Getting lower noise with Zoom H4?

Tracey Lee

Tracey Lee

Well-known member
I am just learning audio and how best to capture on set dialogue. Is there a simple preamp or something that I could get to pair with my Rode NTG2 and Zoom H4 so I could get lower noise levels?

Thanks!
 
Tracey Lee said:
I am just learning audio and how best to capture on set dialogue. Is there a simple preamp or something that I could get to pair with my Rode NTG2 and Zoom H4 so I could get lower noise levels?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The first to do is find out why your current noise levels are too high. And the first step of that is to ask exactly just what sort of noise you are talking about? Are you talking about distracting ambience picked up on the set or are you talking about high levels of hiss and other electrical noise?
 
Steve House said:
The first to do is find out why your current noise levels are too high. And the first step of that is to ask exactly just what sort of noise you are talking about? Are you talking about distracting ambience picked up on the set or are you talking about high levels of hiss and other electrical noise?
Click to expand...

The electrical noise I assume is either from the mic or H4.
 
The Zoom H4 is actually less noisy when using the AC adapter, have you tried that? My father read that tip from a birdwatching forum!
 
If you're getting "electrical noise" - the 60Hz hum (50Hz if outside the US) - check that your audio cables aren't parallel to any power cables. Be sure to test recorder and mic with several cables to ensure it's not the cable. If possible, test the recorder with other mics. Troubleshooting 101.

If it's the noise FLOOR you're up against - the hissy badness due to quiet levels - be sure to check your gain staging and where your audio peaks are falling. If all seems well, everyone can't help but love Sound Devices preamps, which are spendy but they've got 1 and 2 channel models that are incredibly insane price:performance values. You can always run the mic into that and take line out to the H4n.
 
I've heard the H4 also has hum in the XLR inputs that's identical in both channels. If that's the case, record in stereo with the mic connected to one input. In your audio program, import both tracks (left and right channels), invert the phase of the "blank" channel, and them play them together. This should cancel out the noise (if that's the problem you're having at least)
 
Gohanto said:
I've heard the H4 also has hum in the XLR inputs that's identical in both channels. If that's the case, record in stereo with the mic connected to one input. In your audio program, import both tracks (left and right channels), invert the phase of the "blank" channel, and them play them together. This should cancel out the noise (if that's the problem you're having at least)
Click to expand...

Sounds like something I want to try. I am still pretty inexperienced with audio so can you tell me the best way to go about inverting the phase in post? Thanks!
 
Tracey Lee said:
Sounds like something I want to try. I am still pretty inexperienced with audio so can you tell me the best way to go about inverting the phase in post? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Depends on your audio editing software. In most DAWs it is usually just a matter of selecting the track and clicking a tools menu selection.
 
A preamp will definitely help. I get very clean and quiet recordings by going through a mixer. (Sound devices 302) You will need to attenuate the output of most mixers, as the line in of the H4n is made more for consumer devices.
 
What do you guys think about using the Juicedlink preamp, turning down the recording level of the H4, then boosting the gain of the Juicedlink?
 
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