Zoom Essential Series: H1, H4, and H6 Field Recorders with 32-bit
4,3 / 5,0 | 
With the recent price drops its popular H-Series of handy field recorders, it very much seemed like something new was bound to come out from Zoom. And here it is, the new and updated Zoom Essential Series. The three models H1essential, H4essential, and H6essential all come with 32-bit float, a color display, a host of accessibility features, and much more.
Zoom Essential Series: H6essential with 32-bit float, optional Timecode and a new capsule system
Zoom’s flagship field recorder in the H-series has been significantly updated. Internally, it’s now able to record up to six tracks at a time with 32-bit float bit rate and 96 kHz sample rate, thus practically eliminating the danger of digitally clipped recording. In addition, H6essential has a dual AD converter, and it comes with a next-generation 3.0 capsule system – in this case, a X/Y mic capsule that captures sound up to 135 dB SPL.
Furthermore, you can now sync the field recorder through an optional Bluetooth dongle and have it create Time code. This way, it is much easier to sync recordings on the flagship of the Zoom Essential Series to video. Like the other two new devices, the H6essential also comes with a host of accessibility features.
Now, you can navigate its menus with audible descriptions, which makes it more accessible for the visually impaired. The H6essential can also act as an audio interface while connected to a PC, Mac, iOS, or Android device and simultaneously record onto its SD card (up to 1 TB). Zoom lists the field recorder’s RRP at 391.51 Euros or 342 GBP (both including VAT), and it’s slated to be released in Q2 2024.
H4essential and H1essential: 32-bit float, Color LCD, Accessiblity
The two other field recorders in the new Zoom Essential Series, the H4essential and the H1essential, are both.. ahem.. essentially dialed down versions of the new H6essential. Just like the big guy, they offer 96khz/32-bit float recording and the aforementioned accessibility features.
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The H1essential has an upgraded OLED display, which is still monochrome. It can record up to two tracks at a time, one with its built-in X/Y-mic array that can handle up to 120 dB SPL. The compact field recorder also comes with new features for overdubbing, pre-recording, and a new mono mode for interviews. It’s also slated to come out in Q2 with an RRP of 129.71 Euros or 114 GBP.
With the H4essential, a color display comes to one of Zoom’s most popular field recorders. This entry in the Zoom Essential Series can still record four tracks at a time, still offers two additional XLR inputs, and just like the H6hessential, it can be synced to your video equipment through an optional Bluetooth dongle. This field recorder is also coming out in Q2 2024, with an RRP of 260.61 Euro or 209 GBP.
With Zoom deliberately choosing to name this series “Essential”, it’s not unlikely that further down the line, we’ll also get a “Pro”-Series with additional features. If you’re in the market for a new field recorder and your’re simply too impatient to wait for the new models, the three current ones are on offer at Thomann right now.
More on the Zoom Essential Series
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- H1essential: Zoom
- H4essential: Zoom
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3 responses to “Zoom Essential Series: H1, H4, and H6 Field Recorders with 32-bit”
the more interesting was the H5 with the switchable capsule
meh I dunno. the aesthetics don’t do it for me. too ‘normal’ looking. I hoped Zoom’s H8 with its alien spaceship or weapon inspired design was gonna be a new corporate-wide mandate. aw shucks.
on a more serious note: their focus on “accessibility” is commendable. But I think they need to make some adjustments to their chosen colour scheme for LEDs and metering. They I’ve always selected a green and a red that drives me crazy. Being colorblind, Zoom equipment are the only ones that make me second guess what I’m seeing. Having a better quality OLED display ain’t gonna fix anything for me if they still continue to use those same shades of red and green.
I’d choose the monochrome for all models in a heartbeat if they had that option!
I wonder if the multitracking has been improved. I just picked up the R4, because it’s much more of a dedicated multitracker than the h4n, but it wouldn’t take much to make the essential a better choice for me. I don’t need the effects, just the bouncing.
It would be nice if my R4 and h4n could be combined into one, but zoom is probably right to have two different options.