How to Use a Zoom H4n as an On-Camera Mic

How to Use a Zoom H4n as an On-Camera Mic - Part 2

Рет қаралды 22,064

13 жыл бұрын

Learn how to use an audio recorder as an on-camera mic, or as an XLR adapter. Learn about a special kind of Sescom DSLR cable with a headphone output. In this video, I compare the sound of the built-in mics on the camera with the stereo mics on the Zoom H4n, and I show you how it sounds using the XLR inputs with a Tram TR50 lavalier mic, and with an Audio Technica 4053b hyper cardioid mic.
Get the Zoom H4n - amzn.to/29sJvLJ (affiliate link)
Get the Sescom cable with headphone output - amzn.to/29nSFn7 (affiliate link)
Get the Audio-Technica 4053b microphone - amzn.to/29p8RnA (affiliate link)
Check out my blog post on this subject: goo.gl/TKrNbc
And check out Part 1 of this series: goo.gl/1VK1AU

Пікірлер: 65

@boltonlivetime 12 жыл бұрын

Excellent Sam! I'm going through this dilemma right now. The change in sound quality is incredible really. Thanks

@R0dan 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks, just ordered my H4n and will be ordering this cable

@PatARobinson 12 жыл бұрын

I have this cable on my Canon 7D using a Zoom H4N Recorder-allows me to adjust the recording level while monitoring the sound using ear buds / headphones-great video explanation and the item works great!

@colombia.nestor 12 жыл бұрын

Hi Sam, thanks kindly for your videos. Your efforts are appreciated very much! Best to you!

@kesra80 13 жыл бұрын

thanks HiddenDriveways, i am waiting for my Sescom cable now! i hope it work with my GH1.

@lovebread4h8sandwich 11 жыл бұрын

I did. It's the auto gain control on Canon DSLR's that can only be turned off with Magic Lantern. Once I got it turned off, I got great synched audio from both my Zoom and my Rode Video Mic. Thanks!

@AllyMchume 11 жыл бұрын

Very informative video

@jenksandartt 11 жыл бұрын

thanks. great, great tutorial!

@iradivadvideos 11 жыл бұрын

VERY helpful vid, thnx much

@jenksandartt 11 жыл бұрын

thanks for your response

@jenksandartt 11 жыл бұрын

thanks for your help

@jenksandartt 11 жыл бұрын

thanks for responding

@nativesun7661 12 жыл бұрын

Good info! thanks

@HiddenDriveways 13 жыл бұрын

@wroadhouse I just looked into it, and it appears that both cameras do indeed have a 3.5mm mic input, so yes, this will work on these cameras.

@kenyee88 13 жыл бұрын

lol...you can hear your fridge w/ the H4n's mics :-) Thanks for mentioning the cable.

@BIGMACMCDONALDLEE 8 жыл бұрын

Yes, exactly what I needed! Thx!

@HiddenDriveways 13 жыл бұрын

@bluffatpk It depends. The Canon 7D and the T2i don't allow you to turn off the AGC, but the Canon 5D mkII, the 60D, and the T3i do. However, you can download a firmware hack for the T2i called Magic Lantern that allows you to turn off the AGC.

@HiddenDriveways 13 жыл бұрын

@KhawaFilm You cannot adjust the noise cancellation in the background. What you need to do is use the proper microphone when shooting. Instead of using the built in mics, it's usually a better idea to use an external shotgun and/or a clip-on lavalier mic. These do a much better job of not picking up background noise.

@JeighNeither 13 жыл бұрын

Hey, great review, and I certainly appreciate it... but, it sounds like you have your mics too hot in the Zoom. The sound was definitely best with both mics, but they were still a little to hot. I would try out a compressor, limiter, or even one of the built in vocal effects on the zoom. Or just turn the out put down a bit. I have owned the zoom's all the way back to the p-2 palm studio. They have always been incredible. Thanks again

@HiddenDriveways 11 жыл бұрын

Yes.

@HiddenDriveways 11 жыл бұрын

DSLR cameras can only record two tracks. If you're using the two on-board mics on the H4n in addition to the two external mic inputs on the H4n, all of that audio will pass through the Sescom cable and into the DSLR, it's just that it will be mixed together into stereo left and right. The camera cannot record four isolated audio tracks.

@morgando2 12 жыл бұрын

Your video camera has a headphone out put. You can listen there. If you adjust the volume on the H4n you affect your recording.

@krkandiah 8 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video - I am trying to plug my H4N into my iPhone 6s - which i think has a TRRS interface. Will the sescom cable help me with this?

@KhawaFilm 13 жыл бұрын

hello Sam, very nice tutorial.. just have quick question.. How do you adjust the noise cancellation on the background on Zoom H4N.. thanks

@nettaP 12 жыл бұрын

Hi again Sam! I have tried pressing record on the Zoom Recorder and on the Camera at the same time, and the sound is not being recorded onto the camera's SD card at all. It's only recording into the HD Recorder. Could you do a step by step on how to get it to record into the camera? I've confirmed I've got everything plugged in correctly.

@nettaP 12 жыл бұрын

Hi Sam - Thank you. So, do you press record on the Zoom recorder & the camera at the same time and the audio records to both the SD card in your camera and on the Zoom at the same time?

@nkalsulkar 13 жыл бұрын

nice tutorial. i've ordered my h4n already and will use it in in a similar setup for my canon eos 60d. but your sound is pretty distorted. did you just not monitor the audio or is it because of the camera/cable/h4n/mic/placement ? especially the tram should sound a lot better.

@jenksandartt 11 жыл бұрын

when the audio from the zoom goes onto the dslr, are you able to see separate tracks from the onboard audio from the zoom?

@KevMull 12 жыл бұрын

Why not simply use the headphone soc on the camcorder (assuming it has one) rather use the y-splitter?

@HiddenDriveways 13 жыл бұрын

@GARCIA323 Hi Garcia... I'm afraid not. If a camera doesn't have a microphone input, a Sescom cable is useless. Sorry!

@counselorsuzie 11 жыл бұрын

Hi Sam, thanks for the post. This is exactly the solution I needed for recording live music directly into my camera. I do have a question, I am a singer and often sing to a soundtrack. Is there a way to send the sound from my computer, ie itunes, or ipod directly into one of the channels of the h4n so the sound is recorded into it more directly. (As apposed to the sound from the soundtrack just being picked up by the mic) Any thoughts on how to do this would be appreciated. Thanks!!

@HiddenDriveways 11 жыл бұрын

No. There are only two tracks in a typical video camera: stereo left and right.

@edlee83 12 жыл бұрын

Hi Sam, thanks for doing this. It made me buy the cable for my GH2 and H4N. But for some reason I'm getting this faint but audible static/feedback throughout the recording off my camera. I've recorded thru the H4N, a XLR shotgun and a 3.5mm shotgun. All the same results so it must be either my camera or H4N settings... any tips?

@YouFirstEye 13 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video. I am trying out your suggestion. Also, do you have a cheaper sound alternative with Zoom H4n for the same effect as the Mitra Corp. 3D Mic Pro?

@GARCIA323 13 жыл бұрын

Whats up Sam. Just what i was looking for ! quick question will this Sescom cable work on a regular HD camcorder with out a mic input ? Only having a headphone output , or vice versa using the line -in headphone output from the camcoder in to the mic input from the Zoom H4 would it work.

@disyembre 13 жыл бұрын

with that kind of setup(the one with lav mic) you are able to record good audio directly to your video plus a backup to the zoom h4n?

@HonestArttsEntertain 11 жыл бұрын

i just looked at this video again and I wanted to clarify: If I record on my zoom hooked up to the ses on input 1 and 2, which is left and right, will I still have that left and right track represented on my dslr? (in a stereo track?) And if I record in 4 channel mode, it will mix all the channels on my dslr, right? Is it true that it won't mix if I only use input 1 and input 2? And is the zoom and my dslr levels the same while recording. Thanks for the video.

@ABCVermonter 11 жыл бұрын

Would this cable also work for a camcorder, like Canon M40, instead of a DSLR? Is -25dB pad also needed for a consumer camcorder? Thanks.

@bluffatpk 13 жыл бұрын

will there still be AGC if used on a canon HDSLR

@jenksandartt 11 жыл бұрын

while using 4 channel recording on the zoom attached to camera, will it still work. meaning, will it record all channels on the camera?

@iradivadvideos 11 жыл бұрын

did you get this figured out? I'm about to buy the h4n/ the cable and a lav and plan to use zoom internal as shotgun - any insight to possible to white noise issues is appreciated.

@jenksandartt 11 жыл бұрын

okay. So if i use2 shotgun mics, 1 in input one, and the other in input 2, will both inputs represent left and right

@AlejandroMS67 13 жыл бұрын

Hi Sam, so I ordered the Sescom LN2MIC-ZMH4-GH1 to connect my Zoom H4N to my Lumix GH2. But from what I understand, this will not let me connect my headphones at the same time. For that, I need to order the LN2MIC-ZMGH-MON. Did I understand this correctly?

@mikedemoss5788 11 жыл бұрын

I want to separate my zoom and my camera by 10-15 feet what cable can I use as an extention? thanks

@BrianFrench 11 жыл бұрын

I am using my h4n as my mic can I just use the sescom and then attached a 8 f t. line in extension in the the camcorder. Does a 8ft audio cable extension add any distortion or am I good to go?

@jonatanjimenez3819 11 жыл бұрын

This is I'm trying to do with my camera Sony FX1 and Zoom H4n. I want to connect Zoom H4n with XLR male connector to my Sony FX1 camera (minijack male connector) to record the audio. Do you think is it possible? Do you think it will record better audio than using an Audio Technica AT897 mic connected directly to the minijack of the Sony FX1 camera? Thanks! Thanks for your time. Jonatan

@lovebread4h8sandwich 11 жыл бұрын

I am trying this with a Zoom H2 on a Canon 60d, and I'm using the same Sescom cable. The audio from my zoom is recording louder and with a lot of white noise when being used with the cable and DSLR for some reason. I recorded the audio separately, and it sounded great like usual. My on-camera sound settings are set to Auto, is that what my problem is? Any help would be great, because this is frustrating as hell.

@kenkraker 13 жыл бұрын

What device do you use to mount the H4N on your camcorder ? Can i use the simillar device to mount the H4N on my HV20 camera?

@iradivadvideos 11 жыл бұрын

How'd it work for you? Any issues, any regrets? I'm about to buy it to use with my dslr and a lav with the zoom internal as a shotgun

@waitech 8 жыл бұрын

Hello Sam Mallery, if I send a very loud signal to a Mirrorless Camera mic input from my Tascam DR-40 line out with a regular 1/8 line cable, will it damage the hardware of the mic input? thanks!

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

+waitech Nope. No damage. Likely just bad sounding audio. :)

@Kuasaseni 12 жыл бұрын

i'm using h2n with gh2 camera..is the sescom cable work for zoom h2n?

@Kuasaseni 12 жыл бұрын

is it same to h2N sam..?

@Fefe8725 10 жыл бұрын

Sam Mallery, will this work on a nikon D3200 or D3300?

@HiddenDriveways 10 жыл бұрын

D3200 = yes. D3300 = yes.

@Fefe8725 10 жыл бұрын

Thanks

@Marcelosouza811 9 жыл бұрын

Sam Mallery will the sescom cable work for zoom h1? Some people say it will but the link only says for zoom h4 Thank you in advanced! :D Great video!

@HiddenDriveways 9 жыл бұрын

Marcelo Souza de Araujo Yes. It will work with the H1.

@Johnson82ish 8 жыл бұрын

Hi. Can anybody tell me, if the Zoom h4n could record multiple mics, and direct into a dslr?

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

Yes. The Zoom H4n can record two mics from its two XLR inputs, and a third external microphone from its 1/8" input. The headphone output of the H4n can be plugged into the mic input of a DSLR with a Sescom cable, like this one amzn.to/29Q1Eiu

@Johnson82ish 8 жыл бұрын

+Sam Mallery Awesome! Thank you. One last thing: Is it then possible to monitor All of these inputs? So it basically would be acting as a juiced link basically. Thanks.

@HiddenDriveways 8 жыл бұрын

You can't monitor the separate mics individually. You can hear them mixed together, as long as your DSLR has a headphone output. If it doesn't, you would need to use the special kind of Sescom cable with a headphone jack, like I describe in this video.

@Johnson82ish 8 жыл бұрын

+Sam Mallery Oh Okay, I see. I was hoping to get a Zoom h4n and use it as a juicedlink basically. thank you for your help and video!