First Look at the Zoom Q4

Saturday, February 8th, 2014

I started shooting video with a low end SD tape camcorder and the results were mediocre at best. I spent a lot of energy trying to get better quality with that system, but my videos were still pretty homely until I got my hands on a Flip Mino, which brought HD video to a camera that fit in the shirt pocket and cost about $100. But with the pace of technology the Flip and similar products were soon overwhelmed by the smart phone revolution and it seemed like nearly everyone had an HD video camera in their pocket. The market for dedicated pocket HD video cameras dried up overnight.

The folks at Zoom figured out a niche product, though, that let them charge a premium for a little plastic lens camera – they put good microphones and clean audio processing in the package and marketed it to their existing customers, musicians. The first unit was SD and, um, a bit underwhelming in a world where HD had gotten a foothold, but the second generation Q3HD impressed me enough to get my dollars. I did several blog posts about this unit and shot a lot of video with it.

Zoom added a lower cost unit, the Q2HD, to their line. The new camera swapped XY mics for the Zoom MS configuration and eliminated the audio input so all audio comes in through the mics on this one. I passed. The audio input on the Q3HD certainly has its problems. It’s called a “line” input, but the sensitivity is too high for a standard line level source, and of course too low for a microphone to be directly connected. But even with those issues I found the audio input useful. With some careful adjustment I could use an external preamp and place a microphone array separate from the camera to optimize video framing and mic location at the same time. I used a setup like this to capture a number of fine performances at our last Guitar Flangdang get together.

My Wishlist

When the Q3HD was discontinued I surmised that a new higher end replacement was on the way. I had a short list of enhancements I hoped to see in that replacement – an articulated screen so I could see myself and get good video framing more easily, a wider angle lens that brought the camera mounted mics closer to the source, and a mic input so I could use external mics without having to rig a preamp.

Now the replacement is here, called the Q4 and featuring all three of my hoped for features, plus a brighter lens, a rechargeable battery, and a new form factor. I’ve invested in some very nice Lumix mirrorless cameras that shoot outstanding video and I don’t really need another video camera, but I couldn’t resist ordering up a Q4 when I learned that Zoom had checked all the boxes on my list of upgrades.

Here’s a little rundown of the main features of this new camera.

Please Excuse the Mess

We’re on vacation, if it’s possible to take a vacation from being retired, so my sample clips are shot in a very reflective room, no sound treatment, no lighting, something close to a worst case for a home recordist, but I suppose that’s not a terrible way to shoot samples – hopefully nothing you do could be much worse than what you see in these clips.

There are many options for video format, ranging from WVGA 848/480/30 to HD 1920/1080/30. For audio Zoom includes a range from PCM 96k/24bit to 44.1/16 and AAC compressed from 320kbps down to 64 kbps. I’m severely skeptical of the audible benefits of “high resolution” audio formats but I do prefer uncompressed audio for my recording projects, so I generally go for 44.1/16. For my video I like to use 1080p30 as a capture format.

The Q4 has three settings for audio sensitivity. Zoom describe the most sensitive, H, as suitable “for field recording.” M is for “solo and chamber music” while L is for “band performances and concerts.” And the camera features two field of view settings, a very wide 135 degree and a narrower 95 degree angle that gives the effect of a zoom in to the subject.

Here’s a video that demonstrates the H and M audio settings and the wide and narrow field of view settings.

Let’s Compare

When I thought of a reasonable camera to compare to the Q4, something that many people might have used, I reached in my pocket and pulled out my phone, a now “vintage” iPhone 4. The video from this phone is a bit weak, so I added Lynn’s iPhone 5 to mix as well. These two have a much longer focal length than the Zoom Q4 so I positioned them quite a bit farther back in the room to get the same framing. In this video the Q4 is in narrow field of view with the audio sensitivity on High. I added quite a bit of volume, 12 dB, to the audio from both iPhones.

There are lots more features and details to explore in the Q4 but I must say I’m impressed with what I’ve found so far … on the audio side. As far as the video capture goes, I’m a bit less impressed. The very wide angle lens that I thought would be so helpful adds some odd quirks to the image. This is not unique to the Q4, of course, any very wide angle lens causes similar distortions. But after using the more capable, and much more expensive, Lumix G series cameras for the last couple of years I find myself a bit more critical of video quality and the Q4 rather reasonably is not in the same league.



This entry was posted on Saturday, February 8th, 2014 at 11:08 am and is filed under Comparisons, Video. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


56 Responses to ' First Look at the Zoom Q4 '

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  1. Michael Backhouse said in post # 1,

    on February 10th, 2014 at 2:11 pm

    Hi Fran

    Just submitted some comments and then somehow deleted them all. Here goes again.

    First up, thanks for your informative review. This Q4 looks like a very simple way for doing youtube acoustic performance videos, of which I have done several. Those improvements of the Q4 look great, particularly the articlated screen. It takes me ages to frame my videos, and keep having to take several test shots to get them right.

    Judging my your review, the sound is fine, and for me it’s a question of the video quality. Will you be doing a video with your usual artificial lighting set up after your vacation, as I am presuming the video quality would be improved over the natural side lighting? If so, such lighting I would be interested in your comparisons to the Q3HD and your Lumix.

    As ever, thanks for your reviews and advice as it very beneficial to the acoustic performers who make home videos.

    I see that my local music store here in Australia will be stocking the Q4 for $425 AUD. Previously, I have not been able to buy these Zoom cameras locally in shops, just over the internet.

    Best from Mike

  2. Fran Guidry said in post # 2,

    on February 10th, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    I’m glad to hear that the review is useful to you, thanks for stopping by.

    We’ll be in Hawai`i until the middle of June, so I won’t be back in the studio until then. I hope to do some outdoor shots to get a better feel for the Q4 in good light, I hope that will be useful. Unfortunately that won’t help with a direct comparison to my Q3HD videos, and that camera is gone now.

    I hope to have the Lumix comparison up in the next day or two.

    Fran

  3. Michael Backhouse said in post # 3,

    on February 11th, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    Thanks Fran, the outdoor shots will be great.

    Middle of June. That’s some holiday. Lucky you. No doubt you will be soaking up some music while there!

    Mike

  4. Brian said in post # 4,

    on February 20th, 2014 at 12:04 pm

    Thanks for the helpful review. I just tried a Q4 and to my dismay, it powered off three times during my one hour recording. This was on a fully charged battery. I’ll be trying to exchange this for a new one. Hopefully this isn’t an undocumented feature on every Q4. I haven’t tried an external mic yet, but I’m looking forward to trying my Rode shotgun mic.

  5. Jon said in post # 5,

    on February 28th, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    Just got mine today, I’m really looking forward to putting it into service as a drum or keyboard cam alongside my Q3HD w/ a Bower 0.45 x Wide Angle Magnetic Lens.. (and 2 prosumer canons as the main cams for concert shooting)..

    Zoom+new product = an auto buy obsession recently.. Now only if they made a 24 track simultaneous audio recorder…

    FYI After a little research it turns out the battery for the Q4 is a Samsung SLB-10A

  6. Fran Guidry said in post # 6,

    on March 1st, 2014 at 1:10 am

    Jon, thanks so much for the tip on the battery.

    Zoom obsession, eh? I fear that I can relate.

    Fran

  7. colin Campbell said in post # 7,

    on March 4th, 2014 at 11:36 pm

    Hey there…I have been doing a lot of research into audio equipment lately….comparisons between different products…I just wanted to say thanks and what a great job you did on this one…really covered the bases.C.

  8. Ernest James said in post # 8,

    on March 19th, 2014 at 1:42 pm

    Enjoying your reviews.
    I’ve been using the Zoom H2 for audio recordings of my band playing live, very loud. The H2 is great because it doesn’t compress, and the audio input mic can be set so that our audio is not distorted, or compressed.
    Does the Q4 seem to do the same type of thing?
    You do a great job of breaking these things down!

  9. Fran Guidry said in post # 9,

    on March 19th, 2014 at 8:12 pm

    Glad to hear the H2 is working well for you. The Q4 has three settings for quiet, regular, and loud, but I don’t have any real loud source to use for testing. The difference between quiet and medium is pretty large, so I’m figuring the Low sensitivity (for loud sources) will work well.

    Fran

  10. Britt Johnston said in post # 10,

    on March 23rd, 2014 at 12:17 pm

    Thanks for the info, Fran, most helpful, as I’ve been thinking about a youtube recorder for some time. I summarize your review as saying the Q4 is an incremental improvement on the Q3 HD, so I’m not expecting the problems to disappear (batteries, noise on holding,…) but some will be less troublesome.
    One thing I don’t yet understand: how do you manage close-ups and full shots of the same performance? Reading comments on youtube recordings, that seems to cause a lot of hassle, and many seem to accept tone and sound from separate takes, with poor synchronisation. Some even record the sound and do playbacks for the video.

  11. Fran Guidry said in post # 11,

    on March 23rd, 2014 at 1:33 pm

    Well, Britt, I’d say that the Q4 is more than an incremental improvement with its articulated screen, mic input, and significantly stronger audio sensitivity. The battery issue is completely different since the Q4 uses a rechargeable vs. AAs. Handling noise, well I wouldn’t expect to use either of these hand held.

    Speaking from the self-shooter/locked down perspective, multiple camera angles can only be accomplished with multiple cameras or multiple performances. Or they can be faked to some degree in post production. The issue with maintaining consistent audio I would address with an external mic setup rather than relying on the onboard mics. I’ve occasionally edited two or more takes together either to cut around performance glitches or accomplish different perspectives and while it can be a bit fiddly it’s not really difficult.

    If you’re not a self-shooter and are planning to have a camera operator, the whole game changes significantly, and I would look at lots of other options. A handheld camera needs image stabilization, rigging, and talent/experience on the shooter side. For this approach I would definitely be doing parallel recording on a separate audio system, and would choose a general purpose video or hybrid stills/video camera.

    Recording audio in parallel and synchronizing in post is always a better solution in terms of audio quality compared to any on-camera audio pickup. And for most “look at me play guitar” type video the synch is not a big deal, it takes a few tries to get the hang of it but it only adds a few minutes to the edit once you get used to the process.

    I don’t have any experience with miming the performance, I basically never play the same thing twice, so that wouldn’t work for me at all and really comes from a whole different approach to music video.

    Fran

  12. Britt Johnston said in post # 12,

    on March 25th, 2014 at 2:06 pm

    Thanks Fran, you’ve done a fine sales job.
    I’ll just have to knuckle down and learn to use a good tool properly, then:-)
    Britt

  13. Ernest James said in post # 13,

    on April 4th, 2014 at 3:36 am

    Just got my Q4, and having fun with it. Very sensitive mics on the high gain setting! Really pics up the nuances of my cat purring! 🙂 Any word if Zoom has come out with an accessory package that is available to the public? I’d love to plug in an AC adapter, and have a case

  14. Fran Guidry said in post # 14,

    on April 4th, 2014 at 10:00 am

    Yes, the sensitivity on the H setting is really something.

    I haven’t heard anything about an accessory kit, but I’m using the AC to USB adapter from a Chromecast TV dongle. I think there are a number of such devices out there these days.

    And Jon posted above that the Samsung SLB-10A equivalent battery will do the job.

    Fran

  15. Rick said in post # 15,

    on April 26th, 2014 at 4:09 am

    Just got my new Q4 last night and shot my performance. I can play back the video in camera with sound no problem but when I copy to my PC al I get is video with no audio (Windows 7).

    I recorded in 720/30 Video with 96k wav audio. Have you tried this? What editor would (do) you use for this?

    BTW, i was underwhelmed with the low light video. It was inside a club at night with what I consider to be normal stage lighting and the video is pretty spotty.

  16. Fran Guidry said in post # 16,

    on April 26th, 2014 at 9:19 am

    I’m pretty sure the issue with your audio is the use of the 96 khz sample rate. I think you’ll be able to play the clip if you download the free VLC player http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html but in the future you might stick with the 44.1 sampling rate. After all, there’s no evidence that humans can hear the difference between 44.1 and 96.

    What humans _can_ see is the difference between 720 and 1080.

    When you ask about an editor, are you looking for a way to modify the clip, like adding titles and trimming? I’m using one called Edius, but I would expect most NLE (non linear editor) programs to work.

    I certainly agree that the Q4 needs plenty of light to do a good job. It’s slightly better than the Q3HD but real low light performance is lacking.

    Fran

  17. Rick said in post # 17,

    on April 27th, 2014 at 9:52 am

    Thanks Fran, I’ll give those editors and the 44k a try.

    I recorded another gig last night and again, the video was VERY grainy. My iphone and my wifes Moto-X Android was far better at video. It’s really disappointing when a phone camera is far superior to a dedicated camcorder. The audio from the Q4 was superior to the phones but not “blow you away” better; another disappointment.

    All in all, I’m going to return the Q4 (I have 30 days). IMHO, it’s just not up to snuff.

  18. Rick said in post # 18,

    on April 27th, 2014 at 9:53 am

    Actually, let me qualify that last statement….

    It’s not up to snuff for low light recording, even though they promote it especially as such (especially with “concert” lighting settings).

  19. Fran Guidry said in post # 19,

    on April 27th, 2014 at 10:50 am

    Rick, I would probably have returned my Q4 if I had brought the packaging with me on our vacation, so I agree with you that the audio quality is not amazing enough to make up for the limitations of the video.

    But on the issue of Scene choice, the “Concert” setting is described in the manual as being suitable for “live shows, concerts and other situations with
    bright lights.” For low light situations the correct setting is either Auto or Night.

    Fran

  20. Frank said in post # 20,

    on April 27th, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    I’ve had this camera for a month now. I play in a local classic rock band on weekends so this camera was what i was looking for. The low setting works perfect for all around a loud speaker. Stays even when your around the front of the sound source. Video is still giving me fit’s though. We have lighting on the stage and it still come out grainy at any of the “light” settings. Very frustrating. One other thing. You can get a pretty cool free editing program right from the ZOOM site. It’s called “Handy Share”

    Frank

  21. Fran Guidry said in post # 21,

    on April 27th, 2014 at 11:42 pm

    I’m afraid these cameras really need plenty of light to do a decent job.

    I had some unhappy experiences with various software that came with cameras when I first started fooling with these things, then the first version of Handyshare that came with the Q3HD had issues with messing up the video quality and audio sync, so I’ve made it a rule to stay away from those packages. I’m glad to hear the new version of Handyshare is useful.

    Fran

  22. Rick said in post # 22,

    on April 28th, 2014 at 4:07 am

    I did use the Handyshare and it seemed fairly decent although I admit to not having spent much time with it. I ended up using Sony Vegas to try to “salvage” some footage but it’s all really too grainy as Frank said above.

    I did try all light settings as well. I do realize that the concert setting is for bright lighting (presumably so that it doesn’t underexpose everything by focusing on the “hot” areas where spotlights are) I found that “auto” worked the best in a typical bar . My point is that I thought that they were marketing it pretty specifically to musicians and the like, who work in low light. I just don’t get why they can’t even match a $200 cell phones quality, that just boggles the mind. It’s very disappointing.

  23. Fran Guidry said in post # 23,

    on April 28th, 2014 at 9:35 am

    Thanks for sharing your experiences, Rick.

    Fran

  24. Jon said in post # 24,

    on June 2nd, 2014 at 5:10 pm

    Have not chimed in for a while…. I’m very underwhelmed with the q4… low light is very unforgiving, and craptastically horrid.. Add in that I was shooting a festival this past weekend (kbd cam) it decides to get funky and refuse to record due to a loose batt even though I was feeding external juice.. Will I still be a ZOOMbie and buy whatever they put out?? yeah…

    I think I’ll just buy up a small army of q3hd’s and slap some wide angle lenses and call it a day for tight, unobtrusive, instrument shots.

  25. Jon said in post # 25,

    on June 2nd, 2014 at 5:12 pm

    tight “wide angle shots” that is…

  26. Fran Guidry said in post # 26,

    on June 2nd, 2014 at 6:10 pm

    I had hoped that the firmware upgrade would help with low light but I’m not seeing much improvement. It did help with image quality in good light, though.

    My flip out screen is loose all of a sudden – I was planning on selling my Q4 but I can’t dump my problems off on someone else so I guess I’m kinda stuck with this camera. I was pretty happy with the shoot I did last week, though. I had plenty of light and needed decent audio from the mic and it delivered, I tied the cam to the PA speaker stand with a Gorillapod and turned the audio level to low and was glad I had the little cam with me. Too bad I forgot to pack the windsock, though.

    Fran

  27. rod said in post # 27,

    on August 12th, 2014 at 12:45 am

    i was wondering if anybody has a answer why the camera shuts off after 30 min anybody else experiencing that problem

  28. Fran Guidry said in post # 28,

    on August 12th, 2014 at 8:21 am

    Have you tried a different memory card?

    Fran

  29. Jimi said in post # 29,

    on August 13th, 2014 at 5:59 pm

    Hi Guys, great discussion going on here on the Q4..

    Rod’s battery issue seems like a firmware bug or battery unit defect at the least, suggest Rod returns the unit for a replacement to fix that instead of waiting for a firmware update from Zoom (last one was just last July)

    I’m having the exact same issues w/ Rick and Jon..the low light setting on the Zoom Q4 is unforgivably bad…my guess, firmware. I’m hoping Zoom fixes this soon..

  30. Fran Guidry said in post # 30,

    on August 13th, 2014 at 7:54 pm

    The first firmware fix was supposed to improve resolution but I didn’t see much benefit if any. I’m not holding out much hope for real improvement. I fear that low light performance simply costs money, since it’s accomplished with fast glass and high performance sensors with large photosites.

    Fran

  31. Jimi said in post # 31,

    on August 18th, 2014 at 8:04 am

    Hi guys, finally fixed my “grain” problem by changing the SDHC card for the Q4..

    Apparently, ZOOM has a list of recommended SD Cards on their website (silly me, I purchased a micro SD w/ adapter so I could use it for my phone as well..that approach didnt work)..

    My issue right now is that the Q4 file format isn’t supported by Windows Movie Maker or Lightworks (free version), something to do w/ the codecs..

    Fran, what video editing software do you use?

    By the way, Fran, thanks again for taking time to share your experience, helps a lot, really appreciate it 🙂

  32. Fran Guidry said in post # 32,

    on August 18th, 2014 at 9:37 am

    I use Edius. I just tested a Q4 file with Windows Live Movie Maker Version 2011 and it worked for me. Perhaps you could give me more detail on the error message.

    What version of Windows are you using?

    Do you have QuickTime installed?

    What video/audio format did you choose for your Q4 recording?

    Fran

  33. Jimi said in post # 33,

    on August 18th, 2014 at 10:59 pm

    Hi Fran,

    I’m getting a “error code 0xC946002C” from Windows Movie Maker on Windows 8 (64bit). Quicktime 7 was installed last night, while the videos I’m planning to edit were shot in 1080/30, 44.1/16..

    Seems to be I’m missing a codec, but what it is and what I need to do still evades me :p

    Practically new in video editing thus I’m just planning to work w/ free video editors for the time being..

  34. Fran Guidry said in post # 34,

    on August 19th, 2014 at 8:52 am

    I found this article about this error code: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windowslive/forum/moviemaker-program/error-message-0xc946002c-inside-movie-maker/11deecd5-a006-4129-bb60-01d42fa8c457 but all the solutions refer to Win 7 rather than Win 8.

    I would be inclined to install the Zoom Handyshare software. I don’t use the program but it may bring codecs with it that are needed.

    Fran

  35. Jimi said in post # 35,

    on August 25th, 2014 at 10:27 pm

    Hi Fran,

    Solved it by downloading this Media Player Codec Pack
    http://download.cnet.com/Media-Player-Codec-Pack/3000-13632_4-10749065.html

    Works great! just finished editing my 1st batch of videos and I’m really impressed by the Sound and Video qualities of the Q4. Really happy with this purchase 🙂

    Thanks again for this discussion board!

  36. Tony Minton said in post # 36,

    on June 2nd, 2015 at 12:13 pm

    I sold my 3rd gen GoPro to buy the q 4. My son’s band uses it for recording practices. It gets reasonably good sound for recording in a bedroom..I recorded the first live show with this camera in a LOW light situation and I am very disappointed. It literally is NO better than the go pro. Sound is great but vido in LOW lighting sucks IMO. I had it set to concert, so naturally next time I will record with NIGHT selected. Any other ideas on how to get NON grainy video in low light? maybe a rig with lighting that is reflected and not shown directly on subjects??

  37. Fran Guidry said in post # 37,

    on June 4th, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    Toby, thanks for visiting. The solution to poor low light performance is just what you suggest, add light. The only alternative is to spend on a camera with better capability. It might be a bit more expensive but it’s a lot more portable (grin). On the other hand, stage lighting is part of the show, so it might be worth thinking in those terms.

    Fran

  38. Rudy Dela Vega said in post # 38,

    on October 10th, 2015 at 6:32 am

    Hi Fran,

    Thank you for the demo on Zoom Q4. I have finally bought my Zoom Q4 and I am having problem with the video. I am a regular you tube video up-loader with my guitar playing solo covers. When I finished my recording and convert it to download to you tube, I have noticed that the video and the audio are not in sync. There is a delay on video. Is this something to do of what type of SD card used. The SD card that comes with the unit is a SanDisk with adapter. I have used a 1 GB inx card but still the same result. Your info is greatly appreciated.

  39. Fran Guidry said in post # 39,

    on October 10th, 2015 at 7:51 am

    It sounds like you are using HandyShare, is this correct? I never use this software. I edit my videos with a dedicated Non-Linear Editor. If you don’t need to trim your clip or title it, you can simply upload the file to YouTube using your web browser.

    You might try downloading and installing any firmware update for the Q4 and also see if there is a new version of HandyShare that fixes the problem.

    If you’re on a Mac you can try iMovie to edit the video. On a PC there’s Windows Movie Maker.

    Let me know if you find a solution.

    Fran

  40. Rudy Dela Vega said in post # 40,

    on October 10th, 2015 at 10:12 pm

    Hi Fran,

    Thank you for your quick response. I really appreciate it.

    No I am not using Handy Share. I used Corel Studio in editing my video. I forgot to mentioned to you also that after recording and I replayed it in my Q4 that’s when I have noticed that there is a delay in the video but the audio is good.

  41. Rudy Dela Vega said in post # 41,

    on October 10th, 2015 at 10:36 pm

    Hi Fran,

    I bought a SanDisk “SDXC” card today and I tried it couple of minutes ago and it works. No more delay in video. Both video and audio are perfectly in sync.

    Thank you very much.

    Rudy

  42. Fran Guidry said in post # 42,

    on October 12th, 2015 at 11:07 am

    I’m certainly glad to hear you found a solution, although I’m surprised that the SD card was the issue.

    Fran

  43. Buddy said in post # 43,

    on December 7th, 2015 at 6:46 am

    Just purchased a Zoom Q4. I am a beginner at this recording stuff. My videos are grainy and the volume seems to be limited, I’ve tried a variety of audio and video settings, not much change. Using Windows Vista with Quick Time viewer. Any help over here?

  44. Buddy said in post # 44,

    on December 7th, 2015 at 6:53 am

    Oh..one more thing. There does not appear to be any help or tutorial for the Q4 on the Zoom web site. Did I miss it?

  45. Fran Guidry said in post # 45,

    on December 7th, 2015 at 8:30 am

    Thanks for stopping by, Buddy.

    I’m not aware of a tutorial on the Zoom site, the manual that comes with the camera is all there is. You might find some third party info on YouTube, though.

    Grainy video = not enough light.

    Limited volume – this is a very common reaction when people start recording. We judge volume by commercial recordings and think our tracks should match them, but this is incorrect. Commercial recordings are tracked, mixed, then mastered, with the level raised at each step after tracking. The solution is to simply accept a lower level in our clips and turn up the volume knob on playback, or learn to mix and master audio.

    Fran

  46. Buddy said in post # 46,

    on December 7th, 2015 at 9:16 am

    Thank you for your response Fran…I’ll keep at it. If “not enough light”, then what setting on the camera would be best?

  47. Fran Guidry said in post # 47,

    on December 7th, 2015 at 9:34 am

    Sorry, I haven’t experimented with low light settings and my camera is gone to a relative and not available for further tests.

    Fran

  48. Doni Laksmana said in post # 48,

    on March 9th, 2016 at 11:36 am

    Hi Fran,

    I must say you have a very nice, soothing smile ^_^ I watched all your videos related to Q4 and it would be nice to have your opinion. It’s 2016 already but I’m still thinking to buy Q4. Mostly for the AUDIO to record drum cover in my room, just ‘amateur-just for fun’ type of youtuber. The price here is around $200. Is it still worth it? (as mic’ing the drums + audio interface will cost so much more). Or can you suggest other?

    I read all the comments above, SDXC card is a must have. As for as video concerned, it’s obviously not that good. However, I’ll be recording in road daylight, along with 2 or 3 android phones from different angles simultaneously. So, hopefully the video quality will be quite on par.

    Thank you,

    Doni

  49. Fran Guidry said in post # 49,

    on March 9th, 2016 at 1:28 pm

    Since you have other “cameras” in your phones, I would recommend that you spend your recording funds on a hand held recorder rather than on the Q4 or the new Q4n that was recently announced. Something like a Zoom H2n will deliver excellent audio recording and even function as an audio interface so you can record to your computer. There are other options from Tascam, Sony, etc.

    Fran

  50. Doni Laksmana said in post # 50,

    on April 7th, 2016 at 9:32 am

    Hi Fran,

    First, thank you for saving me from buying Q4. Just a quick question, is still worth it to buy H2n at the moment? the price is $180 in my country.. Or do you suggest other products on similar price? Hava pleasant day.

    Thank you,

    Doni

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About the Blog

    Howdy, my name is Fran Guidry and this is my Homebrewed Music blog.

    I play Hawaiian slack key guitar and recorded my solo acoustic CD at home. Most of the recording information I find on the internet seems focused on bands, drums, multitracking, and so on but my main focus is recording solo acoustic guitar. Lately I’ve been enjoying video recording along with audio, so that shows up in the blog as well.

    I’m also a guitar nut. I love big ones and little ones, handmades and factory guitars, cheap ones and expensive ones. So I’ll be sharing the fun of exploring guitars as well, along with the challenges of amplifying acoustic guitars for live performance.

    Welcome!

Philosophy

    My recording philosophy is pragmatic, skeptical, not super critical. After all, the performance is by far the most important component of a track, and every aspect of any recording is a matter of taste.

    But I do like to know “about stuff.” Back in hifi days I learned about double blind testing. I learned that we humans can easily hear differences that don’t really exist. The more I’ve learned about our human auditory system, the more I’m skeptical of what people say they hear, especially if they claim that a particular microphone or preamp or cable has some magical property.

    I’ve only been recording since 2001, and when I started I found the usual places on the internet. I sought advice and accepted it, thought I would improve my recordings by using more expensive equipment. It didn’t work.

    Two things that did seem to lead to better recordings were experience and room treatment. Getting an appealing sound is the combination of many small details, and learning those details only comes from experience. Amd the sound of the recording space is obviously a big factor.

    I’ve only recorded seriously using digital technology, but I remember trying to record rehearsals and gigs back in analog days. I don’t have any nostalgia for analog recording and playback systems at all. I think even low end digital systems can capture marvelous recordings. So when I look at gear, I look for good specs: low noise, broad flat frequency response, wide dynamic range, low distortion. I’m not interested in colorful components, mics and preamps with a sound, I want the sound to be the sound of my guitar.

    But the last word is that I’m just learning and I hope you find something useful in my posts.