Just Starting Recording - Is the H4N A Good Solution?

[Alivelastweek]

My band is just starting to look at recording some tracks. Were on a very strict budget and don't have much money to throw around. Realistically, were a bunch of high school kids looking to get a couple decent sounding tracks. I've heard GREAT things about the Zoom H4N. I also know that it has inputs for external mics as well, because a few of the band members have a couple of alright mics. Is this is a good fit for something like what were going for? Or are there better solutions?

 

[Armistice]

Describe "don't have much money" in more detail. How much?

If youre a band, I wouldn't go for a personal 4 track recorder unless you're soooo limited for budget you can't afford anything else...

I'd also question whether you need, as a band, a stereo mic which is attached to the device...

I don't know what these things go for in your neck of the woods, but over here they're substantially more than a perfectly servicable 2 channel interface and Reaper, on someone's existing PC, which would give you so much more capability than this standalone device - provided someone's willing to put in the time to work out how it all works...

Go read in the Newbies forum - this question gets asked about 3 times a day at the moment... lots of useful info there for "I'm just starting" types...

 

[michaelst]

The H4n is an excellent piece of equipment. You can get very good quality ambient recordings. I use one everytime my band plays to give the musicians a sense of what the crowd hears, and how my mix is balanced. The included stereo mics are very good for the price you pay. The guys in the band are amazed by the fidelity achieved in such a small unit, when they listen to the show on the drive home, thru a car stereo.

However, I wouldn't use it for tracking. It's quite limited. But for setting up in the room your playing, it will give better results than you expect.

If you'd like, I could mail you some examples. IM me with your address.