Muddy Zoom H4n Audio - Ideas?

[Warren Kawamoto]

Originally Posted by Chris Knight

Why don't you just plug the h4n directly into the sound system?

I try to get into the board as much as possible, but that depends on the DJ. Sometimes they're stressed because they arrived late and asking them to hook up is added stress for them. Other times, they have everything neatly covered up and wrapped. Trying to get hooked up means they have to take off covers, take off cable ties, grab a flashlight, and get into the bowels of their mixer. Then at the end of the night they have to do the same again in reverse to unplug me, which makes me feel really bad.

In post I find that a direct feed is sometimes too dry and sterile, and I need reaction audio of the audience from another source mixed in. By putting the h4n in front of the speaker, I've found that I can get "direct feed" and the audience all on one track without having to re-mix. No stress on me or the DJ too.

[Travis Cossel]

Originally Posted by Chris Knight

Why don't you just plug the h4n directly into the sound system?

For the exact reason that Michael stated. I just don't trust the DJ to get it right. Too many DJ's barely know their equipment and the chances of them making a mess of my feed is just too high.

For that matter, I filmed a huge event at the Taco Bell Arena last year and we had a feed into the board through a recorder and also one to one of our cameras. The sound tech, who is employed full time and has been there for like 5 or 6 years, still managed to mess up both feeds and because it was a live event we couldn't fix it. Luckily we didn't trust the sound board feeds and had several other audio sources to pull from.

[Randy Panado]

Warren - I didn't edit it, just shoot. Great to hand the files over and not have to look at anything :), hehe. I think I need to go see Dr. Brad and try out his services for this neck thing I got going on. Ack.

Trav - Not a bad idea! Although I'm always wary about having other stands around as I'd hate for someone to tip it over and kill the h4n / whatever I have mounted on there :S. That boom stand sounds good too but I hate having so much grip gear to setup, trying to keep it light weight and all that. I've been rolling with less and less h4n though and just have been sticking to high quality recorders in jackets / mounted to belts or podiums. I've been burned by that darn H4n battery life once already and interference from wireless' so I try to not use it as much for "main" audio.

[Travis Cossel]

Yeah, I didn't take the boom stand to this past wedding. I'm just tired of dragging so much gear. I love how my wife has a single case with all of her photography stuff in it .. must be nice, lol.

So you had wireless interference with your H4n? How is that possible when the H4n doesn't transmit/receive?

[Michael Liebergot]

Originally Posted by Randy Panado

Warren - I didn't edit it, just shoot. Great to hand the files over and not have to look at anything :), hehe. I think I need to go see Dr. Brad and try out his services for this neck thing I got going on. Ack.

Trav - Not a bad idea! Although I'm always wary about having other stands around as I'd hate for someone to tip it over and kill the h4n / whatever I have mounted on there :S. That boom stand sounds good too but I hate having so much grip gear to setup, trying to keep it light weight and all that. I've been rolling with less and less h4n though and just have been sticking to high quality recorders in jackets / mounted to belts or podiums. I've been burned by that darn H4n battery life once already and interference from wireless' so I try to not use it as much for "main" audio.

Just a quick note on the battery runtime...
Try using

Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries

 

Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries

. I run with these in my wireless and recorders and they run forever. I can easily run the H4n for a 8-10 hour shoot with these.

As for the H4n and interference, I don't know how you are getting interference from them, as they don;t receive any wireless signals. Now if there's noise in your audio and you're using external mics or long runs, than this might be your problem. But the recorder won't pickup wireless interference.

BTW used the H4n with only the internal mics at a wedding this weekend, and it worked flawlessly. This was micing the PA stack, but once again, make sure that your recorder is not directly in front of the PA system, but at a 35-45 degree angle. Also it helps if you run the Concert Limiter for loud recordings. Also the strings I recorded the weekend prior sounded great too.

I'm using this recorder so much, I am very close to selling off my beloved Edirol R44, which hasn't seen the light of day in months.

[Travis Cossel]

I set up the H4n on a small light stand (2 feet high) at a 45-degree angle to some floor speakers for this past weekend's wedding reception. I'll let you know how they sounded in a day or two.

[Randy Panado]

Originally Posted by Michael Liebergot

Just a quick note on the battery runtime...
Try using Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries. I run with these in my wireless and recorders and they run forever. I can easily run the H4n for a 8-10 hour shoot with these.

As for the H4n and interference, I don't know how you are getting interference from them, as they don;t receive any wireless signals. Now if there's noise in your audio and you're using external mics or long runs, than this might be your problem. But the recorder won't pickup wireless interference.

BTW used the H4n with only the internal mics at a wedding this weekend, and it worked flawlessly. This was micing the PA stack, but once again, make sure that your recorder is not directly in front of the PA system, but at a 35-45 degree angle. Also it helps if you run the Concert Limiter for loud recordings. Also the strings I recorded the weekend prior sounded great too.

I'm using this recorder so much, I am very close to selling off my beloved Edirol R44, which hasn't seen the light of day in months.

Interference is coming thru the lavs that I have hooked into the H4N. I understand how the audio system works quite well and know that there is no wireless signals being picked up thru the H4N on its own. Why do I use wireless with H4N? It's too big to put inconspicuously into the grooms jacket pocket ;).

I'll take a look at the energizer lithiums, but I've been burned from rechargeables once and prefer to buy new batteries each time. I'm not going to get into a discussion of the lifespan of rechargeables and etc, for my productions, I prefer fresh new batteries. However, I'm willing to take a look at these lithiums if they can power the H4N in 4 channel mode for 8-10 hours as you say (since 4CH mode drains the battery quicker). In any case, the H4N has been regulated to backup duty and I'm using recorders coupled with high quality mics instead of wireless + h4n + built in mic as the main now.

[Travis Cossel]

Just wanted to provide an update. I have since tried out the H4n set up on a light stand in front of the speaker at a 45-degree angle. The audio quality is much better than before.

[Michael Liebergot]

Originally Posted by Randy Panado

Interference is coming thru the lavs that I have hooked into the H4N. I understand how the audio system works quite well and know that there is no wireless signals being picked up thru the H4N on its own. Why do I use wireless with H4N? It's too big to put inconspicuously into the grooms jacket pocket ;).

I'll take a look at the energizer lithiums, but I've been burned from rechargeables once and prefer to buy new batteries each time. I'm not going to get into a discussion of the lifespan of rechargeables and etc, for my productions, I prefer fresh new batteries.

Randy the Energizer lithium's are not rechargeables, so no worries there. They last a long time.

[Michael Liebergot]

Originally Posted by Travis Cossel

Just wanted to provide an update. I have since tried out the H4n set up on a light stand in front of the speaker at a 45-degree angle. The audio quality is much better than before.

Travis great to hear.
While the H4n isn't the best recorder out there, it does perform very well.

So glad to hear that it's not as bad as you first reported.

[Randy Panado]

Originally Posted by Michael Liebergot

Randy the Energizer lithium's are not rechargeables, so no worries there. They last a long time.

Much thanks. I'll definitely look into them for the H4N as it cuts itself way too close at times.

[Randy Panado]

Originally Posted by Michael Liebergot

Randy the Energizer lithium's are not rechargeables, so no worries there. They last a long time.

Just a follow up, MUCH thanks for the lithium recommendation! I was astounded at the battery life, my DR-100's battery meter did not drop ONE bar and it was running for a few hours. At 3-4 bucks a battery, they are not cheap, but it was well worth the investment. In comparison, I had regular AA's from radioshack in to test, 1.5 hours of recording before both were dead.

Thanks again.