Your friend is right, the noise floor on Zoom recorders (H5/H6) and Tascam recorders is higher than on Sound Devices MixPres or some of the Sony recorders…but unless you‘re recording the crawling sounds of insects or something really quiet along those lines, you should be fine with an H6.
I do want to upgrade my H5 to a MixPre device down the line, but there’s no rush and given how big the price difference is, I’d say it’s a bit of a luxury move (certainly in my case…which is why it hasn’t happened yet :))
Well I’m more interested in loud sounds rather than really quiet ones, but couldnt you just use separate pre amp if you want? It’s not that hissy, is it?
H5 can be a bit noisy, and can be pretty bad with usb ground loops. My powerbank went flat the other day when i was using it so quickly plugged H5 into a usb hub off the pc. Ground loop hum was pretty awful and present in the recording but basically disappeared in the sound of the recorded synth. Just depends on your use case whether its an issue.
Anyone here using your Zoom field recorders with your iPhone as a compact multitrack recorder? If so, any app recommendations? I connected my H6 to GarageBand for the first time today and it seems to work pretty well, just wondering if there are better options. I plan to put it through the paces this weekend as I really haven’t done much recording on iOS devices. It seemed to work well with the camera app as well. I would need to get an adapter to get it to work with my iPad (USB C), but I’m thinking maybe the iPhone would be good enough.
I was talking about the preamps of the H5. If you’re stationary, I’d def go with either a proper audio interface or a dedicated preamp, either will have the H5 beat. For field recordings, it’s a great device that offers outrageous value-for-money.
Recording louder sources, you should definitely be fine with an H5/H6.
I got a brand new original Zoom H4N for $50 at a flea market store in middle-of-nowhere NH the other week. I was so surprised. It’s a great upgrade from my original Edirol R-09 that’s over a decade old. Best of all, the Zoom works as an audio interface for my iPad!
does someone have a good tip for a field recorder? The recordings are intended to be used in tracks, such as nature recordings, and can cost up to 300 euros.
Greetings, Rob