Zoom H1 Essential

The Zoom H1e is the latest addition to Zoom's Handy Recorder series. It is available in three models: the H1e, the H4e, and the H6e.

The H1e is the first Zoom recorder in the Handy Recorder lineup to offer 32-bit float recording. This new version comes with several new and exciting features. The beauty of 32-bit FP (floating point) lies in its usefulness for recording sound sources with a wide dynamic range.

The H1e performs particularly well in situations where sound sources are of medium to high level. However, I do not recommend it for recording low-level sound sources, such as quiet foley for example. This is because, like all Handy Recorder series recorders, the preamps on the H series recorders are of lower quality than those on the F series (F3, F6, F8). For better recording quality of very low-noise sound sources, I suggest the Zoom F series recorders or the Sound Devices Mixpre series, which also support 32-bit FP and have much better preamps.

The size of the H1e is very similar to that of the H1n, but its screen is slightly smaller while offering a much sharper definition. When used in direct sunlight, it is slightly more difficult to read the text on the screen than on the H1n, even when adjusting the visibility settings of the device.

In terms of sound quality, the H1e is comparable to the H1n, but I find the monitoring level to be very noisy, with an almost constant "hiss" during recording. However, when listening to the recordings later via a DAW, the "hiss" is much less present.

The Essential series recorders integrate for the first time a support for visually impaired people with audio cues to navigate the different menus of the device.

The recorder has an "overdub" mode that allows you to record on a new track while listening to a previously recorded take. This feature is useful for music creation by recording instruments one by one and having a reference of the past recording, but less interesting for field recording.

It is now possible to use micro SDXC cards up to 1TB, which allows for several hours of recording. I am currently using a 128GB card which gives me 44 hours of recording in stereo, 96kHz and 32-bit FP, which is largely enough for multiple days of recording.

The battery life is similar to that of the previous model, the H1n. I advise you to use battery packs if you are doing long recording sessions. The H1e uses a USB-C connection.

In conclusion, the Zoom H1 Essential is a good affordable recorder. It is very mobile, quick to access for recordings and allows you to capture sound sources with large variations in volume without risk of distortion due to lack of time to adjust levels. For example, if you want to record a train arriving without having time to configure the device and setup levels properly, just point and record, the 32-bit FP magic allows you to correct the volume later in your DAW without ending up having a clipped or distorted take. Indeed, a sound recording of an interesting sound source, even if it is not done with the greatest precision and the best equipment available, is always preferable to no recording at all.