Zoom H4N Question Setup Config

C

crot0019

Well-known member
Hey guys I have a question about the Zoom H4N. I am shooting a film based in a pine tree forest. I have a two part question but first I'll give you my setup details.

Zoom H4N Recorder

Rode NTG-2 Microphone. With the Rode Blimp.

Now my questions are:
1.) I am recording the sound separately from my camera (HVR-Z1U) and syncing up in editing. Now what setting is the best to use for the forest? I'm not great with sound. The sounds i'll be capturing are mostly people running etc. So I'm guessing Stereo? What khz should i use?

2.) Also when recording sounds like the ones I am, should I use an XLR splitter and put through both channels? Or is stereo only really for ambient sounds?

Okay thanks I appreciate all the help you guys can give me.
 
Use 48 khz 24 or 16 bit.

The built-in mics are good for stereo forest sounds, but for specific sounds like running and dialog with your rode you can choose mono in the h4 menu and not need a splitter. (You shouldn't split a mic regardless, especially those that require 48v phantom)

The built-in mics need some good wind protection outside though.
 
crot0019 said:
Hey guys I have a question about the Zoom H4N. I am shooting a film based in a pine tree forest. I have a two part question but first I'll give you my setup details.

Zoom H4N Recorder

Rode NTG-2 Microphone. With the Rode Blimp.
Click to expand...

Be advised that users have reported a very weak signal with the NTG-2 and the Zoom H4n. The H4n doesn't seem to have that issue with any other shotgun, and the NTG-2 doesn't seem to have problems feeding any other recorder. It's just that particular combination.

crot0019 said:
Now my questions are:
1.) I am recording the sound separately from my camera (HVR-Z1U) and syncing up in editing. Now what setting is the best to use for the forest? I'm not great with sound. The sounds i'll be capturing are mostly people running etc. So I'm guessing Stereo? What khz should i use?
Click to expand...

There is no setting on a recorder that makes it better for a pine forest over a crowded restaurant.

Since you're recording for video, stick with 48kHz. I'd record at 24-bit just to give you a little more signal integrity in post, though it will eventually need to be converted to 16-bit.

There's no reason to record in 4-channel mode.

crot0019 said:
2.) Also when recording sounds like the ones I am, should I use an XLR splitter and put through both channels? Or is stereo only really for ambient sounds?
Click to expand...

Let's first define what "stereo" really is: two channels of audio working together to create a directional image. If you record with one mic, even if it is recorded to both channels, it is mono. With the two channels, it's dual mono. Dialog, Foley, SFX are usually recorded in mono. Ambient sound beds (traffic, forest sounds, restaurants, construction) are recorded in stereo, or lately in surround.

An XLR spliter can cause problems with the signal, especially if it's already weak. Ideally, you'd have a mixer of some sort in front that would allow you to record one mic to both channels, and set the second channel a few dB lower as a safety. With the H4n, in mono mode, you can record one mic to both channels... though I do not believe that there are separate channel level controls in that mode.

Record with your shotgun what you need to. I'd send everyone home after that, and then stay and use the Zoom's built-in stereo mics to record some sound bed of the forest as well. You never know when that will come in handy.
 
Cool that all seems to make sense. I do plan to record a lot of ambient and forest sounds using the built in mics. Unfortunately I do not have a sound mixer as I don't have the budget for it.

So in summary record dialogue and foley stuff in Mono and Forest sounds in stereo. Makes sense. If i record in mono with the NTG-2 in one of the XLR inputs to both channels, I will be able to hear that from both ears in my headphones right? I know this must all be easy stuff to a lot of you but I'm really still getting my head around sound. I know I have the option of recording in mono and then panning it to the right in post but I really don't want to have to go through that process and that would mean it would only come out of one headphone on the day wouldn't it?
 
crot0019 said:
So in summary record dialogue and foley stuff in Mono and Forest sounds in stereo. Makes sense. If i record in mono with the NTG-2 in one of the XLR inputs to both channels, I will be able to hear that from both ears in my headphones right? I know this must all be easy stuff to a lot of you but I'm really still getting my head around sound. I know I have the option of recording in mono and then panning it to the right in post but I really don't want to have to go through that process and that would mean it would only come out of one headphone on the day wouldn't it?
Click to expand...

If you record in mono mode, yes, you will hear the signal in both ears. In post, you're only going to use one of those channels. There's no need to use both, since they're identical.

By the way, Foley is capitalized. It's a proper name.
 
That's cool I figured i wouldn't need both. Just wanted to know if I could hear the sound in both ears. That's great thanks for the help :)
 
There are splitters specifically made for this. The one in my bag contains an isolated out, which can feed the camera, and a direct out, which feeds my recorder (which sends the phantom power to the mic.) Every splitter I've seen provides isolation on one of the outputs, and typically a ground lift as well.

Now, if you're talking about just using a Y-cable.....then, uh, no. But I don't know of anyone working in location sound who would simply Y a cable for anything, except maybe for headphone feeds.

Tim Joy said:
(You shouldn't split a mic regardless, especially those that require 48v phantom)
Click to expand...
 
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