Hello, I use a Zoom H4n Recorder as an audio interface, plugged through USB. It works great with my BOSS RC-30 loop station plugged to both guitar and mic. I’ve Tried to add another mic to the second ZOOM audio interface INPUT, but Audacity can’t See it, iven though I’ve disabled the “MONO MIX” function. Please can You help me ? I would love to record main vocals on a separate indipendent track, simultaneously.
I use Windows 10 , Audacity 2.0.6
Many thanks in advance 
Does the additional mic work if you use the Zoom H4N as a standalone recorder?
yes, and the 2 mics also works using both the Zoom H4N inputs as standalone recorder, disabling the “MONO MIX” function.
I don’t have a Zoom H4, but I would have thought that when using the H4 as a USB interface, that the Zoom would continue to use the external mic that you have plugged in. Perhaps your H4N manual can clarify that point.
Note that Audacity will not see the plugged in microphone as a new device. Audacity will just see the H4N (because that is the “sound card” device). Whether or not the H4N passes audio from an external mic to the computer via USB or whether it only passes audio from its built-in mics, is entirely down to the H4N. I would have expected that you could record from the plugged in external mic, but as I said, I don’t have an H4N to test.
Yes it works in audacity, but just using one of the two inputs (I send both guitar and MIC to the input of my loop station, and then the output of the loop station to ONE of the TWO inputs of the Zoom, and it works fine in audacity.
But when I’ve tried to plug another mic simultaneously in the SECOND input of the zoom recorder, audacity seems unable to record anything(either the previous well working one!)
IDK why!
Here I paste the Zoom Customer Support reply:
"Hello,
Thanks for contacting us with your question. I believe that this is a limitation of Audacity; have you tested in any other DAW softwares?
From my experience, it seems that Audacity can only receive signal from input 1.
Sincerely,"
So, do you have any suggestions to achieve my goal ?
Many thank!
Audacity can only record from 1 “device” at a time, but is able to record from as many “input channels” at that device makes available.
If you could copy and paste the information from “Help menu > Audio device info”, that may provide some insight as to how Audacity sees the H4N.
When I ran into this, it turns out Zoom means 4 channels by counting the two built-in microphones and two optional devices.
Optional Devices:
One XLR microphone and one guitar.
Two Guitars.
Two XLR microphones.
You never get two XLR microphones and two guitars.
Manufacturers do this all the time. My PV6, Six Channel Audio Mixer!! will only mix four microphones. The two guitar inputs brings the channels up to 6.
Koz
There you go.
!!! When you read “Altoparlanti”, it means “Speakers” in italian, I guess it refers to the ZOOM built in little speaker. It also has an audio output (that I send to the mixer, this help me to listen both backtrack from audacity and live mic input while recording) 
==============================
Default recording device number: 1
Default playback device number: 4
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: ZOOM Recording Mixer (ZOOM H Se
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: Microphone (Realtek High Defini
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: Speakers (Realtek High Definiti
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: Altoparlanti (ZOOM H Series Aud
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
==============================
Device ID: 6
Device name: Driver primario di acquisizione suoni
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.120000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.240000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 7
Device name: ZOOM Recording Mixer (ZOOM H Series Audio)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.120000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.240000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 8
Device name: Microphone (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.120000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.240000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 9
Device name: Driver audio principale
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.120000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
==============================
Device ID: 10
Device name: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.120000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
==============================
Device ID: 11
Device name: Altoparlanti (ZOOM H Series Audio)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.120000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
==============================
Device ID: 12
Device name: Altoparlanti (ZOOM H Series Audio)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.003000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.010000
Supported Rates:
44100
==============================
Device ID: 13
Device name: Altoparlanti (ZOOM H Series Audio) (loopback)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.003000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.010000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 14
Device name: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.003000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.010000
Supported Rates:
48000
==============================
Device ID: 15
Device name: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio) (loopback)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.003000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.010000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 16
Device name: ZOOM Recording Mixer (ZOOM H Series Audio)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.003000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.010000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 17
Device name: Microphone (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.003000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.010159
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Selected recording device: 1 - ZOOM Recording Mixer (ZOOM H Se
Selected playback device: 4 - Speakers (Realtek High Definiti
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available recording sources:
0 - Master
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - PCM
==============================
Recording volume is native
Playback volume is native
I’m sending into the first optional device input, the output from the loop station BOSS RC-30 plugged to guitar and a dynamic mic, and I would love to use the second optional device input for the condenser mic, so I can record in audacity 2 tracks, one for the looped (guitar+voice), and the other one for the main vocals from the condenser mic.
Many thanks for your answer!
Even under WASAPI Audacity only sees two inputs.
You could try Reaper (free trial) or some other ASIO enabled recorder to see if Zoom sends four channels over ASIO.
If not, then the limitation appears to be that Zoom only passes the internal mics when running as an interface.
Gale
Th Zoom H4N is showing up as a 2 channel device with drivers support for MME, Direct Sound and WASAPI.
That means that, although the H4N is advertised as having “4 track” ability, the standard Windows drivers for the H4N support only 2 channels.
I believe that the Zoom H4N also supports ASIO drivers, but Audacity cannot be distributed with ASIO support due to licensing restriction.
If you plug your mic directly into the zoom, and your guitar into the other channel of the zoom, are you able to record on the zoom (as a standalone recorder), both the mic and the guitar?
If yes, then without changing anything else, connect the zoom via the USB cable to your computer and set the zoom to “audio interface” mode.
Open the Windows Sound Control Panel and ensure that the zoom is set for recording 2 channels stereo. Can you see the recording level meters (in the control panel) responding to both microphone input and guitar input?
If yes, launch Audacity, ensure that it is set to record 2 channel stereo in the device toolbar and make a test recording.
Where did it go wrong?
Can you show in the instructions where the H4 will act as a four-track USB device? My instructions go on for pages how you can use the four tracks internally for special effects and production. Also instructions how to mix down to stereo for delivery. No mention of delivering four tracks.
And yes, even earlier H4 devices support ASIO.
Koz
Even if H4 only delivers two tracks, it does not matter providing it passes an external mic when being used as a USB interface.
Koz, if CoreAudio only sees two Zoom recording channels in Audio MIDI Setup on OS X, then I assume that is all you get as an interface, unless there is some setting somewhere that controls that. CoreAudio should be as good as ASIO at seeing all available channels.
Gale
Omg guys, it works!
Following your step I’ve realized what an epic fail I’ve done last time!
I’ve forgotten to turn on the second line input on the zoom, I was sure that in “audio interface mode” you couldn’t press any button, so only the 1 was lightning in red!
I’ve press on the number 2 button as well, and it turns on, and it all works great!
You have to have both buttons 1 e 2 turned in red, and it works in stereo mode.
After the recording, I just need to split the recording in two mono tracks, and then duplicate each on into stereo track, I’ll figure out how to do it, I remember Audacity can do this.
Or it’s possible to set previously 2 empty recording stereo-tracks with auto-diplicate in stereo ?
Many thanks guys,
sorry for this epic fail! 
Hooray 
You only need to “Split to Mono” unless you specifically want to apply a stereo effect. Mono tracks will play through both left and right speakers, though you can also “pan” them left or right if you wish by using the track “Pan” slider (Audacity Manual).
If a mono track is panned off-centre, then when you export as an ordinary audio file it will create a stereo file. If it is panned dead centre it will produce a mono file that will play equally through both left and right speakers.
Steve, I don’t know how to thank you!
You’re kind and professional man, many thanks!
And thanks to all guys who helped me during this issue!
You’re better than the official support 
We are the official support
Audacity is a community project with development, documentation and support coming mostly from volunteers.
I meant better then the device recorder support, who told me that it was impossible with audacity.
Ah a little question: How can I have a double headphone monitor from the mixer PHONIC MM 1002a ? I’ve tried with EFX OUT, Out Main, but it doesn’t sound good.
I would love that both singer and player can listen the whole live recording in their own headphone.
Many thanks.
Something like this: Millenium HA 4 – Thomann UK
It’s called a “headphone amplifier”. You plug it into a normal headphone socket and it gives you multiple (in this case 4) headphone sockets with independent volume controls.