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Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder
- Price: $99.99
- Free Shipping (USA)
- In Stock
- B&H # ZOH1
- Mfr# ZH1
Product Highlights
- X/Y Stereo Mic
- Records WAV and MP3 up to 24-bit/96kHz
- Records to microSD/SDHC
- 3.5mm I/O
- High-Speed USB 2.0 Connectivity
- Backlit LCD Display
- Built-In Speaker
- Uses 1 AA Battery
- Threaded Tripod Mount Socket
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The H1 Handy Recorder from Zoom is an easy-to-use, versatile stereo digital audio recorder that fits into the palm of your hand. Following in the footsteps of the popular H2 and H4n, the H1 brings pro-level recording to a more compact and affordable design. Perfect for musicians, journalists, podcasters, and more, the H1 records high-quality WAV and MP3 files to meet any professional need. The H1 has a stereo X/Y microphone configuration that captures perfect stereo images. A built-in speaker lets you listen to your recordings right away.
The H1 records your audio onto easily-found microSD or microSDHC flash memory cards, supporting capacities up to 32GB. A 2GB card is included so you can begin recording right away. The H1 records WAV audio at rates up to 24-bit/96kHz, and MP3 audio at rates up to 320kbps and VBR. The pocket-sized device runs on a single AA battery to provide up to 10 hours of continuous operation.
The simple, intuitive interface provides you with 1-button recording, while a backlit LCD display shows vital information. The rear of the recorder features controls for the low cut filter, automatic level control, and format selection. Physical controls are provided for input level and record/playback functions, so you don't have to navigate through complicated menus in order to find the features you want.
A 3.5mm mic/line input lets you connect an external microphone or music player, while a 3.5mm headphone/line output lets you connect your favorite headphones or small external speakers. A high-speed USB 2.0 port allows you to easily transfer data to your Mac or PC. A threaded tripod mount socket makes it easy to mount the H1 on a tripod or stand.
- Recording Time
- The H1 records on microSD cards and comes with a 2GB microSD card. Using a 32GB microSDHC card allows over 50 hours of recording time at 16-bit/44.1 kHz.
- Compact Form Factor
- This tiny recorder slips easily into your pocket or bag for the ultimate in portability
- High-Quality Audio
- The recorder can record WAV (BWF) files at up to 24-bit/96kHz or MP3 files up to 320kbps and VBR. Broadcast Wave Format allows you to add track markers to your recording
- X/Y Stereo Mic Configuration
- The X/Y stereo microphone configuration captures crisp, true stereo recordings for incredible accuracy and realism
- Reference Speaker
- A built-in speaker lets you listen to your recordings immediately
- microSD/SDHC Card Recording
- The H1 records to easily-found microSD and microSDHC memory cards with capacities up to 32GB. A 2GB card is included to get you started
- Easy-to-Use
- The simple interface provides 1-button recording and offers physical controls for playback functions, input and volume levels, low cut filter, and auto level control; eliminating the need for complicated menus. The backlit LCD screen makes it easy to see vital information
- Automatic Gain and Low-Cut Filter
- An advanced Auto Gain Control (AGC) and low-cut filter allow the H1 to record audio at the most appropriate level while minimizing unwanted noise without having to adjust settings
- AA Battery
- The H1 uses a single AA battery to give you up to 10 hours of continuous use
- Input/Output Options
- A standard 3.5mm mic/line input lets you connect external microphones and sound sources such as MP3 players. A 3.5mm headphone/line output let you connect headphones or small external speakers
- High-Speed USB 2.0
- A high-speed USB 2.0 port allows you to quickly transfer your audio files to your Mac or PC
- Tripod Mounting
- A standard threaded tripod socket lets you mount the H1 to a tripod or stand
- Optional Accessory Kit
- The APH-1 accessory package (sold separately) offers a windscreen, AC adapter, USB cable, adjustable tripod stand, padded case, and mic clip adapter to maximize the H1's capabilities
| Type | Hand-held stereo digital audio recorder |
| Recording/Reading Methods | microSD/SDHC card (2GB included) |
| Recording Bit Rate |
WAV: 16 and 24-bit MP3: 48-320kbps, VBR |
| Sampling Frequency |
WAV: 44.1, 48, and 96kHz MP3: 44.1/48kHz |
| Number of Channels | 2 |
| Recording Time |
All times are for a 1GB memory card Stereo Mode: MP3: 17 hours 21 mins (128kbps), 6 hours 56 mins (320kbps) WAV: 1 hour 34 mins (16-bit/44.1kHz), 1 hour 26 mins (16-bit/48kHz), 28 mins (24-bit/96kHz) |
| AD/DA Conversion | 24-bit, 128x oversampling |
| Signal Processing | 32-bit |
| Connectors |
1 x 3.5mm mic/line input 1 x 3.5mm headphone/line output 1 x High-speed USB 2.0 port, mini-B type |
| Microphone Type | Unidirectional condenser microphone |
| Gain | 0 to +39dB (Min gain with digital attenuation is -28dB) |
| SPL | 120dB max |
| Input Impedance | 2k ohms (0 to -39dBm) |
| Output Impedance | 10k ohms or more |
| Output Level |
-10dBm rated 20mW + 20mW phones output level into 32 ohms |
| Speaker | 400mW @ 8 ohms |
| Display | 127-segment custom LCD with backlight |
| Battery Type/Life |
1 x AA or LR6 battery Up to 10 hours MP3, 9.5 hours WAV |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 1.7 x 5.4 x 1.2" (44 x 136 x 31mm) |
| Weight | 2.1 oz (60g) (without batteries) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 306 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
94%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to use (256)
- Excellent sound (218)
- Versatile (166)
- Low distortion (116)
- Compact (85)
Cons
- Poor quality construction (60)
- Weak (20)
- Difficult to use (6)
- Handling noise (5)
- Poor sound quality (5)
Best Uses
- Amateur recording (172)
- Outdoor events / games (133)
- Professional recording (94)
- Home studio (91)
- Performances (88)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Experienced (193), Novice (54), Professional musician (22)
Most Liked Positive Review
A pretty great little recorder
So you are probably like me, sorting products by price - low to high and you found the H1 right there at the top. Your next question will probably be if going cheap will ...Read complete review
So you are probably like me, sorting products by price - low to high and you found the H1 right there at the top. Your next question will probably be if going cheap will take you all the way to heavenly field recordings. Then you start imagining what the size will allow you to do. It fits nicely in your pocket and is light enough that you can actually keep it in your shirt pocket. At least these were some of the things I wondered about before getting mine.
First of all, anyone who ever thought of getting one of those voice recorders - you should all get this one, because it gives you superior sound quality and is just as small. Having said that, depending on what you plan to record, you might want to compare the sound quality with other products. I use mine mostly for voice recordings, field recordings for music and to record rehearsals and concerts. As I just mentioned, voice recordings come out perfect and a conversation with several people in a big room, such as a conference room or even a lecture hall is no problem. For my field recordings, the H1 does indeed lack some detail, especially in the higher frequencies, slightly altering the sense of room space, transparency, depth and distance, both indoors and outdoors. But the noise level is very low, which allows you to do more detailed work on the recordings on the computer. Rehearsals at very high volume do sound a bit compressed and distorted and obviously you are going to lose dynamics and clarity, but it still does a pretty good job of separating highs, mids and lows, leaving you with a fairly accurate description of what was actually going on during the recording.
What I really don't like is the clicking sound that seems to be impossible to avoid at the beginning and the end of each recording. This forces you to edit every single file by hand, regardless of how the actual recording came out.
What I do like is the size versus sound quality and the price. It really leaves you no excuse to not bring it with you to record any sound that you might encounter during a day. This kind of flexibility, at least for me, almost always leads to more creativity. Although be careful with recording sounds close to a police officer, it does look a lot like a taser.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Decent compact unit. Forget superlatives
declaration: B+H lured this review with a competition incentive.
2nd declaration: this review will not sound like the generic zoom press release as many others ive read do!
Read complete review
declaration: B+H lured this review with a competition incentive.
2nd declaration: this review will not sound like the generic zoom press release as many others ive read do!
I'd had my eye on smaller solid state recorder for a little while when this came on the horizon, the other main contenders were Sony IC internal memory units. H1 won over on paper with the better mics and recording to card instead of internal memory.
As many others have mentioned, the wind noise is very very sensitive. I wouldn't ever have the small windsock off unless it was really safe indoors. The mics already bulge out of the top of the unit so a windsock and certainly a windjammer add significant size to the unit. All this leads to more 'poking out of your pocket; rather than pocket sized recorder. This makes me think how the H2 is in many ways more suited to the 'pocket sized' tag as its pop filter mesh handles light breeze well and the whole unit is a rectangle.
Also the "cheap plastic" feel which has been well covered is pretty accurate. But it feels like an AV remote, not a phone or something solid. The main impact of this apart from peoples 'quality perception' is that it makes handling noise really sensitive as the plastic case creaks into the mics.
In the first few weeks of use ive had the flimsy card door dislodge and get lost, lost one recording which didn't save, juggled a few outdoor interviews trying to block the wind with my or the interviewees bodies and only drop it a couple of times (should attach a strap soon)
The sony IC recorders still win out for the minimalists as they are significantly slimmer + small, have their own slide out USB plug and charge a single battery thru that plug. Poor metering though. Important considerations for a cycle touring sound ethnographer / field recordist - but this unit is very decent. Just don't believe the ipod style "this is the new very best thing, in the smallest package for the cheapest price" spiels! enjoy.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 306 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Good Audio
Cons
Best Uses
- Weddings
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
in mp3 256 Mbps it can record hundreds of hours with a 16 GB micro SD Card. also WAV format, but in Mp3 at 256 Mbps it is enough. I think with the Micro SD 2GB it comes, it is enough recording time, about 12 hours with good Mp3 Quality
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
Meets my minimal audio needs. Can't comment on the quality compared to other devices, I just know this does the trick, it's easy to use, and it's reliable.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Low Distortion
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
The recording quality for demanding users with little budget, since recording in 24 bit wav in any micro (internal or external one). Manual controls of audio, and if you update your firmware you can use it as an interface via USB
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Low Distortion
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Events
- Home Studio
- Performances
- Professional Recording
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
I bought this product to record audio from a group of people in a small room. I had to use the built in mic on the device 'coz the lav mic I ordered (from another company) did not arrive on time. There were about 70+ people in the room and I had to alternately record them one group at a time. With the remaining people chatting loudly in the background, I was still able to capture great audio with more than acceptable amount of background noise. I am very pleased with the results. I plan to buy a couple more of these to use in a bigger event.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Low Distortion
- Powerful
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
I got this to use to record the audio for my hidden camera pranks and it worked like a charm. Then I tried it with the Pearstone OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone, and again, worked great!
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
- Performances
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
I use this product mainly for recording voice interviews, and it surely delivers! The price was great, and I'm so impressed by the simplicity of the device as well as the sound quality. This is just what I need in my price-range, and I'm happy!
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Price
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Home Studio
- Performances
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
Considering the price, the Zoom H1 is an excellent pocket recorder. Operation couldn't be simpler and sound quality if also very good.
Overall very good recording quality but not without compromise. I tried to record a lecture in a very large hall 15 yards from the speaker. Recording was barely audible. Picks up hand movements if held in hand. Plastic mic cover is easily breakable if not carefully held.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Professional Recording
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
I used the zoom h1 to plug a lav mic into (sanken Cos-11). Besides it not being grounded and having microphonic cable noise, I find this an excellent and cheap setup for 1 man crew work!
What's great is it's simplicity, and the on board microphone that sounds very nice and clear in the right setting. And you can slip it into a pocket of your subject.
What's not so great is the flimsy construction and feel. However it can withstand falls to the sidewalk no problem!
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Low Distortion
- Versatile
Cons
- Plastic construction
Best Uses
- Interviews
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
The Zoom H1 delivers great audio for a reasonable price. It is small enough to travel anywhere and offers all the options of the more expensive larger recorders. Weather mounted on your DSLR or used with a lavalier microphone, the results are crystal clear and balanced.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Versatile
Cons
- Weak
Best Uses
- Events
- Professional Recording
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
These recorders are used with a lapel and plugged into an amp output to capture audio for wedding videoshoots. I wish they made a lapel mic that was made specifically that would receive power from the zoom. They work for what we use them for!
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
Great for run and gun situations.
Just a tad bit big but still gets the job done with great quality audio
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Low Distortion
- Versatile
Cons
- Menu Interaction Ease
- Micro Sd Card
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
- Professional Recording
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
I use the H1 instead of as a sort of cheap-o wireless setup. It's small and compact and can easily slip in someones pocket, and just hook them up with a wired LAV directly into it and let your subject walk and talk to their hearts desire. The on board mics are decent enough too, and the recording to .wav makes for some great quality sound - not the best in the world, but for under $[$] you can't beat it! I do wish it was SD and not MicroSD, but it's not a big thing. Buttons are sturdy, and the battery life will easily last you a day. Single AA battery takes no time to change as well. If you don't need XLR inputs, then you definitely won't regret this purchase.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Powerful
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
- Professional Recording
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
This is a great recorder with a lot of functionality - I especially like the design which allows you to adjust settings with buttons. I wish this was the first recorder I had invested in because it is the absolute best quality in this price range.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Low Distortion
Cons
- Poor Quality Construction
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
- Home Studio
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
This is a good compact recorder for someone that needs basic recording capabilities. Its made out of lightweight plastic, so I wouldn't reconmend it for heavy road work. But if care is taken, it will last. I use it to record lectures/seminars while plugged directly into sound boards.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Low Distortion
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Home Studio
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
For the price you pay, the quality was excellent. I have a number of their products and I get superior sound relative to the cost.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Low Distortion
- Powerful
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Natureambient Sounds
- Nature And Ambient Sounds
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
I use this for recording ambient nature sounds when videoing on location.
I really appreciate the power of this recorder in such a small build size.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Low Distortion
- Versatile
Cons
- Poor Quality Construction
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
Replaced all my wireless lav kits with this and a good lav mic. Now I don't have to worry about frequency interference. I also got a 90 deg angle adapter to help keep the cable from getting snagged or broken off. So far I'm getting the best audio ever :) Only minus one star because for this configuration I don't ever use the onboard mic and it would actually be nice if it was not there as the unit would be smaller. Also would be nice if they made a more rugged version. I don't think these were initially designed to replace wireless lav kit but it's a great afterthought.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Low Distortion
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
- Home Studio
- Mobile DJ
- Performances
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
Great bang for the buck! I use the recorder for interviews, and ambients sounds for my videos. Recordings are very clear.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Low Distortion
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
I use this product to record my weekly messages to my teenagers. It is awesome. Easy to use right out of the box I didn't even need to read any directions. It is slim enough to fit in my back pocket without any inconveniences. I attach a lapel mic to it and the sound quality is still great.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Use
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder:
Off-camera audio recording.
Light weight, simple to use.
Is wish it had a limiter, but still a very handy little device
- Similar:
- Sony PCM-M10, Tascam DR-40, Zoom H2N
Accessory Packages
Show more >
- Price: $20.53
Batteries & Power
Show more >
- Price: $1.23
- Price: $14.50
Cables
Show more >
- Price: $14.29
Wind Protection
Show more >
- Price: $24.95
- Price: $26.10
Media
Show more >
- Price: $6.95
Headphones
Show more >
- Price: $99.00
- Price: $15.54
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