Zoom H4n, preamps and sound limiting

[-Tom-]

Noob alert, bare with me. Now, on to the subject. So far I've been using Zoom in a pretty straightforward way, plug the XLR mic, plug the lav or even use Zoom's own XY mic with a fur over it and record. Recently I've stumbled on a video from a guy using H4n with Sound Devices preamp, and in that video he said it boosts the mic level and it keeps the recording from going into "red".

My question is - for field-type run and gun audio recording, are such devices mandatory? I'm asking this because I had a strange issue on a open-air event, where I recorded the sound via Zoom's furred XY's and also with GH2 built in mini mic on top. When I got home, I was disappointed by Zoom's audio simply because it would start to clip every time I passed near stage speakers (they were blasting music the entire day). But, the audio from GH2 footage was great. I'm no expert in audio, when I say great I mean usable, clear and never clipped once. Zoom was on the camera rig, so they've practically picked up sound from the same spot, and GH2's built in tiny mic did the job great. When I got away from the main stage, the sound had a nice tone to it, really captured the open air music delays etc. and when I got close it picked up more bass, but kept it under 0. Zoom on the other hand was sort of silent when I was further from the stage, and distorted when I got close. I couldn't monitor Zoom being a one man crew, so that's why I'm asking these questions

For solo shooters like me, are there any devices that can make Zoom a bit more controlled, worry free device? Granted, I didn't use XLR mic to record the venue, but if I choose to do it next time, how do I go about controlling the levels on the Zoom and worrying as less as possible about clipping?

Thanks

 

[Jema]

I've stumbled on a video from a guy using H4n with Sound Devices preamp, and in that video he said it boosts the mic level and it keeps the recording from going into "red".

The H4n has very noisy preamps, so people using it for low level sounds usually want an external preamp such as a sound devices preamp or mixer. The latter also have very good limiters which can help prevent distortion. The preamp boosts the signal, and the limiter prevents overload (if the gain stage is correct).

For the situation you describe, either the gain was too high, or the music so loud that the internal mics couldn't handle it. Either results in clipping. The GH2 built in mic was simply less sensitive/had lower gain, or maybe used an automatic gain control that adjusted the gain depending on the sound level (something most people do not use since it often sounds horrible - better to adjust the levels yourself in post).

If you want more control without listening to or adjusting levels during recording, then I would look at an external preamp with good limiters, or get a professional recorder.

 

[Doc Bernard]

I have the H4n and I use it all the time. But I concur with Jema. It's not the best tool in the box, but you can still get decent sound with it if you get a mixer (my choice) or a decent pre amp.

The secret, though, is to treat the H4n like just a tape deck. Pretend it doesn't have on-board mics or preamps. Because once you try to rely on those items built-in......your recording suffers.

 

[Rick R]

When using external pre amps or a mixer, most send balanced +4dB line level to the recorder, however the Zoom's 'line' input is compromised to accept instrument level, so an unbalanced -10dB signal would be wanted.. This had been covered at length so search this and the DVi forums for more info.

 

[TheDingo]

The GH2 / GH3 camera audio has a built-in AGC circuit and a very good limiter, so it won't clip with loud sounds, though it can became noisy if the AGC kicks in too much. ( you can limit the AGC by setting the audio level as low as possible )

There are better recorders than the Zoom H4n if you want to use the built-in mics to record live event sound. The mics and limiters in the Olympus LS-11 / LS-12 / LS-14 / LS-100, Sony PCM-D50, Tascam DR-40 / DR-100 Mk2 recorders are all better than the Zoom H4n. If you need XLR inputs, then the Olympus LS-100, Tascam-DR40 / DR-100 Mk2 have you covered too.