Recording - April 2015 - 45

and turn it into a standard L/R recording
with adjustable stereo width, or play back
raw M/S audio and dial in the Side level
in real time using the jog wheel.
Built-in signal processing includes a
Low Cut filter with ten selectable corner
frequencies from 80 to 237 Hz, and a
compressor/limiter with six presets. I was
surprised at how useful the Comp/Limiter
turned out to be; because the manual
actually lists the threshold, ratio, makeup
gain, attack time, and release time for
each preset, it's easy to make sensible
selections that work well for many applications. Even the Concert Limiter setting,
with its punishing 32:1 ratio, works well
for chaotic live recordings.
There's lots more: up to 99 searchable
markers per song, A-B loop recording,
automatic recording when the level goes
above a preset threshold, a 2-second prerecording buffer so you don't lose the start
of a live number, a built-in tuner and
metronome, and even the option to turn
phantom power from 48 volts down to 12
or 24 for mics that can run at lower voltages, saving battery life. Speaking of
which, the manual claims that the H5 will
deliver nearly 8 hours of 4-track recording
and 15 hours of stereo; I recorded at least
that much audio in live concert recordings, field recordings, and board taping,
and I'm still on my first set of batteries.

The H5's USB connection not only lets you
back up files to your computer, but also turns
it into a stereo or 4-in/2-out audio interface,
complete with direct zero-latency monitoring,
loopback for recording live audio on top of
computer playback, and an adjustable monitor mix similar to that in Multi File mode.
I should put in a good word for the
included XYH-5 stereo mic capsule.
While it doesn't have the XYH-6's capsule
angle adjustment (also present on the
H4n), it does have a built-in shockmount
system that works amazingly well, and a
significantly higher SPL tolerance (140
dB) than any other Zoom mic, making it
excel at recordings in unpredictable environments. The XYH-5 also has a stereo
line input minijack that doubles as a powerable input for miniature stereo mics.
So how's it work?
I had a blast with the H5. Whether taking
line signals from a console, capturing live
music with the mics, or doing field recordings
for sound design, it gave wonderfully clear
and uncolored recordings, and was dead
simple to use-with one-touch recording,
there's no more coming back to the recorder
after a show only to find out you had it
record-enabled but never actually started it!
I do have to register a few small gripes,
all of which have to do with accessories
that are either optional or nonexistent and

shouldn't be. First of all, I missed having
the remote and wish it wasn't an optional
add-on, as the H5 does pick up handling
noise in use. Second, the H4n came with
a little screw-on grip, shaped like the
body of a vocal mic, that would let you
insert it into a mic stand clip. The H5
doesn't come with one, and it should.
Finally, there's one vital accessory that
Zoom doesn't mention anywhere. I got it
from the very helpful Jesse Nissenbaum at
Zoom North America ("I wish you guys
made this." "We do!") and I consider it
indispensible for anyone doing board
recordings. If you completely remove the
mic capsule, the H5 becomes a rugged
stereo mic/line recorder that's truly pocketsized. Doing that exposes the multipin connector to dirt and dust... unless you cover it
with the tiny plastic cap made by Zoom for
just that purpose. So why don't they include
one in the box? C'mon, guys...!
All that said, it's easy enough to add
these pieces without too much extra cost,
and the recorder itself is a gem. While it
can't match the over-the-top feature set of
the H6, the H5 may be Zoom's sweetest
Handy Recorder yet.
Price: $269.99
More from: Zoom North America,
www.zoom-na.com

http://www.zoom-na.com http://www.cloudmicrophones.com http://www.cloudmicrophones.com

Recording - April 2015

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