GROUP TEST GEAR
BEST IN SOUND
George Lucas once said that sound andmusic are 50%of the entertainment in a movie, so capturing great audio is a must. AdamGarstone runs the rule over five portable sound recorders
WORDS ADAM GARSTONE
R ecording good location sound is absolutely vital. In a documentary you have only one chance to capture the moment, and in drama recreating a performance after the fact is expensive and often very difficult for the actor. From the audience’s point of view, by far the most common complaint levelled at television productions is Despite being one of the cheapest on test, the H4n Pro has some unique features. The top of the unit features two crossed pair microphones. They can be set to either 120º cardioid or 90º and they form a good, if not spacious, stereo image. Tucked on the back of the robust alloy mic plate is a stereo jack for external mics, and there are two hybrid XLR/jack inputs for mics with phantompower or line-level on the bottom plate, along with the connector for the optional AC adapter. Unique for these integratedmic recorders is the Zoom’s ability to record four tracks. These can be the two on-board mics or the 3.5mmmic inputs, plus the two inputs on the bottomplate. This would allow you, for instance, to record two or three wireless lavalieres plus a boom, bypassing the built-inmics completely. This is a nice feature missing from the more expensive TASCAM. The built-inmics aren’t bad, if you’re in a situation where you can use them. Noise handling is better than I expected, as is sensitivity, though changing the gain requires clicking on a noisy pair of up/down buttons, which carries to the recording. The Zoom is a capable recorder, but overall the audio quality doesn’t quite live up to the more expensive units on test here. Inputs, including the built-inmics, are a bit noisier and the input limiter isn’t quite as ZOOM H4N PRO £170 www.zoom-na.com
its tank-like but beautiful reel-to-reel tape machines, but now there are suitable SD card recorders – each with their own qualities and capabilities – from a variety of manufacturers. In this group test, we’re going to put five of the most popular location sound recorders through their paces, capturing everything from dialogue to sound effects.
inaudible dialogue. Fortunately, the quality, reliability and low cost of modern digital sound recorders puts themwell within the budget of even the most modest production. Once the expensive centre of the sound recordist’s set-up, you’ll now often pay more for a microphone than you do for the recorder. Similarly, at one time Nagra dominated the market with capable, though you are unlikely to notice unless you are doing a comparative test, but the Zoom is still pretty good. The user experience is based around the LCD, as the H4n Pro has fewer physical controls than some. There is a Menu button and thumbwheel with click to select, and the menus are clear and simple to navigate. The display is quite low resolution and updates a little slowly; the lack of physical switches can be irritating – it takes quite a bit of button pressing and thumbwheeling to turn on phantompower, for instance. Interesting features include a guitar and chromatic tuner, and a metronome. There is also a multitrack operatingmode – designed for musicians who need to do overdubs –which features amplifier effects such as overdrive, reverbs and so on. The ZoomH4n Pro has features that belie its small size and low price. The ability to record four tracks alone is enough to make it stand out from its peers.
SPECIFICATIONS Built-inmicrophone: Stereo
condenser coincident crossed pair Inputs: 2c balanced XLR/unbalanced jackmic/line, 3.5mmstereomic jack Number of record tracks: 4 Recordingmedium: SDHC card Maximumsample rate/word size: Up to 96kHz/24-bit, 44.1kHzMP3 Power: 2x AA batteries, optional AC adapter Features: 9/10 Four track recording and good built- in mics Performance: 8/10 Audio quality is nothing out of the ordinary Handling: 7/10 Could do with some more dedicated controls Value for money: 9/10 The H4N Pro has flexible features for the price PROMOVIEMAKER RATING: 8/10 Pros: Four-track recording Cons: Fiddly user interface HOW IT RATES
100 PRO MOVIEMAKER SPRING 2018
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