Audio questions - Upgrade from Zoom H1N?

[Nickolay]

Hey,
I got some audio questions, would appreciate some help.
For context, I'm making Raw Sound videoes, not vlogs.

I'm using Zoom H1N, and I've tried lots of different things.
Backpack, under seat, leg bag, pocket, including fiddling with the audio settings in the different locations.

But I can't find that crisp and not too windy audio I'm looking for.
Seeing as other Zoom recorders are surpsingly cheap used, I thought maybe an upgrade would get me closer?
I saw a H2N vs H4N comparison, and the H4N sounded so much more full and alive, granted it wasn't a motorcycle video.

Currently I can't have the recorder under the seat at all, as it picks up so much background noise like engine, shifting and bumps.
Would e.g H4N or H5 be better at filtering out background noises like these?

My current options: H2N, H4N Pro, H5.

Thanks for any help =)

 

[Theodor]

My first thought is, it's not the recorders fault, but you are probably not using an external mic.
I have not used any fancy recording devices, but a separate mic on my back, in a deadish cat, my phone was able to record rather good sound.

 

[Theodor]

Sorry for the double post, but I thought you might also take a look at these threads:

Setup for Capturing the Best Sound while Riding

I have a very positive feeling that i just found the place for this. Guys Last week i made a week long trip with my Street Bike, and captured my first GoPro Footage using the Hero 10. I previously owned a crappy Chinese ActionCam that was just better than nothing. Anyway i shot lots of footage...

motovlog.com

Does Anyone Else Record Just Their Exhaust Sound? If So, How?

A recent discovery from a Road Reality vlog allows me to isolate my voice with the Waves plugin for Adobe Premiere. It's changing how I'm handling my audio. I run an Osmo pocket(odd vlogging camera on it's own gimbal) for the camera angle looking at me. It's useless facing forward because the...

motovlog.com

And also very importantly:

Why You're Getting Wind Noise ...

So I've seen post after post about wind noise, so I figured I'd just share all of my info in one place. As I've mentioned before, I'm a video professional and have worked with video and audio for around 15 years at this point. In pretty much every case I've seen, the wind noise that...

motovlog.com

 

[Nickolay]

My first thought is, it's not the recorders fault, but you are probably not using an external mic.
I have not used any fancy recording devices, but a separate mic on my back, in a deadish cat, my phone was able to record rather good sound.

That I'm not, I've always thought the recorder's mic was the best option?
I'm of course using a deadcat for context.

I've recorded a bit with my phone, It's great for low speed, but as the speed picks up, I've had much better experience with the Zoom H1N.

Appreciate the links =)

 

[Theodor]

I just think the shape of the recorder can cause additional turbulence, on your back. Like backpacks. Plus it's heavier and not that easy to attach. to your clothing.
Separate microphone is way smaller profile and your back can easily shield it.

 

[Kofla]

Recently purchased a Zoom H1n and a Lavalier mic, and plan to use it to record my exhaust (Leo Vince) sound.

 

[Nickolay]

Ended up buying a lavalier mic to connect with the H1N.
It was a cheap one but I might as well just experiment first, only a couple of weeks left of the season.

Had poor experience with backpacks as it muffles the sound so much, though I'll try a softer backpack next time.
Appreciate the tip @Theodor

 

[PhilTonic]

I don't think it's a problem with the recorder. Chuck it in a backpack and raise the higher frequencies in post. Otherwise it sounds too muffled.

I've tried three different backpacks. The larger the worse. A really cheap 2L drinking bladder backpack worked as well as a 140€ MTB backpack. I opted for the 140€ item cause it is waterproof.

https://www.amazon.com/Leatt-GPX-Trail-Hydration-System/dp/B01683JMIS

I just chuck the Zoom H2N in the little outside pocket without any additional muffs. Works great.

Good luck.

 

[BikeFather]

I'm still experimenting with this myself, and whilst using something like zoom you get a more clear sound, I feel for whatever reason it looses that sound richness I get when I record directly with my gopro/media mod.

To give more clarity, I used to have 2 gopros. + 1 zoom recorder. 1 go pro on the helmet, another one recording the back. which was fine, but as I said, it feels the zoom didn't sound as nice as the gopro - minus the wind. + you need to carry 3 devices.

So what I've done now, I'm testing this as we speak, I'm using 2 gopros still, one facing forward, but the back gopro has a media mod - as that usually is better at capturing sound with wind, but also because it's facing backwards I've set it to capture the sound from the back , rather than head on, so that should reduce the wind noise even more. and this is meant to replace bringing a 3rd device, the zoom.

So far so good, I like how it sounds. check out the latest reel/shorts/tiktok I posted yesterday, if you search for The BikeFather to see how it sounds.

I hate using media mod, but it's either that, or bringing the zoom, and as I said, I feel the zoom sounds a little bit muffled, not as rich as the gopro, which makes sense since it was place in a bag somewhere. And I didn't mind so much on my previous bike, which was an inline 4, so it had a higher pitch sound, and having that slightly muffled sounded made it sound actually a lot better.

However, now, I have a harley, which is all about the low rumble, and I loose all that when I use the zoom, placed in a bag, same as on the other bike.

So it does depend on what you prefer, your bike, etc..

 

[Hippo-Drones]

I'd def use an external mic and place it as close to the sound source that you can. You'll then be able to lower the gain on the recorder to reduce what it picks up, and if needed, like @PhilTonic suggested, do a bit of post audio correction.