Thoughts on the Zoom H1

As a university graduate, it's pretty much a given that once you leave uni you're going to be skint for a while. What's not generally assumed is that you're going to emerge from higher education into a financial recession. Jobs are hard to find, budgets are tight, and Student Loans are always watching over your shoulder, so it can be hard to convince yourself to splash out for basic filming equipment.

Today I'm going to look at a sound recording setup that won't break the bank (no matter how small), and it comes in the form of the Zoom H1 and an Audio Technica ATR3350 lapel mic.


Zoom H1 Handy Recorder
Originally uploaded by charlesdyer

I'll start off by reiterating what so many other people have said, in that the Zoom H1 is a pretty awesome piece of kit for the money (£79 on Amazon). It's small, it's easy to use, and the sound quality is vibrant and clear. The solid-state memory (the included 2GB Micro SDHC card is more than adequate enough for most purposes) is a huge plus in my books (I've previously used MiniDisc recorders, which would have to be held away from the microphone in order to avoid the noise of the mechanism), and the built in stereo mics are really quite excellent.

The on board microphones do, however, suffer from two major weaknesses - wind noise and unit vibrations. Vibrations running through the unit can be illuminated with a still hand (although that does mean that you can't adjust levels during recording), but to get rid of the wind noise, you're going to need some kind of wind jammer.

Fortunately, Zoom sells a wind jammer as part of their accessory pack. Additionally, you'll get a mini tripod (got several of these things now), a mini-USB cable and a zip-up case. One thing that gets me about the accessory pack, however, is that the case isn't large enough to accommodate the supplied wind-jammer. Sad fact of the matter is that without anywhere to put it, it's likely that you'll lose the wind-jammer before long and need to buy another.

The major gripe that everyone seems to have about the Zoom H1 is the build quality and it must be said that its plastic body does feel quite astonishingly cheap. Buttons are quite spongey and the chassis creaky, but it should be remembered that this doesn't affect the functionality of the unit.

Slide the power switch on the side, and the H1 comes to life, the clear LCD greeting you with a simple 'Hi' and an orange glow. There's little to be classified as a menu system on the H1 - the few settings available are adjusted through dedicated buttons and switches, and this is a control layout that will likely appeal to professionals who are easily frustrated by layers and layers of menus. Switching from MP3 to WAV format comes down to just the flick of a switch, enabling you to be speedy and precise when you need to be. The operating manual makes for a decidedly short read, and yet covers all the bases, which just goes to show how simple this unit is to use.

Thanks to a socket on the device, it's possible to plug in an auxiliary microphone or alternative sound source - for instance a lapel mic. It's rare for me to admit this about my own purchases, but I've got to say that I was more than a little disappointed by the combination of the H1 with the Audio Technica ATR3350. The H1 has no way to choose whether to use line or mic input levels, so you really need to get your talent to speak loudly if they're to be picked up at a reasonable level, without having to face the wrath of some intrusive hum.

The ATR3350 is powered by a watch battery (one fortunately comes in the box), but, as many others have pointed out, it would've been nice if Audio Technica had incorporated a LED into the device. Without any kind of clear indication as to whether the device is actually on (aside from the minute power-switch), it's easy to accidentally leave it on and drain the battery when it's not in use. That said, I've left it on overnight and there was still enough charge in the battery for me to use it the next morning.

The sound quality of the ATR3350 comes across as quite muffled and bass-heavy, which is instantly obvious when you compare it to the H1's on-board microphones. The generous amount of lead is both a blessing and a curse, because if it becomes knotted (and it will, unless you're particularly well-disciplined with your wire ties), it will likely take you quite a while to straighten out. Other users have recommended buying a cable-tidy, which wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

That said, the ATR3350 costs a meagre £25 on Amazon, and if nothing else it is functional. Fiddling with equaliser settings should allow you to squeeze some extra quality out of the unit, but if you were to ask my opinion, I'd put that £25 towards a better mic.

*** Quick Update ***
Having used the ATR3350 with a Sony PCM-50, I'd like to retract my original statement that it delivers a muffled sound - it's actually very usable - just not with the Zoom H1, apparently.
*** End ***

If you can look past the cheap build quality, the Zoom H1 will make a fantastic addition to anyone's setup, and is definitely worth considering if you're shooting with a DSLR or Handycam.