#193 in Portable audio & video products
Reddit mentions of Zoom H4n Pro All Black 4-Track Portable Recorder (2020 Model) with Zoom RC4 Remote, 16GB Memory Card, Tripod & Audio Cables Bundle
Sentiment score: 3
Reddit mentions: 4
We found 4 Reddit mentions of Zoom H4n Pro All Black 4-Track Portable Recorder (2020 Model) with Zoom RC4 Remote, 16GB Memory Card, Tripod & Audio Cables Bundle. Here are the top ones.
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- 2 XLR/TRS inputs with locking connectors. Records directly to SD/SDHC cards up to 32 GB
- All Black Finish
- Four-channel recording up to 24-bit, 96 kHz. Built-in stereo X/Y microphones, up to 140 dB SPL
- 4-in/2-out USB audio interface. Monaural speaker: 400 mW 8 Ω
- Line/phone-LINE Output load impedance- 10 kΩ or more. LINE rated output level: -10 dBu. PHONE- 20 mW + 20 mW (into 32Ω load)
Features:
Specs:
| Height | 8 Inches |
| Length | 8 Inches |
| Weight | 3 Pounds |
| Width | 8 Inches |
I don't know too much about recording devices either, but you're budget seems very limited if you want the best as you wrote in the title.
However here are some options I can recommend that should be within your budget:
 
My teacher uses one of these mobile recorders to record my playing or herself when she prepares for concerts. The quality is quite good even though I play on a digital piano. It filters background noises pretty well and records in stereo (the ones with two microphones at least. I can't tell you which model she has exactly though, but I guess it's an older one. If you want audio only this might be a good choice.
 
You'll get very good results with a Focusrite 2i2 audio interface. It's one the best if oyur on a budget. Just plug the digital into the interface using the headphone jack, connect the interface to your computer with USB and use any audio software to record it. Audacity would work just fine for this. It's around 150,- so you could also get a decent quality cable.
 
A friend of mine has a Sony alpha a5000 camera with has decent video and sound quality. We did record a couple of jam sessions in the past. Same as the mobile recorder, its microphone reduces background noise quite well, though recording in a quiet room would be recommended. It usually comes with an 16-50mm lens which works great for nice close up shots, though the Bokeh doesn't look as creamy as with a 50mm prime lens. I don't recommend the a5000 specificly because I think it is the best one, but the only one I know that works well. You should be able to find a used one for about 250,-.
 
If you're looking for CD quality audio, option 2 might get you closest. If not, maybe also consider trying to use a mobile phone, the newer ones do a great job of recording with decent audio and video. Just take a look at some of the videos people upload here.
Honestly, don't use the iPhone for this. Pick yourself up the Zoom H4N, or one of the newer models.
If you absolutely must use your iPhone, hopefully this is compatible with adapters, because you'll need one unless you've got the iPhone4
Edit: Did a little bit more research: Some guys are liking results with this mic.
Phone microphones really will leave MANY of the frequencies out, and you will only get an approximation of your voice. For someone who is used to the sound of their own voice they will subconsciously fill in the blanks and recognize the qualities of their voice (many of whom are not even present in the recording). The better the microphone the more honest and transparent its rendition will be. Microphones are quite expensive, however. And in most cases you will need an external audio-card in order to connect a microphone to your computer.
Looking for a nice recorder might be an option. Many of them have very nice microphones and I'm sure you can find them cheap if you do some digging.
I think you're close. I will echo the comments of /u/Cainer666 and agree that you need to handle the noise in the room. Listen to the quality of Gideon Shalwick's mic in this video. There is lots of depth to his voice and almost no echoing. Subtle, but it has a huge impact.
When I was messing around with producing videos, I bought a cheap 3.5mm lavalier from Amazon. It sucked. So I bit the bullet and bought an XLR cardioid lavalier mic and the Zoom H4n handheld recorder. Combined these produced amazing sound quality.