Zoom H4N Help. Some basic questions...

[RomeoFoxtrot]

Hey guys... I had a few basic questions that the manual wasn't able to sort out for myself.

I've been recording to the H4N for a little while now and haven't been able to figure out how to record a piece of audio with two tracks using one input.

I'm using the NTG-2 shotgun mic, going through input 1, but it only records one channel and I have to double it up when I drop it on a timeline. How can I save time by recording through one input and having two duplicate channels in one file? I guess I could use an XLR splitter and do this with two inputs, but I don't think that's the best solution, as I've heard input 2 is a little noisier than 1, for some reason.

Also, is there an output anywhere on the H4N that I could plug into my camera, just as a backup, or again, is an xlr splitter something I should look into?

Do XLR splitters affect audio quality?

Can someone also explain to me a little better what Mono Mix and the Stereo Matrix Mix features do on the H4N. I've read what it says in the manual, but the explanations are too brief, and I don't fully understand what they are meant for. Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

 

[Alex H.]

I've been recording to the H4N for a little while now and haven't been able to figure out how to record a piece of audio with two tracks using one input.

I'm using the NTG-2 shotgun mic, going through input 1, but it only records one channel and I have to double it up when I drop it on a timeline. How can I save time by recording through one input and having two duplicate channels in one file? I guess I could use an XLR splitter and do this with two inputs, but I don't think that's the best solution, as I've heard input 2 is a little noisier than 1, for some reason.

There's a Mono setting in the menu. This will sum both inputs to both record channels (if you're using only one input, it will record to both channels).

But the bigger question is: what are you using to edit? Having to duplicate a track is usually a needless step (exceptions being iMovie and Windows MovieMaker). Most NLEs (FCP, AVID, Vegas, Premiere) have audio control tools, and one of them is "pan". Use this control to center the audio clip to both playback channels.

If you're only recording one mic, you only need one track in post. So even when you record one mic to both channels, you should be splitting the tracks to separate clips and using only one, panned to center. When you're recording this way, you are recording dual mono. Even better: set the second channel to record several dB lower than the first so that you have a "safety" track in the event of sudden peaks that overmodulate (distort) on the first channel.

Also, is there an output anywhere on the H4N that I could plug into my camera, just as a backup, or again, is an xlr splitter something I should look into?

There's the headphone/line out. But then you have to adapt to your camera, and you lose headphone monitoring on your H4n. Which camera are you using, by the way?

Do XLR splitters affect audio quality?

They can.

 

[Gweilo66]

Although it can send one mic to both L&R, I'm pretty sure I heard more noise that way. Enough to make me use an ART splitter. Latest Zoom software update allows the separate level control as C2V suggests. Built in compressor limiter is pretty worthless and too noisy to use.

 

[RomeoFoxtrot]

There's a Mono setting in the menu. This will sum both inputs to both record channels (if you're using only one input, it will record to both channels).

You are talking about the "Mono Mix" function, yeah?