ZOOM Portable Studio Recorder, 3.5 mm Jack (M4)

((this is a RARE positive review from me! My standards are high and I'm skeptical of everything))There are some devices out right now that CLAIM to support timecode, but in reality -still require their own timecode generating device. The Zoom M4 however, does EXACTLY as advertised.I'll be honest -at first, I was VERY skeptical of this all-in-one recorder... when it arrived and I took it out of the box and felt how lightweight it was, I was even more skeptical...but then I put it to the test and SO FAR, I've been VERY pleasantly surprised!I film music events with multiple cameras and record audio using a 4-channel recorder. ANYONE who's ever taken the post -production challenge of having to sync audio of video clips to a master audio source KNOWS the value of using timecode.I used this Zoom M4 to record an 8 hour music event recently, and it worked beautifully.3 cameras.3 timecode generators.1 Zoom M41 256gb micro SDrecorded 4-channel audio (2chan stereo): 1) line in from performing artist, 2)stereo audio of crowd using the built -in microphone.The following day, I took all of the media from each camera and the audio from the M4 -dropped the files into Tentacle Sync app -and BANG. ALL CLIPS SYNCED to HIGH QUALITY 24bit/ 48hz!You can also attach this thing directly to your camera rig. It's SUPER light (without the batteries).This thing does the job of 32bit float recorders for about 1/3 of the price AND it has a pretty decent quality mic.So. If you're looking for an audio recording solution that has reliable timecode generator built in, THIS IS YOUR RECORDER!This recorder does EVERYTHING I need it to do, and it does it VERY WELL!The only concern I still have, is that this may not last very long because it feels like it could very easily be broken if dropped.I felt compelled to write this review because I searched for a LONG time looking for a solution at this price -and took a chance with this thing, bc reviews are non -existent online.Hope this helps!

ill start with the positive... it does work and the battery life seems to be pretty solid...NEGATIVES: horrible RF noises if you get anywhere near anything, extremely noisey to hold on to it picks up every movement you make and even ones you didnt know you made. its pretty big so not very portable, feels super cheap and plasticy by no means would i use it for anything professional like i was hoping for.i give a low rating for this because the RF noises were supposed to be fixed but they were not.. and even so it has a really high self noise to it that makes it unusable for anything quiet.

Zoom recorders have never been particularly solid feeling, but this one is really plasticky and cheap feeling. I do appreciate that it's light and probably can take a drop better than an all-metal build, however, it feels cheap.Build quality aside, it sounds great and with 32-bit float recording, it's a fool-proof mic to setup at the back of a wedding, concert, or stage event to be able to capture board audio with a backup stereo room mic.

This recorder looks nice, feels nice, has great features, love the design, love the display, love the simplified menu, love the ergonomics, love the operation, love the sound quality, love the lightweight, and you know what? It doesn't work quite right with my iOS devices, not as seamlessly as the M2, and since I don't actually need the extra features the M4 has above the M2, although I did want the nicer display, and I did want the tripod mount hole built right into it, and I did want XLR as well as auxiliary inputs, despite the fact that I would rarely use them. I don't need them.What I need is for the device to be fully recognized by apps in my iPhone and my iPad, and that was not consistently the case with the M4, not as robustly and simply plug-and-play as the M2, which is a little bit baffling since they are products from the same company and the same series.But really, it's fantastic. So beyond that iOS issue all I would say is that if you don't need extensive iOS compatibility, this is a tremendous recorder worth your consideration. It's a lot nicer, I think, than the Tascam PortaCapture X6.

Makes great recordings and is pretty simple to use. I want to love it. Wish it had a battery level meter. The deal killer is that the button labels have rubbed off with lite use. C'mon! The plastic feels cheap too. It's a little wide to hold in most people's hands comfortably (I have big hands). I've contacted Zoom twice now and they have not responded.Update: I go a hold of customer support and they shipped me out a replacement saying it was a known issue. Back to recording.

Awesome handheld recorder. Centipod it is what it appears to be in your records it looks like a microphone it’s cool getting the audio off of it it’s super easy with a computer and a USB cord because it looks so much like a microphone it’s just into it and people naturally respond to that better than a microphone with a cord

I took a chance on this after seeing reviews of early models having issues with EMF noise, but zoom stated the issue was fixed.I got the device just recently (07/17/23) and unfortunately hear the same static issues highlighted in a few youtube videos (freetousesounds)The noise is present on the monitor ports and line out.I contacted zoom and will see how they respond, but for the price and target audience this item falls short due to this issue.----Update-----Zoom told me to return and exchange the item with Amazon as they thought the issue was isolated or I would have to pay to ship it to them for a replacement. I exchanged it from Amazon and the replacement had the same issue so it seems like it is a product issue still. When I contacted Zoom to let them know, they stopped responding. Luckily I can return the item to Amazon and get my money back, but am disappointed with Zoom's support on this product and design issues.