Playing With A Zoom H6

Bob Boyer

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Apr 24, 2013
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2,571
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Chattanooga, TN
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#1
Just found a dandy little location recorder that our library folks bought six of for loaning out to us UTC folks. It's a Zoom H6; a 6 in, two out 24 bit/96 kHz digital recorder with four xlr mic inputs with phantom power. That means I can use my fancy condenser mics on location with this thing. There are two other inputs on the top end of the the recorder for Zoom's removable X/Y pattern mic pair and a removable M/S stereo mic. Both of those stereo mics come with the recorder for $400. And they're no slouches, I'll say. If you really want to use six mics of your own, you can buy an adapter for the top two inputs which includes two more xlr inputs, but not with phantom power. Dynamic mics only in this configuration.

Made in Japan, too. Damndest little thing I've seen in a long time. Here's a link: http://www.zoom.co.jp/products/h6

Only drawback I've found is it can only output a stereo mix through the line out or the USB port. I'd really like a machine like the Tascam DR-680, which has 6 analog inputs and 6 analog outputs so you can use it like a traditional multi-tracker. I can always pull the SD card out and copy the tracks over to the computer but that kinda defeats the purpose for me. But for free (I get to keep it a couple of months on loan), you can't beat it. Kinda fun working with it while I'm experimenting with creating some podcasts.
 
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