Damaged H4N? at DVinfo.net

Harry Simpson · October 23rd, 2012, 08:04 AM

I've had the same H4N for years and it's servered me well. I've dropped it a few times in the dark at gigs and have busted the external stereo mics a few times and simply glued them back as it seemed that they both still worked. Plus I mostly use the XLR inputs using four channel mode and turn the mics not used to no record level.

The last gig I recorded would not allow me to feed off the mic out XLR off the board so I placed the H4n on a mic stand and dialed it in with headphones. I had it set to stereo which is just the two onboard mics. It was electric music but not super load rock n roll. The record levels from the two stereo mics kept peeking and I kept lowering the recording level to try to get the peaks at -12. Of course the headphone volume I'm never sure what to set it to since it's already hard to tell what's coming over the headphones (over the ear) and the actual music. The resultant wav file came out very low volume.

I'm very suspicious if the weird dial in was due to the stereo mics possibly actually being more than cosmetically damaged and thus causing this impossible dial in.

I'm about to go an buy another H4N today and wondered if anyone else had had problems with the external mics for live recording....especially after they may have been damaged.

Jay Massengill · October 24th, 2012, 05:18 AM

Did you have any internal compressor settings activated on the H4n? That might have helped when recording in a loud environment by reducing the peaks and allowing the overall level to come up.

Harry Simpson · October 26th, 2012, 01:26 PM

Not that I intentionally set - like limiters? I'm not an audio expert.

Donald McPherson · October 27th, 2012, 12:34 PM

I'm in the UK but was just browsing Says and spotted this. H4n $149
Zoom | H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder - Open Box* | ZH4NO

You guys are spoiled in USA.

October 23rd, 2012, 08:04 AM	#1
Harry Simpson Major Player Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Nashville, TN. Posts: 581	Damaged H4N? I've had the same H4N for years and it's servered me well. I've dropped it a few times in the dark at gigs and have busted the external stereo mics a few times and simply glued them back as it seemed that they both still worked. Plus I mostly use the XLR inputs using four channel mode and turn the mics not used to no record level. The last gig I recorded would not allow me to feed off the mic out XLR off the board so I placed the H4n on a mic stand and dialed it in with headphones. I had it set to stereo which is just the two onboard mics. It was electric music but not super load rock n roll. The record levels from the two stereo mics kept peeking and I kept lowering the recording level to try to get the peaks at -12. Of course the headphone volume I'm never sure what to set it to since it's already hard to tell what's coming over the headphones (over the ear) and the actual music. The resultant wav file came out very low volume. I'm very suspicious if the weird dial in was due to the stereo mics possibly actually being more than cosmetically damaged and thus causing this impossible dial in. I'm about to go an buy another H4N today and wondered if anyone else had had problems with the external mics for live recording....especially after they may have been damaged. __________________ Nashville TN using Canon 5D MK3, Canon 550D, RODE SVM mic, 70-200 f2.8L II IS, 24-105 f4L IS, 50 and 85 f/1.8, Vegas Pro 11, Zoom H4n, Blackbird, Lilliput Monitor, Lightroom

October 24th, 2012, 05:18 AM	#2
Jay Massengill Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Burlington Posts: 1,976	Re: Damaged H4N? Did you have any internal compressor settings activated on the H4n? That might have helped when recording in a loud environment by reducing the peaks and allowing the overall level to come up.

October 26th, 2012, 01:26 PM	#3
Harry Simpson Major Player Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Nashville, TN. Posts: 581	Re: Damaged H4N? Not that I intentionally set - like limiters? I'm not an audio expert. __________________ Nashville TN using Canon 5D MK3, Canon 550D, RODE SVM mic, 70-200 f2.8L II IS, 24-105 f4L IS, 50 and 85 f/1.8, Vegas Pro 11, Zoom H4n, Blackbird, Lilliput Monitor, Lightroom

October 27th, 2012, 12:34 PM	#4
Donald McPherson Major Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Aberdeen Scotland Posts: 815	Re: Damaged H4N? I'm in the UK but was just browsing Says and spotted this. H4n $149 Zoom \| H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder - Open Box* \| ZH4NO You guys are spoiled in USA.