Archive notice: This article was originally published on March 24, 2010. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The Zoom H1 offers professional recording technology in a miniature format – at a sensational price. The little brother of world-market leader H2 is therefore particularly suitable for beginners who refuse to compromise on quality. Alongside microphone capsules in an X/Y arrangement, the handheld recorder features high-quality inputs and outputs, a microSD/microSDHC memory-card slot and many other features. With one AAA battery, the H1 provides around ten hours of recording.
The Zoom H1 is not only extremely compact and attractively priced; it also delivers outstanding studio-quality recordings at 24 bit and 96 kHz. Ensuring that maximum miniaturisation and the low price did not come at the expense of sound was the highest priority when the H1 was conceived: Zoom therefore integrated the award-winning recording technology of its premium H4n recorder into the new miniature recorder. Given the H1’s ultra-compact dimensions, this is quite an achievement.
Like all Zoom recorders, the Zoom H1 offers high-quality microphone capsules in an X/Y arrangement. This guarantees perfect stereo imaging at all times. A switchable low-cut filter has also been integrated. If desired, the Zoom H1 tackles low volumes with automatic recording-level adjustment. The timestamp function, meanwhile, ensures that users never lose track in the jungle of audio files. External audio sources and microphones can be connected, as can headphones and amplifiers.
Premium Recording at a Sensational Price
Despite being positioned as a device for recording beginners, the handy unit is packed with first-class features. To increase the maximum recording time, for example, users simply switch from classic PCM recording to space-saving MP3 mode. Thanks to USB 2.0, fast data exchange with a PC is no problem either. The Zoom H1 is nevertheless very economical when it comes to power: the handheld recorder runs for around ten hours on a single AAA battery.
The Zoom H1 package includes a 2GB microSD card, a windscreen for outdoor recording, one AAA battery and a USB cable.
