Looking at the new Zoom H1?
I’ve been doing my research and playing around with one for a little bit and I’ve gotta say that they’re definitely a good unit in this price range. Anyone who has read this blog at all knows that I’m certainly a huge fan of the Zoom H4n and I think the Zoom H1 will easily go head to head with some of the digital voice recorders from the Olympus line that are in a similar price bracket.
So far I think it’s a pretty cool recorder thats going to be very versatile in a lot of applications.
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Keep reading for my likes and dislikes:
Likes:
- Price Point – The Zoom H1 is definitely at an attractive price point. At around $100 US it’s set to compete with the likes of the Olympus DM-420 and in my humble opinion I think it will out compete this device easily. Zoom has got it down with the two cross mounted stereo mics and the recording quality on this unit is just superior.
- Microphone Guard – This was one of my major gripes with the Zoom H4n, glad to see they got something in place on the H1. They have a nice little circular guard installed around the mics that won’t inhibit your recording but will protect them in case of a fall. Good Stuff!
- Included 2GB Card – Zoom have built their reputation on quality products with everything you need right out of the box and this is no different. Including the 2GB MicroSD card was a great move on their part and should give lots of space for a unit like this.
- Built-In Tripod/Camera Mount – Again, to have a built in tripod mount on a unit this size and price range was great thinking by the company. Perfect for mounting to the top of a good video camera for capturing excellent audio to go along with that great HD image. For anyone that does a lot of video blogging or home video work this thing is a no brainer.
- Same Technology as the H2 – Yep, this thing boasts the same frequency and SPL handling of the Zoom H2 which is one of their most popular and great sounding recorders.
So in a nutshell that is what I think are some of the best things about it. But as with any piece of equipment that is lower in the price range, you are going to find some stuff you wish it had. Zoom obviously had to cut costs a little to keep it in this price range but heres what I think they could’ve done better.
Dislikes:
With the Zoom H4n, they truly over-delivered. And I think they could’ve done a bit better in this area with the H1 even though we’re talking a very low price.
- Accessories – This is what set the H4n apart and unfortunately we don’t see it with the H1. There is a nice accessory pack for 25 dollars which I suppose might have been the best they could do but it would’ve been nice to see the case and the microphone adapter included in purchase price. Also you need the accessories to get access to the adapter (the Zoom H1 does run for a long time on one AA battery though so it’s really not a huge deal!).
- Controls – Zoom claims their easier to use then ever but I disagree. It feels a little too close together for my liking and I think they should have just modeled after the H4n in some respects. Better than the H2 but not quite perfect!
- Construction -Ok, I’m really nitpicking here. This is a $100 digital recorder that is going to out compete a lot of the $150 units from Olympus and Tascam. You just can’t get amazing build quality at this price but Zoom has really set the bar pretty high with the H4n so it would’ve been nice if they could’ve come up with something a little more awesome for this device.
Overall
It’s a great recorder at an awesome price and the quality is definitely better than that of you’re regular voice recorders. Perfect for amateur guitar recordings, band practice, lectures, interviews etc…
I’ve only had the chance to play with it so far at my local music store but I’ll get a sound sample up as soon as I can, if any of you guys have a sound sample that you’d like to share with me it would be greatly appreciated!
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Cheers Guys and Good luck with your new Zoom H1!
