A number of you mentioned that the Zoom h4n doesn’t have enough built in gain to record a strong signal from the Azden SGM 2X. I’ve used the microphone in the past with a number of field recorders and didn’t recall having this problem. But it’s been a long time since I’ve used it with the h4n so last night before I package the microphone up for shipping, I ran a few audio pick up tests with the standard settings I use on H4n at a input gain of 85.

Azden SGM 2x in Super-cardioid (audio sample)

With the Super-cardioid capsule installed at 1 foot and 3 feet with a standard speaking voice I was hitting -8 to -12 without much problem. At 6 feet and 12 feet with a standard speaking voice, audio levels are closer to -18 to -22 respectively.

Azden SGM 2x in Omni (audio sample)

With the Omni capsule attached to the Azden SGM 2X at 1 foot and 3 feet with a standard speaking voice I was hitting -6 and -8 without much problem. At 6 feet and 12 feet with a standard speaking voice, audio levels are closer to -20 and -25 respectively.

Other then converting the samples to mp3 format and trimming each clip, there was no post processing done on the audio. I wouldn’t call the microphone’s output loud, but the signal levels were completely usable and audio quality seems on par with a microphone in this price range.

The amplifier on the Zoom h4n maxes out at a level setting of 100 so there was still a little head room if I wanted to crank up the input a bit more. I didn’t have time to test side access rejection but on access levels didn’t seem bad in my opinion. However it would be nice to get another 10 or 20 db of clean gain out of the h4n.

If possible I try to keep my boom microphone within 3 to 4 feet of my subject. This usually isn’t hard to do in medium and close up shots. But if you’re trying to catch audio from 6 or 12 feet away, the SGM 2X and h4n combination isn’t exactly ideal. The Azden SGM 2X doesn’t have enough reach with the Zoom h4n’s limited gain to be very useful beyond 6 feet, but that’s the case with quit a few microphones in this price range.

Are you really interested in audio? If so take a look at the silent areas of the sample in Sound Forge. It looks as though the noise floor on the Zoom h4n is sitting around -55db which seems pretty good for a field recorder in this price range. Regardless of the noise floor at 85, a little extra clean audio gain on the h4n would be nice to have.

Need a boom mic with a stronger signal? Consider saving up for the Audio Technica 4073 or Rode NTG3. If you have the money, a decent microphone is well worth the investment.


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