The XLR ports work great and are as clean as your mics allow

The external mics I used are each worth nearly twice the price of the whole H4n, and do show a substantial improvement in sound quality over the internal mics, but this just shows how good a recorder it can be with external mics

The mics are very sensitive and pick up a bit more of the room than I would like sometimes

If you're a filmmaker you need to know that the two external mics on this device will not be sufficient enough to pic up the audio you are looking to get

Well no problem, the mics on this thing are amazing

Awesome sound quality, great mics, easy to use and very portable

My Shure mics sm58 and sm87a, works fine with the device

Secondly, if you use external microphones you should be aware that dynamic mics sm57\58 etc will not provide very satisfactory results due to the high noise floor.

It works surprisingly good and it protects the crossed mics

I've always loved the whole look of the H4N, especially the built-in XY mics, but it doesn't just stop there aesthetically - it records and sounds just as impressive as external condenser mics

Of course you could blame the Reporter mic, but I suspect other dynamic mics may also have problems

Solid feel, easy to understand, good mics, and a fair price

Well no problem, the mics on this thing are amazing

but the mics are good).

Of course you could blame the Reporter mic, but I suspect other dynamic mics may also have problems

It's ruggedly built, easy to use, and records wonderful soundThe directional mics on the top work great as a shotgun mic during interviews and scenes

are it's ability two record 4 channels simultaneously (all from external sources with an additional preamp), and the amazing mics built on the device.

That means if I want to record into my computer with some nicer mics than what is built into my macbook pro I can

The internal mics are quite good and have a low noise floor

The onboard X/Y mics are great for reference/scratch tracks--and supplemental sound in a pinch.

I just tried it with internal mics vs two Berhinger B1 microphones and vs two Shure 849s, and the internal mics on this Zoom were as good, or so close to the others that it will not warrant dragging the other mics around

For example, let's say you hook up two microphones (one to each of the XLR inputs), and then activate 4-channel mode so that you can interview two people while recording your own voice on the built-in dynamic mics

The internal mics work nicely and don't peak like most devices do.

The dual mics are perfect for field recording and even interviews

This is great for ensuring your mics won't be easily damaged - but the device still suffers some handling noise; yet the noise seems to be much improved.

Now, one mic is way hotter than the other, making good stereo recordings with the built-in mics impossible

When the dog walks across the room I can hear it'ts claws hit the floor, Love the mics, if you dont want all the sensitivity you can adjust the mic's on the right side

But when you twist them, the mics are then a 120 degree angle

The mics are very clear

OnBoard mics works very nice with angle adjustments

MICS AND INPUTS-----------------------------The stereo mics on the front of the H4N are wonderful and beautifully and accurately capture just about anything you stick them in front of

The cons is that it is a little large and the mics are not protected if it were to be dropped, which I've done twice now but was lucky enough to have it land 'softly.'

You can plug in external mics (including those with phantom power) or use the really fine internal mics

Stay away from using dynamic mics with this thing unless you're just throwing stuff together - the noise floor when connected to dynamic mics is its primary weakness

Other than my one gripe, this device (with good mics and cables) does produce some great quality sound for something as inexpensive as it is

, please note that a recording made from halfway across a room is NEVER going to sound as good as a wired or wireless mic clipped to the person...unless you borrow some technology from the NSA.It is possible to record with external mics, great for guests on talk shows.

The onboard mics are far superior to most on camera microphones

compressor\limiter, graphic eq, and noise gates + preamps\built-in mics with a little less noise with the ability to use dynamic mics without penalty

You can use the built in mics or connect external mics to it as well

I've got a larger PC recording system with several good condensor mics, but this little device is an awesome addtion even if you just use it to sort out ideas..

The onboard mics work well with no phase problems in the stereo at all

The recording levels are plenty strong enough for condenser microphones, but the recorder can be a little underpowered for dynamic mics

With full 24 bit recording and great mics, it is a delight in sound quality

The built in mics will def improve your recordings on a dslr if that is all you need to do, however you must locate the mics as close as possible when outside or you will just pickup everything going on.

My M-audio 410 which works