The $179 Podcast Studio: Zoom P4next Unboxing And Initial Thoughts

I've been intrigued by the Zoom P4next since it was announced.The original P4 was a staple for budget podcasting, but it had that one fatal flaw—16-bit/44.1 kHz recording—that made it impossible for me to recommend. Now that Zoom has refreshed it with 24-bit/48kHz and slapped some "AI" branding on the box, I needed to see if it’s actually a serious tool or just a toy.

In this video, I’m unboxing it and providing my initial thoughts on the build quality—because let's be honest, at $179, corners were cut—and I’ll discuss where this device sits in the podcast audio equipment space.

Buy the Zoom P4next: https://amzn.to/3M7pQ5Q
Rodecaster: https://amzn.to/4pB0QTd
Mackie DLZ: https://amzn.to/3KlJxpY

In this video:
• I dig into the menu system to find out if setting up a mix-minus is still a headache.
• I compare it against the Vocaster Two to see which budget interface wins for a two-person show.
• Discuss the build quality
• Go through the menus
• Discuss best use cases for the P4next and those of the Rodecasters and Mackie DLZs.

0:00 The "Next" Name & Context
0:37 Original P4 vs. P4 Next Specs
1:50 The Audio Interface Limitation
3:30 The 32-Bit Float Controversy
5:30 AI Features & Marketing Hype
9:42 Unboxing (What's Missing?)
11:41 Build Quality & Port Layout
16:04 Menu Diving & Setup Test
18:59 USB Audio Interface Connection
23:00 Mic Settings & Low Cut Filter
28:03 Size Comparison vs. Vocaster
30:35 Noise Floor & Preamp Reality
33:30 P4 Next vs. The Competition
36:27 Testing Tone & AI Noise Reduction
38:45 When to Buy an Interface Instead
44:18 Music Mixers vs. Podcast Mixers
50:47 Mackie DLZ vs. Rodecaster Pro
57:30 Latency Issues on Competitors