Home Music Recording. A Vital Tool For All Musicians

I'm a musician myself with over 30 years of experience and so I know first hand the benefits of home music recording. I've also done a lot of research on portable digital audio recorders and have been amazed at the quality of recorders now available. I think the best available is the Zoom H4N.

 I've even created a step-by-step DVD that guides you through basic set-up, making a stereo or multi-track recording, creating CDs and MP3 files, simple downloading and editing techniques and much more. That means I've done all the work so you can get down to the basics of using the recorder to improve your own playing without having to wade through a long instruction manual! This DVD is only available from me and is free to those customers who purchase the recorder through my website This is my way of saying thank you!

The Zoom H4N Portable Digital Recorder.  An outstanding tool for home music recording

This remarkable portable digital audio recorder is small enough to fit in your pocket and yet it is a powerful and high quality recording tool. I've listed all the technical information towards the end of this page, but for now, I want to concentrate on the benefits of this tool to musicians like you and me.

FEATURES & BENEFITS OF HOME MUSIC RECORDING FOR INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS:

If you don't record yourself, you may not be aware of the performance problems that are holding you back. For example, you can use the H4N recorder to evaluate your performance in the following key areas:

• intonation.
• rhythmic accuracy
• dynamic range
• basic technique
• phrasing

But more importantly, once you aware of your basic areas for improvement, you can use the H4N recorder to help you improve and record your progress.

Also, by using the unique 4-track capability of the H4N,  you can produce multi-track recording of yourself playing a quartet or even all the band parts! Besides being great fun, multi-tracking will improve the following musical skills:

• Intonation - you will really have to listen carefully to the intonation of each part to make sure all the chords are in tune. If you have never done this before, the experience can be a revelation.
• Balance - Make sure each part is perfectly balance and that any melody line is clearly heard and not obscured by accompaniments.
• Phrase beginnings/endings - Make sure all the parts start and finish at the same time and phrase in the same way.
• Listening skills!! - listen to all the parts and make sure they link together in a musical way. Learn to "hand-over" musical phrases from one part to another.
• Knowledge of the score - If you have played every single part, your knowledge of the score will improve tremendously and you will have a real understanding and appreciation for your fellow musicians.

If you are preparing for an important solo/audition/recital/gig, you really need to record your practice sessions to make sure you optimize your chances of success. If you buy the Zoom H4N recorder from this website, I will send you a FREE Special Report which will cover each of these items in detail.

FEATURES & BENEFITS FOR BAND DIRECTORS/CONDUCTORS/MUSIC GROUP LEADERS

If you are not recording your practice sessions, you are probably missing a great opportunity to increase the efficiency of your rehearsals. During rehearsals, you are probably concentrating hard on the score or a particular instrumental part and you may not even be aware of problems in other band sections. By carefully listening to a recording after the rehearsal in the comfort of your home or car, you can quickly identify problem areas and plan an improvement strategy for the next rehearsal to concentrate on key problem areas. In my FREE Special Report, I will show you how you can even add a voice narration to the recording, identifying areas that your musicians need to work on, which you can then e-mail to all of your band/orchestra/group members.

ZOOM H4N : FEATURES IN DETAIL

Unique X/Y mic design captures perfect stereo images

The H4n's onboard X/Y stereo condenser mics are arranged with the right and left mics on the same axis. This design ensures that the mics are always equidistant from the sound source for perfect localization with no phase shifting. Frequency response remains uniform throughout your recording. The result is great stereo recording with natural depth and accurate imaging every time

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The mics also adjust for variable recording patterns at either 90° or 120°. Our unique design lets you rotate each mic capsule from 90° (standard) to 120° (wide-angle) stereo for the ultimate versatility in any recording situation.

It's all in the preamp...

The H4n's new mics and four channel recording ability, in combination with our new, digitally controlled, high-quality preamplifier renders audio so precise, you'll sound like you recorded in a world-class studio. And this new preamp means you can make recording level adjustments on the fly. Of course, an automatic level setting function is also built-in to optimize your levels as quickly as the situation requires.

High resolution, 24-bit/96kHz linear PCM recording

Choose up to 24-bit/96-kHz linear PCM WAV files for audio resolution that surpasses DVD quality. Or, when maximum recording time with smaller file sizes is desired, select a variety of MP3 formats from 320 kbps down to 48 kpbs to produce smaller files suitable for web or e-mail distribution.

Secure your digital memories on SD and SDHC cards

The H4n uses compact SD or high-capacity SDHC memory cards of up to 32GB for over 15 hours of recording time at 24-bit/96kHz. Or, using MP3 format at 128 kpbs, get over 550 hours of recording time on one card!

It's all about the music...

For musicians and songwriters, the H4n is also a user-friendly, multi-track studio (MTR) that records at CD quality, 16-bit/44.1kHz resolution. Plug in your guitar or bass and use the H4n's classic amp models to inspire your creativity and find tone perfection during your recording sessions.

The MTR mode allows simultaneous 2-track recording and 4-track playback. With this feature, you can sketch songs by overdubbing vocals and instruments with ease. Level and panning can be adjusted individually for each track on the built-in mixer, and you can even do a mixdown right on the H4n. Perfect for pre-production sessions with the band.

The H4n offers a choice of 50 studio-quality DSP effects including compressor, chorus, delay, and reverb. These onboard studio effects, along with its tuner and metronome make the H4n very musician friendly.

The H4n's phrase trainer capability makes learning new songs easy with an adjustable playback feature that changes the speed from 50 to 150 percent, while maintaining pitch. Or use its center cancel feature to suppress audio that is recorded with center imaging. And because the H4n lets you alter pitch without changing playback speed, you can choose source material, suppress the center audio and use it as a backing track while recording a vocal or guitar track.

And it's a USB audio interface!

The H4n also functions as a USB audio interface, letting you record directly to either a Mac or PC. Use your favorite recording software or the bundled Cubase LE 4 from Steinberg, so you can start to produce and edit your recording right out of the box.

Everyone likes surprises... just not while you're recording.

You can set your H4n to automatically record whenever sound above a designated level is detected. This ensures that you capture everything of importance while minimizing blank sections such as when recording a conference or lecture. The H4n can also be set to continuously record the most recent two seconds of audio in memory. Now, you'll never miss the beginning of anything you want to record, even if it begins suddenly.

Brains and a body, too.

The H4n has a new rubberized, shock resistant chassis that improves durability while reducing handling noise. A large, 1.9 inch LCD screen with backlit graphic display shows all the tracking information at a glance and makes it easy to navigate the functions of the unit. The H4n even has a built-in reference speaker to let you check recordings without earphones.

Faster file transfer

The H4n is now a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed device, meaning that files can be transferred to your computer at the highest rate available. Then use recording software for editing, create your own original CDs, post your recordings on your myspace page or send out your recordings by e-mail... the possibilities are endless.

Stamina mode extends battery life to 11 hours

For situations where you require maximized, continuous recording operation you can select stamina mode that effectively doubles battery life, letting you record continuously for approximately 11 hours in 16-bit/44.1kHz linear PCM format.

Fully loaded.

A 1 GB SD card, windscreen, mic clip adapter, AC adapter, USB cable, protective case and Cubase LE recording software are included with your H4n. The windscreen is especially helpful to reduce wind noise. The mic clip adapter works perfectly when attaching the unit to a standard mic stand, or you can use the built-in tripod mount with a standard camera tripod.

Go remote with the RC4

An optional remote control (RC4) gives you access to a range of functions including recording start, play, stop, fast forward/reverse, recording level adjustment, and input source switching. It is also useful for preventing any handling noise.

The H4n is the epitome of sophistication made simple. For anyone who needs professional recording capability with extraordinary versatility, the H4n will give you the ability to capture everything with the clarity and resolution previously found only in the world's finest recording studios. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to make world-class recordings, wherever you are in the world.

Features:

• Built-in X/Y stereo mics record at either 90° or 120°
• Four channel simultaneous recording using built-in and external mics
• Digitally controlled, high-quality mic preamp for improved audio quality
• Large 1.9-Inch LCD screen and improved user interface for easy operation
• 24bit/96kHz Linear PCM recording for pristine recording
• MP3 recording for increased recording time
• Built-in reference speaker to check recordings
• Shock resistant rubberized body for improved chassis protection
• Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) compatible time stamp and track marker
• Records on SD/SDHC media of up to 32GB for maximum recording time
• Auto-record and pre-record feature so you never miss a moment
• Variable speed playback capability for "phrase training"
• Stamina mode enables 10 hours of continuous battery life
• Onboard mid-side matrix decoder for additional miking possibilities
• Built-in mounting joint for tripod and mic stand mounting
• USB 2.0 port for faster file transfer
• XLR inputs with phantom power allow recording with any mic
• Supports plug-in power type external mics
• Hi-Z Inputs for recording guitar and bass
• Studio effects onboard, including guitar and bass amp modeling
• USB audio interface capability
• Low-cut filter to reduce noise
• Normalizing and file splitting functions
• Mono mix function
• Onboard tuner and metronome
• Includes 1 GB SD card, wind screen, mic clip adapter, AC adapter, USB cable, protective case and Cubase LE recording software
• Optional remote control (RC4) available

Built-in Microphone Frequency Response

H4n Handy Recorder Features at a Glance

The H4n Handy Recorder is the ultimate in professional, portable recording. A large 1.9-inch, backlit display features recording levels, file format, time elapsed, file name, remaining battery life and recording time. Optional features such as low cut filter, compressor/limiter and phantom power are also shown when utilized. LEDs indicate Stereo, 4-Channel or MTR mode.

Transport controls include one button recording, playback and pause, forward and rewind buttons. You also have greater control over functions such as Folder, File, Speed or Format selection with the Short Cut/Track Select keys. These keys double as track selectors with the Multi-Track Recorder mode.

On right side of the H4n, the Jog Dial and Menu Key are positioned together for easy navigation. Push the Menu Key to enter the menu and the Jog Dial to navigate through the plentiful features. Use the record level buttons to toggle your levels up or down, and replace your SDHC card by folding down the rubberized door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The left side of the H4n contains a jack for the RC4 remote control, Phone/Line Output for monitoring and playback. Playback Volume, USB 2.0 interface, Power On and Hold.

Use the USB 2.0 Hi-Speed Interface to move your files to a PC or Mac for storage, editing or playback. And you can even use the H4n as a USB interface and record directly to your favorite digital audio software or the supplied Cubase LE software.

On the back, you'll find a reference speaker, external mic input for plug-in power type mics and a tripod mount. Remove the battery cover to turn on Stamina Mode. There is also mount for a carry strap. On the bottom of the H4n, you'll find the combination XLR/Phone inputs and the AC power input is located here as well.

The H4n is also incredibly easy to navigate and setup for the most diverse recording situations you could ever encounter. Now you can capture every sonic detail with the kind of quality and precision usually found in the world's finest recording studios.