Zoom M4 MicTrak Mic Delete Modification

A Small Mod for a Slightly Weird (and Very Good) Recorder

The Zoom M4 is a strange recorder.

And I mean that in a good way.

It sits in this interesting space between something like the Zoom F3, which is almost aggressively minimal, and a more traditional handheld recorder with built-in microphones and an almost forced way of using it. The M4 tries to do both. It gives you the flexibility of onboard mics, but also the capability of a serious conventional recorder using (the same as the F3) XLR preamps and decent (but a bit low voltage) PiP capability.… Keep reading

Field Recording, Ambience, and Soundscape: What Do Words Actually Mean?

The vocabulary around environmental audio can be surprisingly broad. I’ve briefly discussed the take/recording dilemma before, and today I’d like to touch on field recording, ambience, and soundscape. These terms are often used interchangeably in casual conversation (well, mostly reddit and youtube, normal people don’t really use them at all,) yet each carries a distinct history, lineage, and theoretical set of expectations.


Field Recording

Field recording is the simplest of the three terms, because it describes a practice: going out into the world and capturing sound with a microphone and a recorder.… Keep reading