Zoom Q3HD is here

[Fran Guidry]

I had expected the usual (for Zoom products) delay in the delivery of the new Q3HD video recorder, but this thread http://69.41.173.82/forums/showthread.php?t=199433 alerted me to the arrival of the first shipment to the US. I dove into Google and found a retailer that wasn't sold out and got my unit the day after Thanksgiving.

Naturally I did a blog post for my Homebrewed Music blog: http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2010/...the-zoom-q3hd/

The main portion of the blog post refers to a comparo-video I shot with the Q3HD, the Kodak Zi8, and the Sanyo Xacti HD2000. It's posted on my Homebrewed Music YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=env3UPYfhBA

With the built-in editing feature it's possible to do a YouTube clip without firing up the NLE, if one is willing to forgo titles, fades, and other edits. I had to try one, an old R. Alex Anderson tune called "Haole Hula" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkLmTYSBLzo

I think I'm gonna have fun with this thing.

Fran

[shortymack]

Thank you for that comparison. What a great disposition you have sir along with a fantastic playing style.

[Raystrack]

I've spent an hour or so looking at your clips and blog and looking for best UK price - almost forgot to come back here

Well done - thanks for posting. Nice playing and vibe.

[St.Stephen]

Fantastic. Your playing is so clean and has such a great vibe. Love it.

So that clip was just using the Handyshare software? I did experiment last night with doing the audio in pcm, and it seemed to keep things in sync (as opposed to what happened using aac). I might have to get an external mic and preamp and feed it to the line input like you did - it sounds great!

[St.Stephen]

Oops - just read your blog. So you went straight from the Zoom to Youtube and bypassed any post-processing. Interesting. The sound you get is much better than what I've been getting using just the internal mics. When framing the picture, the mics end up too far away and the levels are too low as a result. Using some of the mastering features in the handyshare software brought the levels up, but it also made the noise (hiss) unbearable. I'll experiment some more, but it looks like an external mic might be necessary.

Thanks for all the great info on this site and on your blog. It's very helpful.

[Fran Guidry]

You are all so kind, thank you for your comments.

shortymack, since I'm retired and have no obligations, I get to enjoy my interests in a very relaxed way. I consider myself very fortunate, believe me.

Ray, thanks for your comments at other locations too.

Stephen, thanks for visiting the blog.

Fran

[orsino]

Well, finally an all-in-one that's presentable. Good to know it's a worthwhile investment.
As always, well played Fran!

[ferg]

Fran,

Great stuff - thanks for sharing!

I would love to have one of these for decent quality quick-and-dirty recording.

However, I was thinking about the way I currently record gigs, and I think I'd opt to continue what I'm doing. Right now, I record video using a Zi8 sitting on a table or whatever, then record audio using an AT822 mic hooked up to a Zoom H2 pretty close to the speaker.

I was thinking it would be nice to capture video and audio in one place (and avoid having to sync them afterward), but since the Q3HD doesn't have a mic in, that won't work, and even if it did, I wouldn't want a mic cable running up to the stage (that's a recipe for disaster). With the separate audio recording, I can keep the Zoom H2 on stage with me, and just a line just in front of the stage for the mic.

So, even though I've been eyeballing this Q3HD for some time, I think I'd be better off sticking with what I have for now, and saving the $300 to put toward a video camera that performs better in low-light down the road.

[t1m]

great review fran - I really like your blog!

While I know that the Q3HD uses the same microphones from the H4n, it doesn't have 4 channel ability and I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a pre-amp either. If you were to compare the audio quality of both devices (just using internal mic on h4n), would they be similar? If not, how much better would the h4n audio be when compared to the Q3HD audio?

Thanks!

[SeamusORiley]

The Zoom Q3HD is impressive, but so is the soft touch you have on the guitar!

Thanks for posting!

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by t1m

great review fran - I really like your blog!

While I know that the Q3HD uses the same microphones from the H4n, it doesn't have 4 channel ability and I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a pre-amp either. If you were to compare the audio quality of both devices (just using internal mic on h4n), would they be similar? If not, how much better would the h4n audio be when compared to the Q3HD audio?

Thanks!

The Q has a preamp, rest assured. A preamp is necessary to get the mic level up to line level for the a/d converter.

I didn't keep my H4n, but it sounded somewhat similar to my H2, and the Q3HD sounds about the same. They all sound pretty much like what you put in front of them, actually.

The big advantage the H4n has is placement. I'm working up a demo on this, but basically, in our home recording environment we usually put the mics a few inches or a foot from the guitar. At that distance with the Q3HD you only have a video of the soundhole <grin>.

The solution is the same as always - use separate mics. At least with the Q, you can feed decent audio into the Line In port and it will still be there when you play the video.

Fran

[ferg]

Originally Posted by Fran Guidry

The big advantage the H4n has is placement.

This is kind of what I was getting at...of course you're comparing apples & oranges here since the H4n has no video, BUT, this was what influenced my decision to stick with my Zi8 while recording the audio on my H2.

I watched this YouTube Video of a belly dancer with live accompaniment. It compares the Flip HD Ultra to the Q3HD. It also uses a Canon 7D as a "baseline". I would say the audio in none of them is overwhelming with the positioning they use. I think the Flip has better video than the Q3HD, and I remember watching similar videos in the past that left me with the impression that the Zi8 was as good or better than the Flip Ultra.

Let me say this - I'm looking for something to record gigs with - and nothing sounds great halfway across the room (where the camera would have to be positioned), so I'm pretty much set with what I'm doing for audio now (recording using the H2 and an AT822 mic a few feet from one of the speakers). And, while I'm not THRILLED with the Zi8, particularly in low light, I can live with it for now.

What really strikes me, though, is the Canon 7D, and I guess that makes sense, given the price tag. THIS is why, rather than spend $300 on a Q3HD, I've decided to just put that dough aside and hold out for a better video solution while continuing to use the H2 for audio.

Remember: the Canon 7D's primary purpose is as a still camera. I have a feeling there are some dedicated HD video cameras out there for a few bucks less that do comparable video.

[moon]

Listened to Haole Hula - nicely played

[Tele1111]

Looks and sounds good as always Fran. I appreciate the reviews and advice on your blog as well. I have been following your blog for a while now.

Just for clarification, you are NOT using the built in mics on the video you posted, correct?

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by Tele1111

Looks and sounds good as always Fran. I appreciate the reviews and advice on your blog as well. I have been following your blog for a while now.

Just for clarification, you are NOT using the built in mics on the video you posted, correct?

True, external mics used for the "Haole Hula" video.

I just posted a blog entry and a couple of YouTube clips comparing the Q3HD and the iPhone 4. http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2010/...d-vs-iphone-4/

Today I hope to do some shooting with the built in mics at various distances. I've also been experimenting with using the H2 as an external mic. Zoom did a nice job on the headphone outputs of the H series recorders which means they're useful as a powered mic with line level outs - a perfect fit with the Q.

Fran