Zoom H4n Pro Recorder Setup
Click here for the PDF manual
1- Turn on the device (see 1)
2- Press the record button (see 2). This turns-on the microphones, but does not start recording.
3- Point the recorder at the source you're trying to record.
4- SET YOUR LEVELS! Look at the meters (see 3) and adjust the "Record Level" dial (see 5) until the loudest parts of what you're trying to record hits -6dB. Avoid clipping as much as possible (i.e., you should never see the "Over" indicators to the right of the meters).
5- Plug-in headphones, adjust the headphone volume to a comfortable level (see 6), and listen to what's being captured by the microphones. Consider the following:
Is there too much/too little room sound?
Is the sound "natural" (i.e., like it sounds to your ears), or is it more focused on a particular frequency range?
7- If you moved the recorder while listening, make sure you re-check your levels. Adjust accordingly.
8- Press the "Play/Pause" button. (see 4) This starts recording. You will see the time indicator start to count up.
9- When done, press the "stop" button.
10- To transfer to the computer, plug the USB cable into the Zoom recorder and into the computer. Then, press the menu button on the side of the device, and use the wheel to navigate to the USB section of the menu. Press the wheel button to make your selection, and then navigate to "USB STORAGE". The recorder will appear on the computer as a hard drive named "H4N_SD". Double click on it and look for your audio files in one of the sub-folders located in the the "STEREO" folder (you have to search around, it's never the same based on the previous user). Click and drag your files to the location of your choice on the computer.