Review: Zoom R4 MultiTrak

It’s not that Zoom can do no wrong, it’s more like it isn’t afraid of making a mistake. I’ll admit it, when Zoom’s original handheld mic/recorder combo, the H2, came out, I didn’t really get it. I understood it, I just didn’t quite get it. I mean, it wasn’t going to cut it as a location recorder, really. And I couldn’t see how it would be of much use to a musician. The fact it looked like a retro Philishave made the proposition even stranger. Of course, history will attest to the fact the H2 was crazy-successful and begat generations of portable recorders from Zoom (and others).
Which brings us to the present, and the Zoom R4 MultiTrak – a four-track portable recorder. And, again, I’ll admit it: I don’t quite get it.
The R4 provides four tracks of recording, with effects and a mini drum machine on board. I mean, in 1990, musicians would have trampled over each other for this thing, but now? Doesn’t everyone have a laptop and a USB interface? Doesn’t that allow for unlimited tracks on-the-go? Hundreds of top notch plug-ins in your DAW? In what circumstance does the Zoom R4 step in and assert itself as Plan A for a recording?
Trust me, I’m making a contention without any real conviction. I was really, really wrong about the H2 so I’m guessing I’m probably wrong about the R4. Let’s dive deeper into the features just to get a better sense of what we’re working with.
TWO TIMER
The headline features start with four tracks of recording. Two tracks can be recorded at once, either via the combo inputs or the integrated omni condenser mic and Input 2. Four tracks can turn into a whole lot more with the unlimited bounce feature, which allows you to continue to layer tracks, undo the bounce if you don’t like it, and go find the original iso track if you have any regrets. This is all in glorious 32 bit. It’s something Zoom pioneered and is ideal for a product like this – no input gain knob required thanks to the gazillion dB of dynamic range available. A micro SD card handle the storage, up to 64GB.
As you can see from the front panel, there are four mini faders to allow you to mix your tracks and bounce down various tracks with the desired balance. These aren’t P&G long-throw faders but they work just fine.
There’s a generous DSP offering. Each track has three-band EQ, delay (Echo) and reverb available. Two additional input effects engines provide plenty of options for guitarists, along with compression, and modulation effects.
The R4 has a rhythm section preloaded with over 80 different drum patterns to play along with featuring genres such as rock, hip hop, funk, heavy metal, and more.
UI & MONITORING
The UI is based around the colour LCD and enough buttons to ensure you don’t feel miles away from settings – nothing’s more than a few button pushes away.
Monitoring is via the headphone minijack. Or you can use the USB-C socket to connect the R4 to your computer as a two-in/two-out USB2 interface. My only thought here is just how useful it would be to have two headphone outputs.






NEED TO KNOW
Zoom R4 MultiTrak
Portable 4-Track 32-bit Recorder






PRICE
A$349



CONTACT
Dynamic Music: www.dynamicmusic.com.au



PROS

Supremely portable
Particularly good for travelling guitarists
32 bit



CONS

Limited editing



SUMMARY
Zoom’s 32-bit ‘let her rip’ recording is ideal for the proverbial hotel room jam session. The unlimited bounce and range of FX and processing make for a surprisingly powerful package. A worthy addition to any travelling musician or producer’s survival kit.










ROAD FIT
The build quality is up to scratch. I’d say it feels more solid in the hand than Zoom’s M series devices. The R4 is in the same family as the R10 and R20 portable recorders and built to last. This unit, being a handheld device, can be powered by 4 x AA batteries, a USB powerpack or a Zoom-specific AC power adaptor (not supplied).
NIFTY
If I had to describe the R4 in one word, it’d be ‘nifty’. It fits nicely in hand (although can be screwed into a mic stand, if needs be) and packs a lot of recording power into a tiny package.
Am I convinced? More so than when I opened the R4 packaging. There are more sound shaping and production tools than it has any right to have, and this enhances the R4’s on-the-road, demo credentials. Put it this way, the R4 is priced well enough to invest in simply to have in your gig bag at all times. No matter when inspiration strikes you’ll be prepared.





R4 FEATURES

4 Tracks of Recording + Dedicated Bounce Track
2 XLR/TS combo inputs for guitar, bass, keyboards, microphones and more
Built-in omnidirectional microphone
Dual AD circuitry with 32-bit float recording technology
Colour LCD display
Built-in effects including EQ, Reverb, Compression, and Guitar effects
4 faders for volume control
USB audio interface function
Runs on 4 AA batteries or external USB-C battery




GUITARIST FEEDBACK
Preshan John: “The R4 will keep on-the-road electric guitarists happy with a healthy array of amp options. The high gain sounds are smooth and clear, with complementary warm, crunchy tones available as well. The two control parameters – Drive and Tone –  are sufficient for pulling a serviceable sound. I’d suggest that the range and quality of sounds are a pleasant surprise for a super-portable recording device such as this. Obviously Zoom’s long pedigree in creating digital guitar effects wins out here, with plenty of effects, including a pitch shifter, auto-wah, filters, compressors, choruses etc. I like the analogue delay but a tap tempo would be nice. The UI is fine, given the compact package, but jumping between Slots 1 and 2 is a bit tiresome. But you’d expect a few compromises for the sake of portability.”



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