Episode 39 – Jonathan Mosen's review of the Zoom H4Essential recorder

Jonathan's series on the Essential recorders from Zoom, which have accessibility features, concludes with the look at the Zoom H1Essential. This is the smallest member of the family and sells for just $99 USD. It can fit in any pocket, and offers high-quality 32-bit float recording. While understandably the recorder lacks some of the features of its larger siblings, it also boasts some features unique to this member of the family.

Continuing his extensive look at the accessible Zoom Essential family, Jonathan demonstrates and reviews the Zoom H4Essential. With its compact size, powerful features and priced at just $199 USD, the H4Essential may be the Goldilocks recorder for many. While this review stands alone and therefore revisits many of the features found in the H6Essential, Jonathan expands further on the powerful mixer functionality and some other features.

Jonathan Mosen begins his reviews of all three recorders in the Essential series, with the Zoom H6Essential Zoom has provided these units so the reviews can be produced, but have not heard these reviews before publication, nor influence what they contain. There is considerable interest from the blind community in the Zoom Essential series, due to the accessibility features available in this professional class of equipment. The h6Essential is the most capable member of the series, providing six tracks of recording, interchangeable microphone capsules, 32 bit float, a playback mixer, audio interface capability and more.

Those of us who use Zoom digital recorders in our content creation are familiar with the work-arounds that blind people have used for years. We might prepare a menu map which we consult when we want to change a setting. We may have some degree of accessibility if we pair the recorder with our phone's and the recorder's corresponding app. But none of it is as efficient or as complete as the experience a sighted person has. That all changes with the new Essential Series from Zoom, the H1Essential, H4Essential, and H6Essential. Jonathan Mosen speaks with Samuel Greene, Zoom North America's Director of Product Development and Customer Support. We talk extensively about the accessible spoken menus, the benefits of 32 bit float recording, and the different features of the three members of the Essential series. Stay tuned as a future episode will have comprehensive demos of all three recorders.

From the manufacturer: "PortCaster is a mobile audio interface for Podcasting, Live streaming and Videos. With this handheld, portable mixer you can host your own show, adding music and guests. PortCaster is easy to use and durable, which saves you time and money. Featuring warm, analog sound and an 8-hour rechargeable battery, PortCaster makes you sound clear and lets you Broadcast from Anywhere! Our new Jasmine™ mic preamps feature 65dB of low-noise gain and support all professional mics. Featuring analog limiters, mix-minus with a phone patch for remote guests, optional SD recorder, mono blend for streaming, and much more, PortCaster liberates your creative process, allowing you to work anywhere! PortCaster Discrete Mic Preamp Discrete Mic Preamps Sound quality starts with the Mic preamps. The improved version of our acclaimed Jasmine™ Mic Preamp features a custom, discrete transistor differential input stage. 65 dB of clean, low-noise gain makes it easy to use any condenser or dynamic microphone, including SM7B, RE20, etc. ondenser or dynamic microphone, including SM7B, RE20, etc. Dual Optical Limiters To help better control recording levels, PortCaster features independent, soft-knee optical limiters for both Host and Guest, for a truly professional sound. Analog photovoltaic limiters are superior to their digital counterparts, as they can subtly catch the audio peaks early, preventing nasty digital clipping. Mix-minus for call-ins Mix-minus is a feature used by radio stations to add call-in guests to the program. Mix-minus prevents annoying audio feedback from traveling back to the caller through the phone line. With PortCaster you can have call-in guests, too! Mix-minus is included. Just connect your phone, and dial up your guest! Or use it as a phone patch during your VO session. enient mono blend knob (Insta-MONO) can combine both input channels, so that your audience on Instagram, Facebook Live, Webex, Zoom, etc., can hear both participants. Even stereo music or sound effects on Aux 3/4 can be mixed down to mono, if needed. We designed its battery system to offer reliable service in the field. The case is made from lightweight aluminum and the tactile controls make adjustments quick and easy. The built-in SD recorder, combined with our custom XY stereo mics turns PortCaster into a professional, high-quality mobile recorder. Your smartphone is an amazing audio production tool. Many apps let you edit, produce, and then upload your audio online in minutes. But how do you get quality audio into your phone in the first place? Now it’s simple! Set the PortCaster on your coffee table, connect a mic and the phone, start your favorite recording app and you’re recording — it’s that easy! Have a particular vocal mic that suits your voice? No problem. PortCaster offers 48V phantom power to accommodate any dynamic or condenser mic. The custom designed Jasmine™ Mic preamps deliver a world-class signal, designed to capture every nuance of the performance. PortCaster is a professional Mobile Recording Interface. It delivers broadcast-level audio quality and is used worldwide by radio stations, professional musicians, podcasters, life streamers and youtubers. This hand-held recording marvel packs a number of features previously available only in high-end studio interfaces, into an ideal form-factor for traveling audio professionals. PortCaster packs two boutique mic preamps with LED level monitoring, 48V phantom power, Dual Independent Limiters, Mono blend, USB blend, and more, into a handheld device the size of a passport! Our exclusive hybrid power system lets you run the unit off the internal rechargeable battery OR from the wall outlet (R4M, R4D models). By transforming your smartphone into a portable recording studio PortCaster creates an end-to-end mobile recording solution for journalists, podcasters, voiceover artists, and videographers — anyone who records on the go. PortCaster has two Neutrik™ input jacks, which accommodate professional microphones and one TRRS input jack for connecting a cell phone. Now you can easily add remote guests to your podcast. Simply dial them up and PortCaster will do the rest. Its analog Mix-minus circuitry will make sure the guest hears the entire podcast with the exception of their own voice. This prevents annyoing feedback from traveling down the phone line and it’s how big radio stations arrange call-in guests. With PortCaster, you can do this too! PortCaster is also a versatile mixer. It has an Auxiliary stereo input that allows you to effortlessly add background music or sound effects to your podcast. PortCaster can connect to a camera via its stereo line output. The top panel gives you easy access to all of the adjustments, using familiar analog pots. No searching through menu pages to find the right adjustment — quick and easy controls are always at your fingertips." From a blindness perspective, PortCaster is particularly attractive because it has no screen, and no menus. Once you're familiar with the order of the controls, there are no menu layers to trip you up. Jonathan will demonstrate PortCaster in several common scenarios, and discuss who this device is right for. To purchase PortCaster, visit the Centrance Store.

From the manufacturer: The R-07 packs mission-critical recording features into a stylish and ultra-portable device that goes anywhere life takes you. High-resolution audio, one-touch Scene memory, and Hybrid Limiting ensure great sounding recordings no matter what the situation. And wireless listening and remote control mean you can record with less wires in more places. The R-07 is simple and intuitive, goes anywhere, and provides mission-critical recording functions leaving your phone free to do what it does best. The R-07 looks great, sounds superb, and fits comfortably in your hand or your pocket. It’s easy to use yet provides truly professional results with one-touch recording setup. Its next-generation Bluetooth capabilities mean you can control, monitor and listen back wirelessly using supported smartphones, Apple Watch and Bluetooth speakers. It comes in three stylish colors and runs on two AA batteries or USB bus power. A recorder as compact and go-anywhere as the R-07 could end up in a lot of different recording situations. Whether it’s on-location interviews, on-the-road demos, classrooms, boardrooms, field recording, or just about anything else you can imagine, the R-07 can automatically apply the ideal settings. When you select a Scene, the sample rate, record mode, limiter, low cut, and input level instantly adjust to their optimal settings. And you can alter any of the settings and save them for next time, so you’ll never miss that magic moment. Designed for a Wireless World The R-07 uses the latest Bluetooth technology with Qualcomm® aptX™ Low Latency for enhanced streaming performance. Remote control of up to four R-07 units at once—right from your tablet, smartphone, or Apple Watch. Manage recordings and ensure what’s being captured is exactly what you want, even while the R-07 is in a prime recording location, and out of reach. Listen on wireless headphones or Bluetooth speakers—all while cutting cable clutter and staying out of the way of your recording subjects. Safe and Sound With Dual Recording and Hybrid Limiting, you’ll never ruin a vital recording due to overload or clipping. And you won’t have to worry about artifacts from aggressive limiting either. The R-07 can make two simultaneous recordings—one at full level and another at a lower level with increased headroom. If there’s unexpected clipping in the main recording, you can replace that section with a portion of the lower-level backup recording. Hybrid Limiting can even handle this automatically, so you get all the safety of limiting with none of the downsides.

From the manufacturer: Make studio quality recordings with EVO 16’s next-level audio performance. Eight award winning EVO intelligent mic preamps that set their own levels with Smartgain, the all new, groundbreaking Motion UI control system, and enough I/O firepower to tackle even the biggest of sessions, EVO 16 is truly a studio powerhouse, designed from the ground up to make recording easy. Eight stunning Evo microphone preamps Evo 16's eight Evo mic preamps reflect Audient's 25 years of engineering innovation. These excellent-sounding pre's yield a respectable 58dB of gain for your microphones, along with impressive EIN specs for low-noise, low-distortion results. These digitally controlled analog preamps provide ultra-precise control, enabling you to set your gain with pinpoint accuracy. Matching the levels of stereo-paired mics has never been easier! Evo 16 also boasts top-notch AD/DA conversion with a remarkable 121dB of dynamic range. In short, this audio interface sounds amazing! Smartgain takes the guesswork out of setting levels This incredible technology automatically sets the gain for all eight of the interface's channels — simultaneously — at the touch of a button. Smartgain employs advanced peak analysis to automatically analyse your input signals and adjust each channel's preamp gain to its optimal level. This feature not only safeguards against clipping, but it's also a huge time saver when you're recording drums or setting up large sessions. On top of that, it makes recording yourself much easier, since you won't need to continuously adjust your preamp gain. Easy-to-use Motion UI control system Navigating Evo 16 is a walk in the park, thanks to its intuitive Motion UI control system. The interface is centered around a high-resolution TFT-LCD screen, which includes IPS technology for clear viewing at any angle. A channel status indicator displays the channel's name, levels, and functions activated with a push of a button. Crystal-clear, full-colour metering makes keeping an eye on your levels a breeze. What's more, Evo 16's 1-knob control and customisable F-button ensure simple, trouble-free operation. Key Features: USB 2.0 audio interface provides 24-in/24-out over a common USB-C connection 8 analog Evo mic preamps yield 58dB of gain and digital-precise control Contains 2 JFET instrument inputs, 2 headphone outputs, and ample digital I/O Includes monitor control, audio loopback, and a word clock output Top-notch 24-bit/96kHz AD/DA converters supplies crystal-clear audio with 121dB of dynamic range Smartgain automatically analyses your input signals and adjust each channel's preamp gain Intuitive Motion UI control system with high-resolution TFT-LCD screen Channel status indicator displays the channel's name, levels, and functions activated Easy-to-read, full-colour metering makes keeping an eye on your levels a breeze 1-knob control and customisable F-button ensure simple, trouble-free operation. Other show notes. The Audient Evo range is a shining example of what can happen when a manufacturer engages with, and truly listens to, the blind community. The accessibility features of this family of audio interfaces will improve and simplify all kinds of audio production. Jonathan orientates you to the hardware and walks you through the software, using the Evo 16.

The Zoom M2 MicTrak is a 199 USD microphone that records. Pop a Micro-SD card into the MicTrak, and without any bulky gadgets and cables, you've got stereo 32-bit float recording. The fact that you can record in any situation without the risk of distortion is of enormous benefit to blind people recording in the field. When the product was launched late last year, it got off to the worst possible start, with overwhelmingly negative feedback about the product being unusable due to chronic radio frequency interference. Zoom Sound Labs recalled many of the original batch of microphones, acknowledging the problem and proclaiming it fixed. And it appears they are right. The RF problems are gone and the device seems dependable. This handy microphone is an easy-to-use, simple way to get quality recording of anything, anywhere. In this demonstration, we'll unbox the M2 MicTrak, set it up, and take you through every single menu item on the device, so you can build a cheat sheet to help you set it up the way you like.

Auphonic develops intelligent audio algorithms using a combination of AI and signal processing to provide an automated audio post production web service — an audio autopilot for podcasts, broadcasts, radio, interviews, audiobooks, lecture recordings, and more. Users just upload their recorded audio, and Auphonic will do the rest: neither complicated parameter settings nor audio expert knowledge are necessary. The site is fully screen reader accessible. In this episode, Jonathan Mosen speaks with Georg Holzmann, the audio engineer who founded Auphonic, about what the service can do. He then offers a comprehensive demonstration of the power of Auphonic, creating single and multi-track productions, watch folders, connecting Auphonic to external services and using its advanced parameters. Visit Auphonic at https://auphonic.com

From the manufacturer: The Mackie EleMent Chromium USB condenser microphone is a true home studio beast, with tonnes of I/O control for an array of different uses. With 4 selectable polar patterns and Makie's legendary Onyx Preamp circuitry, Chromium puts that slick studio sound within reach. On top of that, you get a 1/4" instrument input that you can mix in with the mic. Want to play along with a track? Connect anything with a headphone output to the 1/8" Aux in and hear it in your headphones. In this episode, Neal Ewers describes the microphone while using it, so you can hear its audio for yourself.