ZOOM PodTrak P4 – standalone recorder with four microphone inputs and 70 dB of gain

Maxim Liadov

Readers know Japanese manufacturer ZOOM well. Its portable recorders have become an industry standard, but the company keeps releasing products for new needs. In late 2020, it introduced two PodTrak multichannel recorders with 4 and 8 channels. Today we examine the smaller model.

This compact, light, battery-powered device contains the essentials for recording and broadcasting. It does more than record 4 microphones individually. A smartphone connects through a 4-contact mini-jack for easy listener calls with echo suppression. The optional ZOOM BTA-2 adds Bluetooth. Computer USB supports internet calls.

Unlike many affordable devices, the ZOOM P4 offers an impressive 70 dB gain on every microphone input. This provides enough amplification even for insensitive dynamic microphones and an ordinary speaking voice. Four headphone outputs give each artist or participant monitoring. Four buttons trigger jingles, advertising or effects such as applause, with around fifteen built-in sounds.

Full-size XLR inputs support dynamic and condenser microphones. Each input can independently supply +48 V phantom power. Input 3 shares the smartphone connection; input 4 shares computer USB audio. A hardware switch selects microphone or external device, not both together.

The grey plastic case has a metallic finish and weighs only 290 g. Black side inserts with finger recesses let users hold the P4 like a voice recorder during field interviews. The right side has power and the smartphone/Bluetooth-adapter connection. A phone can also play background music when calls are unnecessary.

Recording uses uncompressed 16-bit/44 kHz WAV only. SD cards from 4 to 512 GB are supported, Class 10 or faster.

A dedicated USB port connects the computer, while another supplies power only. Both use modern, durable USB-C connectors.

Laptop USB can provide a broadcast source, backing track or live internet call. USB also allows direct online broadcasting through a computer.

Four front headphone outputs have individual volume controls. All receive the same stereo mix.

The screen shows individual input levels with peak hold and total mix level. The scale is unlabelled but uses 0, -6 and -12 dB steps, making it easy to follow.

Each channel records to a separate uncompressed 16-bit/44 kHz WAV file named after the channel. Files can be played and deleted on the recorder without a computer.

Each gain knob has a phantom-power switch and illuminated MUTE button below it, particularly useful for calls.

SOUND PAD triggers built-in or user-assigned sounds in 4 playback modes. Besides one-shot, pause and hold operation, loop mode repeats background music continuously. Each assigned file has its own stored volume, with a nearby knob for live level adjustment.

The underside has a compartment for two standard AA batteries.

Hardware processing includes a limiter and low-cut filter, selected in the screen menu. Echo and feedback suppression are also implemented in hardware.

A computer sees a standard two-channel recording/playback device at 16-bit/44 kHz. ZOOM supplies no separate P4 driver.

The device is simple and clear. Learning its main functions takes no more than 10 minutes. A detailed Russian manual is available on the manufacturer's official website. Compared with the more advanced ZOOM F8, this device offers the essential basic functions.

For testing, we connected the Zoom ZDM-1 dynamic microphone and found plenty of gain. Limiters are very effective. Without them, overload becomes hard clipping and crackling. With limiting, speech had no artifacts. Low-cut filters reduce voice boom well. Microphone recording quality is professional, with accurate tone and no audible noise during pauses. Headphone outputs had enough monitoring volume for every model we tried.

Specified operation on two AA batteries is 4 hours with two dynamic microphones. Four phantom-powered condenser microphones and 4 headphone pairs reduce this to a little over an hour. An external USB power bank extends running time significantly. A power adapter or computer USB allows continuous P4 operation.

The official video shows a practical P4 use case. Many other online demonstrations show its high sound quality and convenient operation.

Conclusions

We think the P4 mainly targets radio and internet broadcasting rather than music recording or film production. At its low price, its functions are impressive and unusual for the format. ZOOM has a wide range for other tasks. For more functions, consider the P8 or the mixer with effects and recording, the ZOOM LiveTrak L-8.

Note. This is an adapted machine translation into English. It follows the “In simple terms” approach. Read the original article at https://prosound.ixbt.com/interfaces/zoom-p4.shtml.