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Whether I want to record a live performance, a podcast, a class or workshop, a rehearsal, a songwriting session, or even a sizzling performance of my favorite band, the Zoom H4 Handy Recorder is my choice. If you’re wondering why, my response is why not, for more reasons than one.

The Zoom H4 Handy Recorder has such a lightweight design that I initially didn’t believe that it could contain built-in studio effects such as compression, limiting, and mic modeling. I was glad that the Zoom 4 Track Audio Recorder comes fitted with 2 combination XLR-1/4-inch input jacks with phantom power for use with any external mics, guitars, bass, or keyboards. Also built into the Zoom H4 Digital Portable Recorder are Zoom’s highly incredible microphone, guitar, and bass modeling. I was left wondering if reproducing the tone of the most famous microphones and amps could be any more accurate. If audio files can be recorded in WAV or MP3 formats and transferred to a computer using USB for easy editing, mixing, and mastering, what else could I ask for?

The Zoom 4 Track Audio Recorder uses two microphones which point inward at a crossing angle. So, the recorder covers a wide area even while capturing sound sources in the center with great clarity. Since sound is picked up by both microphones simultaneously, there is no such thing as distortion caused because of phase differences. And another observation I have made is, unlike tape or disc media, mechanical vibrations do not mar the quality of recordings. With a 2GB SD memory card, the Zoom H4 Handy Recorder gives me up to 190 minutes of stereo WAV file recording in 44.1 kHz/16-bit mode or an impressive 34 hours when recording at 128 kbps in MP3 stereo mode.