Best Zoom Microphone Capsules for Dialog (Zoom F1, Zoom H5, Zoom H6, Zoom H8)

[@faspete2nd]

Picking the correct/right/best mics for the specific situation you are shooting in is tough. There are so many options to choose from so this helps narrow it down a little with zoom options. Good job.

[@markwiemels]

Thanks, yah I have become a bit of a fan of the zoom recorders and am making it kinda a subset of the channel.

[@KrabiAdventure]

Daaaamn. That was fantastic. My doubts about the x-y mics have gone completely away. So clear in most situations, expecially close up. I think better than the Behringer, but missing that lovely bass. I'll use the H6 for ACX audiobooks. Thanks for this man.

[@AaronOverEverything]

absolutely a great review. It literally just stopped me from purchasing the shotgun capsule. XY sounds much better for multi purpose. if a shotgun in field is needed, Comica Vm20 still my go to.

[@mindwork8865]

Excellent review, thanks for this. Maybe you are so nice to answer two extended questions. 1. If I will record a dialogue between two people sitting face to face what of the Zooms do you recommend? 2. Does your last solution mean that the native F1 3,5 mic port is enabled even when I plug one of the extended Zooms on it? And if yes, are the inputs mixed together or are they recorded divided on separate tracks? Thanks and best regards

[@djtommykeys]

Wow, I enjoyed the clarity of the XY in all situations. Thank you for the video. Well done.

[@mistermastermind528]

I think the XY being versatile is proof why many of these handheld recorders come with them out of the box in the first place (not the F1 though).

[@markwiemels]

Yea, its pretty darn good!

[@ww1www]

Great review. I have the MS and the XY microphone for Zoom, for voice I normally prefer the MS, I find it sounds just great. The X/Y microphone, due to it being stereo picks up a bit of echo in less treated rooms, which I actually often like, but not always. It was interesting to see how ell the shotgun performed outdoors, and how poorly it performed indoors. I know it is typical of shotguns, but it looks to be more prominent with this SGH-6 than with some other shotguns I have had the luck to play with.

[@markwiemels]

I was also surprised at the performance of the shotgun, very good at blocking out unwanted noise but not unwanted reflection of voice. I think the MS does work well for voice, switched into single mic mode.

[@gr8t3a]

He's a man of focus commitment and sheer will

[@markwiemels]

lol. I have been called worse!

[@Utoober-yp7mf]

Which would you recommend to record live music. I would be seating around 50- 60 feet away from the stage. Will try to capture output from stage speakers and little on the crowd.

[@cassidyraebarrera]

Great testing, thanks for making this! Super helpful! I think using the lapel mics just don't sound great vs the capsule mics

[@kodefashmodefa]

im a little late to this video but around the 7 min mark you mention using the recorder but not being able to see the screen to see what's going on, zoom does sell an extension cable for these capsules. I never tried one but it could help with that situation. Or say you want to mount the mic elsewhere (boom, on camera/cage, or tripod) and you could have the recorder on a belt or you might need to fiddle with the recorder and that's not an option with the capsule directly attached. ok im done with my run-ons im gonna finish the video.

[@markwiemels]

Good info.

[@MegosilSounds]

I need something for sampling sounds around which u think is better

[@markwiemels]

XY or Shotgun.

[@josemiranda1241]

The round capsule mic you needed to raise the recorder in order for the mic be directly to your mouth and not in a 90 degrees and there is a windscreen for the xy mic. The wind would be no problem.

[@videoguyla]

Interesting the new version of the H6 Black only comes with the XY capsule. I have the XY and MS and 3 Shure SM58s and 2 A-Lav lavaliers. Thinking of adding the extension cable so the capsule can be mounted away from the main recorder allowing proper level control.

[@KrabiAdventure]

Daaaang. That was fantastic. My doubts about the x-y mics have gone completely away. So clear in most situations, especially close up. I think better than the Behringer, but missing that lovely bass. I'll use the H6 for ACX audiobooks. Thanks for this man.

[@markwiemels]

I know, it's a real surprise.

[@soumynonareverse7807]

I often go to live meetings where they use mics to amplify there voice. Usually it's at a place where I'm not allowed to connect my H5 to the mic system so that I can record it with the XLR ports. What capsule would you use to record in this situation? Also, should I use a capsules for that or is it better to go for an induction loop receiver often used for deaf people to pick up electical waves to hear whatever is said through the mic and connect it to my H5? Do you have a recommendation for a receiver like it?

[@southaustinukes]

Do you have to use the xlr capsule? There are dedicated xlr ports on the unit, giving it capacity for additional mics to the dedicated capsule mics. So can’t you just leave off the capsule entirely and connect the Behringer to the dedicated xlr ports?

[@sumenetamusic8445]

This is the best tutorial i have ever seen but it hasnt got much views. I hope you will be more popular in the future. Love From Turkey 🇹🇷❤️

[@markwiemels]

Thanks, yah, I tried to give good coverage of the mics.

[@HeathcliffBlair]

Thanks for the video. I have all of the Zoom capsules. Although you don't feature it, the SSH-6 is by far the best for dialogue and general purposes. Very good reach and rejection. It's an MS shotgun, so you can widen/narrow the sound at will in post (use the H6 with it because the F1 doesn't have comparably flexible MS recording, sadly). Only drawback - all the MS capsules are quite noisy. Nevertheless, try the SSH-6. You might be pleasantly surprised.

[@markwiemels]

Thanks for the tip, I always wondered about that Mic.

[@andreaceraso2909]

Hi there, I'm very interested in that mic for outdoor spontaneous dialogues. If you don't mind, I've got 2 quick questions: do you get 2 separated tracks recording with SSH-6? and is the shotgun part of SSH-6 equal to SGH-6 8in terms of features, quality etc)? Thank you very much!

[@markwiemels]

I can’t actually recall, I shot this video a while ago, and since have sold the microphone.

[@HeathcliffBlair]

@@andreaceraso2909 Hi. The SSH-6 produces two tracks - one is mono, the other is the side signal. The idea is that you blend the two using an MS (Mid-side) decoder (downloadable from Zoom's website) to create an MS stereo audio track. MS audio is a pseudo stereo effect that can be widened or narrowed to your taste. The effect is quite useful and pleasant. To my ears, the SSH-6 does sound better than the mono only SGH-6, BUT, as I said before, its MS signal is noisy - there's a hiss that DEFINITELY needs noise reduction in post production. I've more or less stopped using it because of this. However, I would still recommend it because of its general usefulness provided you're OK with de-noising it later. Cheers.

[@davidf3347]

​@@HeathcliffBlaircould you elaborate what do you mean regarding the F1 having less flexible M/S recording capability?

[@forestmori2725]

Thank you for the great video! Which mic would you recommend for outdoor interviews/reports? I’m trying to find the one that could best catch the words of my interviewees and at the same time blokes severe environment noises.

[@markwiemels]

The closer you get the mic the better. I would probably use the XM8500, in shot, close to the sound source.

[@forestmori2725]

@@markwiemels Thank you so much! I really appreciate your apply :D gonna give it a try

[@willmcelroy6376]

How do you set the MSH-6 mic to only use the front mic and not the sides. I can’t seem to get it to not pickup sides.

[@zogun]

Hi Mark, thanks for the review. Btw, if i hv the H5 recorder, would you recommend the SSH6 shotgun for small room indoor KZbin video? I know small diaphragm pencil mic is better indoor but i like the H5 & SSH6 combo. Any thoughts on this?

[@JasonActualization]

Where can I get a windscreen that would fit the MSH-6 like a glove?

[@Frazi.er1]

Hi mate nice review. What capsule would you recommend is best in a loud music environment which is likely to have a lot of distortion? For techno music I struggle to find something that captures the bass without sounding over compressed. Thanks

[@markwiemels]

Need to look for something with a very high "max SPL"

[@IsidroAPS]

Excellent review, mate 👌🏼 Keep up the good work!

[@OrenArieli]

A better comparison for the stereo/mid-side mics would be to record a stereo audio source (live music or nature sounds), as you wouldn't otherwise be using stereo mics for single voice interviews or voiceovers.

[@mattcero1]

Will the H6 do voice activated recording? I'd love to know. Thank you.

[@markwiemels]

I don't think so.

[@mattcero1]

@@markwiemels It does as I just found out. It's auto record and you can set the level and post record time. On a side note, I found that talking straight down on the mid side mic capsule gives the best and loudest sound. I tried it at all angles and talking straight down onto it is best. I just sold my pre 2020 H6 and kit and am already missing it. Thanks again Mark.

[@abrishalay5577]

Excellent comparison. I think the only two mics I need would be the x-y and the shotgun.

[@Co_Conditions]

Thank you for your time, detail, and expertise. Also, how does the f1 handle the hand sounds while recording if one does not have it mounted? The other zoom recorders are notoriously bad with such and without a tripod the sound is unusable. Finally it has been quite some time since this vid, are you still using the f1 or related capsules?

[@markwiemels]

Handling noise is noticeable, if you slide anything around or change your grip. I used the zoom products for years, mainly because of how good they are for the price. I now do more paid work and use higher end gear, but to be honest, the zoom audio quality would still hold up well and is great for the price.

[@thetruthseeker3617]

Please help Zoom f1sp Or zoom h5 I should buy (any one)

[@markwiemels]

F1 if you travel around, H5 if you are just staying at home, also H5 if you want to use XLR Mics.

[@YannisOelgarthMusic]

Can you apply 48V Phantom to the 2 input XLR module??

[@tfransson]

No

[@erniehatt]

How do you change the mid side setting

[@marcelgavrila5474]

Hi, I noticed that the XY-5 microphones that the H5 comes with are smaller than the XYH-6 bought separately (or that the H6 comes with). Is there a quality difference between these XY microphone variants? Is the sound quality produced by the XYH-6 (the big one) better? Thanks

[@markwiemels]

I have both. I have not done a deep dive, size by side, but in normal use I found them to be very similar.

[@henryssurfshowcase]

The Behringer mic sounded the best I think?..

[@markwiemels]

Yeah, it's a bloody good mic that one.

[@MindfulLawStudent]

Hi. Great video. Thanks. Will the lapel mic work with zoom h5 or do I need an adapter because it has the three black bands on the part that plugs in to the zoom recorder?

[@markwiemels]

I think it takes TRS not TRRS. So I think you need an adapter.

[@MindfulLawStudent]

@@markwiemels Thank you, Mark.

[@lalljp]

Shouldn't the mid side mic be at a 90 degree angle from how it is in the video?

[@michael86734]

cool are they good for recording sound effects

[@topdazzle]

Yes and that's what I'm using mine for - the only drawback is that most of the H series of recorders have quite noisy preamps when you compare them to the F series (which is one of the reasons for the price difference) so if you can afford it, go with an F3, F6 or F8 - their preamps are much cleaner meaning that you will get better quality recordings, particularly from quiet sound sources.

[@highanddryful]

A informative video thanks. My xlr port 1 will not pick up sound through the shotgun mic but will in xlr port 2 with the same mic, can you advise what I can try with settings to achieve sound?

[@markwiemels]

Not sure, have not had that experience before. Maybe an issue with phantom power on or off?

[@otadster]

@@markwiemels I've read that XLR capcule dosen't support phantom power. Isn't it true?

[@markwiemels]

@@otadster correct.

[@mariusmocanrealestatephoto1378]

Which mic capsule would you use to clearly record multiple people talking in a room? Probably from about 5-6 feet away from the mic.

[@markwiemels]

You won’t get great audio capturing multiple people at 5-6 feet away, that setup is going to sound bad regardless of the mic. Best best would be to use the x/y mic and mix into a duel mono in editing.

[@1RJ2]

Do you have videeos on how to EQ?

[@BlaBlaBlaInDaHouse]

Amazing content, thank you for this video! Very informative

[@ZippyDChimp-mr1tf]

I'm a bit confused. The Zoom F1 does not provide phantom power and according to the specs in your link for the XM8500, it does not require batteries. So how is it powered?

[@markwiemels]

Xm8500 does not require phantom power.

[@ZippyDChimp-mr1tf]

@@markwiemels wow, cool! Thanks.

[@poorveshdave]

Which mic is good For Foley for H5?

[@markwiemels]

Probably the X-Y, it seems to be good at everything.

[@ParastoParastoabdollahi]

Hi Can I use zoom MSH-6 for zoom h8?

[@zlimothyvrother]

Hey, you can!

[@Marcus_R]

Do these interchangeable capsules have their own preamps within? Or du they use the internal preamps of the recorders? I'm wondering if for example the xy capsules sound better when mounted on the h6 vs. the f1 - what do you think?

[@Marcus_R]

Helpful comparison btw!

[@markwiemels]

The capsules do not have their own preamps, they use the recorder. If the preamps are better in the recorder, then yes, you will have a lower noise floor. It's not clear to me that the preamps are better in the F1, vs H5, H6, I have the H5 and have been meaning to do a preamp comparison between the F1 and H5.

[@dimasikorski5699]

@@markwiemels Do you have this test comparison? Whose preamp is better? F1 or H5?

[@eekamoose]

An excellent review and comparison. Detailed and clear. Great job. Thank you! 😁

[@markwiemels]

Great to hear!

[@WalkInTalk]

Great video.. very helpful. I know this video took a good deal of effort. ✌🏻

[@markwiemels]

Thank you so much!

[@WalkInTalk]

@@markwiemels my pleasure

[@serginhoiaiaia]

thaaanks!! from brasil

[@thatandrew808]

Exactly what I was looking for thank you.

[@markwiemels]

You are most welcome.

[@bereal9464]

I have H6 with XY MIC I can record good my voice in room?

[@markwiemels]

Yes! just get it close to you for best results!

[@bereal9464]

@@markwiemels but shotgun is the best right for me?

[@markwiemels]

@@bereal9464 you got to hear them all in the video. It’s really about what you like the sounds of best.

[@bereal9464]

@@markwiemels ok)))

[@XtremeDistortion]

Great review thank you so much

[@ishudshutup]

The XY sounds the best but I disagree it performed the best in the various scenarios, as there was a lot of ambient noise that leaked in. The mid-side mic seemed to isolate and bring forward the voice the best but sounds flat. The shotgun mic was also good at isolating the voice but sounded the worst, very thin.

[@KevinMTV]

Thank you sir

[@markwiemels]

You are most welcome.

[@Getorti]

I think you has editing errors in your video. Many parts are repeating

[@top_tech.500k]

Great review 👍 👍 👍 ✨

[@markwiemels]

Thank you 🤗

[@NikCan66]

Excellent video

[@markwiemels]

Thanks!

[@NikCan66]

@@markwiemels no problem

[@SOSmysteries]

Shotgun sounds best

[@mania7927]

@Mark Wiemels This video is really helpful.

[@markwiemels]

Great to hear.

[@mania7927]

@@markwiemels Do you have by chance a video about what kind of holders are best and also how to protect the screen of zoom h8? i did a search online and it looks like there are no screen protectors made for zoom h8. Thanks