And at another day conference, I put it on an extra mic stand by the people on stage speaking, to record their talks. I also recorded what came out of the mixing desk on another machine, but used the audio from the H1n as it was clearer.

I also use it for any song ideas I have, to record my singing, guitar or piano. The quality is good enough to put it into Studio One to start a new song. I pull the card out, put it into an adaptor and plug it into my laptop and transfer the audio. (Transfering audio directly from the machine is MUCH slower.) Handling noise is also reduced, but you still need to be careful. In my tests, I mainly mounted the H1n on a Gorillapod, while the tests at the beach were on a Manbily monopod (reversed as a boom pole). But I held the device body in my hands for the final clip in the park, and you can hear some slight handling noise. As with the H1, the microphone configuration is X-Y (a crossed pair) which provides a good stereo image. The microphone capsules themselves look similar but they’re better protected. Like the old model, the H1n can record MP3 or WAV with a maximum quality of 96KHz 24 bit. One-touch button controls make it simple to record songs, audio-for-film, lectures, podcasting, and more. And its new monochromatic 1.25” LCD display is easy to read even in the brightest lighting conditions. I think the original was really meant for musicians, which is why it doesn’t work well outdoors. Now Zoom have redesigned it and added some specific filmmaking features.The mic's are very nice also considering the price. I've had much worse for more money! Here you get two for the price of one! Both are condenser and capture the space at a remarkable depth, depending on the set input level. The microphones are housed in a large plastic enclosure that resembles a basket, leaving the microphones exposed for unimpeded recording. It also has a 1/8-inch mic/input port, which means you can connect it to a lapel mic for interviews or a phantom powered shotgun microphone. The microphones on the H1n are very sensitive and winds over 6mph will cause audio distortion and peaking if unprotected. Unfortunately, the Zoom does not come with any wind protection.

A pretty standard, but worth mentioning function is seamless recording. When a recording has reached the maximum file size (2gb), a new file is automatically created with no audio loss (seamless). I find the on/off switch weird - it is a slide that you have to hold for a second or two until the machine boots up/ powers down. Annoying, but about the only critiek I can think of. There are a few different ways you can record with the Zoom H1n. Either directly to the SD card, or it can be used as a standard audio interface to record audio into a DAW. No matter which way, you’ll first want to set the levels. Recording on the H1n took some getting used to. I am accustomed to pressing record once to enter standby recording mode, and pressing record again to actually start recording. The H1n is always in standby recording mode. Both devices have X/Y style microphones that record up to 24-bit audio files. The PCM-A10’s microphones are adjustable for fine-tuning your audio recording whereas the Zoom H1n’s microphones are non-adjustable.

An3.5mm stereo mic/line input lets you record with your external microphones or other sound sources, and supplies plug-in power (2.5 volts). Connect headphones via the 3.5mm headphones output with dedicated volume control. You can also use the H1n’s built-in speaker to listen to your recordings. With the popularity around the H1n, there are plenty of good options available if you need a wind solution. You may want to use a higher microphone sensitivity if you realize that your interviewees talk softly.