Zoom H5

Acoustic_Stevo · #1 12-03-2016, 10:49 AM

So I finally got round to buying a Zoom H5 to replace my old Zoom H2.
What a great little recorder it is. A huge step up from the H2. I'm using the X-Y mics and plugging my guitar into one of the inputs.
The sound quality is even better then I expected.
It comes with Cubase and Wavelab software, which is going to be a huge learning curve, but at the moment I'm doing everything on the Zoom. Trimming the beginning and end, panning and adjusting the levels, mixing it down etc.
In the future I might buy a mic to plug into the 2nd input, maybe the Rode M3.
So if anyone is thinking about buying a recorder and dipping their toe into the world of recording, my advise is do it. You won't be sorry. (It's not to late to put it on your Christmas list).
Thanks to the staff at PMT Newcastle for their help and advice.

ChuckS · #2 12-03-2016, 10:58 AM

When I got my Zoom H4, quite a number of years ago, I started using the included Cubase program. At that time I had zero experience with DAWs, and quickly became frustrated. My needs were minimal so I switched to Audacity which was free and simple and did the basics I was interested in. Since then I've switched to Reaper (free full function demo version and $60 to register it). I don't have specific advice on what DAW to use, but just want to say don't use a program that was included just because it was free, as there are lots of options out there.

Congratulations on the Zoom H5

Acoustic_Stevo · #3 12-03-2016, 11:16 AM

Thanks Chuck.
I've used Audacity before and found it ok, but I think any DAW will take a lot of learning.
I'm just going to do as much as possible on the Zoom at the moment, until I've got my head around the DAW.
It's my mams 70th birthday later this month, and I want to do a cd of some of her favourite tunes. So far I've got good takes of Quasimodo and Surrendel (Isaac Guillory tunes) and Imagine (Chet Atkins arrangement), and still got about 8 left to do (Strawberry Fields Forever, Yesterday, In Your Life, Every Breath You Take etc. Lots of Laurence Juber arrangements), so spending time learning new software is on the 'to do' list.