Zoom H5 Digital Handy Audio Recorder

THE ZOOM H5 Evolved recording in more ways than one.

Our products are constantly evolving to meet the needs of the creators who use them. With the H5 Handy Recorder, the tradition continues. The H5 provides four tracks of simultaneous recording and, like our flagship H6, it can use all Zoom interchangeable input capsules, allowing you to choose the best microphone for every recording situation. The flexible and powerful H5 provides everything you need to create multitrack recordings, audio for video, and state-of-the-art podcasting, broadcasting and electronic newsgathering.

Louder. Closer. Cleaner.

X/Y recording allows you to cover a wide area yet still capture sound sources in the center with clarity and definition, making it ideal for all types of live stereo recording. The XYH-5 X/Y microphone capsule included with the H5 provides two matched unidirectional condenser microphones set at a 90 degree angle. These are housed within an advanced shockmount that employs rugged external mic wires and rubberized material to isolate the unit from the H5 body and thus minimize vibration and handling noise. The design of the XYH-5 also allows the H5 to handle louder sounds than any other Handy Recorder model: 140 dB SPL, to be precise—equivalent to the sound of a jet aircraft from less than 200 feet away—enabling you to capture sounds louder, closer, and cleaner than you ever could before.

Ins & Outs

In addition to standard transport controls (stop, play/pause, record, rewind, and fast-forward), the front panel of the H5 offers dedicated record arming buttons for each track, which double as mute switches during playback. A Hold switch disables all front panel buttons to prevent accidental operation during recording. The H5 can be attached to a camera strap or, with the use of our optional Hot Shoe mount, mounted directly to a DSLR or camcorder.
The H5 also provides everything you need to connect with the outside world. Dual combo XLR/TRS inputs that can handle both mic- and line-level signals allow you to connect external microphones and line-level devices like mixers, portable music players, effects processors, and electronic keyboards—even electric guitars or basses equipped with active electronics. Each H5 input has its own dedicated gain control knob, located beneath a protective bar that prevents accidental movement during handling. The supplied XYH-5 X/Y capsule also provides a secondary input for connecting stereo mic- or line-level signal via a ⅛" mini phone jack. The H5 supports a +4 dB (professional) input level and utilizes the same high-quality preamps as our flagship H6, ensuring great-sounding recordings in all sonic environments.
There are lots of output options as well. A dedicated Line Out with adjustable volume allows you to send a stereo audio output from the H5 to the mic input of a video camera or other device without the need for an attenuator cable. In addition, there's a separate headphone output with a dedicated volume control. You can use both outputs simultaneously to route audio to your DSLR while monitoring over headphones. There's also a built-in speaker for fast access playback, and a USB port which allows the H5 to be used as an audio interface for your computer or iPad.

Power and Storage

Just 2 AA batteries—either alkaline or rechargeable NiMH—are required for power. When using alkaline batteries, the H5 will operate for more than 15 hours, even while recording continuously. You can also use an optional AC adapter to power the H5 without batteries. The H5 records directly to SD and SDHC cards up to 32 gigabytes. Maximum recording time is dependent upon the card size and file type; for example, the supplied 2GB SD card can hold approximately fourteen hours of stereo 320kbps MP3 files, three hours of stereo 16-bit / 44.1 kHz WAV files, or an hour of stereo 24-bit / 96kHz WAV files.

Features at a glance

Uses a system of interchangeable input capsules that can be swapped out as easily as the lens of a camera
Includes detachable X/Y capsule (XYH-5) with extended signal capacity and shockmounted mics for reduced handling noise
Compatible with all Zoom input capsules
Four-track simultaneous recording
Large backlit LCD display
Records directly to SD and SDHC cards up to 32GB
Up to 24-bit/96kHz audio in BWF-compliant WAV or a variety of MP3 formats
Two mic/line inputs with XLR/TRS combo connectors, each with selectable phantom power and -20dB pad
Analog-style gain controls for each input
Protective "roll-bar" type covers prevent accidental movement of gain controls
Plug-in power (2.5 volts)
Built-in effects, including low-cut filtering, compression, and limiting
Chromatic tuner and metronome
Auto-record, Pre-record, and Backup-record functions mean that you'll never miss that perfect take
MS decoding
Multitrack to stereo internal mixdown
Normalize, Divide, and Trim editing
Voice memo and up to 99 marks per recording
A/B loop playback
Variable playback speed and variable pitch without affecting playback speed
Multichannel and stereo USB audio interface for PC/Mac/iPad with loop back function
Mountable to DSLR or camcorder with optional HS-01 Hot Shoe Mount adapter
Uses two standard AA alkaline or NiMH rechargeable batteries
Over 15 hours of operation with alkaline batteries