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Zoom H5 Rewview
Here ya go.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum LeaderWant better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
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2 Replies
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Just received my H5 today, after having looked at dozens of reviews on it. thanks Ty for a very comprehensive review. The menu systems on this unit are much more complex than, say the Tascam DR-60 or the Marantz PMD 661. So right you are, RTFM. Google it if you don’t know what that means.
The benefits to this H5 are:
- Very small form factor. Hand held in the palm of your hand. Smaller than my PMD 661
- Much better sound floor than the H4N which I had and died with no recourse for repair!.
- Needs only two AA batteries. Unfortunately doesn’t accept the new high capacity batteries
- Modular mics that are pretty damn good
- Gain control without zippers (Tascam DR-60 not good on this)
- Real 4 channel XLR recorder/mixer with the optional plug in module
- modular shotgun is actually pretty good!
- Sound quality overall is pretty good! Definitely better than the 4N
- If you need a recorder for both video shoots, and live concert situations, this is probably the best thing going without carrying a bunch of mics and a unit like the Tascam DR-60 or the Marantz PMD 661. A really good all around recorder. For the one recorder I’ll carry when I need to do the job, it will be the H5.
For live recordings where I’m close to home, I’ll bring the Marantz with it’s better pre amps. For overall use on video shoots, I’ll bring the H5n. For travel, it’s a no brainer, the H5n. For live field recordings, I’ll plug the Marantz into the board, and leave it be, attach the H5 to my video camera and do a dual recording with -12dB into the recorder, and then send it out to the camera. Will cover all bases that way. If, while shooting a concert, I get a chance to do an interview, will plug in a lav to the H5, and continue to spool out audio to the Marantz off the board while taping the interview on the H5. This will give me full coverage. Then when playing music with folks, can just set the H5 on a table top tripod and run it. Sort of a swiss army knife without tying up my cell phone recorder.
Both the Marantz and the H5 are excellent performers with a slight edge to the Marantz on sound quality. If you want the best quality, then go with the Marantz or a better quality Tascam, like the 680 or just go buy a SD. They are the best quality sound and build. But for those of us in small outfits with a lack of audio engineering in the field, a H5 will not be a bad buy.
The Tascam DR-60 is good, but you have to bring a mic, as it doesn’t have one on the first generation units. But for what it does it does it well.
Al
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