Topic: Zoom F8

[siseturist]

I record nature and it tends to be really quiet where I am. At the moment I use Sound Devices MixPre as a preamp and record on Korg MR1000. I was wondering if anyone has both Zoom F8 and MixPre and could make a comparison to the preamps so that the gain is set to maximum on both units?

[acidjack]

The physical gain knobs will override the virtual ones.

OK, but let's say I have the physical ones all the way down, and the virtual ones at, say, +20. If I take the physical knob and move it up by +10, does the gain become +30, or +10?

[acidjack]

From comments here and in the Yard Sale, it looks like a number of us plan/want to pick up an F8 and will be unloading current gear to do so.  I foresee a load of 680s and DR70s hitting the market in the near future.  I think the trajectory is being managed by the low availability of F8s, otherwise the rush would really be on.

Sounds about right - I think I'd like to have one of these.  But I'll wait until they have an Android version of the control app and Zoom goes through their first firmware update or two.

Yeah, I am not an early adopter either.  While the initial reviews here and elsewhere have been really encouraging, they were for the DR70 as well.  Not that I am paranoid or anything.  I do at least have an iPhone and iPad mini to work with.

I am with you there -- and normally with a Zoom product I would run and not walk. Steve's in-depth review counted for a lot with me, especially because he's actually out there taping a lot and getting a lot of volume in a short time. The other reviews have been encouraging as well -- basically the negative from actual pros have to do with stuff we don't really care about, like the onboard mixer and timecode.

For me it really came down to that I'd already sold my other main deck in anticipation of buying the SX-R4+. Looking at the relative feature sets, having "SONOSAX" written on the deck was not worth an additional $4500 to me, especially when one can always buy a nice outboard pre for much less than that. Honestly, for most of what I do, which usually has SBD as part of it, I don't even see much need for the outboard pre.

Which is a long way of saying, if I still had an SD744 or an R-44 or whatever, I wouldn't necessarily be in a hurry to dump it unless I really wanted 8 channels or Bluetooth control. For me, the BT control, at this price, was alone worth it.

[2manyrocks]

If you're out taping all the time and actually use these features, then your cost per use is much less than someone who doesn't tape as much or doesn't need these features.

I think someday we will see a wireless stage box/recorder and the actual recording controls will be on a tablet/phone, whatever, from the audience.  The F8 is a precursor to that.  Wireless mixers like the Behringer XR18 are headed that way except the XR18 requires a PC for multitrack recording.  But I think the two kinds of product lines will converge in the future.

[ArchivalAudio]

I think someday we will see a wireless stage box/recorder and the actual recording controls will be on a tablet/phone, whatever, from the audience.  The F8 is a precursor to that.  Wireless mixers like the Behringer XR18 are headed that way except the XR18 requires a PC for multitrack recording.  But I think the two kinds of product lines will converge in the future.

There is also the QSC TouchMix Serieshttp://www.qsc.com/live-sound/products/touchmix-mixers/

Multi-track direct to disk recording/playback via external USB hard drive (not included.) No computer required.

not a stage box, and also needs AC power it's an option I've thought of for sometime. the behringer is great but as mentioned it needs a pc for multitrack otherwise only has a 2 track out.

[acidjack]

If you're out taping all the time and actually use these features, then your cost per use is much less than someone who doesn't tape as much or doesn't need these features.

I think someday we will see a wireless stage box/recorder and the actual recording controls will be on a tablet/phone, whatever, from the audience.  The F8 is a precursor to that.  Wireless mixers like the Behringer XR18 are headed that way except the XR18 requires a PC for multitrack recording.  But I think the two kinds of product lines will converge in the future.

Yeah, for sure. The engineer at a club I frequent has already started just doing the mixing with his Beringer on an iPad, which allows him to mix from the sweet spot rather than the not-so-sweet board location.

[Ultfris101]

8 channels, nice form factor to run in a bag, timecode, $1000. All important for me. I want to experiment with timecode and cut down on separate devices when I'm doing audio and video at the same time.

Big question is whether to let the R-44 and USBPre2 go. It's a matter of $$ and almost daily I waffle and with no quick takers and so many other recorders up for sale good chance my impulsive F8 lust will pass and I can lock the sale for now.

[stevetoney]

The physical gain knobs will override the virtual ones.

OK, but let's say I have the physical ones all the way down, and the virtual ones at, say, +20. If I take the physical knob and move it up by +10, does the gain become +30, or +10?

I'm pretty sure that the answer is +10 because you have to turn bluetooth off before you can restore the app.  Once the app restores, I'm pretty sure it will sense the actual settings of the level knobs.  It wouldn't make sense that it would revert back to the previous virtual setting since you have to shut the app down in order to restore it. 

[stevetoney]

From comments here and in the Yard Sale, it looks like a number of us plan/want to pick up an F8 and will be unloading current gear to do so.  I foresee a load of 680s and DR70s hitting the market in the near future.  I think the trajectory is being managed by the low availability of F8s, otherwise the rush would really be on.

Sounds about right - I think I'd like to have one of these.  But I'll wait until they have an Android version of the control app and Zoom goes through their first firmware update or two.

Yeah, I am not an early adopter either.  While the initial reviews here and elsewhere have been really encouraging, they were for the DR70 as well.  Not that I am paranoid or anything.  I do at least have an iPhone and iPad mini to work with.

What products/brands besides Tascam have had problems with beta testing and/or taking products to market with issues?

[mepaca]

From comments here and in the Yard Sale, it looks like a number of us plan/want to pick up an F8 and will be unloading current gear to do so.  I foresee a load of 680s and DR70s hitting the market in the near future.  I think the trajectory is being managed by the low availability of F8s, otherwise the rush would really be on.

Sounds about right - I think I'd like to have one of these.  But I'll wait until they have an Android version of the control app and Zoom goes through their first firmware update or two.

Yeah, I am not an early adopter either.  While the initial reviews here and elsewhere have been really encouraging, they were for the DR70 as well.  Not that I am paranoid or anything.  I do at least have an iPhone and iPad mini to work with.

What products/brands besides Tascam have had problems with beta testing and/or taking products to market with issues?

The m-audio microtrack had eleven firmware updates before it woked as advertised. There is no excuse.

[mepaca]

The physical gain knobs will override the virtual ones.

OK, but let's say I have the physical ones all the way down, and the virtual ones at, say, +20. If I take the physical knob and move it up by +10, does the gain become +30, or +10?

+10

[carlbeck]

From comments here and in the Yard Sale, it looks like a number of us plan/want to pick up an F8 and will be unloading current gear to do so.  I foresee a load of 680s and DR70s hitting the market in the near future.  I think the trajectory is being managed by the low availability of F8s, otherwise the rush would really be on.

Sounds about right - I think I'd like to have one of these.  But I'll wait until they have an Android version of the control app and Zoom goes through their first firmware update or two.

Yeah, I am not an early adopter either.  While the initial reviews here and elsewhere have been really encouraging, they were for the DR70 as well.  Not that I am paranoid or anything.  I do at least have an iPhone and iPad mini to work with.

What products/brands besides Tascam have had problems with beta testing and/or taking products to market with issues?

The m-audio microtrack had eleven firmware updates before it woked as advertised. There is no excuse.

No excuse for what? The Tascam? Agreed but take that to the Tascam thread. You seem to insinuate that Zoom is having these problems when it doesn't. The Zoom works exactly as advertised, I see no reason to lump it in the same category as others.

[pohaku]

I don't think anyone is slamming the Zoom.  Some of us are just cautious about buying the first iteration of anything.  For example, I would never buy a car in its first model year.  There may or may not be issues, but I am not inclined to be the Guinea Pig.  Right now, the Zoom is looking pretty good.  I will probably pick one up when they get back in stock.  I admire you brave souls who are willing to jump right in when a new device is brought to market.

[acidjack]

I don't think anyone is slamming the Zoom.  Some of us are just cautious about buying the first iteration of anything.  For example, I would never buy a car in its first model year.  There may or may not be issues, but I am not inclined to be the Guinea Pig.  Right now, the Zoom is looking pretty good.  I will probably pick one up when they get back in stock.  I admire you brave souls who are willing to jump right in when a new device is brought to market.

I think there's also the matter that previous Zoom products such as the H2 and the H4N are well-known garbage. Unreliable, cheap sounding, etc -- not so different than a Tascam. Now, Zoom was always pretty clear that they were aimed at an amateur market in those cases, and marketed accordingly, so you can also assume some of the issues with how bad Zoom stuff sounded was attributable to user error. That said, an H4N should be qualitatively no different than a Roland R-26, yet I've heard many good recordings with the latter, none with the former.

Here, Zoom has aimed at a higher segment of the market, and seems to have done so in a way that didn't compromise on quality. But I do think their past reputation is relevant to the analysis of this product. Having now used it for the fourth time, I'd say I'm a skeptic who is rapidly being won over.

[mepaca]

From comments here and in the Yard Sale, it looks like a number of us plan/want to pick up an F8 and will be unloading current gear to do so.  I foresee a load of 680s and DR70s hitting the market in the near future.  I think the trajectory is being managed by the low availability of F8s, otherwise the rush would really be on.

Sounds about right - I think I'd like to have one of these.  But I'll wait until they have an Android version of the control app and Zoom goes through their first firmware update or two.

Yeah, I am not an early adopter either.  While the initial reviews here and elsewhere have been really encouraging, they were for the DR70 as well.  Not that I am paranoid or anything.  I do at least have an iPhone and iPad mini to work with.

What products/brands besides Tascam have had problems with beta testing and/or taking products to market with issues?

The m-audio microtrack had eleven firmware updates before it woked as advertised. There is no excuse.

No excuse for what? The Tascam? Agreed but take that to the Tascam thread. You seem to insinuate that Zoom is having these problems when it doesn't. The Zoom works exactly as advertised, I see no reason to lump it in the same category as others.

Quite the contrary. I was one of the first people here to have the Zoom and I love it. I consider it the most recent iteneration of the holy grail and most certainly the best bang for the buck. I was commenting on the question that was asked about what other brands besides Tascam come to market before they are ready and my example is as good as any. I stand by my comment that there is no excuse for any product to be released that is not as advertised.