Mini test: Zoom H1essential
Posted on Nov 22, 2024 by Pro Moviemaker
Zoom’s H1essential offers 32-bit float recording, great audio quality, and a budget-friendly price. We tested it to see if it’s the ultimate grab-and-go recorder
With audio being so essential, there is every reason to find room for a mini recorder like the new Zoom H1essential in your kitbag. Especially since it only costs a paltry £89/$99 and has the latest 32-bit float tech, offering a ridiculously wide dynamic range. You can ramp up quiet sounds or tone down loud ones in post with no impact on audio quality.
Of course, being so small and inexpensive, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of larger units, but also doesn’t come with their price or complexity. The biggest issue is its lack of XLR inputs, but with a 3.5mm input jack it can be used for XLR mics with an adapter, as well as wireless lapel kits, lav mics, ambient omnidirectional mics and even plugged into a soundboard at an event or gig. That’s a lot of ways to guarantee your audio is up to scratch.
It even comes with on-board X/Y microphones that can handle up to 120dB SPL, making it suitable for recording loud sound sources. In fact, the whole unit is designed to be as simple as possible so it’s perfect for inexperienced vloggers or content creators. Just turn it on and the on-board mics will capture excellent sound to an internal micro SDXC card or plug it into a smartphone with the USB-C socket to use it as a mic. It even has a dedicated marker button for quickly identifying and easily navigating to key parts of the recording in post. That’s where to go to adjust the levels and take advantage of the 32-bit audio’s huge range.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to actually adjust the gain as Zoom reckons 32-bit float captures it all. The auto-gain setting can peak, so you’ll need to tweak in post. Even with the screen improvements compared to the older H1n, it’s still not easy to monitor your audio in the field with the small screen. Handling noise can creep in too, so it’s best to use a mini tripod and windshield which do cost extra. At least the AAA batteries are cheap and cheerful, providing juice for up to ten hours.
The H1essential is great for filmmakers, as you can record and send audio directly to your camera or use it to capture sound effects on location. The 3.5mm mic/line input can be used with lav mics for dialogue and supplies up to 2.5v of plug-in power. The H1essential also has advanced features such as overdubbing, pre-record, autorecord and playback speed adjustment. That’s a lot for your cash, and the audio quality is excellent.
It’s not as useful as models like Zoom’s bigger H6essential or H4essential, as these have more recording tracks and XLR inputs with professional-quality preamps that support phantom power and +4dBU pro line level input. But for a simple, easy and cheap solution, the Zoom H1essential is all you ever need.
£89/$99
Specifications
- Tracks: 2
- Input channels: 2
- Maximum sampling rate: 96kHz/32-bit float
- Mic: Built-in cardioid condenser stereo pair, X/Y configuration
- Mic inputs: 1
- Built-in speaker: 1W mono
- Display: 2.44cm/0.96in monochrome OLED
- Memory card: Micro SDXC
- Internal storage: None
- Special features: Overdubbing
- Analogue I/O: 3.5mm/1/8in TRS female balanced/unbalanced line/mic input, 3.5mm/1/8in TRS female headphone/line output
- Phantom power: No
- System connection: USB-C
- Wireless: No
- App: No
- Headphone output: 20mW per channel into 32 ohms
- Mic sensitivity: -37dB
- Mic max SPL: 120dBPower supply: 2x AAA batteries, USB-C, mains adapter
- Battery life: 10 hours
- Dimensions: 54x29x137mm/2.1×1.1×5.4in
- Weight: 92g/0.2lb (with batteries)
Pro Moviemaker rating: 9/10
Insanely good-value recorder with 32-bit float
- Pros: Great audio quality, easy use
- Cons: No XLR inputs
This review was first published in the November/December 2024 issue of Pro Moviemaker
