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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Zoom h4n direct to audio-in Scarlet ... It works

Josef Gatti

Josef Gatti

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So I couldn't get a mic working on my Scarlet - so I got a double ended 3.5mm cable and put it from the audio out of the zoom h4n into the Scarlet audio in. It worked, I was happy.

It was only for scratch audio, but now the audio on my r3d's are (seemingly) as good as what I hear from the files captured to the h4n, but I'm not audio expert, and my speakers aren't great.

Has anyone done this before? Was there any loss of audio quality from the h4n audio out?

Thanks
 
Nice idea. I'll have to try my Zoom on my Epic.
 
On the SI2K P+S Recorder Unit body and Laptop/Mini ATX based recording solutions, the Zoom H4n has been used via USB for convenient digital audio input as it has the capablity of providing phantom power to mikes. I found a bit of a latency issue with mine however others have liked it. If the EPIC/SCARLETT can behave as if is is a computer, it might be workable to accept a digital audio input via USB.

I am totally dumb as to RED cams so please disregard except as a random thought.
 
Yes, indeed, it works.

Take this cable

Scarlet_sound.jpeg


Insert one side of the cable into Scarlet/Epic mic port 1 or 2, second side into Zoom's headphone output and press the Rec button on the recorder once to let the sound through.

You can leave it at monitoring on Zoom (in this case only the camera will record sound) or you can press the Rec button again and actually record on Zoom and the camera simultaneously. I did an interview on Epic three days ago, where I plugged a lav mic into one of Zoom's XLR ports and recorded my scratch and clean tracks using a single device.

Oh, and you can monitor the sound too through Epic/Scarlet headphone output.
 
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Recording directly to the H4N's SD card will provide higher quality audio as it's able to record at a very high bit rate (up to 24 bit, 96khz audio) which surpasses even CD quality. So if you want the absolute cleanest signal, record while you're sending the signal to your Scarlet. You can even use the H1's (much smaller and lighter, and what I use) as well.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'll use the h4n recording for best audio.
But yeah for those of you who want to give it a try it works unbelievably well - much better than I'd anticipated.
We were completely out of ideas and this was the last attempt!
 
I've been considering this route with the zoom H2n, does anybody have experience with this model ?
and also, which side does the camera hear coming from the zoom headphone, L or R ?
 
Do you need a specific 3.5mm cable? I know you do when using a 3.5mm to xlr.
 
Josef Gatti said:
Don't think so (but can't be 100%).

I took the one I use from my laptop -> tv when watching movies. It was just a standard cable (does two channels I'm pretty sure)
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Can you clarify something for me. When using an XLR mic (rhode ntg-2) will it record 24bit/96kbps? or is that only for the onboard stereo mics?
 
Scarlet and a ZoomH4n... a match made in heaven.....
 
I used to do this with my Red One and Tascam DR 100. Totally works. Good on the Epic too. The recorder basically becomes a mixer, allows phantom power and captures an easily synched higher bitrate recording.
 
I just did the same thing with a Tascam DR-40 (4 track). I was able to mount it to my EPIC via 1/4" bolt on a Wooden Nickel cheese plate handle and still do handheld work with a boom plugged in.

The Tascam "should" be better than then EPIC feed from the Tascam headphone jack. I set the Tascam to 24 Bit wav files. I was also able to record a second track at -12DB on the Tascam to hold any audio that peaked the first track. I bought the thing for $150. It's a damn amazing recorder for that.

But, at first listen the EPIC audio sounds really good.
 
Would this workflow be improved if you added the Sound Devices Mix Pre? A bit more bulk, but you'd get the SD's fantastic pre-amps and added headroom. Thoughts?
 
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