One of the best and cheapest stereo audio recorder is the ZOOM H1. This little device is now for many years on the market. It didn’t need a refresh because it was almost perfect. But the Japanese company Zoom surprised everybody when they released its successor. The Zoom H1N. But before the H1N is almost as perfect as his big brother the H1 the last bugs need to be crushed. Zoom released firmware version 1.19. I made a video which helps you to update the firmware on your Zoom H1N. What I found out is that you need a good formatted memory card or the update doesn’t start. I highly recommend that you use
After the update
I use this recorder to record service at my church. I have it connected to a Behringer Powerplay 16. We use these for the musicians to hear each other better. So I have it connected there so I can control the volume levels of each channel. Not the cleanest sound but I edit out the background noise in Audacity. I opened it up hoping I could shoulder wires to the buttons and build an external switch box so I could operate it easier. No luck and I damaged a wire for the right microphone. But it still works. Once my work schedule prevented me from going to every church service, I bought the MicroBot Push. It’s a little robotic device that pushes buttons for you on a timer. So I set a schedule in case I am late or unable to attend. It pushes the record button. I discovered the Zoom H1 can be powered via usb. But it has to have a battery inside or it won’t accept usb power. I bought a small KVM switch so I toggle between a usb power brick or the laptop I use on the sound booth. But I still have to unplug the H1 and turn it back on. I think I should get a 3 channel KVM switch and see if that works. My 2 channel switch seems to share usb power. As long as the usb powerbrick is delivering power, the H1 seems to think it’s still connected to the laptop even when it’s been ejected from windows.