Zoom H1 XLR 2-Channel Recorder for Musicians, Filmmakers & Podcasters with 2 XLR/TRS Locking Inputs, 3.5mm Stereo Mic/Line in, and 32-Bit Float

I don't think I'll actually be using it much, but this device works better than the $300 tascam that I bought a few years ago. The Zoom H1 is just well designed and intuitive. It can switch between battery power and powering from the USB automatically. It connects without any problems to my laptop and my PC and my microphones. I haven't tried using SD card with it yet since I just use it as an audio interface to record directly to my PC. I also haven't tested it with a phone so I'm not sure if it will work with that. The unit seems solid and well made for something that is just a fancy electronic device in a plastic case. It's tiny, it's portable. You can toss it in a bag. This is probably the best device that you can get for the money in this form factor.

To say I am impressed with this recording device is an understatement. I was wondering how it would be given its price and initially when unboxing it I thought it felt cheap because, well they used cheap plastics, but this is where my disappointment ended, and sheer delight began. Now in terms of the battery I know people might not like the idea of this using AA batteries vs. built in lithium batteries and I was too but here me out. This device has lasted for an extremely long time on energizer lithium ultimate and its smart enough to ask you what type of AA battery you are using so it can correctly gauge the actual battery life remaining. I have never seen or used another product powered by AA batteries that has this feature which shows they put some serious thought into this product battery wise. I also like that if I need power, I don't have to remember to charge this, you can pick up AA batteries basically everywhere so no matter where you are at you are covered plus it works just as well plugged in via USB even with the batteries installed. In fact I wanted to see if I started the recoding plugged in via USB then removed the USB if it would batteries would automatically kick in and yes they do, if you are plugged in via USB and have batteries installed and then unplug the USB it keeps recording without stopping which is super nice. Now the interface itself, its clunky, no doubt about it. Its small but fairly clear but if you want to make changes its a bunch of button presses on very tiny buttons to make changes but is that a big deal? Not really because you will have to make few, if any, changes. The recording on this was perfect without me having to monitor levels and make constant adjustments it just handled everything, and I got to enjoy what I was recording vs. monitoring levels. I also like how there are physical switches to set whether the input is line in or microphone and that you can mix and match as you see fit. I also like how the sliding power switch also has a hold position to keep it from accidently sliding to ON draining your batteries when you did not intend to turn it on. In terms of monitoring, I like how it displays the levels coming into it, I know some people will not like that and would prefer a different a different view but for me I thought it was solid. The final recordings were clean, clip free, and captured the audio very well, as good as some of my other devices that cost way more than this. For someone working in tight spaces the compact size is very appealing and for someone doing mobile work its ideal. For my one setup I ended up have two sets of DJI Wireless Mic 2 pumping into this so I could have 4 channels of voice even though the DJI Wireless Mic two receiver only supports a max of two transmitters. Because this is so compact I had one DJI Receiver on one side and the other DJI receiver on the other side secured with a single rubber band. Two 1ft 3.5mm to XLR cables was all I needed to complete the setup, and it all fit neatly in a fanny pack I had on allowing me to follow the action to stay within wireless range without being in the way. Overall, this is great product for mobile use with features that rival more expensive rigs that are hard to transport and take up a bunch of space.

theres not much else you can get that works as an xlr-compatible recorder that is this high-quality at this price point. i'll start out with the fact that this device is obviously rather small, and that combined with its plastic build to bring the cost down means that it is an extremely light device, even with batteries inside. the recordings i was able to get from thisdevice were high quality and it worked with my microphones extremely well. the bonus of being able to be used as an audio interface is also extremely useful. it was not the original reason that i bought this thing, but i have found myself using it as an audio interface extremely frequently now that i have it. incredible value and extremely versatile, i just would absolutely recommend getting a warranty on it, because while the build quality feels quite good despite its plastic housing, a few sizeable drops may do a number on this thing.

Gets the job done

This is a great audio recorder. As with all of the Zoom audio recorders I've owned, this one worked exactly as I expected. The audio was clear and sounded exceptional. I do recommend that you read the instructions, and not wing it, like I tried..lol. Once I read the instructions and familiarized myself with how to use it (the correct way), I was pleasantly surprised. I love the fact that you can use a large capacity memory card too. This will take 2 AA batterys and if you need external power, for you mic, it's very easy to add that with a simple phone charger. If you need a professional sounding audio recorder, for use with XLR microphones, I can very highly recommend this one.

I love this recorder! I have used both, the XLR and 1/4 connectors on this recorder. I really like not having to worry about the gain level when recording. So far I used it to record my wife's live DJ set by plugging it to her mixer and another time to record a band. It's super easy to setup and I really like how the small screen shows the wave as sound comes in, so you get a visual confirmation that it's recording.

Excelente audio interface and also audio recording system.I didn’t get any issues with it I recommend it.

Looks cool. Works great. Sadly I had to upgrade to a recorder that supports timecode so I'm selling mine. But for non video applications it's amazing. And yes 32 bit float is something you need. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Device is good and useful but if you attached rwo mics will record L R only stereo not 2 mono tracks, so if you're ok for that go for it otherwise h4 will he a better choice. 2 plus thing for it that you can run it in power bank directly

This thing rocks, so simple to use and records clean audio. I am using it to record my IEM mix for live gigs, using it as an audio interface to my phone, it works perfectly. I haven't tried recording with a mic through the preamps but using it for line gear it works very well.

Zoom H1 xlr: piccolo, leggero e maneggevole. Facilissimo da usare. Ottima qualità della registrazione (a patto di avere un buon microfono). Buon volume in cuffia. Se proprio gli si vuole trovare un difetto, direi che lo schermo è davvero piccolo e le scritte risultano poco leggibili, ma una volta familiarizzato con le voci del menù non si nota più di tanto. L'ho comprato in sostituzione di uno Zoom H5 (più pesante e costoso, con microfoni esterni e funzionalità aggiuntive che in realtà non mi servivano). Ottimo per registrazioni casalinghe. Consigliatissimo.

Brilliant. The batteries last for ages. The 32 bit float is a huge advantage. I used this in a professional environment with very demanding criteria and was thrilled with the clarity of the input when using in a movie.

It's a must. No time code, but 32 bit is great.