Zoom H5 Assessment: At-a-Look
- The Zoom H5 is without doubt one of the finest digital recorders in the marketplace
- It’s a flexible machine that permits you to file studio-quality audio anyplace
- It’s equally helpful as a part of a house recording setup, too
- You should use it ‘out of the field’ or customise it with further mics
- It prices round $235 to purchase one brand-new
- It was launched ten years in the past in 2014 – does it nonetheless maintain up in opposition to newer package?
- Learn on to search out out whether or not or not you must put money into one…
I’ve been utilizing the Zoom H5 to file podcasts for nearly ten years. The thought prompted me to test when Zoom really launched this well-known outdated warhorse of a digital recorder. So far as I can see, it celebrated its tenth birthday in January 2024. I hope there was cake.
Ten years appeared nearly as good a time as any to revisit this Zoom H5 assessment. Hopefully all of our gear evaluations are attention-grabbing and helpful, however they’ll normally be written off the again of 2-3 weeks of rigorous testing. Utilizing one thing often for nearly a decade is a special pattern dimension altogether, although.
There was sufficient new audio and podcasting gear developed prior to now ten years to fill a cargo ship. Does a digital recorder that was launched when Leonard Nimoy, Christopher Lee, and B.B King nonetheless walked the earth have any proper to be competing with them? That’s a query I’ll strive my finest to reply on this up to date Zoom H5 assessment.
Only a heads up earlier than we dive in. We’re utilizing an affiliate hyperlink for the Zoom H5. We’d earn a small fee (at no further price to your self) do you have to select to purchase through it. Associates assist assist all of our free content material, although they by no means cloud our judgement in the case of honest and trustworthy assesments.
What’s the Zoom H5?
The Zoom H5 is a digital recorder. It’s a chunk of package that’s akin to carrying round a whole recording studio with you. It could actually file and retailer audio as a stand-alone machine, or you may plug exterior mics into it and use it that manner. You may also play again the audio on the machine and add it onto your pc through USB cable or Reminiscence Card.
Who Would Use the Zoom H5?
The Zoom H5 is such a flexible machine that it’s simpler to ask who wouldn’t use one. A first-rate instance of somebody who doesn’t want an H5 could be a podcaster who information solo or online interview episodes instantly into their pc with a USB mic. USB mics are the one kind of mic you may’t plug into the H5.
Fashionable setups and makes use of of the Zoom H5 embrace of us who need to file interviews on the go along with studio-quality audio anyplace on the earth. That stated, the H5 is equally helpful as a house recording machine. You may set it up as a part of your ‘fastened’ recording setup and even use it as a USB interface to run XLR mics into your pc.
Look & Really feel of the Zoom H5
Barely too massive to contemplate “pocket dimension”, the Zoom H5 nonetheless matches simply in your hand and weighs lower than your common cup of takeaway espresso. It’s a sturdy and strong feeling machine, constructed for years of ongoing use in all kinds of eventualities and conditions.
Options
As commonplace, the Zoom H5 comes with a removable capsule on the highest, with two little mics. These are referred to as “X/Y” stereo mics; you may file with them proper out of the field. Whether or not you’re utilizing them for a single voice, a number of voices, or basic ambient recordings, you’ll get nice audio from these.
Zoom have a spread of capsules that you would be able to purchase and use as a substitute, for those who’d like to customize your recorder. For instance, the SSH-6 can flip your Zoom H5 right into a laser-focused Shotgun Mic.
There are two ‘Combo’ jacks on the underside of the recorder, the place you may plug in mics that use XLR or 1/4″ connections. Should you want further mic choices, you may as well run a mic with a 3.5mm (conventional earbud-sized) connection into the recorder. That is helpful for those who’re utilizing a typical lavalier mic.
On the entrance of the recorder, you’ll discover the acquire dials for every recording enter. These are guarded by helpful protecting bars, which may help forestall unintentional toggling throughout a recording session. You’ll additionally discover your channel choice buttons, in addition to the same old Play/Pause, File, and Cease choices.
Recording
When you’ve selected what mic you’re utilizing, you merely choose the corresponding channel through its button on the entrance of the recorder. These have LED lights to point out that they’re lively. The LED lights additionally double up as a warning when your audio is clipping. Should you see them flashing throughout a recording session, you’ll know to show your acquire down a notch.
You may file WAV information, from 44.1kHz 16bit to 48kHz 24-bit. If that is gibberish to you, don’t fear. Simply set it to 44.1kHz 16-bit and neglect about it. However, right here’s more info on sample rates, for those who care to study extra.
You may file in Multitrack (unbiased channels for every mic) or Stereo mode. Stereo mode will nearly all the time be high quality, and can take up much less room on the Reminiscence Card, too.
The Zoom H5 has settings to activate issues like a Lo Cut filter, Compression, and Phantom Power, which supplies energy to any condenser mics you’ve plugged in.
Different Technical Specs
If the pattern price stuff wasn’t gibberish to you, then this data received’t be, both:
The Zoom H5 has an enter acquire of as much as 52dB. You’ll discover gear that gives much more today – for instance, the Zoom PodTrak P4 (70dB) and the Rodecaster Professional II (76dB). The H5’s most Sound Strain Stage (SPL) of 140dB continues to be fairly spectacular, although.
You may file in 16 or 24-bit and in WAV or MP3 type. The Frequency Response of the H5 is 20 Hz to twenty kHz (built-in mics) and 10 Hz to 24 kHz (XLR inputs). In fact, you’ll discover a wider vary in many more moderen units, however the H5 continues to be aggressive on this entrance.
Price of the Zoom H5
At time of penning this Zoom H5 assessment, you should buy the recorder model new for $235 on Amazon.com, and £169 on Amazon UK.
Sound High quality of the Zoom H5
Listed below are a few unprocessed sound samples, recorded into the X/Y capsule, instantly into the Zoom H5. With the primary, you’ll get an concept of the way it picks up the voice, and in addition, how effectively it offers with dealing with noise.
I captured a small choice of ambient recordings for making audio drama within the second clip. Once more, these had been all recorded utilizing the H5 in its “out the field” type.
Right here’s a sound pattern from 2024, too. I recorded it with the Rode NT1 5th Gen condenser mic operating into the Zoom H5.
A Sticky Scenario: Degraded Coating on the Zoom H5 (2024 Replace)
I didn’t know this, however the rubbery coating on the Zoom H5 is named “elastomer” or “thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)”. It’s pretty frequent on moveable digital units. The issue is, the coating on mines has lately began to perish, making it sticky. While this hasn’t affected the H5’s capability to file audio, it has made it undesirable to make use of on-location – you wouldn’t need to maintain it in your hand for very lengthy.
I don’t know if this is because of a fault on my half, having used or saved it in suboptimal circumstances, however I’m fairly assured I haven’t. Maintain a watch out for this for those who plan to personal an H5 for eight or 9 years!
Zoom H5 Options in 2024
In our 2024 Podcaster Gear Survey, 3% of podcasters who use an audio interface or digital recorder reported that the Zoom H5 was their package of alternative. That’s nonetheless fairly vital, and exhibits the recorder is holding its personal, all these years later.
The Zoom H5 predates the idea of podcast-specific recorders. Immediately, you should buy gear that was particularly designed with podcasting in thoughts, starting from the Zoom PodTrak P4 and Rodecaster Pro II to the Mackie DLZ Creator and Focusrite Vocaster.
It’s good to have gear made and marketed with podcasting in thoughts, however at its value level, there aren’t many options you’ll discover elsewhere that may blow the Zoom H5 out of the water. If you wish to file distant calls however don’t need to use software program on a pc, then one of many units talked about above could be a greater choice. Except for that use case, 32-bit float is the one different apparent purpose to go for another.
Listed below are our full roundups for the best digital recorders and best USB audio interfaces for podcasters, for those who’d love to do some purchasing round.
Zoom H5 Assessment: Abstract
The Zoom H5 continues to be a superb choice for a lot of podcasters, no matter expertise degree. Should you’re searching for a strong and high quality recording supply in your house studio that doesn’t contain a pc, then it’s very best. Likewise, if you wish to do lots of recordings and interviews on the go, then it’s served me effectively this manner for nearly a decade.
$235 isn’t a small amount of cash, although. The vast majority of newbie podcasters received’t have to spend anyplace close to that to rise up and operating. Should you’re doing a solo or on-line interview podcast, then get your self a Samson Q2U, and that’s all you’ll want. It’s a mic that plugs into your pc through USB but additionally operates in XLR type. Must you determine to put money into a Zoom H5 later down the road, you need to use your Q2U with it.
Should you’re received over to the thought of getting a digital recorder, however nonetheless need to store round a bit, there are a great deal of high quality Zoom H5 alternatives in the marketplace, so try our part there for a wider vary of choices, too.
Want Extra Assist?
Lastly, for those who want extra assist with selecting your gear, or with actually every other side of your podcast, try the Podcraft Academy. There, you’ll discover all our programs, downloadable assets, and get entry to weekly stay Q&A classes!
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