Zoom H5 Handy Recorder

The vintage-themed echo where
self-oscillation rules
CONTACT: Zoom Distribution PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.sibfx.com
Portable recording with a range of options
CONTACT: Zoom UK PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.zoomcorp.co.uk
November 2014 Guitarist 127
QUICK TEST
MISCELLANEOUS
SiB! Mr Echo £199
The much-loved brand
continues its re-emergence,
fuelled by its former glories.
The original blue Echodrive
unit delivered 600ms of
analogue delay with the
character of tape, while the red
one used a digital chip for
around double the delay time;
both had valve preamps and are
much sought-after.
Mr Echo is a more modern
affair, smaller, battery-powered,
and with no valves. It delivers
550ms from a circuit based
around the PT2399 IC, a digital
chip, renowned for its ability to
mimic analogue delay.
Sounds
The core sound is warm, fat and
with nostalgia-inducing high-
GUITARIST RATING
Guitarist says: Unique analogue-
sounding delay with volume
boost and momentary self-
oscillation: trippy!
end roll-off to the repeats as
they decay. 550ms isn’t enough
for huge soundscapes, but it is
for anything from rock ’n’ roll
slapback to the kind of 300ms-
ish delays that name players
from David Gilmour to Eric
Johnson to David Grissom like
so much. It’s easy to push into
tripped-out self-oscillation with
the repeats, which you can then
manipulate using the delay time
knob for experimental overload.
The slam button is brilliant: the
non-latching switch drops the
delay time to 30ms and –
depending where the repeat
control is set – immediately
starts to self-oscillate. A ‘Plus’
version of the pedal (£219) has a
separate repeats control for the
slam function only.
GUITARIST RATING
Guitarist says: Quality, hugely
versatile recording wherever you
may roam
The latest in Zoom’s long line
of portable stereo digital
recorders, the H5 can be used
with the full range of Zoom’s
interchangeable input capsules
– like the flagship H6 – allowing
you to choose the ideal setup for
a variety of recording situations.
It comes with an X/Y stereo
capsule that has the ability to
handle sound pressure levels to
140dB, making it suited to
capturing gigs as well as
everyday recording functions.
In Use
Besides the stereo capsule,
there are also two mic/line
inputs, allowing the H5 to
handle four tracks of
simultaneous recording that
can be configured in several
ways. You can record two stereo
tracks, perhaps a gig, with the
mics while also recording an
output from the FOH desk.
Alternatively, you can record a
stereo track and two mono
tracks or, if you add the EXH-6
combo capsule, four mono
tracks. As the H5 supports
overdubbing, it can be used as
a multi-tracker to build songs
track-by-track.
Other functions are use as a
4-in/2-out or 2-in /2-out USB
audio interface with a
computer-based DAW or an
iPad (stereo recording only)
and phrase training with the
onboard looping and pitch/
speed adjustment. There are no
complaints about audio quality,
either: it’s superb.
Zoom H5 Handy Recorder £249
Verdict
Seeing the SiB! name revitalised
is a treat for effects enthusiasts.
While this stompbox is some
way short of the blue
Echodrive’s tonal magic, it’s
nevertheless a unique delay that
does a great job of simulating
single-head tape-echo sounds.
The addictive slam control is
Verdict
In terms of portability,
the H5 unit is a bit
larger than some of the
other pocket-sized
stereo recorders
available out there, but
it’s still very portable.
It sounds great and boasts
a versatile and professional
feature set, which means
it’s not only able to make
high-quality recordings of
your gigs, but it can also take
care of a host of other tasks
as well.
[TC]
simply inspired. Give it a go:
perhaps it will inspire you and
your playing, too.
[MT]
http://bit.ly/
guitarist387
VIDEO DEMO
GIT387.rev_quick.indd 127 10/2/14 10:53 AM