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#265485 - 05/29/09 08:28 AM Zoom H4N vs. Sony PCM-D50
leezone Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/24/08
Posts: 3131
i know this is an arranger forum, but i know lots of people here are interested in a portable recorder, at least Diki and I are ;-)

so which is best?

well...
Sony has better mic pre's as noise floor is less than H4N,
Sony has better built quality
Sony has built in 4gb memory,
Sony does not Record 4 chann. simultan., H4N does
Sony does not offer XLR inputs, H4N does
Sony does not have built in speaker, H4N does

which to get?
i wish Zoom was a bit "quieter", but H4N has more features...hmmm

check out this site, has 2 articles with many tests
http://www.bradlinder.net/

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#265486 - 05/29/09 08:29 AM Re: Zoom H4N vs. Sony PCM-D50
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
Dont worry diki will tell you what to buy.

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#265487 - 05/29/09 08:33 AM Re: Zoom H4N vs. Sony PCM-D50
leezone Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/24/08
Posts: 3131
well,
Diki does know his shit,
and I agree with "almost" everything he says,
except when it comes to his view on AUDYA's guitar accomp. ;-)

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#265488 - 05/29/09 09:10 AM Re: Zoom H4N vs. Sony PCM-D50
leezone Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/24/08
Posts: 3131
almost forgot another MAJOR difference:

Sony does NOT have phantom power, the H4N DOES, so things are looking good for that H4N, but i wish it was "quieter"

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#265489 - 05/29/09 09:19 AM Re: Zoom H4N vs. Sony PCM-D50
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
Quote:
Originally posted by leezone:
well,
Diki does know his shit,
and I agree with "almost" everything he says,
except when it comes to his view on AUDYA's guitar accomp. ;-)


whats in that Kool Aid?

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#265490 - 05/29/09 12:58 PM Re: Zoom H4N vs. Sony PCM-D50
leezone Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/24/08
Posts: 3131
or why not get this one ???

looks way more "pro"

sells for $600, but can be had for $430, less than the Sony...

this is the Fostex FR-2LE
they say its preamps are very quiet



[This message has been edited by leezone (edited 05-29-2009).]

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#265491 - 05/29/09 12:59 PM Re: Zoom H4N vs. Sony PCM-D50
Diki Offline


Registered: 04/25/05
Posts: 14182
Loc: NW Florida
Quote:
Originally posted by Dnj:
whats in that Kool Aid?



One, maybe two cha-cha's... How's your periods, Donny?

Thing for me is that four track input and recording, lee...

Sometimes coming off the board isn't enough to get a good feel for a 'live' recording, and JUST a stereo mike in the room is too ambient. A combination of the two can make the difference, especially if you can mix and compress them later, in post. Another strong reason for this feature is that I often play in live bands, which board mixes will always be 'light' on those that are loudest onstage (drummers, guitarists ). Record line level off the board, and place the Zoom close to the drummer for a live feed, then blend later on, you can get some pretty good live recording with a minimum of fuss.

Word is, the H4n's pre's are a bit quieter than before, and I have had few issues with them even at their present level (I don't find myself recording classical much!).

Overall, I still like the H4n's feature set... unless I was doing master recording of quiet ensembles, and even then I would be more likely to use a good external mike pre (FMR RNP is a great budget choice) and go line in, so the better pre's on the Sony would be immaterial.
_________________________
An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!

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