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problems with zoom
I used the zoom h4n for the first time in a shoot along with a 5d. I thought I had done everything right. I set it for 4 channels, two for the internal microphones (as backup) and then I connected a boom and wireless lav into the xlrs. All 4 meters were reading with good levels and the timecode was moving when I hit the record button.
When I copied the files over on the computer, only about 1/3 of them showed up. About 1/2 the files had nothing in them. And then on the files that did copy over, they only show 2 channels. So, in other words, the onboard zoom mics and my xlr inputs were all mushed into two channels, defeating the whole point of getting clean audio from my boom and lav mics. The zoom internal mics were only supposed to be used as backup.
I am certain the zoom was recording for most if not all of the shots and I saw all 4 channels reading on the VU meters.
Anyone else have this problem? Is it an issue of not copying the files over properly? I just copied the complete file structure onto my macbook pro to find missing and incomplete files.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Dan S.
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10 Replies
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A good place to start would be to playback the files on the zoom to see if something happened on transfer. Are there 4 or 2 channels there? See p94 of manual.
If you’re missing files, it’s likely operator error. If you do not properly stop recording, the files are not saved. This includes losing power in the middle of a recording. I learned the hard way.
Is the mono mix function off? If recorded properly, you should see 4 channels on export.
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Yow. It was a rental, and it’s been returned, card erased. Am I dead in the water? This might be my hard learning experience with this…
Dan S.
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I hate that feeling.
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Thanks for sympathy. It happened last week. I was so bummed I couldn’t even think about it. Now, a week later, I have a little perspective (and the ability to say “live and learn.)
Dan S.
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The Zoom H4n has several known problems. The first is that low battery levels tend to create some of the problems that you noted. It doesn’t make any sense, but that’s the way it is. The second is that you can’t record to all four tracks simultaneously; the H4n was aimed at musicians and the extra two tracks are for overdubbing. The H4n is also finicky about which SD cards are used. And, as already noted, properly starting and stopping the recording mode is quirky.
Peace,
Bob
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Filmmaking is the art of the invisible;
If anyone notices your work you haven’t done your job right. -
Bob. Recording the 4 sep inputs at the same time works ok on mine?
peterPost Production Dubbing Mixer
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Yeah, Bob, you’re wrong about not being about to record 4 tracks simultaneously. See page 53 of the manual.
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I guess that I should have phrased it better; you cannot record four discreet inputs- i.e. 3 lavs and a boomed mic – which is what I would want out of a four channel production sound recorder.
Peace,
Bob
____________________________________________________________________
Filmmaking is the art of the invisible;
If anyone notices your work you haven’t done your job right. -
So not four discreet inputs, but four of something else?
Can someone explain that?
Regards,
Ty Ford
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field GuideWatch Ty play guitar -
The two XLR inputs and the on-board mics can record simultaneously.
Peace,
Bob
____________________________________________________________________
Filmmaking is the art of the invisible;
If anyone notices your work you haven’t done your job right.
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