As readers look for the ideal mobile recording device, we’ve had ongoing, vibrant discussion about the Zoom H4. Its built-in stereo mic pair, real XLR jacks, and low price are big pluses — enough so that at least some are willing to overlook fidgety mic level settings. But one major problem could be a deal-breaker: an audible buzz in recordings.
Fortunately, it seems there’s a fix: if you don’t want to have to plug in the AC adapter all the time (which would defeat the purpose of a mobile recorder), make your own DIY battery pack. Zoom forums and RC car enthusiasts to the rescue!
Brad Linder, whom I met today at the NYC Jelly coworking session out in Brooklyn, is a blogger (Weblogs, Inc.) and NPR freelancer. Needless to say, NPR’s audio requirements will be higher than the typical amateur podcaster. Brad extensively documents his DIY RC battery pack.
Building an external battery pack for portable electronic devices [Brad Linder’s Digital Home]
Good stuff, and now that I’ve just gotten my own H4, I’ll be trying this out myself.
A couple of other questions come to mind, though: have others had trouble using external mics (which is part of the point of getting an H4)? And, power gurus, I wonder if a LiPoly battery (Polymer Lithium Ion), as used in cell phones and sold via vendors like SparkFun Electronics, could do the trick? They’re not cheap, but the slim design is a big improvement over the Ghostbuster-esque design above. Thoughts?
Previously:
Zoom H4 Mobile Recording: Useful for Movie Production?
Zoom H2 Portable Flash Recorder Coming Soon; Mic Design Delay (with loads of comments from Zoom owners and folks who went with competitive devices like the Edirol mobile recorder)