Our products are constantly evolving to meet the needs of the creators who use them. With the H5 portable recorder, the tradition continues.  The H5 offers four-track simultaneous recording and, like the H6, our flagship product, it uses an interchangeable mic capsule system that lets you choose the best microphone for every recording situation. The H5 gives you the flexibility, performance, and everything you need to create multitrack recordings, sound from video, and enjoy podcasting, broadcasting, and news reporting in top quality.

More powerful. Closer. Sharper.

X/Y recording lets you cover a wide area while still capturing centrally located sound sources with clarity and definition, making it the go-to method for all types of live stereo recording. Supplied with the H5, the XYH-5 X/Y microphone capsule has two matched unidirectional condenser microphones angled at 90 degrees to each other. They're mounted on a sophisticated shock mount that uses rugged external mic wires and rubberized materials to isolate the unit from the H5's body, to minimize vibration and handling noise. The design of the XYH-5 also allows the H5 to accept louder sounds than any other Handy Recorder model: 140 dB NPrA, to be precise, the sound equivalent of a jet plane at less than 60 meters, allowing the capture of more powerful, closer and clearer sounds than ever before.

Equipment

Entrances and exits
In addition to the standard transport controls (stop, play/pause, record, rewind, and fast forward), the H5's front panel features dedicated keys for arming each track for recording, which serve as track mute switches. sound during playback. A Hold switch disables all front panel keys to prevent accidental triggering while recording. The H5 can be attached to a camera strap or directly to a DSLR or camcorder, using our optional hot shoe adapter.

The H5 also has everything you need to connect to the outside world. Dual XLR/TRS combo inputs for mic and line level signals let you connect external microphones and line level devices such as mixing consoles, portable music players, effects processors and electronic keyboards – and even electric guitars or basses equipped with an active electronic circuit. Each input of the H5 has its own dedicated gain control, located under a protective bar that prevents accidental movement during handling. The supplied X/Y capsule (XYH-5) also provides a second input for receiving a stereo signal at mic or line level via a 3.5mm mini jack. The H5 supports +4dB (professional) input level and uses the same high-quality preamp as our flagship product, the H6, to ensure outstanding audio recordings in any sound environment.

The exit possibilities are also numerous. A dedicated line-out with adjustable volume lets you route the H5's stereo audio output to the mic input of a video camera or other device, without the need for an attenuator cable. Plus, you get an independent headphone output with dedicated volume control. You can use both outputs simultaneously to route sound to your DSLR camera, while listening to it through your headphones. The built-in speaker gives you quick monitoring and the USB port gives you the option to use the H5 as an audio interface for your computer or iPad.


Power and storage
Power is supplied by just 2 AA alkaline or rechargeable NiMH batteries. With alkaline batteries, the H5 can work for more than 15 hours, even in continuous recording. You can also use an optional AC adapter to power the H5 without using batteries. The H5 records directly to SD and SDHC cards up to 32GB. Maximum recording time depends on card size and file type; for example, the supplied 2 GB SD card can hold approximately fourteen hours of 320 kbps stereo MP3 files, three hours of 16-bit/44.1 kHz stereo WAV files, or one hour of 24-bit/96 kHz stereo WAV files.