I’ve struggled with cassette tapes, Sony minidisk recorders (multiple kinds), mp3 recorders. Finally, I did some research into small recorders and invested in a Zoom H4 and boy I have never been happier.

There are other field recorders that you might want to check out such as the Sony MZ-M100 or 200, Edirol R-09, M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 among others. There are some great reviews of all of these units in gory detail, particularly by Mark Nelson.

Why is it handy for church work?

1. It’s easy to use. On the top panel, four small buttons select between MP3 and the three WAV sample rates. The relatively large Rec button does what you think. Press it once and it flashes to signify “standby.” A second press starts recording. Couldn’t be simpler.
2. Records up to 16 hours. The Zoom H4 uses SD memory up to 1 Gb. That’s good for about 1,000 minutes (that’s 16 hours) of recording in mp3 format. Two AA batteries are good for about 4 hours of recording. So, I get in early, set up the recorder, turn it on and go have coffee (yes, before the service!). There is no rushing around to flip tapes or changing disks.
3. The two built in microphones work great for capturing the whole service: sermons, music and anything else that goes on. You can attach the Zoom to a tripod. Or, what I typically do, attach the Zoom to a mic stand (with an Edirol  microphone stand adapter) which lets you hoist the unit up higher with a smaller footprint than the typcial tripod.
4. Download the file directly to your computer. The USB port allows you to connect to your computer and download the files directly rather than re-recording them in realtime. 

But wait, there’s more!! There are two combo 1/4″/XLR jacks that let you use, well, quarter inch and XLR cables meaning that you can use REAL microphones or take the feed off a sound system. The Zoom also comes with 24 & 48V phantom power for condenser microphones (but be sure to be using the AC adaptor, phantom power will chew through batteries fast fast fast).

But wait, there’s even more!!

For the geeks, it has an onboard limiter or compressor, numerous mic models, easy gain settings, the list goes on. You can even use it to record directly to your computer if you are so inclined. Great for multitrack recording.

 
You can use the on-board mics OR the two jacks but not both simulataneously. You can set the gain on the side panel, hi, medium or low. It’s not continuous but at least it has fixed gain settings and not autogain (although that is available through the menus).

Annoyances

Every unit has its annoyances and problems. To get at some of the advanced features you have to use their navigation system which involves a menu button (the one directly under the screen) and an a tiny scroll knob on the right hand side to move between menus and edit parameters. Yikes! I can’t tell you how many times I have overshot the menus. It is counterintuitive but luckily, you don’t have to delve down into the menus that much. The toggle switch is at the right of the view above. You can just see it in the picture at the top of the page as a bump to the right of the record button.

The screen is a bit tiny and, er, hard to read depending on your eyesight. And because of the way you use it, sometimes you have to try to negotiate the display upside down. It would have been nice if it had been a little bigger. There is a post (somewhere) describing a home-made magnifier setup that attaches to the Zoom.

Summary

The Zoom H4 is very “handy” because its small, easy to setup for recording and easy to transfer to a computer. And, beyond that, it has a parcel of additional features that make it a great tool for serious recording in a small package. Its features vastly outweigh its annoyances.