The Zoom H1n is a small and light, stereo voice recorder great for recording research interviews, focus groups and oral histories.
It can also produce excellent quality audio for podcasts and videos when combined with a shotgun or lavalier microphone.
In this post we look at the features of this very versatile voice recorder from the point of view of making voice recordings for academic research, journalistic work, market research, etc.
The Zoom H1n voice recorder comes with two unidirectional condenser microphones that are set at a 90-degree angle using the X/Y technique. This makes the recorder highly sensitive to sounds all around it and is the main reason why it delivers such good audio quality.
The flip side of course is that because the voice recorder picks up ambient sound so well, it can only be used in quiet environs, unless combined with an external microphone.
Pros: The microphones are highly sensitive.
Cons: When hand-held, the microphones captures handling noise.
Tip: An accessory pack that you can buy along with the voice recorder includes an adapter that can be screwed on as ‘handle’ to the voice recorder. Using this when moving the recorder can reduce handling noise considerably.
The low-cut filter in this voice recorder prevents wind noise from interfering with your recording, which is great for outdoor recordings. However, this is NOT sufficient for cutting out loud background noise.
When recording at a noisy location (like an interview at a pub) you would need to either place the voice recorder very close to the speaker or use a lavalier microphone (recommended).
If the wind is very high (like at the beach in the video) you would need to use a windscreen to protect the microphone.
A windscreen is included in the accessory pack that you can buy with the recorder.
Pros: Great for reducing wind noise or rumbling of cars driving past etc.
Cons: Doesn’t cut out loud background noise.
Tip: This voice recorder is very sensitive to sounds from all around it, so it’s great for recording interviews and focus groups.
But the high sensitivity also means that the recorder catches unwanted sounds like drumming on tables, books and documents being moved around, and noise from people passing the recorder around.
To remedy this, attach the voice recorder to a tripod and place it with the microphones facing towards the group.
The add-on accessory pack includes a small tripod that is quite handy, but it has plastic feet, so you might need to bolster it with some shock absorbing support like a fat book.
As with all voice recorders, the sound quality is best when the recorder is placed close to the participants. So keep your Zoom H1n as close to the speakers as possible. For larger groups (more than 5-6), consider combining the voice recorder with an external microphone.
Read: Recording Focus Groups using Boundary Microphones
The Zoom H1n is the one of the smallest voice recorders in the market (44(W) x 136(D) x 31(H)mm) and light enough to carry in your pocket or purse (2.1 oz without battery, 3 oz with it). Zoom actually calls it the ‘Handy Recorder’.
According to Zoom’s official website, the H1n requires 2 AAA batteries (source: www.zoom-na.com).
Zoom also says that battery life when using an alkaline battery is up to 10 hours, even during continuous recording. But users have reported that the battery drains quickly so you should carry spares.
You also have the option of using an AC adapter that can be plugged into a wall socket. This adapter does not come in the box but is part of the accessory pack if you opt to buy it.
This voice recorder doesn’t come with any built-in memory. It records directly to microSD cards which have to be bought separately (up to 32GB).
The recorder also has a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port.
Tip: The USB port allows you to use the voice recorder as a USB mic.
WAV and MP3 are the two file formats in which the Zoom H1n records. WAV is an uncompressed format with better audio quality but heavier file size. MP3 is a compressed file format that takes up less storage but has a lower fidelity. The MP3 format is adequate for most recording purposes.
With just a 2 GB MicroSD card, you can record approximately 34 hours of audio in MP3 format (128 KBPS) and approximately 2 hours of audio in WAV format (24 bit).
The recording time decreases with heavier recording formats.
Note: The maximum file size is 2 GB.
The built-in speaker of the Zoom H1n is located in front of the voice recorder. There’s also a headphone jack on the side of the recorder (with dedicated volume control) that can be used to monitor audio quality.
The basic pack includes the voice recorder, 2 x AAA battery and Steinberg WaveLab LE software.
The accessory pack includes:
Windscreen
AD-17 AC adapter
USB cable
Tripod stand
Padded-shell case
MA-2 mic stand adapter
Overall the Zoom H1n voice recorder is an excellent device in this price range.
Happy Recording!
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Your note on interviews indicates that the mike needs to be pointed toward the group, which suggests 180 degree coverage. Is it possible to place it in such a way as to catch 360 sound, as in a group interview or something where the interviewer is on one side of a table and the interviewee(s) opposite? Thank you for a very helpful article.
Hi Steve - that's correct, recorders with unidirectional mikes, such as the SONY ICD PX333, do need to be pointed toward the group. Coverage is better if the recorder is placed at the corner of the table with no speakers sitting behind the recorder. More info in this article. (For 360-degree coverage, one should use recorders with omnidirectional mikes, such as the Zoom H1).
Does this recorder have a Voice Activated Feature? If anyone knows the answer to this, it would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Corey - unfortunately the Zoom H1 doesn't have the voice activation feature. You can try the Sony IC PX333 or see more options in this post!
I am considering purchasing a Canon SL2 to do videos that will be uploaded on YouTube. The videos will be done in interview format. In addition, I would like to use two Zoom H1n recorders as my audio; one for me (the interviewer) and one for the the subject (the interviewee). Is it possible to wirelessly link two Zoom H1n to the camera at one time? Thanks
Is there any specific reason you'd like to use two recorders? A simpler solution could be to connect two lavs to a single H1n using this 3.5 mm TRS to Dual 3.5 mm splitter.