Zoom H1n Review for Filmmakers: Still the Best Budget Audio Recorder?

If you're new to audio recording, the Zoom H1n is one of the best portable recorders to start with. In this video, we take the Zoom H1n to Osaka at night and record sounds that are unique to the city.

During the audio test, we provide tips for setting the gain correctly and avoiding self-noise, as well as demonstrate the recorder's features and capabilities. We'll explore a different part of Osaka that you haven't seen before and capture the sounds of the city at night.

Gear we're using in this video ↓

[Special Offer]

[Support & Benefits]

[Health Insurance for Travelers & Digital Nomads]
(Check Out World Resident)

[Free Audio Resources]

Field Recording Gear

Audio Recorder

VR Ambisonic Microphones

Schoeps DMS Kit

Sennheiser ORTF Kit
Cinela Albert

DPA 5100 5.1 Surround Kit

Binaural Microphones

Affordable Stereo Microphone Kit

Hydrophones

Contact Microphones

HEADPHONES

Power Supply

Camera Bags

Tripods and Stands

Wind Protection

Cables and Adapters

We get a tiny percentage on your purchases as an Amazon, B&H, and Genki associate. If you decide to buy something, we receive a small compensation that allows us to continue making videos and recording sounds for you all over the world.

Thanks,
Libby and Marcel

[joonglegamer]

I just got mine a few days ago, but I quickly realized that if you're going to move around with this thing, the volume buttons "Rattles" they are the only loose buttons on the unit, so a quick tips for anyone with an H1N is to cut a small strip of black electrical tape and place it over the two volume buttons to the left of the unit, it will remove the rattling sound, and you can still use the buttons. A little everyday hack for you.

[chrisfor]

Love it. I bought the H1N after your earlier video with it. I'm a photographer but I keep the H1N in my bag to record interesting sounds from locations. Super happy with it. Thanks for the videos.

[lavapix]

The H1N is my backup audio when shooting in the field in remote areas. I stash it maybe 50 yards from my primary location. When people walk to a location I'm recording at and do nothing but talk I politely let them know I'm recording audio so if they don't want everyone knowing where the bodies are buried probably best to stay quiet.

[YoannCharlie]

Beautiful, very inspiring ! I aspire to make some kind of digital postcards to share with my family and friends and your channel has given me a lot of food for thought, I love it ! I dusted off my old zoom H2, recorded the sounds of rain and birds for the best part of the day and then I listened to what I recorded, very enjoyable!

[tjwalkup]

I love this recorder. The slapping sound is great. This recorder probably takes you back to the beginning. The ducks sounds are beautiful.

[christiannikodemus]

The issue with editing water SFX is usually that it sounds like actual white noise, that's a really cool tip to turn down the preamp to get more detail of the water. Asking people to be quiet for filming/ recording is always an adventure 😂😂😂

[planningsquirrel]

I love this, just that you're walking through the city and getting inspired by the things you see and simply... going for it. This is so wonderful! ❤

[sambrown]

Fix for rattling noise: take a foam earbud fluffy cover, cut a very thin strip and insert it along the top or bottom of the volume rocker. Poke it in with a thin sharp blade. It will stay nicely in the cavity and totally cure the rattle. You'll need to do the same with the trash/delete button. These are the only buttons that have the rattle and this solution is so good it might have been something they did in the factory. Black coloured foam will not be visible, or it will look factory made on a white edition. Very smart looking and feeling too.

[keinpodcast]

It's still so much fun to walk around with only a handy recorder like this. And the sound quality is OK for most cases (e.g. ambiance for movies). I love my H1n and my Tascam DR-05 that I always have with me. Sirens, farm machinery, birds, dogs, thunderstorms... there are so many opportunities that I would miss without these little recorders.

Do you still use recordings of your H1n in your library? Great video again - I would watch your videos even if it wasn't about field recording :)
Viele Grüße - Til.

[АртёмШалагин-пэ]

Record an instrumental vocal and personal concert on it. I put it exactly in the middle of the two columns, a distance of about 10m. I adjust the volume myself. The limiter is on. Or when listening to a video editing program, I have bad headphones, I always have different sound from different concerts. Or is it a jamb of the most customizable equipment and speakers.

[TylerReedtylaread]

Thanks for all the info! Wanting to get into this and this has been a great video. Beautiful shots man!

[papsny]

Even with the new 32 bit recorders I still invested in 2 x H1N. They are still worth it in 2022

[莫那德勞]

Glad l see this (, and others, of course) video from you. I'm interested in field recordings recently and just started with my equipment few hours ago. Your advice about gain settings is really helpful. Don't know if you have come to Taiwan before or not, hope to see you visit the island. Anyways, I just want to say thank you for your advice and the inspiration! Wish you the best!

[MoodAmbient]

Cool audio test! Thanks for sharing this.

[jakewakelin]

Really appreciate your channel, it's been a great resource for me. Thank you!

[cryptotrader]

I agree about recording water. I was at the Gletscherschlucht in Grindelwald last year and tried to record it, but sadly it was nothing but very very loud white noise. There was no way of recording it and making it sound like a fast flowing canyon river. The walls of the canyon were very high and the noise was too loud. I tried with the H1n but had to delete it because it sounded like nothing.
Anyway, I still love my H1n and it was you who made me get one when I started out, after seeing your video about how you started in this business. Anyway, great video as usual. I am really loving your recent walkabout uploads. Great job but it's a shame the H1n didn't really pick up the sound of the cricket so well. Everything else was really great for a tiny cheap handheld.

[barsdalga]

Great!..
Which windscreen using in this video?

[AngelDichy]

I just watched 3 of your videos, and I loved your content. I hope you can see this message before November 30 because I'll be traveling to Cusco, Peru, and one of my ideas is to film the city and create cinematic content. It's my first time doing this, but I already knew that sound is super important for the quality of what I want to create.

I have a question, and I hope you can answer it, haha. I have a budget of $200 to invest in sound equipment. What would be, in your opinion, the best beginner's kit, possibly including headphones? Would the H1N be a good choice? Or is there a better option for recording ambient sound within the budget I mentioned?

[Daniela]

Nice seeing you are still using this recorder. This is also my first recorder I bought after seeing so much of your videos about it. But the weird thing is, I think now there is a problem with it and I don’t know why is like this. 🙁 Wherever I record, there are some weird mechanical noises that I don’t understand from where that’s coming. That weird noises are not real during my recording session. Do you have any idea what could be? Have you ever experienced something like this? I’m wondering if the microphones are damaged because I used the recorder in humid environment. 🙁

[raphaelmalfliet]

Cool video! Nice to see the creativity and results with a lower priced recorder! What I’m always wondering about is how to balance your headphone level with your gain level..have any tips on that?