BLOWN AWAY - Zoom PodTrak P4 REVIEW and TESTING
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- Опубліковано 24 чер 2024
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*Link to purchase below!!*
This thing is scary capable.
From the 70db of gain to the ability to take two phone calls at the same time, this thing is tremendous bang for buck!
Buy the PodTrak P4 -
US Link - amzn.to/3CyDWGR
Canada Link - amzn.to/3dSHPMu
UK Link - amzn.to/3dVxqj6
Time Stamps -
00:00 Intro
01:00 Zoom Lineup
01:45 Build Quality
02:41 Features
05:25 Phone Call Quality Example
06:13 Multitrack Ability and One Drawback
06:49 Final Thoughts
08:07 Outro
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My Gear -
Mics - RODE NT2A - amzn.to/2WWQTnn
- TZ Audio Products Stellar X2 - amzn.to/3gHTj0X
Mixer - Arturia Audiofuse Studio - amzn.to/33kSBnq
Secondary Boom Arm - amzn.to/2WBhveB
Camera - Canon T7i - amzn.to/2X3yTYi
Lenses - Canon 50mm 1.8 - amzn.to/2LxiI0k
Canon 24mm 2.8 - amzn.to/2zF96Ok - Наука та технологія
As a father of two daughters, that phone call test hurt a bit 😅. Great review man
It can really hit home...lol.
My youngest is on her way to this as well...God help us all
I can't believe no one talks about the limiter on this thing. It's INCREDIBLE! I'm producing a 3 person podcast and I push the mics pretty hot and the limiter takes care of the rest. Honestly the sound right out of the box is podcast ready. It's crazy I was really shocked by how good it sounded
Man, that phone test was brutal... almost TOO high quality! 🤣😂😅😌😐🙁😥😢😭
My parenting is ON POINT...lol
@@DarkCornerStudioscan you record XLR mics into it, and then transfer files to iPad via usbc and edit?
Thanks for sharing a straight up no BS review on the P4 ,I like your Style !
Cheers!
Thanks for watching!
I got one of these, delivered yesterday. Just got to play with it this morning. The gain levels are amazing. I got it to do remotes and I fell in love with the size and the power. This will go on remote with ease and it may replace my desk mixer. I should have done this months ago. Thank you for one of my most trusted reviews.
Cheers and thank you for that.
High praise indeed
I just acquired this gem. Thanks for your review.
wow, i am impressed. so many features in a tiny package... Great video and thank you for the information. Cheers
Cheera and thanks for watching!
Just got this, loving it, audio came out great for the first two shows.
Amazing...it is a powerful little unit!
Cheers!
Thanks for the review man!!! ❤❤
Awesome content man! Very informative and through! Loved the heart warming call with your daughter 🤣❤️
I nearly died of laughter at 5:59. Great overview!
Cheera and thanks for watching!!
Your videos helped me decide between the Zoom P4 and P8...I'm going for the P4. Cheers! 🙃
Glad I could help
Great review, love the details, and looking at getting one very soon :D
You will love it.
Cheers and thanks for watching!
Great review and a great channel! Subbed !
Awww...thanks for coming!!
I'm about to break into podcasting for the very first time. I spent 35 years as a musician and 25 years as a computer technician . The thing that I find unique about this is it seems to be unobtrusive in the learning curve seems to be quite narrow so I can concentrate on my subject matter as a new podcaster and not have to juggle a bunch of technical hoopla. Very good review sir
Amazing...good luck on the podcast...and thanks for watching!
Cheers!
I just purchased the PodTrak P4 BEFORE I watched your review. Now I am very happy I did, I also liked your delivery and style! I subscribed! In part because your review was very helpful and partially because, as a father of 3 girls, I totally understand the 'look' after you spoke to your daughter!! LOL! Thanks again!
Lol...yeah...it's a thankless job as father
This helped a lot, great video. Thanks!!!
Cheers!
Glad i could help!!
Thanks alot mate for your review.. I'm getting mine now.. 👍👍👍
Cheers!!
You will love it.
Thanks for watching!!
I'm from Singapore, just called up the agent a minute ago here to reserve for me. Thanks so much.. done subscribe!!
super video, loved the daughter call..... reminded me of my kids :)
Awesome review, really appreciate it
Cheers and thanks for watching!
I think I've discovered how Zoom keeps its other products from competing with itself. On PodTrack, the only recording format is 16 bits. This is great if you're going to be making podcasts straight out of the box, but it limits your later work with daw and kind of prevent using this great device for musician applications as well. This way, buying an Zoom h8 will still make a lot of sense to many people who do not plan to deal exclusively with podcasting and want to have more options for working with sound design.
Thanks for this review
It's very helpfull for me
The best part of this review (in addition to it being highly informative) is your daughter. I have a 10 year old and and an 18 year old with a similar personality. LOL
I am always in the hope that the personality is temporary...lol
@@DarkCornerStudios 20 year old daughter here. It is temporary. Oh, and I just got my P4 delivered on Saturday. Awaiting a few cables and a new SD card to put it through its paces. (Found it on EBay, new in the box for $145. Pretty darned stoked about that.
@@craigwessels7099 bahahaha...good to know!
Enjoy the new P4!!
Lol I have a 21 year old same personality that was hilarious
I'm still on the waiting list but happy with my H6 currently
I have set up a number of news reporters with this unit. They can file audio or stream live to the studio via a laptop. The quality is fine; same as CD. The limiter does what it need to do. It is as good as, and in some ways better than a whole lot of other options.
I’m really looking forward to your P8 review.
So am I...its one of those unicorns it would seem...
I will get it sooner or later
good content! you/re easy to listen to, likeable from the first look :) thank you
I just ordered mine, so I'm going to be podcasting away and give my laptop a break. My laptop won't record my shows for some reason, so I decided to order the podtrak p4.
great review! I love that you can you actual use broadcast mics without having to buy volume boosters separately, and the phone conversation recording with mix minus source. 4 xlr inputs?!?! 4 headphone outputs?!?! with their own volume?!?! sound effects buttons?!?!?! wow! these are true pro features in a small, cheap box. probably still need some computer audio editing. do they include any computer software to help with this?
side note: at 8:18 you sort of disclose that the company sent you this unit to try. if the company sent you this to try it would be really great to know that at somewhere near the beginning of the review (unless I missed it). FTC laws aside. viewers have to watch all the way to the end before they are clued in that there could be some additional bias. thanks!
Very useful video. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the help and advice
Cheers and thanks for watching!!
dude you’re so good at this
Thank you!
Always a work in progress
@@DarkCornerStudios I appreciate your work, very thoughtful
It's £200 in UK. That's about half the Rode and it's packed with really useful features. Zoom have a good reputation in reviews for their almost affordable field recorders too, more my area of wann desire. Loved the demo, 😂🎭
Thanks!
Stay tuned for the P8...I have a feeling it is going to blow everyone away...
Great explanation Aiden!
Thanks Eric!!
And thanks for watching!!
What do you need a pre for?
What are you driving(mic) and what will it plug into?
Do you have an interface?
Also...whats your budget?
I chuckled when you called your daughter. Thank you for this review!
She is a delight. Lolz
Perfect for what I want to do. I’ve been eyeballing the Rodecaster but that is chunk and I’m sure I don’t need half of what it can do. I’ve had an H4N forever and it is still awesome. Zoom should sell a bunch of these!
This is a nice tool to go along with the h4n.
The RCP is nice...though for the price...you better be using all of its features.
Cheers and thanks for watching!
Great video, great information. What do you use for your podcasts? do you use this or something completely different?
Last one I did was Dark Corner Of Radio, but it has been lost to the world for a couple years.
Currently rolling them out as video versions here - ua-cam.com/channels/Vaw9roSyRp8kl_qTx2MGkw.html
May take a bit though...very time intensive.
I was going to buy a Cloud Lifter just to boost the gain on my mic. The Cloud Lifter alone costs more that the Zoom PodTrak P4. Now there is no need. Even with the Rodecaster Pro at maximum gain, you still need a Cloud Lifter for the Shure SM7B.
I am going to buy this Zoom product now. Thank you for your very informative video.
Glad I could help!
Though if you like the RCP, maybe wait for the P8 review...
It will have all that and more to offer, much like the RCP...
Really nice job on this video.
Thanks!!
Cheers and thanks for watching!!
Preordered it for our livestreams and recordings... Greetings from Austria, you should get a commission from zoom 😉
Greetings back at ya from Canada!
I will let Zoom know they owe me money!!
Cheers! You will love it
Also...thanks for watching!
Great video. Liked. Subscribed.
Cheers and thanks for the support!
Great review, what I like about the P4 is portability
Thanks for the great content, I did destroy the like button and subscribed. Do a comparison between the P8 and the Rodecaster Pr.
Getting there...still waiting on the P8
Thanks for watching and for the sub!
Cheers!
Nice. The P8 looks amazing too! When are you getting yours?
Great question.
Zoom is taking their time.
Should find out next week
JUST got my P4 today. Can't wait to put it to the test.
Let me know what you think!!
@@DarkCornerStudios So far... my only complaint is that there aren't more 'banks' of Soundpad sounds. Shouldn't be hard in a device that size to have selectable banks of soundpad clips. 4 is a decent number for basic sounds... show intro, show extro, and maybe a couple of sound effects. To date, most of my production has been added in post production. That probably won't change, but it would have been nice to have more banks. I'm pretty sure the P8 allows multiple soundpad banks. Honestly, the only reason I have the P4 and not the P8 is because the P8 isn't out yet. :) But now that I see just how damn portable and compact the P4 is, I'm seeing it as a very capable machine.
@@drewtube9367 Yeah...it is one of those price things...I mean...hard to complain at that price point...but just a little more would be nice.
Not too bad that it is your only complaint though.
Glad you are enjoying it!!
Oooo poor Ashley! Dad. Great style!
Kool video. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Lol 😆 Ashley…kids gotta love them.
That phone call though!
Amazing review!
Thanks!
Cheers!
Dark Corner Studios Do you have a video on the video/camera setup you use and recommend? Would love to know 🙏🏽
@@yawihleamankwah4097 nope...but its on my list of videos to do.
Currently I use a Canon t7i.
My lens is a tad expensive though...its a Sima 18-35 1.8.
Now that said...with newer phones...you do almost everything
Your well treated studio really made a huge difference.
It's not THAT we'll treated.
Mostly homemade panels doing the heavy lifting
Thanks!
Thank you!!
Great review. Got mine last week. Since the pandemic, we have been doing all of our episodes remotely so I picked up a cheap Behringer interface, repurposed my Shur mic and some headphones and have been doing the show from home ever since. But the urge to go back out in person with a portable device meant buying a second device. I saw the Podtrak, and was incredibly skeptical. I mean how could this sound okay. But it does. The Podtrak will also be replacing my interface. I had looked at what the other companies are putting out and I couldn't figure out why these other devices were far more expensive than the Podtrak. Are these other brands making superior products?
Love your content
Cheers!
Thanks for your support!
A thoughtful review. I was also impressed by this device. A few minor negatives - sound is limited to 16-bit, 44.1 kHz. I find the bright red lights really irritating - they are used on all muted tracks and all loaded sound pad buttons. I would rather see a red light where it matters - audio being clipped or limited for example. But for the price, it is excellent value, and I don't know of any other device anywhere close to this price range that can simultaneously work as an audio interface AND a recorder. (Plenty of devices do both, but not at the same time.)
Cheera and thanks for watching
All that gain. Nice!
Thats what I'm saying!
Need more gear that suits the needs of the user
I absolutely LOVE mine, and the ZDM1 Microphone. I plugged into my Samsung phone via USB-C to USB-C, and it worked perfectly. Best $200 I've ever spent.
Reaching out here since you're the PRO....
When used as an interface - Does the P8 (not the P4) offer individual channels to be recognized at the DAW? Ik from your vid that the P4 is only 1\2 stereo.
Thanks!
Also what would you say are the downsides of the P8 when compared to the L12 (which I own) besides obviously less inputs.
Thanks a lot! I love your videos.
Thanks.
My podcast is mobile and the P4 is amazing! I even did a beach podcast, and it went well!
I love the call moment...
I'm literally gonna sell my L-8 and get this to save desk space and I really don't like the L-8 thanks for the great review!!
Thank you for the detail.
How are you getting this sound out to your video? Sorry, newb here.
I literally just saw this in best buy...I will return tomorrow and purchase it, you really sold me on this!!!!
Amazing man!
Enjoy it and let me know what you think!
Awesome review! I'm creeping closer and closer to caving now. Would it make sense to get this even though I have a Zoom H5 though? Thanks very much, and I'm looking forward to more great content! Lots of love from the Philippines!
Its a tough call.
The H5 is fantastic, but the P4 has a few extras that are very specific.
The 70db of gain is very useful for sm7bs...
The 4 individually addressable headphone volumes....
If you need those extras...get it...
If not, the H5 will serve you quite well
@@DarkCornerStudios Its as much a case of "shiny new toy" as much as it is wanting it for the merits of the Podtrak itself. :s Thanks for the input. I'll sleep on it for a few days. Can't wait for more videos! Thanks again!
@@hisnameisrentoo Thanks man...yeah, the shiny new toy draw is real....but honestly the H5 is a beast...and you might end up just parking this in the corner.
@@DarkCornerStudios You got that right about the H5 though. It hasn't let me down yet! Thanks once more! Have a great new year!
I’m not gonna lie: in the first few seconds I thought this would be a good review. On this account I was right. Thank you. It was very insightful.
I didn’t expect it to be that entertaining tho. LoL.
Thanks again!
Lol...nice bait and switch!
Had me going for a second.
Cheers!
Glad I could help
Great video! Can i run it to my macbook and record the stereo version as a back up? Thanks!
Outstanding video Aiden! Awesome piece of equipment. Are there any built-in EQ presets?
Nope...sadly just the Limiter and Low Cut for now.
For those kinds of things, you may want to wait for the P8...
That thing is going to be quite the beast I hear...
Just got one thanks for info
Cheers and thanks for watching!!
I bought one. I've used it for about one year. It's now my everyday interface. Down sides first. If your want to use it as a four track musician's ovedub mixdown it is not that. Even a single overdub is clumsy and perhaps a little obscure. The machine was never designed to do this. DC mentions 10 track multitrack. Hmm. Dunno How. Do Know it will do six live using usb and line in. (NOTE this he calls the phone in. It's to me a line in 3.5 mm trs.) Will do four live tracks if that's your goal for recording the band. Stereo mix, voc and lead guitar? Yup. Or band mix vocal, gutar and bass. The obvious but unbonked for me is using a usb feed from the pc to master what I've got on a mix. So digital to the loudspeaker amps. Incredibly clean clear and wowser noise floor. Can you do better? Not for $$ Two Bones MSRP. This may not be for your if your want four track and overdub. That's the H 4 6 or 8. If you're podcasting and doing demos of voc guitar or voc and band mix it is the fastest thing I've ever used. From stone cold dead in the morning all gear off to hitting record is less than a minute. It captures my minute inspirations and is a breeze to transfer into the computer. TIP: record at -20 to - 10. Very clean up and down the dial. No need for a limiter, do that in post. No 1/4" mic inputs/ Buy the 1/4 to xlr adapters. 5 Star buy if this is your need. BTW: I transferred my 1/4 " 2 Ch R to R demos to this and they sounded great.
It's been a few months. How has your review of the P8 gone so far? Been really enjoying your reviews and definitely waiting on this one before committing to anything.
I still havent received it from Zoom...
I will email them now.
Excellent review. You know I like this thing but let me give you my three gripes. First, battery life is more aspirational than real. Solution: get a USB C cable and an wall adapter. Next, beware phantom card write errors while recording. This is a problem. And then multitrack is great BUT remember to delete what you don't need unless you want to give up a lot of SD card real estate.
Nice review indeed. How are the pre-amps and sound?
They are decent.
There is some noise...but nothing that would be problematic for a podcast
A lot of these are failing to work on battery power, but will still work on external supply. Zoom is replacing them if they're still under warranty.
What mic did you film this with? It sounds great
That's the Zoom Dynamic...I believecits listed in the description.
ZDM...something
thank you for the review, but i have a question between the zoom p4 and tascam 2x2hr what do you think, i do music dj set recording and am about to start doing podcasting.
Thanks for the review. I was using a Presonus AR12c for my podcast needs, but it is clunky and not battery powered. I was trying to order 2x2 channel Klark Teknik boosters plus a headphone amp for 4 headphones with cables. The KT units were on backorder, and I found a Demo P4 unit at Sweetwater for like $40 off, so I scrapped the plan and ordered it. Excitedly waiting.
Hope you enjoy it!!
@@DarkCornerStudios this is great. It could have been used on this video. how cool would that be?
Thanks for this. I know nothing about audio but would like to start a video podcast using Rode podmic. Will I be able to sink audio to my video in final cut or premiere easily from this recorder? Also, will I need a cloud lifter of fet head with this and the rode podmic?
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Great review. I just got a second hand Procaster and was looking for a device that does mix minus easily at an affordable price. One question I have is calling someone with my smart phone. What leads should I be using to ensure that the other person hears me through my Procaster rather than the smart phone mic?
Just plug it in or use bluetooth...
Dont need anything else.
The phone will automatically switch over...like having bluetooth in the car
I bought this thing for $145 as a safety net in case my rodecaster ever quit on me. I liked it so much that I literally bought one of those temporary garages with folding sides to do a show outside with my buds lol. It’s a nifty little recorder. And let’s be honest the gear itself is a hobby for many of us. So it’s must have for folks like me.
Gear as a hobby...lol...THAT is how I am gonna sell it to my wife...
But baby...its my HOBBY!!
Cheers man...glad you like it
@@DarkCornerStudios thanks for the reply. You’re daughters phone call was hilarious. “What do you want!” Haha
@@lorddeathspit1124 lol...She is a good sport...and doesnt hate me as much as the clip implies...
lol
@@DarkCornerStudios I know sir....I just know the struggle of calling people multiple times and getting the levels right. Lol the fact they answer at all is proof they love ya.
@@lorddeathspit1124 Beauty of this though...as long as the levels arent blown out...you can edit it separately...
Love this little thing
Does it record a stereo mix to the internal card? and is there a headphone jack to hear all inputs at the same time?
Hi!!! Great video, this recorder can be used with OBS studio?
Of course!
Thanks for the help!!
You do get my subscription ma bro... Hehehehe
Thanks man!
Appreciate it!
Cheers and thanks for watching!
I think this is great... not all podcasters are technical. It's flexible and easy.
Its super simple and amazing...
Thanks for watching
How would you compare the sound quality of it vs say the Zoom H6 or H8? Nice review!
No real way....except to hear the preamp noise.
At this price point there will be less discernable difference
The phone call you made...I think that was my daughter...sounded the same... :O
Yeah...only lasts a couple years...but those years are 😲
Hi there - pretty specific use case but I figured I'd ask!
I'm looking to use this as a live mixer for sports commentary. It's compact, can run off battery and has at least 3 XLR inputs which is a rare find indeed!
My issue is that I will sometimes need to connect it directly to the camera via XLR so the audio can be sent back live to a studio with a liveview.
Could I order a USB C to male XLR cable, or would I be better off using one of the headphone jacks?
So this or the P8? Decisions, decisions. This is so fairly priced, I may have to get both!
One for the studio...one for the road
I am just waiting on the P8 for review
Cheers and thanks for watching!
Hey everyone!
I'm planning to buy this gadget, but I wanna use it for recording my drumset's 4 toms. Is there anybody here who used this for recording drums? It has the 4 mic inputs that I need, it can record what I play, so I thought it will work.
But will it really work?
What are your thoughts?
Please help me!
I destroyed and gently tapped. Great video. Thanks for helping me make a decision. PS...I have a 13 yo son...same conversation...lol!!!
I know right?
I hear I goes away soon...fingers crossed!
Cheers and thanks for subbing!
Hey. I don't know if you'd be able to answer my question. I was wondering if you know how often Zoom comes up with new or upgraded gear? I'm looking into the P4, but It'd blow a gasket if it turns out if I bought one, and a new, improved version is released only months earlier. Since this is two year old hardware, I think a new version would be significantly improved.
I like mine! I do wonder if I got a defective unit as when I slowly turn up the gain while monitoring I hear a weird pop going from 5 to 6. Then again from 8 to 9. Is this normal for a unit with steeples gain?
How are you eliminating the background noise like the noise floor? I have the same one and there is a ton of hissing in the audio track and I’m my headphones
Looking for something less in price compared to road caster. I believe this would perfect and especially for on the go
Just saw this!!
Somehow it slipped by me. You will love it, and honestly it doesnt leave much on the table when compared to the RCP.
Let me know what you think when you try it out!!
thanks for a great review, but is this good for music recording?
No...sadly this is very much aimed at podcasters
@@DarkCornerStudios good to know. thanks for a quick reply.
That phone call 😭😭
She was actually a good sport about it...but yeah...lol
How does this compare to the H-series recorders in terms of recording quality? I currently use an H4n, and while some of the features seem neat I'm debating whether or not to switch to the P4.
Honestly...the only thing that the H series has over this is the portable recorder aspect.
If you already have an H-Series, and you arent concerned with doing the phone calls, you are probably ok to stay with what you have.
That said, the usability of this board is really cool, so if you can swing it, buy it, try it, and if it doesnt do it for you, send it back.
That said...it is really nice.
Also...multi headphone jacks and individual controls and all that other business of course.
Cheers and thanks for watching!
Do you have any idea how this might work with an iRig2 to play music on ClubHouse for example?
afaik, you don't need iRig. just connect your iphone to 3.5mm trrs jack
@@the.wanderer thank you took me a good few tries to figure this one out lol
Could this product make for a viable solution as a field recorder for film projects?
Nice review. I've just unboxed mine (got it for xmas), and I'm coming from a H4N Pro. Wrapping my head around the Mix Minus. but I've noticed a few things:
🔸 Adding to a wish list: having 1 usb interface that to POWER the device instead of having a separate usb just to 🔌 (like you could w/ H4N Pro)
🔸 That being said, super curious the time this lasts just on just batteries power
🔸 I also how this was made super affordable: no usb cables (and you really need two), NO CASE. That's bummer considering it's portable.
Any word on the max capacity that Zoom is recommending for the SD Card?? Overall, I know I"m going to like this as I have some ideas and like the opportunity to travel w/ this. Super powerful device on paper. Thx again !
** UDPATE **: after having it on (not so much in use) for around 90 mins, the batteries (supplied by Zoom) are down to the last bar . The single usb for data/power should be a standard feature, unless I'm doing something wrong...
You can power the P4 with just one USB C cable plugged into the data slot! You dont even need to have batteries in it if I remember correctly!
Any car aux bluetooth adapter wireless audio receiver w/ built-in mic should work with this and will cost substantially less.