Topic: ZOOM F8n PRO Multitrack Field Recorder - Dual ADC and 32-bit Float

[Gutbucket]

Personally I'm okay with that.  I don't want to have to pull the recorder out of my bag to access the back for a battery swap while recording.  If using NP-F I'd rather use an outboard sled attached to the locking hirose power input, but I'm fully satisfied using a Talentcell into the non-locking coaxial adapter port, as I expect most tapers will be.

I really want them to fix Mid/Side monitoring and Input Trim linking though!

[Twenty8]

In contrast, the similar Tascam DR680 "Channel Ganging" feature does allow for different trims between ganged channels.  One can gang/un-gang various channel combinations to adjust pairs in unison or the entire bunch together at any time without automatically resetting the trims and screwing up the relative balances.  If one does want all linked channel trims to be identical (say for an ambisonic microphone).  They can be set that way before linking them.

I have grown to love this about my 680mkii.

Interesting to see the changes to this recorder.  Thinking about getting a box with 32bit float so this one is in contention with the F6/MP6ii.

[Datfly]

I use this 11000mA/hr one- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016BJCRUO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Its likely larger than you really need, but I like having plenty of excess capacity.  One half that of capacity should be fine for typical gigs if not a full fest day as long as its fully charged..

Still, best practice to keep 8 AA's in the recorder as power backup just in case. 
^
This actually bit me last Saturday recording Dumpstaphunk.  I'd grown complacent and didn't have AA's in there AND forgot to swap the mostly-drained Talentcell in my recording bag for the well-charged alternate Talentcell I'd intended to take, resulting in the first time I've ever run the Talentcell all the way down to shut-off.  When it shut down I ran across the street to a Wallgreens to purchase AA's and get running again, missing about 15-20 minutes. D'oh!

Yes, just need the appropriate sized coaxial power plug on both ends.  I do have mine setup as a 'Y' to allow hot swapping between Talentcells (ala DVD batteries of yore), but have never actually needed to do that.  Keep in mind that the 12V and 9v ports on the Talentcells are slightly different sizes from each other.

Have you run all 6 XLR's at once?  I will run 6 Shure SM57 mics for approx 6 hours. Just wondering if it will be enough tp power them that long?

[EmRR]

I use this 11000mA/hr one- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016BJCRUO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Its likely larger than you really need, but I like having plenty of excess capacity.  One half that of capacity should be fine for typical gigs if not a full fest day as long as its fully charged..

Still, best practice to keep 8 AA's in the recorder as power backup just in case. 
^
This actually bit me last Saturday recording Dumpstaphunk.  I'd grown complacent and didn't have AA's in there AND forgot to swap the mostly-drained Talentcell in my recording bag for the well-charged alternate Talentcell I'd intended to take, resulting in the first time I've ever run the Talentcell all the way down to shut-off.  When it shut down I ran across the street to a Wallgreens to purchase AA's and get running again, missing about 15-20 minutes. D'oh!

Yes, just need the appropriate sized coaxial power plug on both ends.  I do have mine setup as a 'Y' to allow hot swapping between Talentcells (ala DVD batteries of yore), but have never actually needed to do that.  Keep in mind that the 12V and 9v ports on the Talentcells are slightly different sizes from each other.

Have you run all 6 XLR's at once?  I will run 6 Shure SM57 mics for approx 6 hours. Just wondering if it will be enough tp power them that long?

apples to oranges on the question, but:

Zoom F8n - Powerex Pro 2700mAh AA battery run time with 8 phantom powered mics, outputs off.  3hrs 41.5 minutes - so subtract 16-20mA phantom power from that to get something closer to your situation.

I haven't tested my 6000mAh Talentcell limits, but with internal AA's would expect a whole day + based on what I've seen. 

[voltronic]

Request for future battery run time tests with P48 mics:

List which mics were used, along with their current consumption specs. Or at least list the mics and we can look up the current specs. This will help other people who are considering purchasing the same deck / external battery / etc. judge what runtimes to expect with their own mics.

[EmRR]

Request for future battery run time tests with P48 mics:

List which mics were used, along with their current consumption specs. Or at least list the mics and we can look up the current specs. This will help other people who are considering purchasing the same deck / external battery / etc. judge what runtimes to expect with their own mics.

In my example that info can likely be found wherever I originally posted it here. It’s been awhile.

[Gutbucket]

Have you run all 6 XLR's at once?  I will run 6 Shure SM57 mics for approx 6 hours. Just wondering if it will be enough tp power them that long?

I use F8 (the original recipe V1 model) with phantom power engaged across all 8 input channels. My input list consists of: 6 Naiant PFA's (supporting 2x DPA 4061 and 4x DPA 4098H microphones), one DPA DAD6001 XLR adapter (supporting one additional DPA 4098H), and one Naiant X8 figure-8 microphone which is connected directly.

As a dynamic microphone, Shure SM57 doesn't require phantom powering.  With phantom power turned off on all input channels, runtime on batteries will increase. However, I'd still be most conformable using an external Li-Ion external battery as primary power source in combination with the internal AA batteries serving as uninterruptible backup.  If its size is of concern, you can get by with a significantly smaller capacity external battery in your usage case.  The large-capacity Tallentcell model I linked previously is somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 the size of the F8 without any input cables attached to it.  The weight difference of a smaller external battery isn't likely to be as significant as size/form-factor and how everything fits into the bag.

[Gutbucket]

In contrast, the similar Tascam DR680 "Channel Ganging" feature does allow for different trims between ganged channels.  One can gang/un-gang various channel combinations to adjust pairs in unison or the entire bunch together at any time without automatically resetting the trims and screwing up the relative balances.  If one does want all linked channel trims to be identical (say for an ambisonic microphone).  They can be set that way before linking them.

I have grown to love this about my 680mkii.

I really wish Zoom would implement the ability to not force an identical trim setting on all channels selected for Trim linking, in a way similar to how it is implemented in the DR680.  That is my #1 feature request which if implemented would make the recorder far more usable for me, and could be accomplished via a firmware update.

My second feature request is fixing the Mid/Side > Left/Right playback matrix to provide any capability for adjusting playback level and M/S ratio of the pair, either directly via a ratio control, or by simply providing a way to adjust Mid and Side output levels independently when the output matrix is engaged for the pair.  This is also annoying, but is ultimately of less importance because it doesn't effect the recording side of things at least.

[voltronic]

Request for future battery run time tests with P48 mics:

List which mics were used, along with their current consumption specs. Or at least list the mics and we can look up the current specs. This will help other people who are considering purchasing the same deck / external battery / etc. judge what runtimes to expect with their own mics.

In my example that info can likely be found wherever I originally posted it here. It’s been awhile.

Sorry if I missed it. That wasn't directed just at you, but to the community.

[voltronic]

I really wish Zoom would implement the ability to not force an identical trim setting on all channels selected for Trim linking, in a way similar to how it is implemented in the DR680.  That is my #1 feature request which if implemented would make the recorder far more usable for me, and could be accomplished via a firmware update.

So one trim to rule them all, but the channels maintain their preset relative differences in level from one another as you adjust global trim? That would be a neat option. I suppose the next best thing is set your 8 channel trims in 4 linked stereo pairs, and you can match the relative differences from the on-screen level readout as you adjust. Less convenient, but it would work. That's how I have my F6 set up.

This isn't the answer you want, but if you upgrade to the new F8, this is solved by the 32FP option because you just balance your mix and don't need to adjust anything during the concert.

For me, I never bother with trying to make a multipair "mix" work on the recorder because I obsess over it in post in a quiet setup at home. But I get why people want/need to do it your way, especially film and TV sound crews.

[Gutbucket]

Yes. On the DR680 channel trims retain whatever level each was set at prior to linking (referred to as channel ganging on the Tascam).  The cost of that approach is some reduction of the full range of adjustment of the ganged channel set by whatever the maximum offset between channels happens to be, as once any channel reaches the max or min trim point all other ganged channels also cease to adjust in that direction, prior to them reaching the full min/max limit.  That is the correct implementation IMO, as it always retains the same relative trim relationship between all ganged channels, while providing for the greatest range of adjustment under that primary constraint.

All F8 users should be aware that anytime trim linking is implemented, the previous trim settings for the channels being linked instantly changes to force them to be identical, unless the trim on those channels was already set identically.  That behavior is not obvious when engaging trim linking while recording, and is not mentioned in the manual.  It took me a while to realize what was happening.

32FP doesn't help me with this because I already use the recorder in that way in 24bit mode.. for the most part.  I do increase trim for some quiet stuff just because, although I don't realty need to.  There are other more compelling reasons..

Yes levels eventually get readjusted by ear afterward on the computer, and yes I often use the work around of linking individual pairs or subset groups rather than the entire mic-array in one set.  A big reason for me is the work around of the Mid/Side monitoring issue I mentioned above.  Playback directly from the recorder that includes Mid/Side decoding requires that the desired Mid/Side ratio be determined by the relative difference in trim setting between Mid and Side channels at the time of recording.  Unless that were to equate to equal Mid and Side channel trims (it never does) that pair cannot be trim-linked.  It would also make it easier to retain a rough mix for patchers, although that would benefit further from monitor mix levels also being linkable in the same way.

[Datfly]

I use this 11000mA/hr one- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016BJCRUO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Its likely larger than you really need, but I like having plenty of excess capacity.  One half that of capacity should be fine for typical gigs if not a full fest day as long as its fully charged..

Still, best practice to keep 8 AA's in the recorder as power backup just in case. 
^
This actually bit me last Saturday recording Dumpstaphunk.  I'd grown complacent and didn't have AA's in there AND forgot to swap the mostly-drained Talentcell in my recording bag for the well-charged alternate Talentcell I'd intended to take, resulting in the first time I've ever run the Talentcell all the way down to shut-off.  When it shut down I ran across the street to a Wallgreens to purchase AA's and get running again, missing about 15-20 minutes. D'oh!

Yes, just need the appropriate sized coaxial power plug on both ends.  I do have mine setup as a 'Y' to allow hot swapping between Talentcells (ala DVD batteries of yore), but have never actually needed to do that.  Keep in mind that the 12V and 9v ports on the Talentcells are slightly different sizes from each other.

My F8n Pro and above battery arrive tomorrow.

You mention "Yes, just need the appropriate sized coaxial power plug on both ends."

Is there anyone in particular you recommend?

Thanks for all rhe help and input.

[Gutbucket]

I use a coaxial power cable and "Y" cable I already had on hand. 

I'd think you can probably find a pre-made one easily on the internet, or Ted Gakidis can make you a nice one (TS member tgakidis)

Link to his cable building thead: https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=133186.0
Email: tgakidis@gmail.com

[hoserama]

I just use these:
https://www.amazon.com/Alvins-Cables-Hirose-Devices-Blackmagic/dp/B01KK8MY5U/ref=sr_1_1?crid=F8NICEK612O6&keywords=hirose%2Bzoom%2Bf8&qid=1683296248&sprefix=hirose%2Bzoom%2Bf8%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-1&th=1

For my main power. And then keep AA batteries in the recorder as a backup (or if need to switch batteries).

[roffels]

I just completed the family, adding this to my Zoom f3 and f6 collection. It seems a little gratuitous but I can see scenarios where I'd be using at least two out of the 3.

Any quirks I should be aware of? I think I'm most interested in what battery life I can get out of 8 lithium AA batteries (which I intend on using as a backup) along with having a l-series sony battery connected via the hirose connector.

Anyone have experience time syncing one of these with the Zoom F6? I can see a few circumstances where I'd have access to multitracks and may be useful to use both recorders to capture everything.