a few times for recording voice audio, but I can say right now this records the BEST audio of any method I have tried yet. These other methods number probably a dozen, including cheaper digital recorders, computer-based recorders, camera-integrated sound recordings, and loads of microphones. Before we go any farther, you need to know that a good audio recording is principally captured by the MICROPHONE you use, but the recorder you use will also make a big difference. The things I LIKE about the Zoom H1n are: - the size - very easy to carry, hold, and use; - ease of use - like all digital gadgets, you have to learn how to use it, which means you have to RTFI (military acronym for "read the freaking instructions!"), and you need to practice with it. But this item is not hard to use, and there's no question I will be able to remember what to do after putting this thing away for a month then dig it out and using it. - quality of the sound - the built-in microphones are EXCELLENT. They have good stereo capability, which is essential for recording live music concerts, and they seem to pick up exactly what I want them to pick up, without a lot of extraneous noises. - the controls - they are well thought-out and intuitive. All it takes is a good orientation (RTFI). - battery life - you're supposed to be able to get more than 10 hours operation on 2 AA batteries. I cannot attest to that as I'm still on the first set, which came with the unit. What I'd like to see improved (in other words, what I DON'T like): - NO SD CARD INCLUDED! I know they're trying to keep the price down, but good grief! They should make a bigger point of letting us know that a micro SD card is REQUIRED BUT NOT INCLUDED with the unit. I was lucky to have one in a secondary camera that I could borrow and use. - Cheapo display - It's low-resolution blue and white, with a backlight that doesn't stay on long enough, and has no way to toggle it on to see what's displayed, other than activating a button. I'd be happy to pay a bit more for a higher resolution display, and it would be nice to have a way to turn it on so we could see it in the dark, without having to push some function-activating button. - So-so case material. It's plastic, and that's okay, but it feels slippery in my hand, and if I'm holding it while recording with the built-in mics, the noise of my hand moving even slightly on the case is recorded through the mics. A softer and more tactile (rubberized?) coating on the case would be a great improvement. Overall, so far I'm very pleased with this recorder.

Zoom H1 vs Tascam DR-05

I was on the Zoom H1 for about 6 months, and its so small i lost track of it. So i picked up a Tascam DR-05 and now that i have tried them side by side, i can say this simply about the differences: Zoom H1 - Good sound, exceptional 1 button operation. I have the special edition white H1. It is much easier to see the labels and controls than on the black model in a dark studio or on a stage. You can hear the H1: www.thewooks.net. I have live recordings up. OPL Sets 1 and 2 are through the H1 mics. The studio recordings include SweetLiz, Wook Walk and anything at the bottom of that page that is not obviously live (everything live is from the OPL concert, FWIW). Tascam DR-05 - Great sound, 3 click operation to start, stop, pause. Can be a little confusing, even just setting the levels on the fly. However, the sound quality is a notch above the H1. Its now my go to for recording our band through the headphone mix. I did find my HI BTW, had fallen between my seat and rear door after a gig. Now i swap off, I'm using them both, and they are both excellent. The H1 is just wayyyy easier to use.

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