Zoom H4essential

“Just press record,” they say. Can it really be that easy?

For the best part of 20 years, Zoom Corporation have been making themselves a force to be reckoned with in the field of portable audio recorders, and I have a couple of their devices: the H3‑VR Ambisonic recorder and the F8n eight‑track field recorder. Both are well implemented pieces of kit, and I believe the H3‑VR remains unique. So it was with some interest that I accepted an invitation to review the Zoom H4e (‘e’ for essential) recorder. Superficially, it isn’t dissimilar to the Tascam Portacapture X6 I reviewed in SOS June 2023, so I wondered how they might differ. It turned out that they represent two very different design philosophies and I’ll go into more detail about that below — but first let’s consider the Zoom on its own merits.

Hard Times

The H4e is one of three recent arrivals in Zoom’s H‑for‑Handy range of recorders, all of which share the same design philosophy. The H1e is a basic handheld stereo recorder, with two built‑in mics in an X‑Y arrangement. The H4e adds two XLR/TRS combo sockets for external mic/line sources, and the ability to record four tracks simultaneously. Finally, the H6e adds another two XLR/TRS combo sockets, and can record six tracks at once.

Zoom haven’t followed competitors in going down the touchscreen route, but there aren’t deep menus to dive either. Everything is accessed using either the thumbwheel and enter button on the side, or the dedicated buttons beneath the screen.All three appear to use the same built‑in mics, so I’d expect them to sound pretty similar when recording through these in stereo. The big headline for all these recorders is the 32‑bit floating‑point recording format — in fact, they can record only in this format, and that’s a significant pointer to the intent of these machines, as I’ll explain in more detail below. The H6e is very similar in spec and use to the H4e apart from those two extra XLR/TRS inputs and the larger physical size necessary to accommodate them, so my conclusions will likely apply to both models. The H1e looks to be quite a different beast, though, with different controls and UI, so I won’t consider it further in this review.

The H4e is quite light in weight for its size, not least because it requires just two AA batteries, and while the case is plastic it still feels pretty sturdy so it’s quite practical as a handheld recorder. The shape is no surprise either, with mics at one end, a colour screen on top and controls scattered around as required. This layout works, so why change it? The built‑in mics function as an X‑Y stereo pair by default but they can be configured for mono capture. The screen is quite small compared with some other recent recorders but it does suffice. Below the screen, you have a set of transport controls and a couple of odd bods such as Mixer and Mic.

Along the left‑hand side is a line in socket that can also provide plug‑in power for a suitable mic. Said mic will take precedence over the built‑in mics if you use it. A line out socket doubles up as a headphone output that gives plenty of volume and quite a good sound for monitoring. Next to that there’s a volume control for the headphones and also for the in‑built speaker that’s found on the back. As usual with portable recorders like this, to describe the sound quality of that speaker as ‘poor’ would be unusually kind, but of course that’s not it’s purpose — it’s really there for basic checking like, “Did I actually make a recording at all?” A plus point is that it’s quite loud. Next to the volume control is the microSD card slot (the H4e accepts microSDHC and microSDXC cards with capacities up to 1TB).

At the lower end are the two XLR/TRS combo sockets that can provide 48V phantom power if required, and can thus support the full range of professional mics. These don’t replace the in‑built mics, which are always available, but can record to additional tracks, giving us the full four that are advertised.

On the right‑hand side is an on/off/hold slider switch, and a slot for the optional BTA‑1 Bluetooth adaptor. There’s a USB‑C port that can be used to supply power and/or to support file transfer. You’ll have to provide your own PSU for external power, but most households will have such things coming out their ears, and for location work you can have the option of using an external USB power brick. Finally, there’s a twiddly wheel and an Enter button. Both are key to the user interface, of which more anon.

On the bottom panel, a quarter‑inch threaded insert enables mounting on a camera tripod but, if you’d prefer a mic stand, 1/4‑ to 3/8‑inch adaptors are widely available.

Getting Started With The H4essential

The H4e recorder arrived in a neat little cardboard retail box accompanied by a few bits of paper concerning warranty and safety issues (it’s amazing how many safety issues it seems a device like this can have!), the Bluetooth adaptor (a cost option) and... nothing else: no batteries, no SD card, no PSU, no user manual and no quick start guide. I enquired to see if this was intentional and was told all was as it should be.

Apparently, Zoom wish to minimise waste and do their bit for the planet, the idea being that you download the PDF manuals from Zoom’s website. I do have some sympathy with that idea, but I didn’t notice the QR code on the box until quite a bit later, and do think that just a couple of sheets providing a Getting Started guide would be a Good Thing.

After I’d scrabbled around trying to find an unused microSD card (eventually borrowing the one in my Zoom H3‑VR) this gave me the perfect opportunity to try out my standard test with new kit: seeing how far I could get without a manual! The answer, once I’d worked out how the user interface worked, was a very long way. In fact, within about an hour, without any recourse to manuals, I had pretty much full control of the recorder — the user interface takes simplicity to a whole new level.

Having said that, when I first turned the H4e on I found myself vainly poking at the screen, thinking it might be touch‑sensitive like the one on my Tascam Portacapture. Then I started prodding buttons randomly, but not understanding the results until I got onto the little twiddly wheel (officially named the Selection Dial) and the Enter button.

When first turned on, the recorder takes you through a setup procedure for language, accessibility, data and time. I soon twigged that you use the twiddly wheel to move between fields on the screen. Once the field you want is highlighted, you press the Enter button and a list of options is displayed. You use the twiddly wheel to scroll to the desired option and press Enter again to choose it. Apart a few single‑purpose buttons on the front, this is the whole and only way you interact the user interface. Once I’d got used to it, I found working with it reasonably straightforward, helped by the fact that the option lists are deliberately quite short. However, when I tried the remote Bluetooth app on an iPad I realised how much I missed the touch screen on my Portacapture.

Once past the startup procedure, I arrived at the normal starting screen, at the top of which is displayed the elapsed recording time, the total amount of available recording time and an indication of the battery life. In the middle is a section for each microphone, and all are turned off. At the bottom are a series of icons that you select to set up various things.

Although unable to set the mic gain (you don’t need to given the 32‑bit recording) you can set the output levels and mix of the different mics, and the mix can both be auditioned and recorded alongside the mic channels.

Setting Up

First, there’s File List, and selecting this accesses a list of the recordings you’ve made and lets you play or delete them. This would be a good point at which to describe the H4e’s file system: in brief, it hasn’t got one! Well, under the bonnet it undoubtedly has, but the user has no control over things like file names or folders; it’s all decided for you. The file list is a list of recordings you’ve made, identified only by the date and time you made them. You can’t, for instance, supply a root name to be used to identify a set of recordings as you can on, say, the Portacaptures, or create a folder to group a set of recordings by theme. A typical recording name might look like 240615_122813, which would mean it was started on 15th June 2024 at 12:28 and 13 seconds.

Another icon, Input, accesses settings such as low‑cut filtering, mono mix on/off for the built‑in mics (by default the mics work in stereo, mono mix on makes them behave as a mono mic), plug‑in power, phantom power and 1+2 Link for the external mics (provides stereo linking, but Mid‑Sides is also an option for the external mics). While there is what amounts to a way of setting input levels if you want to, it isn’t here! An Output icon accesses a menu option to use or disable the volume control — I can’t see why you’d want to disable it, myself.

The Rec icon accesses a few recording parameters, including sample rate (44.1, 48 or 96 kHz) and metadata to the iXML standard. Notably ‘bit depth’ (digital word length) is missing and that’s because, as I mentioned, this machine always records files at 32‑bit float. A significant parameter is Rec Source, which offers two options: Pre Mixer and Post Mixer. More about this below, where I discuss the output mixer.

There’s also an SD Card icon — you can test or format the SD card here — and another called USB, for when you connect the H4e to a computer. You’re offered a choice of File Transfer or Audio Interface modes, and for the latter there are a few setup options, such as whether the H4e functions as a stereo or multi‑channel interface. Apart from verifying that it did indeed show up on my Mac as a valid interface offering 32‑bit floating point recording, I didn’t pursue this further.

Choosing File Transfer means it will show on your computer as a storage drive. You will see a list of folders, each with the ‘name’ of a recording made earlier, and in each folder is a set of files that actually hold the data. For instance, imagine the recording 240615_122813 we made earlier had the onboard mics set to on and each of the external inputs active as two mono mics. You’d see four files: ‘240615_122813_Tr1.WAV’ for the first of the external mics; ‘240615_122813_Tr2.WAV’ for the second; ‘240615_122813_TrMic.WAV’ for the two onboard mics (whether stereo or mono); and ‘240615_122813_TrLR.WAV’, the output of the mixer section of the recorder.

Finally, we come to the System icon. This is for the settings not already covered above, with notable examples being Accessibility, Bluetooth and Help. Accessibility turns on what Zoom call Guide Sound: a female American voice speaks every heading when it’s highlighted, speaks every value you select and so on. It beeps whenever messages appear too. This is audible over the speaker except if headphones are plugged in. I’ve not seen this in a recorder before and I’m genuinely impressed, as it could make high‑quality recording available to the visually impaired. Nice one, Zoom! Bluetooth relates to the optional Bluetooth adaptor, the BTA‑1, of which more later. The Help option brought a wry smile...

Mixing It With The Best

The transport controls on the front of the recorder do exactly what you’d expect, but what about the other four blue buttons? The Mic button turns on/off the built‑in mics for recording, 1 turns on the left‑hand external mic and 2 the right‑hand one. As each is selected, a red light shows above the button to indicate that the corresponding mic/array is armed for recording, and the display shows traces that correspond to the volume on each mic’s channel. It’s the sort of thing you might normally use to set your recording levels — but, of course, on this machine you don’t need to do that! The state of the Mic buttons is retained when the recorder is switched off, so if you left, say, the built‑in mics armed when you switched off then when you next switch on they would still be armed and ready to record. It’s when you press the big red button in the middle that recording starts.

For those who like touchscreens, or want remote control, there’s an iOS app (though as yet there’s no sign of an Android equivalent).Pressing the Mixer button brings up a new screen that, as you might expect, allows you to mix the output of the mics into stereo audio that can be listened to using the speaker or headphones. When you’re recording, this mix is also saved as a stereo file, as I mentioned in passing. I also mentioned the Rec Source option above and, in conjunction with this screen, this can have a big effect on the files you record. When set to Pre Mixer, each of the mic files will be at a default level, while the stereo mix file uses the levels set in the mixer. When set to Post Mixer, each of the mic files will use the levels set in the mixer, so, by a slightly circuitous route, you can set the gain levels for your recordings if you wish to.

You can also buy, separately, the optional BTA‑1 Bluetooth adaptor, which works for the H4e and a number of other Zoom devices (it’s the same as the one for my H3‑VR, for example). When plugged in, this provides a Bluetooth connection to compatible devices that are running the free control app. Currently, these seem only to be iThings, with no support for Android devices, which was a surprise — it’s a control app after all, not an audio one — so hopefully that will change in the future. Fortunately, I have an iPad, so I downloaded the H4essential Control app from Apple’s App Store, installed the BTA‑1 in the H4e, started the app and established the connection.

As you can see from the screen, the app largely mirrors the H4e’s hardware UI, though you don’t have equivalents to the twiddly wheel and the Enter button. Instead, you just tap icons and lists in time‑honoured tablet fashion. Frankly, it’s nicer than the twiddly wheel, but the main reason for using the app on an iPad or iPhone is to be able to control the recorder when you can’t be with it. For example, you might have it recording a band from the front while you’re back in the audience, or maybe you’re recording yourself playing guitar and don’t want to have to put down your instrument between takes. You can start and stop recording and perform similar tasks very easily. It’s not an essential add‑on, but it’s a very useful option.

The Proof Of The Pudding...

The H4e offers an interesting, simplified approach to recording, then, but what’s it like in use and how good are its recordings? On the evening of the day the H4e arrived, my wife’s band were playing in a charity concert at a local church. I’d already decided to record the concert using my Tascam Portacapture X8’s built‑in mics, which I regard quite highly, but it was a no‑brainer to take the H4e along and set it up next to the X8.

I spent a little time setting up the X8 using its superb mobile‑phone‑inspired interface. For the H4e, I left Rec Source at its default Pre Mixer setting, and did little more than point it in the right direction and ensure its built‑in mics were turned on. I set the X8 to record in 32‑bit float, but with the H4e didn’t have to, since it’s the only option.

The test recording session, captured on both a Zoom H4essential and a Tascam Portacapture X8: the quality of results was very similar (and good in both cases!).

Later, I loaded the recordings into Logic Pro, which can now use 32‑bit float files natively. The Pre Mixer recordings of the H4e were startlingly quiet to my ears; obviously, the designers had taken advantage of the extremely low noise floor of 32‑bit float to set a very conservative recording level that would not be overloaded under almost any circumstance. The X8 file was a good bit louder, but only because of my old habits when setting the gain; I could have set its recording levels as low as the H4e’s, or used the latter’s Post Mixer setting to bring its levels up, without affecting the quality of the result. To my ears both recordings were very good and I’d be happy to use either device.

What makes the H4e such a different and interesting recorder is what Zoom have done to simplify its use.

Clearly, the H4e is capable of making excellent recordings, but so too are other recorders. What makes this recorder different is Zoom’s conscious drive towards simplifying its use. Rather than opt for a nice‑to‑use, very well‑thought‑out UI like the Portastudio X8’s, they’ve replaced many of the parameters normally found on recorders with fixed default values. For instance, and probably where this all started, removing the need to set recording levels by using only 32‑bit float — because of that choice, I’d always leave Rec Source at its default setting of Pre Mixer; who needs to be mucking about with gain all the time anyway? Then there’s the deliberately simple file system: why should you have to worry about what to call files? The date and time of the recording are there. What else do you need?

HDessential Verdict

Although I’m now more used to touchscreens, I found the H4e’s simpler user interface OK to work with, and this was greatly helped by there being fewer decisions to make than with most other recorders. Were there the number of options offered by my X8, I think I’d have struggled and it might have proved quite clunky and awkward over time. But there aren’t, and once you’ve set up the few things you need to the first time, you probably won’t want to do much more. You will, as its makers suggest, “just press record”.

The lack of touchscreen no doubt contributes to the good battery life; the H4e requires only two AA batteries, compared with my Tascam Portacapture X8’s four, and they power it for at least as long (quite a long time if not supplying phantom power for external mics). Finally, booting up is admirably quick (4‑5 seconds).

As someone who’s been recording for quite a while, I do feel happier using a more controllable device. My X8 has, for instance, a manual mode that allows me to tweak lots of parameters, plus goodies like a built‑in compressor and an elegant UI. So I won’t be trading it in for an H4e. But perhaps that says more about me than the devices themselves — do I really need those features? Arguably not. In fact, there will be plenty of people who actively wish to avoid that kind of messing about, and just want to guarantee they can be up and running quickly. For them, the H4e could be a revelation. Just press record. I suspect Zoom will sell these by the bucketload. They deserve to.