Start-Playing-Guitar.com's 'The Bridge'

Volume 2, Issue 7: The Zoom H4 (Intro)

New Content on Start-Playing-Guitar.com

Can't find it? Search!

The great thing about having a growing web-site is: learning more about guitar as you develop so many topics, and all the pages you can point people to when they ask a question. The bad thing is: there can be so many pages that even I have to hunt around to find exactly what I'm looking for! That's why search-engines were invented, and now you can search Start-Playing-Guitar.com. I've added the search box to the Home Page and a special Search Page. Give them a try!

New Song: God of Wonders

I completed the explanation of how to play the song "God of Wonders", which includes three of my own video's and two others. My videos show the chords and strumming pattern at slow speed and at performance speed, plus a close up of the various chord shapes used throughout the song. Take a look, I hope you like it. If you have any suggestions for this, or future pages on songs, please Contact Me!

Work In Progress:

Coming soon to the web-site!

• New Songs: I'll probably post, "We Bless You Jesus" next, but it depends on how much video work is needed. Since this is a song that few people are familiar with, I'll have to look for a singer. I typically sing solo, so-low you can't hear me ;-)

• Zoom H4: I'm working on an in-depth review and usage guide for this pocket-sized multi-track guitar/voice recorder. For an overview, see the article below.

The Zoom H4 (Intro)

The H4 is a palm-sized multi-function stereo recorder from Samson International, makers of some very popular and cost-effective guitar accessories, especially effects pedals. For the guitarist, the H4 is packed with useful features, including:

• Mono or Stereo Recording
• Selectable Bit Rates and Sample-Rates for recording (some limitations)
• Built-in stereo microphones
• Support for up to 2GB SD card
• Four-Track recording (a mini studio in you pocket)
• Built in metronome and multi-function tuner
• Built in guitar and amp simulations
• Acts as an SD card reader/writer when connected to a computer
• Acts as a USB audio interface when connected to a computer

The last two features alone are practically worth the price. Add on all the others, and this thing is a bargain.

If you want to record right out of the box, simply put in two AA batteries, plug in the included SD card, turn the H4 on, and press the big RECORD button on the front. The H4 goes into standby mode so you can adjust the mic sensativity. When your ready to record simply press the RECORD button again, and capture great sound.

I've used 4-Track mode to practice in private using headphones, while checking out all the amp simulations and guitar effects. Of course, I recommend you always record with effects off, then add them with sound processing software, but these are great for practice. If you don't like the effects, you can change them with a series of parameters, like cabinet-sound, gain, bass, treble, and more. You can also add various pedal effects, such as Wah, Chorus, and Phaser.

The small size of the Menu Button, the Display, and the Scroll Wheel take some getting used to. You also will need to spend some time with the manual to figure out which modes and features are compatible (you can't use the tuner, for example, unless you're in 4-Track mode).

I'll provide a more in-depth review and write-up on the web-page, or my blog, sometime in August. In the meantime you can get more information from the Samson International Zoom H4 Page or from Amazon.com

Go For A Big Finish!

I hope you've enjoyed this issue of The Bridge. See you next month!

Steve
Steve@Start-Playing-Guitar.com