Zoom F8 iOS App Connection Problem Solved

Had another corporate shoot and brought along the Zoom F8 field recorder to record the sound along with my Audio Technica AT4053b hyper-cardioid mike.

This was another shoot where the talent was a corporate executive and in this case we were recording some voice-over to lay into a piece we had recorded the talking head clips a few days earlier. He's sort of a natural presenter so this was a pretty straight-forward gig.

As I was setting up the recorder and mike in his office, I attempted to get the iOS app on my iPhone 6+ connected so I could mix from the phone. But for some reason, even after about 2 minutes of trying, I couldn't get it to connect. The F8 just sat waiting for the phone to show up and the phone kept popping up a message that it was disconnected with a button to retry.

You never want to keep your exec talent waiting so I bailed on the app and jumped into the recording session. The sound was great, albiet a little noisy because the office is located right next to a busy road. But the take was completely usable and because we laid down the tracks at 24-bit, we had plenty of info to get some good noise reduction in post in Izotope RX4 Advanced.

But it annoyed me that I couldn't get the app to connect so that I would have faders to mix while recording (the poteniometers on the unit are gain trim, not faders and not re-assignable from what I can tell). So I spent a little time once I got back to see why I couldn't get them to work well together.

So the first thing I tried was my iPad and it was able to connect first try, not issues at all. Then I tried my phone again and same problem - "Disconnected. Retry?" message again and again.

So I went to my phone's settings, bluetooth and saw that it had the Zoom F8 listed there. I tapped the button to forget this device and bang! It worked right away. Just asked me to type in the password shown on the Zoom.

Not sure why but if you run into problems getting your F8 and iOS device to connect, you might try telling your phone to forget the Zoom F8 under bluetooth settings.

RODE VideoMic Pro with Lyre Suspension and Redesigned Capsule

We had posted this overview of the new RODE VideoMic Pro a few months back but had to pull it because RODE found an issue with the electronics a couple of days after release and recalled it. (Full disclosure: RODE sent me the mike for evaluation. They do not pay me and I retain the right to express my opinion.)

They've got the issue resolved and it is now available online.

Overall, I really like having this in my kit. I'm not a huge fan of using a shotgun mike mounted on top of my camera or rig but there are a few cases where it makes sense. Filming my daughter's marching band in the summer parade this year was one case where it made sense and worked well.

But I also find that this mic works great boomed just above your talent using the RODE VC1 extension cable. In fact, this is how my friend Dave Dugdale shoots 85% of his videos for YouTube (with the older version of the mike). I also like the sound of the new mike. Rich low end when you've got it boomed in close (less than 90cm) . Very neutral when farther away.

If you're wondering whether to get the older version of the mic or spend the extra $40 for the new version, I'd go with the new. You'll have a lot fewer issues with the lyre suspension system in terms of isolating the mike from handling noise and you won't lose and have to repair those pesky rubber bands.

Battery life seems really good as well. I'm still on the original 9v battery and have probably clocked about 8 - 10 hours of use.

Zoom F8: First Impressions

Just received my copy of the Zoom F8 field recorder yesterday evening and spent a little time working with it. We should have a final review sometime in September but wanted to give you my first impressions here.

Build quality: Zoom has been steadily climbing the build quality ladder and the F8 is a definite continuation of that trend. The body is a very solid aluminum and the strap brackets are as solid as can be. The selector knob that allows you to navigate the menus is a HUGE improvement over the silly little jog dial on all of the previous Zoom handy recorders. If we're being honest, that was the feature I did NOT like on any of the previous Zoom recorders. It felt flimsy and ergonomically, was not the quickest tool to get around in the menus. And when you're on a recording job, time is critical.

This new selector knob is as solid as you would expect on a Sound Devices recorder or mixer.

The power and menu buttons have a sort of clicky feel to them that I'm still not sure about. I think they'll be fine over time but only time will tell.

The battery and SD card doors are also very solid metal and the battery door closes with a finger screw. The XLR inputs are Neutrik connectors, an industry standard and always top quality. The external DC power hirose connector is a nice option for pro-level batteries. I connect the F8 to an Anton Bauer battery which should power the F8 for well over 20 hours based on the battery's "remaining time" readout which is usually pretty accurate.

Overall, the unit is smaller than I remember when I first saw the prototype at NAB in April. It is not as light as the more consumer grade recorders from Zoom or Tascam once you add batteries, and about the same as the Sound Devices 744T recorder I've used in the past.

The Screen: The screen is better than I expected and also includes an "outdoor" monochrome mode for use when out in the broad daylight. That is great because that was a major issue with the H6 recorder. The F8's screen also seems much higher grade than the H6's, easier to read and very bright. It also doesn't seem to suffer from the same issues when viewing off axis. Setting the brightness to 50% indoors in a brightly sunlit room, I had absolutely no problem seeing the screen. Haven't had a chance to work with it outdoors yet but will include that in the final review.

Controls and Menus: Usability is a big deal. If a device has a ton of features but you have to constantly dive into menus to access them, that can be a problem and makes working with the device less than practical. I sort of didn't love the H6, H5, or H4n for this reason. They all required a little too much menu diving and when that meant I had to use the jog-dial, it was not fast and not enjoyable.

The F8 seems to be better thought-out on this front. The biggest difference is the selector knob. The menus are similar but having the new metal selector knob makes menu diving a little less onerous. Also, I like that I can use the buttons to arm/select a channel, press the PFL button and quickly access settings for that input like phantom power, the limiter, and pre-fader mode. Nice improvement by Zoom here as well!

The potentiometers or gain trim knobs for each channel have a good feel and work well but they are small. I don't think I'd want to attempt to mix an 8 channel program with just these little pots/knobs. That's where the iOS app comes in.

The mobile (iOS) App: The app is surprisingly good! The only thing about it that made me scratch my head a little bit is that you have to install an additional little firmware thing to enable bluetooth on the F8. I can only guess that maybe Zoom didn't have final FCC approval when they went to manufacturing and perhaps that will be included in the next overall firmware update.

The app works great on iPad and reasonably well on my iPhone 6+. There are a lot of things to fit into the UI so it just works better on the bigger screen of the iPad. On the iPhone, it sort of switches between landscape and portrait orientations to make everything fit depending on what you're doing, mixing or changing settings. It works in a pinch but if I'm truly mixing, I'd rather do it on an iPad.

And that's a pleasure - a 9.7 inch screen dedicated to mixing works quite nicely.You can set the gain for each channel with a skeuomorphic gain pot at the top of each channel, mix with the sliding faders for each channel. You have nice large peak meters for each channel. You can punch the PFL button for each channel to toggle the phantom power or limiter. You can do just about everything aside from set up the recording formats and timecode from the app. I really like it so far.

Preamps and Limiters: This is where I need more time before I can really evaluate things. In terms of specs, the F8 looks top notch. Only more testing will tell for sure. In the recording I've done so far, the preamps appear to deliver in terms of sound quality and noise performance. They seem very, very promising. The limiter, unfortunately, is in the digital domain of the signal chain. In practical terms, this means it isn't all that useful. If a sound comes in too loud, it will pass unprocessed through the analogue preamp, through the analogue to digital converter and the damage is already done before it gets to the digital limiter. That makes the limiter pretty close to useless for preventing distortion from clipping. That's not a total show stopper for enthusiasts that are very price sensitive and have the luxury of doing retakes, but probably not acceptable for pros that make their living doing location sound.

Headphone Amp: for better or worse, this is part of the device that has gotten a lot of attention based on Jose Frias's review.  At first I thought that the headphone signal was noisy. I don't think that's actually the issue after more time with it. But it doesn't sound as nice as what is actually recorded by the F8. The question is whether this is a show-stopper issue. So far, I don't think it is for me. Again, I don't feed, house, and clothe my family with location sound jobs. I'm a corporate video one-man band. And for that scenario, I think it works fine.

Other Features: You can use the F8 as an audio interface connected to your computer via the mini USB port on the left side of the unit. There are ASIO drivers for Windows and it works with core audio out of the box on the Mac side. It isn't the most intuitive device for using as an audio interface if you're going to feed monitors from it, but not bad for recording and listening with headphones.

Timecode! Woot! I haven't had a chance to play with it yet but looking forward to syncing it with my Shogun recorder to see how well that works. Zoom claims to keep time within half a frame in 24 hours which is pretty good. Gotham Sound, a professional sound gear rental house, did a test where they jam synced a Sound Devices 788T and Zoom F8 from a third timecode generator, then stuck both of them in a freezer overnight for approximately 10 hours. When they came back, the two devices were within .8 frames of one another. This seems to suggest that the timecode generator in the F8 is good enough for most professional applications.

The recorder has a 3.5mm stereo out for cameras and two mini XLR outs (L and R) along with adapters so you can send a stereo output to full-sized XLR cables or inputs. Need to test these as well.

Keep yourself subscribed to the updates over the next few weeks and let me know if there are specific questions you would like answered.

Reviews Coming Up: Zoom F8, K-Tek Boompole, Rycote Zeppelin

In the previous video, you'll hear that I just received the Rycote Modular Windshield Kit 4 more commonly known as a zeppelin cover for shotgun mics. These are the huge covers that pro location sound people use out in the field to keep wind noise out of the recording

Also testing out my first proper boom pole from K-tek. The KEG 150 CCR is a carbon fiber 12.5 foot, 5 section pole with an internal, coiled cable so you don't have to fuss with a cable wrapped around the outside. I'm interested to see how quietly it operates. I've heard some people say that sometimes the internal coiled cables that make some noise and mess with your recordings. It also has a very nice XLR connector on the side of the pole so you can rest the end of the pole on the ground without messing with your cable. Nice touch

And I can hardly wait for the UPS guy tomorrow because he's bringing the new ZOOM F8 field recorder! Woot! Been waiting since April at NAB to get my hands on one of these and see how they sound and how well they work both on a cart and in a bag.

Countryman B6 Lavalier Microphone Review

We’ve had plenty of requests for a review of a more professional grade lavalier microphone so let’s have a listen and a look at the Countryman B6. This mic was used in the recent Hobbit movies on Martin Freeman as Bilbo and Ian McKellan as Gandalf. On Martin, two B6s were placed on him, one on each side of his tunic. On Ian, the B6 was hidden in his hat.

I’d like to thank B&H Photo for providing the mic for us to test over the last month. They’re always great to work with!

The Countryman B6 not only sounds great, it is a very versatile option for miking. It comes with three different protective caps that fit over the capsule to provide protection from moisture, but also allow you to sort of fine-tune the sound of the mic. The most common case for this is when you want to hide the mic under the shirt of your talent. In these cases, the shirt will cut some of the high frequency sound. Countryman provides a crisp and super crisp cap to help compensate for that. Of course they also include the flat response cap if you’ll have the mic outside of the clothes.

Recording Sound to a DSLR Camera vs Audio Recorder

How can you get the best quality sound for your videos? There are a lot of factors, and using an external microphone is one of the big factors. But another question that comes up quite often is, will a dedicated audio recorder improve my sound quality? I think it will in 95% of cases. Here’s a sample comparing the quality you get with a professional level lavalier microphone, the Countryman B6, recorded into a simple Zoom H1 audio recorder and recorded into a typical DSLR camera, the Nikon D750.

Now there are still cases where recording sound with your camera may be good enough. But if you want the best audio quality you can get, even a little $99 USD audio recorder is better than a $2000 DSLR camera.

Power Your Tascam or Zoom Recorder All Day

Tascam and Zoom recorders are really impressive for their price, but given that they are made for cost conscious film makers like myself, the engineers had to sacrifice some things. On the Tascams in particular (DR-60D, 70D), battery life seems to be one of the things that isn’t perfect for longer shoots. The 4 AA batteries power the DR-60D for about 2.5 to 3 hours when phantom powering two mics.

So what can you do for those days when you have a 6 hour shoot?

You could carry around a lot of AA batteries and change them out several times, hopefully without sacrificing any of the takes. And if you’re recording a live event, you cannot afford to stop the recording while you change batteries.

The USB batteries on the market can be a good solution. In this episode we look at two on the market: Coocheer (cost conscious option that offers nearly 8 hours of power for the DR-60D with two phantom powered mics) and LifeCHARGE (pricier option that offers over 20 hours for the same recorder/mic combo).

USBPre 2: My Impressions After 4 Weeks

In the simplest terms, audio interfaces are devices that connect to your computer via USB, Thunderbolt, Firewire or some other connection and allow you to record sound into your computer and play back sound from your computer. They're typically much higher quality than the sound card or circuitry built into your computer and usually include professional types of audio connectors (XLR and/or balanced TRS 1/4 inch plugs). With an audio interface you can record with pro microphones and playback your sound with pro monitors (which lay people typically think of as speakers).

Ok, with that out of the way and now that we're all starting from the same place, what's so special about this audio interface from Sound Devices - the USBPre 2?

First the specs from Sound Devices for the USBPre 2:

• Extended bandwidth, low-noise microphone preamplifiers with 48 V phantom, limiters, high-pass filters, and 15 dB pad.
• Dynamic range greater than 114 dB (in 24-bit operation).
• Flat 10 Hz to 40 kHz (@96 kHz SR) audio bandwidth with very low distortion characteristics.
• Each input individually selectable between microphone, line, and aux level signals (both channels selected simultaneously for S/PDIF connections).
• Precision, 23-segment, multicolor LED peak/VU meter, selectable between input and output sources.
• High-output headphone amplifier can drive a wide range of headphones.
• Balanced outputs on XLR connectors with dedicated level control can be used to drive line- or mic-level inputs.
• Mix control enables zero-delay monitoring of source audio, computer audio, or a mix of both source and computer audio for multitrack recording or computer telephony.
• Phono (RCA) jacks connect Aux Output to external loudspeakers or preamplifiers.
• Bus powering via USB for convenient, single-cable connection to the computer.
• In Stand-Alone mode the USBPre 2 operates as a microphone preamplifier and analog-to-digital converter.
• Hardware loop-through for test and measurement to send computer audio directly back to an input.
• High-strength extruded aluminum chassis.
• Mac® OS X 10.4+, Windows®XP/Vista/7, and Linux, class-compliant audio device.
• Additional features controlled by hardware DIP switches on the back panel; no software-only features and no control panel.

The Sound Devices USBPre 2 is a USB 2 class compliant audio interface. That means that when you plug it in to a Mac, you don't need any drivers, it just works in full 24-bit recording mode and with very low latency. Same with a Windows PC except that if you want the lower latency benefits, you have to install an ASIO driver. This is super handy because if on a project I need to use somebody else's computer for whatever reason, I can plug this in and go without muddling with driver installs.

A good, solid set of input and output options: You get two XLR inputs, two 1/4" line inputs and 2 unbalanced RCA inputs (for tape/CD player/iPod input). You also get TOSLink and SPDIF inputs for bringing in digital signals from ADAT or other digital devices (I've never used these, but they're there if you need them). The output options are the same as the inputs including left and right XLR outputs which you can route to a set of monitors (called speakers by most laymen and women). There are also 1/4" and 1/8" (3.5mm) headphone jacks controlled by a nice big, metal volume knob.

And that brings me to build quality. This is the toughest little piece of audio gear I have ever used. And by that I mean you could literally drive a truck over this thing and it would probably be just fine. Everything is metal. Everything. Well, except for the rubber cover over the dip switches on the back. The potentiometers (gain and volume knobs) are large and smooth and also metal. Then there are two recessed potentiometers for the XLR outputs and pan which you push in to extend so that you can adjust and then push them back in again to get them out of the way. The buttons are very solid and activate with a solid, reassuring click. Sound Devices specializes in making pro level field recorders and mixers and they applied the same top-notch build quality to the USBPre 2 as well. This thing will last you a very, very long time, even if you toss it in your bag and take it with you everywhere. And in fact, that appears to be its intended purpose.

I've owned four audio interfaces over the last ten years, and compared to those, this is the one I've enjoyed the most in terms of audio quality, build quality, ergonomics, and features. You get everything that you need, and nothing you don't need.

Audio quality both in and out are top notch. The preamps have plenty of gain to drive even the most gain hungry mics (e.g., dynamic mics like the Shure SM-7B or SM58) without pushing the preamps anywhere near max. Most of my audio interfaces had to go to max gain to get a reasonable signal out of dynamic mics like this. And when you push the pre-amp to the max, you also push the noise floor to the max. No so with the USBPre. You can listen to a recent comparison vs. some less expensive audio recorders over here.

When I originally requested the evaluation unit from our friends at B&H Photo, I thought that the USBPre 2 shared the same pre amps and analogue to digital converters as the much more expensive 700 series Sound Devices field recorders. But that was because I mis-read the marketing materials. Technically, the preamps and analogue to digital converters in the USBPre 2 use the same "topology" as those in the 700 series field recorders. A closer look at the specs show that indeed, the preamps are not identical, though the analog to digital converters may be. In any case, I was not at all disappointed by the sound of the preamps and converter in the USBPre. The practical noise floor after loudness normalizing dialogue clips to -16LUFS sat at around -60dB which is good. They have the same warm lows and defined highs I have always envied from Sound Devices recorders and mixers.

While most people don't usually get very excited about the audio meters on their devices, the USBPre 2's meters were a revelation to me. They feature 23 LEDs per channel. And while is not always better than less, in this case it makes a huge, positive difference! I didn't consciously realize how annoying and nearly useless 4 or 6 segment meters are. But when you have 23 segments, it is quick and easy to set your gain level. And the nice little curve makes is super easy to tell where you're at. Wow, I really love this feature. I know, I'm a nerd, but it really does simplify things when you're mixing in real-time.

At this point you might be wondering if there was anything not so great about this audio interface. Overall, I don't think that there were any things that I didn't like, but there two things that I should mention.

First, all this quality does not come cheaply. In June 2015, the USBPre 2 retails at street prices of $879 USD. And Sound Devices don't usually do any special pricing events so waiting a little longer isn't likely to result in price drops.

Secondly, and this is both really good and a little bit inconvenient but makes sense when you consider the intended purposes for this device: Many of the settings, such as the switch to turn on phantom power for one of the preamps, or to set the bit-depth and sample rates, or to turn on the limiter, are all set via tiny little dip switches under a very solid rubber cover on the back. At first I was a little annoyed that I had to pull the entire little device out to turn it around, work that cover off of the all-metal case, and then get a pen to reach in to the switches and change those that I needed changed. But it also a very good thing. This device is made to also be a field mixer which you would use in a bag. As soon as you put something like this in a bag, the last thing you want is to ruin a take by accidentally bumping the phantom power off or bumping the limiter off. So it was really a well conceived design decision. Also, so that you don't have to install any software on your computer, all the relevant digital settings are accessed via dip switches such as sample rate and recording bit depth. Same with some of the hardware features like whether the big volume knob controls the XLR outputs or the headphone outputs. Not a bad design decision once you consider why they did it. Also, so that you don't have to remember what all 20 of them do, there's a great reference chart on the bottom of the case that reminds you exactly what each switch does.

My thoughts on who this device fits: If you need a two input, incredibly durable, portable audio interface that works without a lot of fuss or installing drivers, I don't think you can do much better than the Sound Devices USBPre 2. The intended market seems to be film and video sound mixers though podcasters and musicians could certainly find a lot to love about this as well.

Do I plan to buy it? I am very, very tempted but I probably will not only because I'm saving up for a pro field recorder of the same quality from Sound Devices or Zaxcom. Stay tuned for more on that.

Zoom H6: My Impressions After 4 Weeks

I've been a fan of both Zoom and Tascam and their various recorders for several years. My first handheld audio recorder was the Zoom H4, not the H4n, but the original funky looking, very plasticky, very noisy preamps H4. By today's standards, it wasn't awesome, but it was a pioneering type of recorder with XLR inputs and built-in stereo condenser mics. It was definitely designed mainly for musicians. And by the time the H4n came out and DSLR video revolution hit, the H4n became the first audio device that most low and no budget filmmakers turned to first.

Then in 2013, Zoom announced the Zoom H6 with better build quality, interchangeable microphones, and 4 XLR inputs, among a host of additional features. The H6 still seems to me to be aimed at various markets. Musicians are still one of the intended audiences and filmmakers are also clearly another intended audience based on the fact that Zoom offers a shotgun mic module option. I didn't jump on the H6 right at release because I was pretty satisfied with my Tascam recorder at the time (DR-100mkII).

Thanks to my friends at B&H Photo, I had an evaluation copy of the H6 for the last four weeks so I've finally had a chance to put it through its paces. Now I feel qualified to answer all the questions I've received along the lines of, "Tascam DR-60DmkII or Zoom H6?"

First thing I noticed is that the H6 comes in a pretty decent plastic case along with all of its pieces and accessories. It isn't Pelican case grade, but it is nice to have something to keep everything in one place for storage and travel. By "pieces and accessories" I mean the foam wind cover, the stereo mic module, mid-side mic module, a set of batteries, USB cable, memory card, and a license for Cubase LE. The warranty is a standard one year.

For me, when recording audio with devices at this price point (currently $399 USD), the most important thing is audio quality. I already know that the build quality and many other pro features are likely missing. But if it has great audio quality and isn't missing so many other features that it is too difficult to use, then it has achieved its purpose.

And I am happy to report that the Zoom H6 produces great audio quality.

My focus was the XLR inputs and not the X-Y stereo or Mid Side mic modules. Those might be useful in a pinch, but I recorded with a series of lavalier and cardioid and shotgun mics simply because that's the type of recording I typically do as a filmmaker. The interchangeable mic system is one of the features that Zoom evidently used to make the H6 more flexible for different types of recording, i.e., musicians and filmmakers. I've never been all that interested in using the mics designed for this purpose. The shotgun mic in particular, sort of makes me chuckle and cringe. Here is another case of a manufacturer covertly suggesting that this is a high quality mic--which undoubtedly it is--which will get you great dialogue audio when you mount it on top of your camera. Positioning a shotgun or any other sort of mic this way will always capture a lot of room and ambience which is not usually the sound that a new recordist is after. They usually want isolated dialogue with as little room and ambience as possible which is only possible when you position the mic 40 - 60cm from the talent. And booming the entire H6 up above your talent is possible, but probably not the best position since you'll have a bit of work on your hands to start and stop the recordings. So, I'm just not all that interested in the in-built mic or interchangeable mic modules. I'm not saying they're useless. To the contrary, I think they're very useful for a lot of people. They just don't fit the way I personally work or the way that most film sound people work and I don't want to spend a lot of money on something I won't use.

All that aside, I was really impressed with the sound quality. Zoom has come a long way since the days of the H4 and H4n in terms of clean gain. I measured a practical noise floor of -60dB. By practical noise floor, I mean that after recording dialogue, I loudness normalized the stereo clip to -16LUFS and then measured the average RMS amplitude of a section of "silence". -60dB is great. This is on par with the Tascam DR-60DmkII and my good old Focusrite Saffire Pro 24DSP audio interface and even the Sound Devices USBPre 2 audio interface. If you're interested in hearing the H6 compared to the Tascam and Sound Devices, we compared them last week here.

The build quality is unquestionably a step up from the original H4 and even a step up from the H4n. The body feels like it is covered in a high grade rubberized material. The heft of the device feels very solid. No creaking cheap plastic here. The mic modules feel like solid metal. On the previous Zooms, they didn't feel nearly this substantial and durable. It genuinely feels to me like if I dropped the H6, it would bounce and absorb the shock without sustaining any damage. Since this was a review unit, I didn't actually confirm that, but the build quality felt quite refined and durable.

The color screen looks impressive. But alas, this seems like a weak point to me. It looks very pretty but it is hard to see unless you have it at just the right angle and it is very difficult to see outdoors in direct sunlight. This is not a deal-breaker unless you shoot a lot outdoors in direct sunlight. I don't, but some do so I though this was worth mentioning. Indoors, the screen is great. Just about the right size and easy to see if you're looking straight-on. Not so easy from a wider angle.

The fader knobs are nice, I think nicer than on the Tascam DR-60D and 70D units, more solid feeling and very smooth. The buttons allow you to quickly arm which of the 6 tracks you want to record and with the newest firmware, also allow you to solo monitor a track which is super helpful to solve any problems when recording several mics at the same time. Neither the Tascam DR-60 or 70D allow you to do that. This is one area where Zoom is pretty strong. They have a much better track record than Tascam at adding new features to their recorders via firmware updates. Tascam almost never does that.

The Zoom H6 can also act as a bonafide audio interface. This means that you can connect it to your computer via USB cable, hook a mic up to the H6, and record computer screencasts, for example. The Tascam recorders cannot do that. So there's another bonus! You can also monitor with headphones while you're doing that.

One thing I don't love about the Zoom H6 is that lack of buttons or controls for other settings. And that jog-dial that you use to navigate through the menu? Ugh. While it is beefier than it was on the original H4 and even the H4n, still don't love it. It feels flimsy and it is not conducive to running quickly through the menus, at least compared to the dials on the Tascam recorders. It isn't a deal breaker, in part because you don't need to go into the menus a lot on the H6, but it is never a pleasurable experience to menu dive with it. Need phantom power. Ugh, Menu dive. I'm being picky here and this is not a deal breaker. But I think that Zoom can do better next  round and it is time to ditch that job-dial.

Battery life is where the H6 shines relative to the Tascam recorders. I get more like 6 hours when phantom powering mics. The DR-60DmkII is still around 3 hours.

There is also a 3.5mm input so you can use those lavalier mics with 3.5mm (mini stereo jack) plugs. There's also a 3.5mm line out so that you can send the captured audio into your DSLR or mirrorless camera and avoid syncing sound during editing.

So overall, those are my impressions. Would I buy one? Yes, it is worth every penny of its price. Would I go with this over a Tascam DR-70D? That's a tougher question. If I needed an audio interface, too, I would go with the Zoom H6 because the DR-70D can't do that. That's where the Zoom shines and one example of how incredibly versatile it is. On the flip side, it always feels to me that the Tascam DR-60 and 70D recorders are a little more purpose built for film makers and a little more ergonomic and quicker to operate. Need phantom power? There's a switch for that, no need to menu dive. And even when you do need to access the menu, the dial is very quick. As always, there are tradeoffs and both are great options and neither is 100% perfect for everyone. For now, I'll stick with my Tascam. If I were buying today, I'd still probably stick with the Tascam DR-70D because I already have a great audio interface for my computer.

I hope that was helpful and please sound off in the comments with any questions or insights from your experience!

Sound Comparison: Pro vs Enthusiast Audio Recorders

Do you need to spend more money to get great sound for your video or film projects? Is a $200 USD Tascam recorder with XLR inputs good enough? Or do you need to move up to a Zoom H6? Or, do you really need to invest thousands in a SoundDevices or Zaxcom professional grade field recorder?

In this episode we compare audio clips from Tascam, Zoom, and SoundDevices recorders so that you can evaluate for yourself.

Scott Vanderbilt kindly pointed out that a very important assumption I made was incorrect: The Sound Devices USBPre 2 and Sound Devices 744T field recorder do not appear to share the exact same preamplifiers (because their specs are different over at the Sound Devices website). The analog to digital converter specs appear to be identical but even so, this does not mean that they are identical. So really we're not comparing a $4400 USD field recorder to a $200 USD Tascam recorder. We're just comparing an $850 USBPre 2 to a $200 Tascam and $400 Zoom. My apologies for the mixup and thanks again to Scott for pointing this out.

Nevertheless, the comparison is still useful to understand how the audio quality differs on these devices at different price points.

NOTE! I am NOT suggesting that if you like the sound of one of the less expensive devices that there is not value in the higher priced device. In the case of the Sound Devices USBPre 2, it has a lot of things that neither the Zoom nor the Tascam have:

• Far superior build quality that could easily outlast the other two
• Repairability - Sound Devices has built the USBPre 2 to be repairable. I don't get that impression with the Tascam or the Zoom
• Far superior metering with 20 segment meters. It is surprising how much this actually makes a difference when it comes time to set your gain and faders
• Pro outputs (XLR) so that you can send audio to pro cameras
• Timecode in and out so that it is much easier to sync sound with footage in post, especially on multicam shoots
• Much more robust powering options, not just mini USB, but also fully metal, hirose 4 pin connectors to hook up bigger, pro quality Anton Bauer and Sony V-mount batteries

So please don't walk away with the wrong impression. I really like the USBPre 2 and will have a review up here on the site in a few days.

The real take away message: Don't wait until you can afford an $800 piece of audio gear to do your passion project. The less expensive recorders can get you the same audio quality. If you're hired on larger productions, of course you would then need to rent or own a pro-level recorder for a lot of reasons other than just sound quality.