Audio Recorders for film, video, & podcast production - 2022 edition

In this week’s episode, I share my thoughts and opinions on the audio and sound recorders for video, film, podcast, and livestream production I have used. In this updated version, we also add podcast and consumer wireless microphone recorders. The section on body pack recorders is also much larger in this video.
If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest courses cover Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini and an Intro to Izotope RX. Https://school.learnlightandsound.com
Support my work creating videos by donating at Ko-Fi.com ko-fi.com/curtisjudd
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Perfect Circuit, Trew Audio or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Zoom H1n - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/0FeL
- Zoom H4n Pro - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/Mkwf
- Zoom H5 - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/JKIkO1o
- Zoom H6 - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/eh0Fr0
- Tascam DR-05 - B&H, Amazon geni.us/tascdro5CH
- Tascam Portacapture X8 - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/BE098
- Zoom F1 - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/CUgDEHo
- Tascam DR-10L - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/H9SEQ
- Tentacle Track E - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon geni.us/hqpYNAL
- Zoom F2 - B&H, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon amzn.to/3L5NyLt
- RODE Wireless Go II - B&H, DVE Store, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/SQ5fT5Y
- DJI Mic - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/EFCdOD
- Tascam DR-60D Mk II - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/tascdr60dCH
- Tascam DR-70D - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/S0khduK
- Zoom F3 - B&H, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon geni.us/6RvZm
- Zoom F6 - B&H, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon geni.us/pCFS
- Zoom F8n Pro - B&H, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon geni.us/fdkN4s
- SoundDevices MixPre II Series - B&H, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon geni.us/O8e0
- RODECaster Pro II - B&H, Sweetwater, DVE Store, Amazon geni.us/iFlEMB
- Zoom Podtrak P4 - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/BbGtUP
- Zoom Podtrak P8 - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/W8EU
- Zoom LiveTrak L-8 - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/81Wt0VO
- Sound Devices 833 - B&H, Sweetwater geni.us/Toim
- Sound Devices 888 - Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater geni.us/zAryW4J
- Sound Devices Scorpio - Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater geni.us/Bcax
- Sound Devices CL-16 control surface - Trew Audio, B&H, Sweetwater geni.us/k5ts
In-depth reviews:
Zoom H1n • Zoom H1n Review for Fi...
Zoom H4n Pro • Zoom H4n Pro vs H4n
Zoom H8 • ZOOM H8 Audio Recorder...
Tascam Portacapture X8 • TASCAM Portacapture X8...
Zoom F1 • Zoom F1 Audio Field Re...
Tascam DR-10L • Tascam DR-10L Micro Re...
Tentacle Track E • Tentacle Sync Track E ...
Zoom F2 • ZOOM F2 Body Pack Lava...
RODE Wireless Go II • RODE Wireless GO II: M...
Tascam DR-60D Mk II • Tascam DR-60DmkII Audi...
Zoom F3 • ZOOM F3 32-bit float a...
Zoom F6 • Zoom F6 Audio Recorder...
Zoom F8n Pro • ZOOM F8n Pro Audio Rec...
SoundDevices MixPre II Series • Sound Devices MixPre I...
Zoom Podtrak P4 • ZOOM PodTrak P4 Podcas...
Zoom Podtrak P8 • ZOOM PodTrak P8 for Po...
Zoom LiveTrak L-8 • ZOOM LiveTrak L-8 For ...
RODECaster Pro II • RODECaster Pro 2 Review
Sound Devices 833 • Sound Devices 833: Why...
Sound Devices Scorpio • Sound Devices SCORPIO:...
Index
00:00 Start
00:06 Summary
00:16 Introduction
00:47 Handheld recorders
01:30 Zoom H1n
02:58 Tascam DR-05
03:44 Zoom H4n Pro
05:28 Zoom H5
06:23 Zoom H6
06:55 Zoom H8
08:04 Tascam Portacapture X8
11:00 Body pack recorders (and wireless recorders)
12:32 Zoom F1
13:06 Tascam DR-10L
14:19 Tentacle Track E
16:31 Zoom F2
17:58 RODE Wireless Go II
19:20 DJI Mic
19:54 Consumer field recorders
20:40 Tascam DR-60D Mk II & 70D
23:40 Prosumer field recorders
28:25 Zoom F3, F6, and F8n Pro
34:55 SoundDevices MixPre II Series
43:55 Podcast recorders
44:34 Zoom Podtrak P4
47:23 Zoom Podtrak P8
48:55 Zoom LiveTrak L-8
49:58 RODECaster Pro II
53:15 Professional field recorders
57:49 SoundDevices 8XX Series
01:03:14 Aaton Digital Cantar X3, Zaxcom Nova, Nomad, and Deva, Sonosax SX-R4+
01:04:17 Please buy my courses
Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself: geni.us/G7by
Copyright 2022, Curtis Judd
#Audio #Recorder #Zoom #RODE #SoundDevices #Tascam

[@arnoldmunthe7846]

I have listened to most of your posts over the years, and bought a few of your tutorials, and this was by far THE BEST summary of the field today. Simply WOW, and a huge thank you. It seems the production companies all over the world are setting lower and lower standards, and you are doing the opposite - setting high standards. I learned more in an hour today than going through endless reviews and tutorials over the past six months. Great Curtis!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Arnold 🙏

[@KevinAroni-uz5rl]

Same

[@BrendanEvan]

One video to rule them all One vid to show them One video to rate them all And in the audio help them! Thanks Curtis you’re the man

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Brendan!

[@curtisjudd]

Correction on the ZOOM F3, F6, and F8nPro, when in line level mode, the inputs' max level is +24dBu. It is only in mic mode that the max input level is +4dBu. If you plan to record from a sound board, of course you should switch the inputs to line level mode and that should be fine as long as the engineer operating the sound board does not saturate or clip the mixer's main mix. Also, if you are going to record an extraordinarily loud sound with a microphone, you also might want to switch to line level mode to give yourself a bit more headroom. Note that the MixPre's max input levels are +14 dBu in mic mode and +28dB in line level mode. That's a bit more headroom. That's a potential advantage for MixPre if you record a lot of REALLY wide dynamic range audio.

[@film2375]

Max input level in Zoom F2 is -5.5dbu. What it's meaning? What's difference from Zoom f3? If I use shotgun mic like Sennheiser mke 600 with zoom f2 is there any audio quality difference other than phantom power?

[@patrickdonegan9559]

@@film2375 notice the connector on the F2.

[@50450720]

Thanks Curtis, this was a great round up of the most commonly available recorders, just what i was looking for. I really appreciate the time you spent to produce this.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks!

[@user-cx6rg6mr7d]

Thank you again for sharing your opinions/experience on all the recorders!! Helps a lot!!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@dlep2004]

Thanks for the comprehensive info, clear and concise. And the production quality is top notch as always, a pleasure to watch.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Pete.

[@andreforde4319]

Thanks Curtis! It's always an education, and you've advanced me just by sharing your knowledge.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@vidyoustrm1442]

The way you give us access to all this information about the world of sound. Surely it takes you a sacrifice. Dear Curtis, Thank You. May God Bless You

[@curtisjudd]

🙏

[@lindalawson4296]

Curtis, you have outdone yourself! This is a tremendous resource. Thank you.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Linda!

[@hamradiowithkevin]

This video was so incredibly helpful. Thank you Curtis for making Videos like this. The information and language you use, helps beginner level users like me to understand the concepts better.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@cruisingforone]

I really appreciate you describing the corporate philosophies between Zoom and Sound Devices. That helped a great deal, I keep going back and forth between them.

[@curtisjudd]

Glad it helped. Understanding that makes it so much easier to understand the design decisions they each make for their products.

[@matahari1576]

Congratulations for 200.000 subscribers. Thanks for your factual , friendly and „ unhysteric“ style of presentation.

[@curtisjudd]

Thank you, Mata Hari.

[@stevegeorge7773]

This is fantastic! I have always thought this style of video to support your other long videos was much much needed. It was one reason why I hadn't watched as many of your videos. A tag video of others that cover your subjects it a great idea. Thanks!!!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Steve.

[@dwftube]

Wow, that's a pretty comprehensive overview. Lots of useful info for people at all price brackets.👍

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@MarkusFinholt]

Absolutely invaluable video Curtis. Thank you for taking the time to do these, in a way that us audio noobs can understand!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@ww1www]

What a great overview from budget to the top end... I loved it, like all of your other videos.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks!

[@DiveHard]

Your videos are among the most informative and helpful on KZbin - thank you!

[@curtisjudd]

🙏

[@ahmedthabet8200]

Keep doing these reviews and you will be on the top of a WANTED LIST ..😀 ...WELL DONE MAN

[@curtisjudd]

👍🙏

[@davidfirth1]

What I like about your explanations is that while you do work professionally and have a more critical ear for noise floor, etc., you don't stomp all over the cheaper gear like the Zoom H6 or smaller Tascam units. For a hobbyist or someone with no need for professional-level results, the lower end and/or older gear can be very beneficial. You leave the door open for people to be in that space. Thanks

[@SlavGuns]

oh and woot woot, FREAKING AMAZING! CONGRATS ON 200K!

[@sidehop]

Wow, I absolutely love how you really take the time to explain any jargon that anyone new may not know instead of us trying to Google and research further. A great teacher, I must say!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@insanejughead]

I'll be back to watch this after work! Thanks in advance Curtis.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@BreezeA]

Great. Thanks for your hard work bringing all these info to us.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@carlm.m.5470]

I enjoyed your presentation of the information. So much experience condensed in to a quick clip. Thank you

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks, Carl.

[@Mike0193Azul]

Thank you so much! Such an in-depth and incredibly helpful and detailed comparison lecture 💚 Curtis Judd is the best for anything audio/visual 🎥

[@curtisjudd]

You're so welcome!

[@mattgray9297]

You have taught me so much over the years. Thank you so much!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Matt 👍

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Matt 👍

[@Mr_A_Mia]

Thank you Curtis. Enjoyed this with early morning coffee

[@curtisjudd]

☕️

[@DanielWayShadow]

Amusing thing, I'm a film school student and the story you tell at 4:05 - 5:04 exactly happened to me. With that exact recorder + exact mic + exact problem. Newbie ditch warning folks!

[@imark7777777]

That was an awesome run through of everything.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks.

[@EmonHassan]

Looking to upgrade my audio recording set up and this was extremely helpful. Thank you!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@gepe.]

Great guide, as always. Thanks!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Rafa.

[@rickymcc8624]

Thanks Curtis for a comprehensive current take on what's out there in terms of recorder hardware and qualified recommendations. Handy to keep abreast of newer developments, even though I'm not looking to upgrade my own sound kit currently. You remain my 'go to' source for reviews of different kit. I'd now hesitate buying new kit without first understanding your 'expert' perspective. I doubt I would have invested in a MixPre 6ii, or really known why I should have, without your earlier opinions. I'm just an amateur photographer, trying to get the best sounds I can for self development into video and AV. Your earlier advice has proved 'sound' too for microphone choices and radio transmission. Now that I own great kit, I need to practice more to get better at using it.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Ricky - happy recording!

[@MrKuschelTieger]

Thank you so much for this Video. I think the Zoom F8n is my Favourite.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@brokeforever]

The audio and video quality on this channel is the best I've seen ever, even the oldest videos have top notch audio. I don't think there's any other channel on KZbin that even comes close.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks 👍

[@alantuttphotography]

Absolutely incredible. You have definitely covered the gamut, at least as far as anything that is likely to be used for film and video. For bands and other live events, there are additional options, but even there, you mentioned the Zoom LiveTrak series. Personally, I have been quite happy with my Tascam recorders, including the DR-70D, DR-680 (both original and MKII), and the DR-44wl handheld unit. Somehow, I don't have a problem with the NTG2 mic on any of these.

[@LearnLightAndSoundSessions]

Thanks for sharing, Alan. Yes, the main issue with the NTG2 is the H4n. That combination just didn't work well together.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@DanielSRosehill]

Unbelievably thorough. Thank you!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@IWTBFOY]

Keep up the great work Curtis

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Victor.

[@Scripture-Man]

I've watched a few of your videos now and they are outstanding - this one is epic! I know you said we'll probably want to skip to the relevant parts of such a long video, but it's hard to stop watching as it's just so packed full of fascinating and pertinent information, highly educational. You're very easy to listen to and I love how honest and critical you are. So THANKS for making these videos! I've subbed! :-) As an aspiring KZbinr, I'm still considering my purchase. I really just want the most basic, cheap field recorder which provides a clean sound with none of the irritating processing (aka programming) built into consumer devices like the H1.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks, Lee.

[@theearwyrm6105]

Thanks for the video! As someone working with pro-sumer devices (namely the Zoom F8n Pro), It's very nice to hear about the next levels up for big budget recorders as information on them tends to be less widely known and somewhat harder to find as most articles and such really focus more on that pro-sumer level.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@griffmoss2549]

What an incredible channel! Thank you.

[@curtisjudd]

🙏

[@ShinilPayamal]

Thanks for the video. Watched till the end. Really helpful.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Shinil.

[@TDCIYB77]

Yeah! Have been hoping for a 2022 edition! Thanks, amazing quality as always!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Steven.

[@akugel4529]

Thanks a lot for this very very huge detailed video. Now i exactly know what i want, what i really need and finally what i can afford! ;-)

[@jcescobarbravo]

Es una completisima enciclopedia de grabadoras para video producciones. gracias por compartir

[@curtisjudd]

🙏

[@dag221]

Can't wait to watch this video on repeat while I'm at work over the next year. The only thing you were missing was the Sony PCM-D10 recorder which is the one I just picked up to go with my Mix-Pre 3 II. Seems like decent unit so far. I went for Sony reliability and quality over gimmicky features in some of the other units.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@edemduku3391]

information overload! links, timestamp, links to reviews of devices mentioned, i'm amazed. spot on.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@KTHKUHNKK]

Good Lord it sure does get complicated and highly technical. I'm glad you know it and can explain it. I am still at the h4n zoom pro level. And I will stay there for the rest of my life. Great stuff Curtis you really know your stuff. Keith Kuhn

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks, Keith.

[@RobbyHuang]

The new intro track is slammin!!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@NullUndEins]

Just donated 10€. Amazing, high quality content over the years. Thank you so much

[@curtisjudd]

Thank you so much! 🙏

[@kqschwarz]

Nobody does audio reviews like you. All the best.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks, Karl.

[@DonBurnette]

Can’t wait to see you review the Yamaha DM3 to see where it fits into the spectrum. Awesome video, thanks for doing these

[@curtisjudd]

Yes, the DM3 looks really nice. I'll need to save up a bit for that.

[@Kit2Canada]

Extraordinary, thank you!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Kit👍

[@barefootaxel4847]

Thanks for the fantastic overview. I personally have the Zoom H4n, H5, F1, F4 and the MixPre 3 II. I personally prefer the MP3 for most applications. It sounds a bit better than the F4 and the menu is so much easier to operate. Electricity isn't an issue as I use it indoors and have it plugged in.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@JonathanCabot]

There's a lot of good stuff in this video, but the #1 thing is how good you make this video sound!

[@curtisjudd]

🎙️🔈🎶

[@tetraskele9621]

Wow! The expression about some people "knowing their stuff" describes persons of your caliber. As someone who has spent a lot of time teaching, you're a pleasure to listen to. Great shows (watched many of the), wide ranging and yet (magically) succinct!. THIS review is amazing. It cleared up a lot of questions for me. I dabble in sound design and have done some mixing in my day, but most of my recording is for my own small productions only. In this overview you answered many questions I would not even have known to ask. 1,000 thanks and best wishes the 2022 Solstice season.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks so much, Tetraskele. Best wishes to you, too!

[@Sc0rphionx]

Super subscribed.... Never thought you will know so much and not sell yourself to brands. Kudos.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@dgbrownnt]

In a pinch a few weeks ago, I used my RCP2 (which I normally use for streaming) as a field recorder and was impressed. It was hugely overkill (and needed its own tripod), but having all those controls was so nice.

[@curtisjudd]

Cool! Yes, nice having faders when mixing/recording.

[@rajubhaivyas1450]

Amazing information and products... knowledge for audio.. recording... thanks for vlog 🙏🏻🌺🌺 ..

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@andreimanilkin5339]

When I see Curtis, first I like, then I watch! It doesn't matter what the topic is. Everything is interesting, everything is useful.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Andrei, glad you found it useful.

[@innatemusic]

Thanks for doing this again.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@ngocehgayabebas2118]

Wow. Very very very deep explanation. God bless you sir

[@curtisjudd]

🙏

[@LeMonsieurXoxe]

Thank you for doing this video!

[@curtisjudd]

You’re welcome!

[@patrickchase5614]

I've tested the Rode Wireless Go II and DJI Mic simultaneously with Sanken COS11Ds (two of them mounted side-by-side on a dual clip), and the Wireless Go II's noise floor was ~4 dB better even after fine tuning the gain on the DJI. They were recorded through Rode VXLR+ adapters into a MixPre 10 II.

[@curtisjudd]

👍 yes, just got to testing the self noise performance on the DJI and I’m finding similar results.

[@patrickchase5614]

@@curtisjudd I think that's mostly indicative of the Rode Wireless II's self noise being surprisingly good. It appears to be below the EINs of typical lavs (I've tried B6, DPA4060, and COS11D so far), which explains/supports Rode's decision not to expose Tx gain control. It's no substitute for a pro wireless setup, but it's audio quality is remarkable for what it is IMO.

[@florianmertl]

Hi Curtis, awesome overview, thank you! It reminds me that I do have too many audio recorders as well ;)

[@curtisjudd]

🙃

[@MatheoMisiak]

Thank you for this video! You helped me a lot!😊

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@deaafrizal]

always like this topic 🤗🤗

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@bernardussamuel5870]

I bought an used H6 and I just really love it. Maybe I'll get F3 as the complementary for the 32-bit float if I needed it but currently I don't need it now. Or if I needed a little bit portability then I'll go for H1n. What makes H6 amazing for me is the battery life which makes me don't change battery too much. H6 is just enough for me. I use H6 for interfaces, ambience recording, and some samplings as well. Anyway, nice and detailed review, sir!

[@curtisjudd]

Glad that the H6 is working well for you. Happy recording!

[@dadbeatdead]

The statement about not getting work if you own Zoom vs Sound Devices is 100% accurate in my experience, I have Zoom gear that I use and rent out, and I’ve been turned down multiple times or had cancellations when they found mixers who brought SD equipment with them. Also my Zoom gear has zero rentals in 2 years even at low rates. I haven’t really upgraded my sound gear as much as I have my video gear and lenses, but selling the Zoom recorders for Sound Devices is definitely in the works for me.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for sharing.

[@jarikangas1254]

Thanks again for the good video. I have watched several of your videos over the years. I've been using the Behringer X Air XR18 mixer for the podcast, Livestream, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, multichannel field recording etc. A lot of versatile features, USB connection with a computer, allowing multichannel recording direct eg. Reaper or Audition. You can use clean audio or Pre EQ, Post EQ Pre Fade, and so on. I've been very comfortable with the versatility. Via USB, you can also import sound or music directly from your computer to the desired channel, etc. A lot of routing possibilities, each channel Noise Gate, Equalizer, Compressor, and so on. You can control it with a PC, Laptop, Tablet, or Phone. Behringer X Air XR18 mixer does not belong directly to these categories, but using like, is easy and flexible. For small field recordings, it is absolutely too big. For smaller field recording I use Zoom H6.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a nice option!

[@ahriik]

Curtis Judd: The Movie.

[@curtisjudd]

Popcorn required.

[@McStabberStudios]

@Curtis Judd - Have you looked at the Behringer X-Air series of Digital Mixers? This year I added the Behringer XR18 to my recording/streaming studio and found the 18x18 Bi-direction ASIO over USB Interface + Onboard FX Rack + "Dugan Style" Automixing + Full Bus Routing to be EXTREMELY handy.

[@curtisjudd]

Haven't used them directly, but have talked with several others who have used them. Glad to hear its working well for you!

[@RajeshK231973]

THANKS A LOT, DEAR CURTIS

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@soldermecold7456]

Excellent work

[@curtisjudd]

🙏

[@SoundSpeeding]

My brief opinion/rankings (from the perspective of a professional production sound mixer, who has a wide range of experiences from the lowest budget indie/student film sets to the biggest budget netflix series / blockbuster movies ): All handheld recorders... don't bother, in fact, actively avoid them! As they're so extremely unsuitable for location sound recording for film/tv. Especially when there is something else available that is so much better and probably cheaper too... The Tascam DR60Dmk2. Don't settle for anything less! (well, ok, you could get the even cheaper mk1 secondhand?) The Tascam DR70D is only slightly more though. (or for a bit more, and adds timecode, is the Tascam DR701D. But it appears it has been discontinued) But if at all possible (I understand for some people, the DR60D might be all their budget allows) I'd avoid all these consumer recorders which lack timecode, as a proper prosumer ones with timecode and high quality preamps are exceptionally affordably now in 2022! We live in an amazing era, to have audio gear that's so accessible, which wasn't an option when I was starting out. Let's look at these, the prosumer recorders I'd recommend: Zoom F6. Zoom F8n Pro. (the original F8n is just as good, in fact I'd prefer it! The original original F8 is ok too, not too much worse than the F8n. But if you have professional aspirations just get the F8n) There is also the F4, which I loved, but it has sadly been discontinued 😞 And there is the Sound Devices MixPre series. Originally the first gen MixPres at launch were quite inferior to the Zoom F Series then. As I feel Sound Devices rushed out the MixPres to respond quickly to the earth shattering game changer that was the Zoom F8. But since then the MixPres have had a lot of firmware updates, and improved Gen2 hardware, and I feel MixPres are easily on par with the Zoom F Series. Is a coin flip which to get, down to personal taste. Although the extreme small size of the MixPre3 does make it the obvious choice for anybody who wants to use it with/under their DSLR/Mirrorless camera! Just go get the MixPre3 asap. And the MixPre10 costs so substantially more than a Zoom F8n, then it is hard to justify the MixPre10 for anybody starting out (which is most people who are considering a MixPre or F Series). As you're likely very short on cash, and there are so many other areas in your sound kit that need those $$$ instead! So why spend extra for the MixPre for no real net benefit over the F8n?? And if you're comparing a recorder that's more comparable in price to the F8n, the MixPre6.. I just think that's too unfair to the MixPre6! As the F8n is just so much better designed for the sound mixer overall. The MixPre6 is a fantastic *secondary* recorder, to supplement your 633/833/etc , but for primary usage as your only recorder? I'd take the F8n every time! Now I haven't mentioned any professional recorders yet. But I'll just quickly mention the cheapest model from each of the four brands (the only four brands that exist for us), and you can research them more yourself (or feel free to ask me any questions!). Have listed them in order of popularity: Sound Devices 833 Zaxcom Nova2 Aaton Cantar Mini Sonosax SX-R4+ Oh, and a quick final point about bodypack recorders: would you record your video without ever looking at your camera's image?? If you say "yes" ( to be fair... I've kinda done this a few times, such as when running 5x cameras filming a wedding ceremony! I'll set up a couple of unnmaned cameras, then cross my fingers and wish for luck), then bodypack recorders are fine for you. But if you say "no", why on earth would you treat your audio like this??? You wouldn't record you video blind. Don't record your audio deaf!

[@curtisjudd]

Wow - thanks for the TED talk and insights! 😀

[@TradingConDavid]

Watched the whole thing, now I'm an audio recorder expert!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@KF7IJZ]

FYI re the Zoom F3 - the max input is only +4dBU when input is set to Mic - they offer +24dBU when inputs are set to line level. Verified from the specs in the manual and the modular synth concert I recorded this weekend!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks 🙏

[@radiaetor4408]

@@curtisjudd thank you for all the knowledge that you share with all of us! I would just hate for people to miss out on this really great little recorder

[@joenicklo]

An hour long video of recorders by Curtis Judd...YEP! I'm watching!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@elilucha]

Amazing video. The best microphone I have ever tried is the Sennheiser EW 100 ENG G4 Camera-Mount Wireless Combo Microphone System

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@AlexanderPovyshev]

Very, very cool! Thanks))

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@billsmith5166]

Just your summary is better than 99% of the videos out there.

[@curtisjudd]

🙏

[@jezebabe]

Thank you for your very thorough and detailed review. This is about the only review I need to decide which recorder to buy when I upgrade my Zoom H1. 👏

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@adomagala1]

I have used the original SoundDevices Mix-Pre 6 for podcasting and the quality was wonderful. While the price was eyewatering for a production intern, I understood the reason why. A little bit of a learning curve since I never used a field recorder before, but once I read the manual and played around with all the settings, it was a breeze to use.

[@curtisjudd]

I agree. 👍

[@pakozdiattila]

Many thanks this video... for me was very helpful.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks.

[@edwardlin2941]

Thank you for sharing your insight…

[@curtisjudd]

🙏

[@elizeusantos93]

Great video! I look foward to see you taking a looking into Tascam DR 10 pro, it is a 32 bit float recorder, also remote moitoring.

[@curtisjudd]

Did it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYaokJ19aql-j5Yfeature=shared

[@ebabich]

Monumental review!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@4CardsMan]

The H5 supplies phantom power for professional grade microphones, so, I use it with a Countryman B2D directional lavalier, with bass cut enabled to keep it from sounding bottom heavy.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@skakdosmer]

I've heard others report that using expensive gear helped them to be better respected by their clients. There's a wonderful interview with the famous Tony Faulkner where he tells that he always used the largest microphones he had for recording a certain conductor. Not because they would necessarily sound better, but because the conductor then "knew that he would sound like a king" and therefore gave a much better performance.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@ab-cx6bd]

Fabulous video. This might sound really weird but disregarding features and price completely, there is a certain charm about quality products made in the US (or countries such as Germany, Japan etc) which i would opt for every single time where feasible, over other countries where the primary motivation is manufacturing at a reduced cost.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks. I understand this point of view. 👍

[@enfacedetoi]

WOW all this for free, thank you soooo much. I still got my Juicedlink RA333 :) good gear :)

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@Irinaha]

Curtis, great job! Can you link the on board battery you use for your cart? thanks?

[@akram.ibrahim]

Great video!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks!

[@ernolaunis]

Thank you so much.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@LaurentHAMMER]

Graet video !! I learned a lot. Thank you very much !! ;)

[@curtisjudd]

You're welcome!

[@joisangluiscansingsaltos5432]

Thank you In the setup

[@curtisjudd]

👍

That is an awesome video btw! thanks a lot for that !!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@weench]

Good topic, thank you!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@EquatorialVillager]

Very comprehensive, thanks. Watched it end to end and definitely bookmarking this for future reference (until the next update). This is very valuable for all imaginable categories. Even the pro category is very useful to give context to the prosumer and consumer categories and features. I was curious if you'd mention the RODE Connect as a software option for very entry level podcast recording, but then again it doesn't really belong in this video about recorders (and opens another pandora's box).

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Patrick. Yes, had to draw the line. 👍

[@philpritchard5173]

Great as usual. Thx. Nice lighting on this too Is that the Prolycht?

[@curtisjudd]

The key light is the Aputure P600C and the background is the Aputure 300x with the spotlight mount.

[@MrBreadoflife]

I have the Tascam DR-60D MK1 essentially the same...I broke off the USB connector in the first few months....so what I did is tore the whole thing apart, drilled a whole in the battery compartment and soldered a USB wire to the positive and negative terminals...WORKS LIKE A CHARM now with a USB battery bank for the past 8 years that I have had it. the battery level always reads 2/3's on the screen.