After my experiences with Zoom cameras I was very intrigued by their range of recorders. In fact, although the quality of the q8 is able to satisfy the needs of almost all musicians, there is a not negligible slice of the market made up of videomakers, who hardly accept compromises, and drummers, who are not satisfied with recording with an x / microphone. y and two standard microphones.
So today we will talk about recorders from two points of view: the first as a musician, focused on the use of a recorder for musical instruments, and the second as a videomaker, i.e. on the need to also record dialogues and other sound sources, especially in locations other than pubs. , home, rehearsal room and the like.
In particular we will analyze the recorder Zoom H6, almost the top of the range if we do not consider the Field Recorder F8, equipped with many channels and two very promising capsules.
Aesthetic Considerations
From the first impression it can be said that it is a product with a very fine aesthetic. The official photos show us a compact, portable instrument with easy access to the keys.
The standard microphone capsules are beautiful to look at, and at first glance even well built. The fact that it is entirely made of metal, however, makes its weight felt, as it tends to lean forward, but it is recorded using a support the problem does not exist.
The construction is in compliance with that of the user-consumer electronic products: rubberized plastic chassis and plastic and metal finishes for the audio inserts; it is not armored but is not born for field registration.
Small and very handy, it fits in a belt pocket and is not very cluttered, so it is promoted from an aesthetic point of view.
Technical Considerations
Obviously, we take into consideration the characteristics as can be seen from the official Zoom website, which are the most reliable and most thorough for all parts of the product. In the exposition, we divide the analysis into capsules (those supplied), income and expenses.
We can hardly argue, it is a top of the range product with a noteworthy technical sector, there are many possible recording formats and above all the possible options for each channel. Furthermore, they can be managed for channels 1-2-3-4 (not for the inputs dedicated to the front capsule, but it is still useful):
- Lo-cut
- Compressor - Limiter
- Phantom power
The rest, on the other hand, are management for the mixer and the various output volumes, which can be customized down to the smallest detail.
The display to monitor the tracks and the navigable menu (which I expected more difficult) and the two capsules included, robust and well built, all in metal, are very appreciated.
Also included are a tuner and a metronome.
Last but not least, a very important note must be added, namely the use as a direct audio interface: if connected to a PC or a Mac, you can make use of the Zoom (sharing the battery of your laptop or your car), on the USB menu we can set the audio interface section for recording the stereo mix or multitrack and use our favorite Daw for recording, basically having a small recording studio in your pocket.
Therefore also promoted on the technical side, one could hardly ask for more.
Sound Considerations
As I mentioned at the beginning, this recorder should not only be used as if we were making a test shot in the room, but also as an audio recorder for videomaking. As a result, I tried to do the sound test as best I could to meet both needs, in one case shooting with a Shure Sm 57, a widely used instrument to record a guitar, while in the second case I used the X / Y capsule of the recorder.
In the first case the audio chain is made as follows:
Ibanez RG 1070 - Cable lymph audio - Hughes &; Kettner Edition Tube - Shure Sm 57 - Cable quiklock SS2 - Zoom H6.
In the second case, however, there is no audio chain, since it is an environmental shot of a live concert.
Furthermore, I used this type of sampling:
First case - 24 bit / 96 Khz - Guitar pickup;
Second case - 16 bit / 44.1 Khz - Shooting a live in a club.
As for the recovery of a single guitar, we can hardly ask for anything better: the recovery is excellent and you can feel many nuances of the instrument, especially since I used the highest possible quality. Perhaps there is only one precaution to follow: the file obtained could be, to a more attentive ear, a bit compressed if it is passed on a mastering software or for some Vst. You have to be careful when exporting and during post-production. The preamp is not particularly bad in terms of gain, so you can give volume without too much fear. My amplifier was almost at half volume at the start of the shoot and I had to turn the recorder pre up to almost half: this allows you to keep the tubes warm without being afraid of unwanted clipping, at least for home studio applications where spaces and facilities are not always at the level of a professional firm.
In the second case, I wanted to put this recorder to the test in the worst possible situation: a concert in a pub with live music, a barrel vaulted venue, seated at the first table below the stage and with almost no acoustic treatment.
Shooting with the capsule was good, despite not using the highest quality of shooting. The only drawback, if I can say so, is that perhaps the bass and the guitar are not particularly heard, but otherwise the result was far above my expectations.
As for the singing, I wanted to do a little test despite having a microphone only for the voice in the studio: the mid side capsule has a fairly flat frequency response and does not give too particular colors, you have to pay attention to the dosage of the gain, because turns out to be very sensitive, more than I expected.
Another sector for which a similar product is born is the shooting of a video not only music in the strict sense: the standard capsule manages to capture well without too many hitches and does not make background noise of any kind, the mid side capsule does not appear much suitable for this purpose, as it lacks directionality.
The difference compared to a shot taken with a iPhone or in any case a smartphone is abysmal: you perceive the dimensionality of the sound and the background of the room in which you are shooting, you can have a well-defined sound spectrum, you can perceive every part of the speech. On the other hand, with a cell phone almost all the high frequencies would be cut off and there would be a lot of background noise due to the bad preamp.
If you try to connect the line out to a smartphone this thing is clearly perceived, which is why it is a product that can give excellent sound results.
Connected to a Reflex it becomes the videomaker's “ultimate weapon”: it is difficult to get better, especially for the podcast it is an incomparable machine.
On the sound side, only the new field recorder is better, but it is a product of another level and born for very different needs.
Economic Considerations
Selling price below (in some cases even abundantly) the 400 euros.
We are talking about a top of the range with many possibilities and options, its own microphones and up to four channels that can be used with external microphones (expandable up to six with the appropriate adapter).
We are in line with professional recorders that are also used in videomaking, it is not absolutely overpriced, even if, as always, it depends on the needs of the user: a guitarist would hardly exploit it to the fullest of possibilities, but a drummer instead would find it not a little benefit from this recorder, given the high number of inputs present and the ability to simultaneously record up to eight tracks in wav.
Final considerations
I find the H6 an extremely good and extremely portable product, much smaller than a Tascam and with the possibility of having both its own microphones and external microphones: an excellent Swiss Army knife for different types of shooting.
One could hardly hope for better audio based on video production, it is the cornerstone for those who are already equipped with a certain level of video support and need an audio contribution to the height.
I especially appreciated the fact that it can be used as a sound card to record on the road, a not indifferent extra touch.
PRO
- Very performing capsules
- Small and easily transportable Form Factor
- Stilo battery power supply
AGAINST
- Lack of a cable to connect it to an external device
- Some compression, which can be avoided with a well done export
Author's Note
I have already reviewed and then purchased it Zoom Q8, and, as I said in the previous article, that type of camera is excellent for those who are at the very beginning in video management and need an All-in-One machine of a certain level to be able to produce video material with excellent audio quality and almost minimal effort.
The H6 is in my opinion the next step in the evolution of the musician and also of the videomaker, with many channels for its size, excellent audio quality despite a little background noise (which as mentioned is solvable, but if you are a guitarist you could even do not notice it due to the hum of the amplifier itself; for those who are also speaking or singing, they might find it slightly annoying).
Its use, however, should not be seen only in the musical field: a scene recorder for videomakers is very useful and this does its job well, thanks to the many recording options and the possibility of using up to 6 microphones.
It could be part of my final set up: I think I'll continue video making tests with reflex cameras and top-of-the-range smartphones to see how portable it can be.
Useful news
Model: Zoom H6
Prezzo di Vendita: 350,00 euros
Official website: www.zoom.co.jp
Italian distributor: mogar
