Mixcraft 9 Recording Studio - Zoom H4N Input

[Chris_s]

I am trying to use a Zoom H4N as my interface to record vocals. In its interface mode, the H4N provides mic input and can also act as a monitor for tracks that were previously recorded. The problem is that I don't want it to act as a monitor but I don't see a way to send the output somewhere else (my headphones). In this monitor mode, the previous tracks are picked up and recorded again onto the new track. What I really want is to be able to choose where the monitor output should go but in the Mixcraft preferences, it shows the H4N as the only output option. The other computer speaker output options that normally show there aren't available. I can only get those back by terminating Mixcraft and starting it again after disconnecting the H4N. Is this a limitation (that makes the H4N unusable) or am I missing something? Does this work "properly" in the latest Mixcraft version?

I should note that the mic does connect (once I set the interface to use 48khz) and it does record the mic along with a copy of the previously recorded tracks.

I've only started using Mixcraft recently and so far I'm quite happy with it. Once I installed the final version of this system, it has generally worked well. I will probably upgrade to version 10, once I find some capability that I want/need that I don't have on this version. So far, this is the only problem that might need a new version to fix.

[CactusMusicBC]

Does it come with an ASIO driver and you are using ASIO mode?
If so you can only use one audio device at a time when using ASIO.
This is the way it is with all audio interfaces. ASIO is the preferred mode and gives you the the best latency so use it and the device headphone output.

[Acoustica Greg]

Looks like the H4N does have an ASIO driver: https://zoomcorp.com/en/us/handheld-rec ... n-support/

[Chris_s]

I slept on it and realized that using the headphone jack on the device was one thing that I didn't try. I am using ASIO V2 by the way.

Today, I re-booted my machine (which I hadn't done for a while). I tried Mixcraft again and this time, I got a different result. This time, the default settings were for ports on the computer not the H4N (but that did show as an option in the input and output menus). I left it like that and when I armed a track I chose the H4N. This worked exactly as I had hoped originally. The playback of the tracks came through my headphones connected to the computer (not through the H4N). If I selected the H4N as input and output in the preferences, then I am guessing that I would get the same result as yesterday (in which case plugging into the headphone jack on the H4N should also be a viable approach).

Thanks for your feedback.

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

Thanks for coming back to share your solution.

Greg

[CactusMusicBC]

Ya I thought it would. I have a Zoom L8 and it has a very good ASIO driver.
You probably weren’t using ASIO mode and that’s the only reason you were hearing windows audio system.