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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: justink on June 27, 2020, 08:37:22 PM
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On July 2nd Zoom will debut the newest, most advanced, and most adaptable handheld recorder ever made. Get ready.
We’re Zoom. And We’re For Creators.
Thoughts? Speculation?
Edit: Updated thread title.
https://www.zoom-na.com/products/field-video-recording/field-recording/zoom-h8-handy-recorder
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32 bit in a handheld size is my guess. If it is the size of an M10/R05 and can do four channels, they'll likely do land office business around here.
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i like the sound of that. hopefully its a good for for our needs
I wonder if hardware manufacturer Zoom has caught a wave in sales from the videoconferencing company that shares their name?
something that viral has gotta bring some free advertising
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The teaser photo strongly suggests 6 mic inputs, or at least input flexibility. Maybe a replacement for the H6? If it is dual-ADC with 32-bit float, it seems like that would cut severely into F6 sales, which is already a crazy-small unit for 6 channels. Some of the commenters are suggesting "H8" also.
https://www.facebook.com/ZoomNorthAmerica/photos/a.597748480298798/4020506494689629/?type=3&theater (https://www.facebook.com/ZoomNorthAmerica/photos/a.597748480298798/4020506494689629/?type=3&theater)
I thought the photo was just a stylized arrangement until I saw the release latch on the top-right. I can't imagine why they would angle the inputs like that.
A two-channel pocket-size F-series (F2?) would interest me much more.
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A two-channel pocket-size F-series (F2?) would interest me much more.
i think ive asked about this every time i put in a support request ;)
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My concern is that I'll be unable to resist buying whatever it is, even though I don't actually seem to record anything any more...
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A 6 channel DR2d replacement please, no larger! ..with 5V PIP. Not going to happen, but it's been a long time dream of mine.
It will presumably feature full sized XLRs considering that's what is pictured in the FB tease. Pocketable no, handheld sure.
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A 6 channel DR2d replacement please, no larger! ..with 5V PIP. Not going to happen, but it's been a long time dream of mine.
It will presumably feature full sized XLRs considering that's what is pictured in the FB tease. Pocketable no, handheld sure.
I was hoping the picture showed mini-XLRs held by elves.
Otherwise, I'm in the same boat as Ozpeter.
Jeff
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As far as we are in the "guess game"....
1) The tease shows 6 xlr
2) Zoom has recently made a H6 "make up", though just painted it black, so I don't think it's going to be discontinued right from now.
3) Must be an improvement over H6, while at the same time not killing F6 sales, so don't know wether it'll have 32 bits or not - think it'll be a feature of F series only
4) The price is supposed to stay below F6
I trow my dice and try:
1) 4 inputs xlr/trs + expansion for two more xlr inputs ( exactly like H6)
2) Improved preamps and converters over H6, 24/192Khz recording
3) USB C - iPad Pro connection
4) New form factor
5) Mic capsule options, but none comes stock ( like F4)
6) True line input?.....probably not
7) Price around 450 US
I'm not winning anything....just to spend 5 minutes, ahaha
Pity I just bought a brand new H6....not yet ready to sell it!
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I'm in with the elves!
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Welcome to the H8.
The Franken-recorder.
12 simultaneous recording tracks, interchangeable capsules, and an App-driven touchscreen interface, the H8 is designed to meet all your audio recording needs.
(https://www.zoom-na.com/sites/default/files/products/product-shots/H8_Hero_1.png)
https://www.zoom-na.com/products/field-video-recording/field-recording/zoom-h8-handy-recorder
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"..designed to meet all your audio recording needs"
https://youtu.be/dTRKCXC0JFg
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It's not a real Frankenstein unit until you put the soon-to-be released capsule that looks like the H3VR ambisonic recorder on top. Good lord.
Jeff
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Well.....I've seen cooler things in my life, have to say...
I expected something which wasn't meant to overlap to F series, that's why I had imagined 192khz but no 32 bits. It seems they haven't moved from h6 technology; same preamps I think, same converters. A lot more flexibility if it's what's needed; if not, no worth considering it. As long as you need less than 6 inputs you can stay with your H6 ( or F series for best results) and call it a day.
Only interesting thing for me will be to check wether the new capsules will match also the other H series. In particular I wonder what a plus might be the new x-y / a-b capsule over the stock x-y, which I also got with my H6.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5OsX5LCa8c
Video from B&H
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They weren't going for looks, were they? Or ease of cable management, for that matter...
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Color me indifferent.
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It's not a real Frankenstein unit until you put the soon-to-be released capsule that looks like the H3VR ambisonic recorder on top. Good lord.
Missed opportunity not having red LED peak indicators arrayed like spider eyes. Cue the Roger Corman scifi screaming woman!
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They weren't going for looks, were they? Or ease of cable management, for that matter...
You said it. This thing is a mess, at least physically.
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A key point about those inputs: only 4 are phantom-powered. The other 2 XLR/TRS combo inputs are not.
EDIT: It does have 6 phantom-powered inputs.
Price is $400.
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So why would I choose this over the F series?
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I would love it if the new 4-input attachment would be compatible with the Zoom F8, possibly with a firmware update. Would love to get the Zoom F8 up to 10 or 12 inputs.
Form factor is wonky. I was trying to envision how I would run this in stealth at an arena rock show, and it would be an interesting beast.
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Form factor is wonky. I was trying to envision how I would run this in stealth at an arena rock show, and it would be an interesting beast.
Would need a rather large Hat. :D
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Form factor is wonky. I was trying to envision how I would run this in stealth at an arena rock show, and it would be an interesting beast.
Maybe they're thinking it would be good for podcasters who would set this thing in the middle of the table and then have everyone sitting around the table, plugged into the corresponding inputs? Or maybe they're just trying something new and different (which I can respect, as a life-long contrarian).
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looks painfull to crotch.
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In Europe it seems the price will be 520 Euros; with F6 at 580 at Thomann's it seems a nonsense, unless one needs 10 tracks at a still cheap price.
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They weren't going for looks, were they? Or ease of cable management, for that matter...
You said it. This thing is a mess, at least physically.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJNd_HtZH2g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJNd_HtZH2g)
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The XLR release tabs in the 6-input section made me think of....
(https://www.statnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Coronavirus-CDC-768x432.jpg)
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Welcome to the H8.
The Franken-recorder.
12 simultaneous recording tracks, interchangeable capsules, and an App-driven touchscreen interface, the H8 is designed to meet all your audio recording needs.
(https://www.zoom-na.com/sites/default/files/products/product-shots/H8_Hero_1.png)
https://www.zoom-na.com/products/field-video-recording/field-recording/zoom-h8-handy-recorder
What
The
Fork
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It looks like a Transformer robot. I wonder what kind of robot it can morph into?
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Form factor is wonky. I was trying to envision how I would run this in stealth at an arena rock show, and it would be an interesting beast.
Maybe they're thinking it would be good for podcasters who would set this thing in the middle of the table and then have everyone sitting around the table, plugged into the corresponding inputs? Or maybe they're just trying something new and different (which I can respect, as a life-long contrarian).
bold is my take as well. but i would think 32 bit would come in very hand for podcasters. just going off experience hearing my podcasting friends bitch and moan about each other being too far or too close (clipping) the mics.
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Just give me Line-In and the bottom part. Not interested in the mics (Not a Zoomie).
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If you hear the sound of happy moths in the distance, it's because I'm returning my wallet to my pocket. I think whoever said this might be good for podcasters round a table was probably on target, with those XLRs in a radial pattern, but in general it's indeed underwhelming.
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A key point about those inputs: only 4 are phantom-powered. The other 2 XLR/TRS combo inputs are not.
specs say
Phantom power +24 V/+48 V (independent ON/OFF for INPUTS 1–4, A and B)
nothing in the quick guide indicates otherwise
BH vid also says 6 phantom
it seems like in line in mode, 1-4 are standard balanced line in, and A and B are basically DIs. But all can be used with condensor mics with phantom
other thoughts:
i HATE devices that have hold switch combined with power. ive accidentally turned off my A10 by unlocking it too far during recording. hopefully it has a well-timed long press on the off switch. A10 is a mere 1 second
not lining up to buy this monstrosity, but for those who can handle the form factor, 6 ch phantom+ the removable XY mics for $400 is quite the bargain. At their current $50/channel price ill hold out for my $100 F2 ;D
depending on the cost of the ambisonic unit, it would be cool just for that. ambisonic+ 6 more channels to play with to compare
are zoom capsules any good? they tout 136 dB max SPL for the stock XY
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A key point about those inputs: only 4 are phantom-powered. The other 2 XLR/TRS combo inputs are not.
specs say
Phantom power +24 V/+48 V (independent ON/OFF for INPUTS 1–4, A and B)
nothing in the quick guide indicates otherwise
it seems like in line in mode, 1-4 are standard balanced line in, and A and B are basically DIs. But all can be used with condensor mics with phantom
You're correct; I mis-read that. The full page makes it clear you have 6 phantom-powered inputs. So that right there is an advantage out of the box over the H6.
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And with the promised (see bottom of online blurbs) new add-on unit you can get four more, so ten channels of phantom power possible.
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^ Yes, but I think you need to supply an external source of phantom power.
The EXH-8 capsule provides 4 additional XLR inputs, giving you a total of 10. Each additional input has a dedicated gain knob and pad switch. You can even use your favorite condenser microphones—just connect a power source to the EXH-8 capsule to supply phantom power.
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They weren't going for looks, were they? Or ease of cable management, for that matter...
You said it. This thing is a mess, at least physically.
I’m going to say what everyone is too nice to say: This is perhaps the ugliest design in a piece of production audio gear I’ve ever seen. Just think of how many people had to sign off on this. “Yep, she’s a beaut!”
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maybe the CEO's son got hired onto the design team?
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For me the only interesting thing will be a comparison between the x-y stock capsule ( same as H6) and the new XAH-8 capsule in case of compatibility with H6 or 5. Should their quality prove to be much better than the stock x-y, could be a nice solution for close miking + a couple of condenser omni through XLR Inputs saving to take around two additional mics.
Still, though not being the x-y H6 capsules bad at all, I'm not expecting a much higher quality.
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The thread title change is perfect! I was hoping for something in the F series with multitracking functions. Or just something that was an upgrade of some sort, but this is just silly.
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Very 70's era sci-fi spaceship in design. I can't decide if its more Space 1999 or Battlestar Galactica.. leaning toward Space 1999's Eagle Transporter:
(https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/c87f5444-87ba-4729-b423-75f87ca2b743/dd0eegu-16bc9666-762f-423c-a6bb-bcd16ee67b77.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3sicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvYzg3ZjU0NDQtODdiYS00NzI5LWI0MjMtNzVmODdjYTJiNzQzXC9kZDBlZWd1LTE2YmM5NjY2LTc2MmYtNDIzYy1hNmJiLWJjZDE2ZWU2N2I3Ny5qcGcifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6ZmlsZS5kb3dubG9hZCJdfQ.zg8K1J0K9LTjJBGRsOJ_i2hEbrVXHD0y5QFAq_eQPaE)
(http://www.moriareviews.com/rongulator/wp-content/uploads/Battlestar-Galactica-1978-3.jpg)
Might have uncovered a design motif here, seeing that previous models somewhat resembled ARK II. I wonder what this might mean for the next model in the H series?
(https://i.stack.imgur.com/Vo2NT.jpg)
Or I could be totally off base. Maybe its robots rather than spaceships.
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I'm waiting for a recorder modeled after Spaceball 1.
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My OCM R-44 has a bit of Spaceballs Eagle 5 styling going on, perhaps appropriate given that both are mods of the original recorder/RV
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/vCxo7AUuOclfcZTOnoLNuB7JRh1iCLYCL6xRHTJTXMZEx25X2it6RwFgoNEpHMJiTVw1JpQwL5Z2lw6bZW1DIbHEIzEdTX5hhNBeK24b1kmz4suHhyBQaS81GPbutsMpnNsJQDFu5oF4jLeuaP3p)
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^
*looks at front/side of my R44*
...
*looks at front/side of the RV above*
Cannot unsee!
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As a stage manager for a venue that brings in many bands (pre-covid) that are open to recording for over 10 years, I am interested in the H8 for one reason only, the IOS app. Working at the stage, pushing record and walking away from the soundboard has always been a bit stressful and mistakes have been made. Being able to monitor on an iPad is what will sell me on this recorder with the Zoom BTA-1 Bluetooth Adapter. I know that this is possible with the Zoom F6/F8, but owning two H6's now and familiar with the interface and the lower pricing, I'll be checking out the H8.
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As a stage manager for a venue that brings in many bands (pre-covid) that are open to recording for over 10 years, I am interested in the H8 for one reason only, the IOS app. Working at the stage, pushing record and walking away from the soundboard has always been a bit stressful and mistakes have been made. Being able to monitor on an iPad is what will sell me on this recorder with the Zoom BTA-1 Bluetooth Adapter. I know that this is possible with the Zoom F6/F8, but owning two H6's now and familiar with the interface and the lower pricing, I'll be checking out the H8.
the zoom app is very well implemented, imo
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Anyone else remember seeing the Ark II in a parking lot along Hwy 101 near Universal Studios in the late 70's/early 80's?
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As a stage manager for a venue that brings in many bands (pre-covid) that are open to recording for over 10 years...
Ah, to see those words again! "Stage Manager" - "Venue" - "Bands" - "Recording".... More seriously, life must be a bit tricky for you, so best wishes.
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Just a hiccup. The world will survive this and normality will return again someday. Until then, playing golf has become the priority. And a much deeper respect for my profession has ensued with me, my community and music lovers. Thanks Ozpeter!
As a stage manager for a venue that brings in many bands (pre-covid) that are open to recording for over 10 years...
Ah, to see those words again! "Stage Manager" - "Venue" - "Bands" - "Recording".... More seriously, life must be a bit tricky for you, so best wishes.
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That recorder is way to big to stealth, except by a couple professionals I hang with that could stealth a 24 track recorder.
For multitrack IEMs and ALDs plus audience, Or a 4 channel RF pull, the DR2D remains my go to unit. It’s 1/3rd the size and 3.5 TRS is way easier to deal with on a stealth basis.
My 2 other Zooms have really noisy A-D converters and are big and clunky with the screen and XLR inputs. With a cell phone app, the screen is a useless appendage.
The F8 is decent but I use it only for outside the venue pulls.
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That recorder is way to big to stealth, except by a couple professionals I hang with that could stealth a 24 track recorder.
Can't do that consistently though, usually very sore for a few days afterwards. Zoom H8 might be a good middle ground.
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Swollen anus?
Keestering recording gear is not on the list.
https://www.healthline.com/health/swollen-anus (https://www.healthline.com/health/swollen-anus)
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It's always that first push that's the hardest...
But can't beat having 24 tracks all aligned...
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Except for latency from wireless microphones and stage switches.
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Even that's not much of a problem as long as the latency remains constant, just like AUD mics + direct SBD feed. Sync is more critical than absolute time-alignment.
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Even that's not much of a problem as long as the latency remains constant, just like AUD mics + direct SBD feed. Sync is more critical than absolute time-alignment.
Agreed 100%.
But sometimes you get weird situations. Scooter and I did Adele a few years back, and they had different PA systems for the main and B stage. When they would transition between stages (1-2 times was mid-song), they would actually switch the PA. So aligning the audience recording (which had changing latency due to PA shift) with IEM recordings (which had no change) was a real trick. I was glad I saw the show--I'd have been really confused if somebody had just handed off the files to me to mix.
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I was glad I saw the show--I'd have been really confused if somebody had just handed off the files to me to mix.
Totally! Was the time shift the same between each stage transition? I suspect it would be. If so you could have two copies of AUD files in the editor with different alignments so you could switch back and forth between them without having to realign each time by muting the non active stage tracks and unmuting the active stage tracks. Is that the way you ended up approaching it?
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I was glad I saw the show--I'd have been really confused if somebody had just handed off the files to me to mix.
Totally! Was the time shift the same between each stage transition? I suspect it would be. If so you could have two copies of AUD files in the editor with different alignments so you could switch back and forth between them without having to realign each time by muting the non active stage tracks and unmuting the active stage tracks. Is that the way you ended up approaching it?
I think the transition was about the same each time, but it was really tricky figuring out the specific spots (especially if mid-song). I was able to use a 4 track pull which had the AUD plus an IEM as a reference, and then aligned the extra IEM tracks to the reference. After that, then cut the AUD at specific points where the transition happened and aligned.
Like I said, if I hadn't actually been to the show, I would have been very confused why the alignment would keep jumping all over the place.
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I think it was like 30ms something like that. Significant even for my ears.
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^ Easily audible. Thanks for the details hoserama
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Well I have a Zoom H8 for a few days. What tests should I do?
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Well I have a Zoom H8 for a few days. What tests should I do?
download rightmark audio analyzer (https://audio.rightmark.org/index_new.shtml) and use your Tascam to do a loopback measurement. then use its XLR outputs to record a test file into the zoom and bounce the file back onto the computer an analyze it. see if its any better than the tascam's 97 dB dynamic range.
the tascam line out may not be clean enough to test the zoom to its limit (not a knock on the tascam, its specs are just a bit dated relative to modern interfaces), but it certainly would reveal any fatal flaws
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Last time I used RMAA it was on a PCI m-audio delta 410 but I'll get the hang of it
Apart from the Tascam, I also have Zoom F8 - would that be a better choice for this?
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Last time I used RMAA it was on a PCI m-audio delta 410 but I'll get the hang of it
Apart from the Tascam, I also have Zoom F8 - would that be a better choice for this?
not sure. its a known good recorder but i cant speak to the output stage.