Zoom often comes to mind when pondering portable digital recording, whether you’re considering the H5 for mobile interviews, or the F8 MultiTrack for 8-channel field capture. Now, Zoom is expanding upon the H4n with the H4n Pro 4-Channel Handy Recorder, a palm-sized unit that can record up to four channels of CD-quality audio—and then some. Sporting the same preamps as the H5 and H6, this device serves the requirements of those looking to capture interviews, lectures, rehearsals, and meetings with clarity. Indeed, the noise-floor is significantly lower than its predecessor, and what’s more, the unit has been upgraded to handle up to 140 dB of SPL. As such, the H4n Pro is equally suited to recording the wings of a butterfly as it is to capturing crushing metal performances. With its built-in chromatic tuner, five-timbre metronome, built-in effects, and onboard Combi jacks, this unit meets the needs of instrumentalists as well; now any practicing musician—guitarist or flautist alike—can record and edit well-tuned, well-timed performances on the go.
Both of its onboard inputs have 48V phantom power, while a single mini-jack provides connections for other kinds of devices and microphones. Using the H4n Pro, you can record in MP3 or WAV formats, capturing audio in 16- or 24-bit, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, and 96 kHz sample rates. Store your audio to an SDHC card, or transfer it to any Mac or Windows computer via USB. A bonus: route this recorder into your computer over a USB connection and you’ll find yourself with a live audio interface. Now, that’s handy.