Ideal for documentaries, podcasting, audio for video, and professional sound design, the Zoom H5 portable handheld recorder lets you quickly record up to four input signals regardless of your audio experience. With a swappable stereo microphone capsule, versatile 2-channel inputs, and up to 4-track recording, the H5 is both user-friendly and easily expandable.
Like other H-Series Handy recorders such as the H4n Pro and H6, you can hold it in your hand, attach it to a mic stand or tripod, or mount it to a camera (shoe mount available separately); the H5 packs an impressive array of features into a rugged, rubberized body that's more than ready to meet the varied demands of musicians, videographers, sound designers, content creators, and news shooters.
Instant Access to Gain Adjustments
Each H5 input has its own dedicated gain control knob, located beneath a protective bar that prevents accidental movement during handling. There's no track selection or button pressing required to optimize your recording levels; just turn the dials (clearly labeled from 0 to 10) anytime you need to adjust the gain. If your XLR-1/4" input source is so loud that you need even less gain than the preamps provide at the "0" setting, use the menu system to activate the -20 dB pad (selectable per input).
Interchangeable Stereo Microphone Capsule
Leave your external mics at home and travel light. The H5 is outfitted with Zoom's XYH-5 interchangeable stereo microphone that provides clear, phase-accurate capture in a classic 90° X/Y configuration for a tight stereo image. The matched unidirectional condensers are housed within a specially designed shockmount that employs rugged external mic wires and rubberized material to minimize vibration and handling noise. With nothing more than the H5, you're set to record speech, practice sessions, concerts, or ambient and environmental sounds, even ear-rattling ones up to 140 dB!
2-Channel Microphone/Line Inputs
Equipped with two XLR-1/4" combo inputs and a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack input, the H5 can accommodate condenser microphones, +4 dB balanced line-level sources, or signals from unbalanced instruments with active electronics. Turn on 12, 24, or 48 VDC phantom power to the XLR jacks, or 2.5V plug-in power to the mini jack. Whether you plan on recording studio condenser mics, a stereo feed from a mixer or wireless receiver, or a lavalier mic for an interview, the H5's preamps (identical to those found in the H6) are ready to deliver low-noise (-120 dB EIN) performance.
If you happen to setup external microphones in a mid-side configuration, the integrated MS decoder allows adjustment to the perceived width of the stereo image, which is beneficial for sound design, broadcasting, or general stereo-to-mono compatibility.
SD Card Recording and Audio Interface Functionality
Maximize portability by recording directly to an SD card (up to 2GB capacity) or SDHC card (up to 32GB capacity). A 2GB SDHC card will yield approximately three hours of 16-bit / 44.1 kHz stereo recording time using the BWF-compliant WAV format for uncompressed audio quality and industry-standard file compatibility. Note that media cards are available separately, and larger capacity cards will increase startup times.
In the Box
- Zoom H5 4-Input / 4-Track Portable Handy Recorder with Interchangeable X/Y Mic Capsule
- Zoom XYH-5 - X/Y Microphone Capsule for Zoom H5 and H6 Field Recorders
- Protective Case
- Foam Windscreen
- USB Cable
- 2 x AA Batteries
- Set of Download Codes for Cubase LE and WaveLab LE