Bag for Zoom H4N?

[arovinsky]

Does anyone know of a Porta-Brace style accessory bag, or something like it,

used to carry a Zoom H4N with a  mixer in a smaller Porta Brace setup?

I would have bought Petrol, which is more modular, but someone at the school bought

small Porta Brace bags and I'm trying to make them work.

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

Andy,

Porta-Brace has the "Mini DV Slinger" that might work?

http://www.portabrace.com/productA-SS-MDV1B

[Petros Kolyvas]

That sling-bag looks good - too bad I've sworn off Portabrace after their inability to return both calls and e-mails. However, that's neither here nor there.

For the H4n, maybe some of their wireless accessories might fit? I know it would definitely fit in the rather large RM-Multi add-on, but maybe some of the single wireless accessory pouches would work too? http://www.portabrace.com/category_54_61

One nice thing about portabrace is the detailed measurements they provide - so at least you can see if any of the products are compatible.

[arovinsky]

The issue I'm dealing with is that someone bought a small PB case, designed I think for the SD 302, for a small Azden mixer ( for the school) and want to fit the Zoom in there. The Zoom will fit, cabled, but to operate it you want, I  believe, to be able to continuously monitor its LCD screen, which would be hidden in the RF attachment cases.  I'm looking at folding the window flap around the zoom and then velcroing it to one of the edges of the H4N so it would sit there mover the mixer, and could be pushed back in for storage.

[ProSound]

If it is a 302 petrol bag just stick it in the front pocket of the bag

[André Boisvert]

This is how I mount my recorder;

I bent a piece of galvanized strapping I had in my shop, drilled a hole for the tripod mount and bought the screw at a camera store. It lets me see everything all the time.

[Angelo Waldron]

Correct bag for the Zoom.

[ProSound]

I only use the Zoom for mp3 transcriptions and for that it is a great tool but beyond that I agree.

[Margus Jukkum]

I only use the Zoom for mp3 transcriptions and for that it is a great tool but beyond that I agree.

To each his own. I happen to think the Zoom and recorders like it have a useful role in the making of serious documentary films. Earlier this year I was working in Rome for several weeks on a series dealing with museums. We were primarily shooting in the Vatican. The series was well financed and shot with multiple cameras, jibs, and steadicams with segways. Access to the Vatican had been cleared but there were still hiccups that more to do with egos and politics. We ended up shooting a stand up with an art historian currently not in favor with the Vatican in front of a Michelangelo statue of a nude adult Jesus that had been covered up by the Vatican after the sculptor's death in the Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. It was not officially sanctioned so it was shot on a 5D and I ran the wireless I had on the art historian into a Zoom recorder I had in my pocket. It was totally guerrilla but it worked and added a valuable perspective to the film.

I normally work with a Cantar so this was a bit of a departure from normal procedure but I did not feel compromised by having to do this sequence with a Zoom. I happen to think it was the perfect tool for the job. It required subtlety and nerve. I have always carried a Zoom recorder with me on foreign trips to record ambiences for myself, although 2 months ago I decided to retire the Zoom and buy a Nagra Ares-M which for a number of reasons I like better than the Zoom. I now never leave home without it.

Margus Jukkum

[gabi]

I don't use the Zoom, but I used to teach in a school that had a bunch of them. The students couldn't figure out how to mount them with the mixers so they simply didn't use the recorders...

So I came up with this mount:

Gabi

[arovinsky]

That's cool, Gabi, I'll show it to my course director.

[DjGo]

it's a bad quality picture, i mounted the H4n on a photocamera mount that's affixed to a little metal plate I managed to fix to the bag-divider.. The onboard mics are a little exposed (foam windprotection and a rycote should prevent damage a little) but I like it this way. I'm making me some right-angle jack to xlr cables from mixer to recorder.. This should do the trick on the occasional DSLR-shoot where I don't want to use a 'serious recorder'

Diego

[PCMsoundie]

I bent a piece of galvanized strapping I had in my shop, drilled a hole for the tripod mount and bought the screw at a camera store. It lets me see everything all the time.

André you and gabi have given me a good idea thanks! Recently I've done 3 gigs with the Zoom H4n used as the main sound recorder for Canon 7D gigs.I'll have to look around and stop in at B&H Photo or Adorama to get a mounting screw for the Zoom recorder and some metal similar for the Portabrace 442 mixer bag.

With where that screw mounts though changing batteries may be an issue when doing a docu.

I was using Sanyo Eneloop NiMH rechargable batteries and even set the battery meter to NiMH but the recorder turns off way too early so I've resorted to fresh Duracell ProCell alkalines when recording now that will last probably 4-5 hours.

It's also a great little recorder just to have that personal backup for the comfort factor.

Also the fact that I can have a small 24-bit/96kHz recorder to record sound effects wherever I am to use for sound design later is pretty cool.

-B

[berniebeaudry]

André you and gabi have given me a good idea thanks! Recently I've done 3 gigs with the Zoom H4n used as the main sound recorder for Canon 7D gigs.I'll have to look around and stop in at B&H Photo or Adorama to get a mounting screw for the Zoom recorder and some metal similar for the Portabrace 442 mixer bag.

With where that screw mounts though changing batteries may be an issue when doing a docu.

I was using Sanyo Eneloop NiMH rechargable batteries and even set the battery meter to NiMH but the recorder turns off way too early so I've resorted to fresh Duracell ProCell alkalines when recording now that will last probably 4-5 hours.

It's also a great little recorder just to have that personal backup for the comfort factor.

Also the fact that I can have a small 24-bit/96kHz recorder to record sound effects wherever I am to use for sound design later is pretty cool.

-B

Maybe use the external power jack so you won't have to disassemble it to change batteries.  You could use any number of rechargeable options and potentially wouldn't need to change batteries all day.

Bernie

[Q]

I built a 4 space external AA battery holder to power the H4n. About $5 in parts from the shack.  I'm using rechargeables in the holder, which keeps the voltage under 6v.  I have not used it with new alkalines but i have used partially discharged alkalines with zero problems.  The H4n is rated at 5v and ive not had a problem with this setup.  In testing, I set the machine to record from a stereo  line level and went to bed.  It was still running when I woke up.  I shut the machine down after 10 hours of constant recording and still had battery capacity.

[DjGo]

Maybe use the external power jack so you won't have to disassemble it to change batteries.  You could use any number of rechargeable options and potentially wouldn't need to change batteries all day.

Bernie

I suddenly remembered this little battery lying around in my studio. I bought it at one time to power my Microtrack (which is a terrible little device) via USB..  It's rechargeable Li-Ion battery that's outputting 5V at 1,8A.. it came with an AC-adapter for charging (the battery is it's own charger) and several connector-adapters (for I-pods, dc-plugs for different brands cellphones, PDA's etc.) It's half the size of a NP1, so weight is no issue. It didn't break the bank also, so that's a plus..

http://www.socketcom.com/pdf/CompatibilityMobilePowerPack.pdf

can't find the product on their website, I think it's not being producedanymore..

Diego

[DjGo]

This is a newer generation mobile-powerpack.. it's made for small recorders that need 5V..