Topic: Zoom F6 (32-bit float equipped)

[voltronic]

Dallman: I have actually never used my F6 in 24-bit mode, but looking through the manual I'm at a loss as to why your knobs are only working as faders for the L/R mix rather than input trims.

Volt, I don't see where I ever said that. In 24bit they are trim, In 32bit float they are faders. Sorry for any confusion.

I read your post as saying that your knobs were only working as faders for the L/R mix, and you could not adjust ISO gain with them. My apologies if I misread.

[illconditioned]

I tried both the MP3 and the F6. Using 2x DPA 4090 microphones for a pipe organ recording. The MP3 sounded a tad warmer, the F6 a tad clearer. I preferred clarity.
In addition, I found the power options and design of the battery sled of the F6 a big +.
The F6 uses the THAT1583 IC as mic preamp. You will need a real good analog circuit to improve it, but it's also dependent of the components around this chip. 
The second generation Zoom headphone amp as used in the F6 is good enough to drive my AKG K702. And sounds better than my Creek OBH21 headphone amplifier.

Hello Organfreak
you mentioned F6 uses THAT1583 preamp.  Do you have a reference for this (or did you take it apart yourself)?
I am always interested in what is inside.  Also, if the same chip is inside the F3, which I have.
Thanks!  Richard

[Organfreak]

Hello Illconditioned,
It was confirmed by Doug Oade the THAT1583 is used in the Zoom F series. He once did an upgrade to my Marantz PMD661 and prior to buying the F6 we had some correspondence about its quality and internals. All the Zoom F series (as you can read on the Zoom site) use the same mic preamp chip.
See also this site: https://windowpaneaudio.wordpress.com/2020/02/23/zoom-f8-teardown/

[voltronic]

Hello Illconditioned,
It was confirmed by Doug Oade the THAT1583 is used in the Zoom F series. He once did an upgrade to my Marantz PMD661 and prior to buying the F6 we had some correspondence about its quality and internals. All the Zoom F series (as you can read on the Zoom site) use the same mic preamp chip.
See also this site: https://windowpaneaudio.wordpress.com/2020/02/23/zoom-f8-teardown/

Great website; thanks!

I can only imagine how cramped things are in the F6, or the F3.

Regarding the comment made there about the internal batteries causing things to get tight, those internal batteries were one of the things that led me to purchase the F6 since you can hot-swap NP-F batteries without any other external power. I wish the F8 had two NP battery mounts like the SD MP-10. Instead they have that silly proprietary Zoom capsule connector on the back.

[illconditioned]

Thanks for the info.
BTW, according to another article by the same guy, the Sound Devices unit uses a different (discrete) input stage: a matched pair of transistors + OPA1622 opamp.  Also, Sound Devices uses as +/- 5V supply, a little less than the typical +/- 12V or 15V used in some gear.

[roffels]

Just popping in to say I've been using this recorder since September and its been a dream being able to drop the recorder somewhere and not worry about the levels. I'm low on complaints, but found one strange quirk.

My Nakamichi CM-1000 pinpoint omni mics are very noisy on inputs one and two, but silent on inputs 3,4,5,6. Inputs 1 and 2 are fine with other mics. I wish I knew more why that specific combination causes hiss in my recording, but it's easy enough to avoid to not be a problem.

[voltronic]

My Nakamichi CM-1000 pinpoint omni mics are very noisy on inputs one and two, but silent on inputs 3,4,5,6. Inputs 1 and 2 are fine with other mics. I wish I knew more why that specific combination causes hiss in my recording, but it's easy enough to avoid to not be a problem.

Have you checked that the phantom voltage isn't set differently on inputs 1&2?

Do any other mics produce this elevated noise on those inputs?

[roffels]

My Nakamichi CM-1000 pinpoint omni mics are very noisy on inputs one and two, but silent on inputs 3,4,5,6. Inputs 1 and 2 are fine with other mics. I wish I knew more why that specific combination causes hiss in my recording, but it's easy enough to avoid to not be a problem.

Have you checked that the phantom voltage isn't set differently on inputs 1&2?

Do any other mics produce this elevated noise on those inputs?

Same settings on all inputs, and no, I only have the issue with the Nakamichis.

[Gutbucket]

I don't have time to go looking, but check if the impedance of ch1&2 inputs is the same as the others. And/or if there is a high/low impedance setting that adjusts that, possibly referred to as high-Z or "instrument" input.

[voltronic]

I don't have time to go looking, but check if the impedance of ch1&2 inputs is the same as the others. And/or if there is a high/low impedance setting that adjusts that, possibly referred to as high-Z or "instrument" input.

I don't think that exists on the F6, but there is a LINE+PHANTOM mode on the F-series.

[BlueSky71]

Also, I Always think of Nak mics as having batteries, but I am not sure about these pinpoint omnis.

[roffels]

I don't think that exists on the F6, but there is a LINE+PHANTOM mode on the F-series.
[/quote]

Also, I Always think of Nak mics as having batteries, but I am not sure about these pinpoint omnis.
[/quote]
They have a separate battery box but I've been told they run on phantom fine. They do ok on inputs 3/4, 5/6. It could just be a quirk of those mics.

[Phil Zone]

Is the number inside the battery indicator a voltage readout? I was assuming it was time, I am running a battery test with a 2200 mah dracast battery and the level is going down very quick but the number is holding at 7.5.

[BlueSky71]

Also, there are these settings for setting on each input:

MIC
MIC ph can be 24 or 48v
LINE
LINE ph can be 24 or 48v

Lastly if you are not set to Float, the "trim" is active

https://zoomcorp.com/media/documents/E_F6.pdf     page 24 in the bottom corner are hint about trim.

[Gutbucket]

Is the number inside the battery indicator a voltage readout? I was assuming it was time, I am running a battery test with a 2200 mah dracast battery and the level is going down very quick but the number is holding at 7.5.

Yes, voltage