Zoom H6 vs H8: Which One is the Ultimate Sound Recording Beast?

🔍 Looking for a new field recorder? Not sure whether to choose the Zoom H6 🎤, Zoom H8 🎤, or the new TASCAM X8 🎤? In this video, we compare and contrast the features of each recorder for you.
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Thanks,
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[@FreeToUseSounds]

Visit our Instagram account for more information, Behind The Scenes, and quick tutorials about Field Recording that you can't find on KZbin. ► instagram.com/freetousesounds

[@Dale_Blackburn]

Hello, just subscribed, good channel! I want to ask a simple question. Can we attach any external mic easily to Zoom H8? Like Rode NTG4? And do i need a external microphone for dialogue recording? I know filmmakers use ''shotgun'' microphones for dialogue recording. So as a wanna-be filmmaker, i need to buy two things, one shotgun mic and one zoomH8 for my audio production in general right? Thanks!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@Dale_Blackburn Hi Dale, If that is a microphone you want, sure go for it but you also need an XLR cable, probably a boom pole or a lightstand, nanopole to fix the mic somehow. I guess you would buy the Rode NTG4 kit which comes with a handheld pistol grip. If not, well you need that too. Also thought about wind protection too?

[@MehdiBXL-80]

Hello for podcasting what do you recommend ? Zoom H8 or Zoom P4 ? Thank you. 🙏🏻

[@MusicalBasics]

This helped me a lot, I got the H6. I used your affiliate link as appreciation for you taking the time, effort, and planning to make a well-structured video that really showcased the differences between the two ;) Just FYI, your H6 affiliate link points to the pre-2020 version on amazon, which is out of stock.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you so much for using the link and letting me know about this. I check the link right now and fix that problem.

[@bendaviskate]

As you mentioned, the H6 audio in your test is louder than the H8 audio. After normalizing the audio of both of your tests in Audition, the noise floor actually became nearly identical between the H8 and the H6 (within 2db). Thank you for the video!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you for watching Ben!

[@KieranLeCam]

I was gonna say, it may just be that the gain knobs respond differently, leading zoom H6 to actually have more gain in total if you crank it up to 10. Not sure how useful that is, though.

[@andystandys]

I own an H6, and I really love it. I use it mainly for connecting external mics while recording interviews.

[@spyrosroumeliotis-roumtone]

I 've been using the H6 for years, I recently bought my own H8! I agree with everything what I heard in this video!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you so much for your support but I hope you are not disappointed with the H8 in general.

[@spyrosroumeliotis-roumtone]

@@FreeToUseSounds No! it remains value for money option!!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@spyrosroumeliotis-roumtone Glad to hear that. :)

[@2000Ajerrell]

Which one do you like working with better h6 or h8

[@gerardarnan3484]

For people who want to start recording i think it would be awesome a comparison between the H1n vs H6 vs H8 vs F6 in different conditions where we can see the pros and cons considering the price and capabilities of each one. Great review!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you Gerard. Lets see if we can do a video like that. :)

[@ej119]

I would love that video!

[@geekindakitchen]

@@FreeToUseSounds Would love that.

[@ambientstereorecordings3528]

I bought a Zoom H8 a week ago and so far I love it! Very clean, smooth, almost cinematic sound from the built in capsules. Haven't tried the XLR inputs yet, but I have a large collection of different microphones and will probably get around to that pretty soon.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Oh that’s awesome!

[@bizarreban4598]

Are you still liking the h8

[@ambientstereorecordings3528]

@@bizarreban4598 Yes! It's been a good tool in the studio and in the field. If you get one, you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't collect all the extra microphones available for it. I especially like the mid-side ball mic and the mid-side stereo shotgun.

[@XteVision]

I experience the H6 for a couple of years now. It is a powerhouse for field Recording and as usb Audio Interface for my mac. And yes, it picks up more noisefloor while having a stronger overall signal. Easy to work with. SNR looks pretty identical to the H8. Nothing to worry about. The H6 deliver 12V, 24V and 48V Phantom Power for even the top high end Condenser Mic's out there. Easy to use. Easy to transport. Easy on the ears. And 20 hours rec time is just awesome.

very nice, thank you for this video I am staying with my H6 for now.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thanks for watching!

[@Jehantk]

Great to see the H6 is still so competitive in 2021--especially that it's start up speed is so much faster! great video

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Couldn't agree more but one thing that is not okay is that the price is more but without the MS capsules.

[@jonfreeze]

I’ve had my eye on the Zoom H6 for a while. This video helped out a lot! I like your points on the startup time and xlr inputs.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you for watching Jon and I'm glad the video could help.

[@tomalexiou9573]

Hello Free to use Sounds.I got the H6 five years ago and the H8 recently.I use both the devices for music.I noticed the H8 sounded better than the H6.I mic'd up a drum kit and 4x12 Marshall and I noticed the H8 sounded better.Also: the line out on the H8 (not the headphone out) sounds better than the H6 through Yamaha HS 8's.Both are good/great recording devices.I used all Xlr's on the H8 and the external mic input on the capsule with a rode nt4.If you know how to set up microphones you will get a very good sound.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Tom, thank you so much for you feedback and I'm glad you like the H8 and you are so right about that. If you know how too set levels right it will sound great.

[@MrRyan922350]

Tom, I am recently looking for a device for my band recording. Because of my limited budget, I would like to know whether H8 is good enough to use the mic capsule to record the rock band drum kit, and line in the guitar, bass, keyboard and vocal for recording. Would the drum recording be too messy or muddy? Thank you for your advice. PS: I have no experience in recording before.

[@tomalexiou9573]

@@MrRyan922350 You will get a really good sounding demo.If you point the H8 in front of the kick drum about 3-5 feet away but keep it low to the ground, 12 to 18 inches( do it by eye) set conservative mic levels between -12 -6 .Read the manual! The stereo mic point at the middle of the kick drum,buy the apex attachment for the H8 to screw onto a mic stand(use the zoom handle threaded adaptor onto circular mic clip).Place baffle acoustic separations between the amps and drums,set the amps up like your on stage.Experiment with 120 degrees versus the 90 degree setting on the stereo mic,try 120 first and also angle the amps towards the direction of the stereo mics of the zoom H8.The kick drum is the sweet spot in a live recording.An Audio Technica live sound engineer who mixed live concerts told me at long and McQuade workshop in 2016 and it works! If you don't get a great sound you never tried hard enough! TRUTH.

[@tomalexiou9573]

You can do it with just the stereo mic and add the vocal later.Balance out your amp volumes.Good Luck! 🎉

[@tomalexiou9573]

I even use the h4 the same way I just described.Plug your device into your cars auxiliary and listen to your music while driving to work and home every day.That way you'll know your music faster and get more ideas to produce it better while driving fast on the highway!

[@jackbrown3270]

i want this to record a band and this video helped me out a lot. for bands you need more mic inputs but i'm glad to know the audio quality is the same and there are ways to record a big band with the H6. THANKS

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Pleasure I could help :)

[@jenswirthmann6302]

Lieber Marcel, toller Kanal mit wirklich besonderen Themen. Ich mag deine/eure authentische Art sehr gern. Ich habe mir gerade den H6 zugelegt , nachdem ich ihn gegen den H5 habe antreten lassen (hatte mir beide bestellt). Deine Anmerkung zum H8, in Bezug auf die Ports und dem Touchscreen, kann ich nur zustimmen. Danke am Kanal auch wenn ich nur ab und zu Field Recording mache (demnächst mehr wenn ich eure Freude sehe) freue ich mich schon auf euren nächsten Videos.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hallo Jens! Das freut uns sehr das Dir die videos gefallen. Der H6 is super und damit kannst Du schon super aufnahmen machen. Liebe Gruesse nach Deutschland.

[@Corredor1230]

Awesome video! I'm a musician and recording engineer looking for a quick and portable way to record performances in my garden, or any parks nearby, or even record some of my clients' performances, stuff like that, so I got the H8 which can always expand its XLR inputs up to 10 (which is awesome!) but for any other application, I probably would've gotten the H6 at a lower price.

[@chinmayn73]

Im getting the h8 directly since the cost difference is very little now in 2023…planning to use for moto logging in my bag along with music editing and mixing later for KZbin videos and Instagram

[@KingfisherTalkingPictures]

You answered my question. I love my h6. I won’t worry about the h8. When I upgrade I may go to the f6.

[@anit715]

Hello Marcel, great video.I'm sorry that I found you so late. I'm just starting my adventure with field recording. I received the Zoom H8 as a gift and I have a bit of a problem choosing which microphones I should have for recording at the beginning. There are so many of them on the market and it's hard to make a decision. Thank you in advance for being here and doing something amazing :)

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Great to have you here! You can already start using the H8 alone and see how you like it. :)

[@peplms]

HI ! Thanks a lot for your video ! I'm really hesitates between the two. I'm interested into field recording especially, i will certainly going for the H8 but still not sure, i'm a sound engineer and i might use it sometimes for band recording. What i like about the H6 is that it is less noticeable i think and seems to fit better in the hand... so still hesitating. I just bought your holidays sound pack and it is amazing. Discovered your channel 2 weeks ago and what you are doing is awesome. Thanks for being that much inspiring and sharing your knowledge !

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hey Mayaaa! Thank you so much for your nice comment and so glad you like sounds we record all over the world. Yes to be honest the H6 is better in the hand but if you like to record indoor and you put the recorder on a tripod you don't have this issue. If you don't have an H6 yes I think investing $70 into a new recorder is worth it if you like to use external microphones in the future. Also they have a VR capsule coming out soon.

[@peplms]

@@FreeToUseSounds Ok , so i will go for the H8 then, and maybe for an F6 in a far future :D Thanks for your advice !

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@peplms Yeah and who knows maybe a F6ii is coming out someday.

[@camintchevv]

We are an entertainment company that is going to be filming a reality tv show. We are watching this to make a decision on which one to purchase. Thanks for making this video!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

I’m glad this video helps.

[@auxsom]

Fantastic video. And, yes, after watching your video I'm still on the fence on which one to get, but you did share some details that other videos have not shared, which do help narrow my decision a bit more. Thank you.

[@Sashik]

Thanks for answering my question

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Oh you mean in this video Alex or do you have more questions?

[@Sashik]

@@FreeToUseSounds I asked you on your previous video, why have you picked H8 over H6 , but I got all answers by watching this video now. Thank you for the video and for the reply. Cheers!

[@jonesthestone]

im happy with my H5, thanks marcel, great content as always, im off to one of the largest raven roosts in the uk tomorrow,

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Oh wow! Lucky you. I hope you get lots of great sounds. :)

[@jonesthestone]

@@FreeToUseSounds thanks marcel,

[@Gourski]

I love the H6 a lot! This is the perfect allrounder for me. Nice video 🙂👍🏻

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you for watching Daniel!! :)

[@PONCOTOPGOINGSOLO]

this video really helped me in considering which device fits for me, nice video!

[@pawfan]

I am advancing up to doing local storm chasing in the Mojave Desert during the monsoon season using an H8. The reason is for recording the storms with enough channels to add surround sound to my video captures. Hopefully, the results will be usable.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

What wind protection are you using?

[@pawfan]

@@FreeToUseSounds A homemade wind blimp made out of quarter inch thick furniture grade foam. I used similar design when I was storm chasing with just a PMD430, and an Audio - Technica stereo microphone. This time, I have two D5100s to chase with in the Mojave Desert next monsoon season with seven mics on the H8. Six of mics fit directly on the H8, with Zoom's SGH-6 shotgun mic. The idea is to capture 5 to 7.1...Mainly, 7 channels of audio to go with the video. This will give me some practice with Adobe's Audition, and Premier. I know all this sounds crazy, but I am willing to try new things.

[@friedbertmoessner2625]

Thank you. You helped me a lot with your objective report. Thanks

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Glad to hear it!

[@brucejohnson863]

I just bought the h4 to start love it one day I’ll get the 8

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Oh no!! There is a new H4 coming out in a couple weeks :(((

[@KennethGjesdal]

Today (15th of August 2022), in Norway at least, the H6 is slightly more expensive than the H8! This is the same basic set. The H6 still seems more tempting for my use.

[@gyur6]

So glad I found your channel. Instant sub. Thank you for your content, so lively yet just as informative as neccessary! High quality.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you!

[@Alessio_DAndrea]

Thank you for the video. I have the H6 and the F6 I do not feel the need to change the H6 for the H8.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Falco! Yeah there is no need at all if you have these two recorder.

[@musikone1780]

I agree. Just keep the H6. I'm jealous of your F6 though.

[@ayhancapan]

I'd like to watch a comparison video between f6 and h8. Thanks for this one.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Dost. Let me see if we can pull that off. :)

[@jcastillo716]

What’s your opinion on the zoom H6 black or the new H6 essential?

[@ChristopherOdom]

Thank you so much. Best video by far that addressed my specific needs.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you for watching!

[@hughfryer3813]

I have an H1 and was planning an upgrade to either the H6 or H8. This was very helpful. It’s clear I won’t be needing all that the H8 features and the lower preamp noise. H6 looks like the right fit and price range for me.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thats great Hugh. I hope you have a lot of fun with the Zoom H6.

[@woodrowclose]

I want to record some vintage Roland equipment - TR-909 and TB-303 and then load samples into FL Studio. Which model would you recommend.

[@JamesBermingham]

Great review 🪄😊10/10 Zoom H6 for me so Thank you

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you James!

[@redjbashmak]

Thanks for review, it's helps to get the right decision.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you for watching!

[@hectatusbreakfastus6106]

I like how you use the devices how I will be using them.

[@ContentMonsters]

EXCEPTIONAL.

[@TheNieslawnyKanal]

Hey, great video it gives me some direction now. Im looking for something to record my tabletop RPG session for 5 people. I was thinking about zoom h6/h8 + lavalier microphone.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! You could also look into the F6?

[@juancasotelo4126]

Excellent explanation Marcell, greetings from Lima - Perú

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you Juan!

[@Veescape]

Great vid ** I couldn't see a link for the H8 stands?

[@florianmertl]

cool, my journey was from an H1 -> H4N -> sold both -> sound devices mixpre 3 -> H5 for on the go. So Mixpre and H5 are awesome and perfect for me.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Sounds like a great setup Florian.

[@rickhickman2730]

Is the H5 for vlogging, or run and gun video?

[@florianmertl]

for ambiance :)

[@michael86734]

cool witch one is good for recording sound effects

[@FreeToUseSounds]

You can you use either one. But the H8 has definitely less noise floor.

[@leafyleafyleaf]

I would like to politely challenge your conclusion about the H8's XLR inputs being quieter than the H6's XLR inputs. Your test was not level-matched; the H6 is running hotter and therefore the noise is amplified as well. My evidence? When you say "Test" there is a plosive that sets your peak meter to -5dBFS on the H8 recording but -1dBFS on the H6 recording. That 4dB difference is what might be causing the H6's XLR input noise to be worse (4dB worse). Anyway, love your channel, your passion, and your overall vibe! I have an H6 on order :)

[@martysgarden]

I am completely new and you mentioned the audio technica bp4025, so much to learn for sure! I will be field recording outdoor sounds mostly. Maybe I have found a new passion haha,,we will see!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Welcome aboard with it. :)

[@jjfc37]

Hi! I hope you are fine, I am looking to buy a field recorder, I was looking for the zoom h6 or the sony pcm a10, I want to record nature sounds, what advice can you give to me please 🙏

[@rendermanpro]

H8 is "not here not there", for studio you can buy L8/L12 and for field recording is is bulky (and not much people need 8 inputs, which require additional capsule). Would be interesting to take a look on L8, it is portable and can compete H8 (more or less bulky doesn't matter, both do not fit to a pocket). The only thing I hate in H6, that dumb tilted screen - if you operate it to record someone, its fine, but when you record yourself and point mic on you - that screen become not visible to monitor levels.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! Could you send me a link to the L8? Interesting to know what you mean.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

are you talking about the LiveTrak?

[@rendermanpro]

@@FreeToUseSounds Yes, LiveTrak L8 battery operated and relatively compact.

[@juanpacheco4603]

For a podcast, which could give me better sound quality ZOOM H6 or a volt 2 interface?

[@GiancarloBiondi]

hi Marcel! I have been a happy owner of an H6 zoom for a while. The h8 zoom tries to do many things but when you want to do too many sometimes you end up doing none very well. As field recording the Zoom h6 I think is better in terms of handling, where I find it inadequate is in the display (if you want to use its capsules you probably have to buy at least one extension cable as I did). If you do podcast, field recording and use it to record music then H8 is more appropriate. If they had made a Zoom H8 with 32 bit floating point then it would have been different but the price would have increased. I think the best solution is for field recording to have the Zoom F6 and the H6. It is true that the preamp of the H8 is better than that of the H6 (for a matter of quality, in fact, I joined a Tascam Dr60d II with the H6). Have you heard of the problems some have experienced with the new Zoom F2? there seems to be a problem with the connector where the cable is inserted which emits pops when prompted .. I wanted to take it but I will evaluate this problem if it actually occurs. as usual great video! You pointed out to me aspects of the Zoom H8 that I hadn't noticed such as the distance between the xlr inputs

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Giancarlo. I haven't heard about this and I thought the Zoom F2 isn't official out yet? I look into this and thank you so much for watching. :) Always nice to see you here.

[@GiancarloBiondi]

@@FreeToUseSounds yes the F2 is already available for sale in stores, at least here in Italy for a few days and in the USA as well. It is a pleasure to watch your every new video

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Wow! I checked B and H and its only available to order. I have to ask Zoom about this. Thank you.

[@scottleland403]

The H8 is so alien looking. I love it!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

:)

[@JellyFishMcgee-bs5xe]

How do you record a band live if all there instruments are plugged Into the amps?

[@MrFlyb4crawl]

The F6 isn't designed for instrument recording as it doesn't have the dual MIC/Guitar/Bass inputs. Like you on the H8, I don't like its shape, and that it would have been better to keep the rectangular shape and just made it longer by doing this. I can see that they wanted to keep the unit smaller. Like you I agree about having to use the screen to control most of the features on the H8. Noise level control is always important in a recording especially when, adding in multiple devices, such as a lot of various instruments. I can see both the H6 and H8 are good for hooking them up into a 4k or higher video recorder that this can be used for a live feed and not just be able to only be used just for recording on this unit by itself. I watched another video on the H8 and it actually has the ability to simultaneously record at a lower DB setting, just in case you have the gain set too high and you only get one shot at recording the audio. MIC positioning can be a very important thing and you may be getting noise and not even know it during a recording. I have recorded my guitar playing using just a 4K video recorder and the audio sounded like crap, and I was just using a Boss E band 10 and the audio sounded great while I was playing. It is almost like there needs to be something that you can see that alerts you to clipping during an audio recording so you can adjust the gain right then and there so you know your audio is going to sound good. The newer Focuscrite, devices actually have the knobs glow and pulse colors when they are clipping. They just don't record like these devices do onto a flash card. However they all have side by side inputs and depending how much you want to spend allow for a lot of inputs. Except you have to get a cloud device as well to boost the gain for various MICs. The thing I didn't like about the H8 is that you can't pre-save your audio quality and have to change it all the time permanently. If enough people complain, possibly a firmware option could be made available in the future to make it able to be saved. Sounds to me like if its an audio issue with the H6 compared to the H8, then a firmware update could fix that. As the smart TVs have the ability to do this. I had to listen to TV sets and compared them and provided feedback. The engineers took our feedback and made changes and improved the sound after we described what we were hearing for the audio quality for various videos we watched and told us various things to report back about. Each time we got called back to evaluate after changes were made the audio got better. Until the last time it was only how loud you could turn up the volume before you noticed any distortion. Everyone wants to get the most volume out of a device they buy before it distorts at all. 90 percent max audio before hearing any distortion is pretty good. It was around 55 percent at the very start of our evaluation. So, that is a massive improvement over time. I'm sure this company could do the same thing and have their own staff get asked to listen to the audio and provide feedback like we all had to with TV sets.

[@STEFANiSAKSSON]

H6 can also make a simultaneous record at a lower dB setting (12 dB lower if I recall correctly).

[@michael86734]

Cool how is the h6 Iam new to audio recorders

[@shahriaralavi4904]

best demonstration thank you!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you

[@alexiscuarezma]

I Just bought a Zoom h6. I need it just to record audio from talking head interviews. I'm planning on pairing it with a MKE600 Shotgun Microphone. I'm an budget as it's for personal work and I'm a one man band. The F6 was temping but seemed overkill for what I need. My Current setup is just a lav mic going straight into the camera but it doesn't sound very clean. I'm hoping this new setup I got sounds much cleaner.

[@GiuseppeGessa]

Thanks for sharing. It's been really useful.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thats great to hear!

[@maggieliu8189]

I had a H6, and just brought a H8. I don’t have a external mics. My 13 yo sound said the H8 recordings gives more res·o·nance in sound. I am using the device for piano recordings. I am wondering what is the best rec setting to record piano recordings? Also what kind of external mic will help the sound even better? Thank you for your help!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Maggie. Do you know "pianobook"? That is a great blog post about recording pianos and samples in general. They also talking about different technics and microphones. You should start there.

[@DreidMusicalX]

I am shopping around for something like this and was wondering about if the H8 can use a condenser mic at the same time as say with a SM57 mic? I was wanting something quick to record guitar amp while listening to backing tracks I play to kind of in a live environment. Also the two mics that come with it, can you use those along with other mics a the same time? For more of a full room experience? I play electric guitar and wondering if this is actually capable of great recordings with heavier type music I play like Van Halen, Alice in Chains, and other rock bands. We also play in a club house and wanted a quick way to record the band. Is it worth $400?

[@BK42Cycles]

Hi there, that's an awesome review. I have recently purchased the Zoom H6 and the HISS noise in the 4 XLR channel is unbearable! When I level up to the maximum volume, even without any microphone it sounds terrible. The only way I found to use this device is by connecting microphones on the mic head (jack socket) there is the only acceptable noise. As I will send it back I would like to know if you can recommend something similar to the Zoom F6 a bit more affordable. I use it mostly to record audios ( indoor and outdoor ) I could order the Zoom H8 but I am afraid it won't be much better as shown here. Thanks for any advice. Your new friend in Warsaw

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi BK. Your Zoom H6 is okay and there is no need to send it back. You have no microphones plugged in you crank up to the max? You're creating internal white noise and that would happen with any other recorder.

[@BK42Cycles]

@@FreeToUseSounds Thanks a lot, but the thing is when I connect the Sennheiser G4 using the jack ( on the mic head ) the sound is full and crystal clear. If I connect the same system on the XLR, then it is terrible, full of hiss and floor noise. After researching a lot, I guess I will move to the Tascam DR-701D. Thanks, cheers

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@BK42Cycles are you using phantom power?

[@BK42Cycles]

@@FreeToUseSounds Yes I am :)

[@armanroosta8178]

Hi,your so intresting ,like , I have a question . You compare h6 2013 and h8 , I confused a little about h6 2020 all black edition. The sound quality of external port combo /xlr of h6 2020 are realy like h6 2013 ,i means has nois ?! Or not, zoom upgrate that. U say quality of extra port of h8 are better is that better than h6 2020 too ?? I hope you answer me soon. Thanks for you nice video 👌

[@VinylWave11]

I have the Zoom H6. Personally I like the size and that it is not touch screen. However I am wanting a recorder with stereo xlr in and stereo 1/4 outs. I know adapter are available for 1/8 cable. However 1/4 out would be great with my music gear and synths. I don’t see the H8 being enough for me to call it an upgrade

[@Mr.Altavoz]

Great video thanks. Still thinking in between the h6 or h8 . Will used mostly for recording instruments at home , the thing the the h6 is little more robust is a plus.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Yes that is true. The H6 feels less plactic.

[@sutv6754]

Very good. I'm trying to decide and this was very helpful. Might look into the f6 as well. I use the DR40 but I need more xlr inputs as I am recording small bands. I do well with the DR40 Tascam but really need more mics for separating the instruments and vocals from directs boxes. Thank You.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thanks for watching.

[@richardjames6623]

Great review, thank you!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you Richard!

[@criticactual]

Hi! Which one has more quality with the internal mics?

[@soundhole5498]

the following request to Zoom. Field recorder like h6 with good internal microphones (for fast records) and 32 bit floating, 2 sd storage units for security, bluethooth and minijack headphone monitoring, AA or aaa battery supply, at least 4 channels (2 internal mic + 2 or4 xlr external). That would be the best recorder for me

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Interesting! Lets hope they read it. :)

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@xSpirit Lets hope they do that :)

[@mister_policeman]

Hi, i like your video I wanna buy h8 Is ssh-6 can use on zoom H8? Thank you

[@mr.d7429]

Good work! Would know if the h8 4 channel extender would fit the h6?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

I think it fits but I'm not sure if the software on the H6 could actually read it.

[@mania7927]

@Free To Use Sounds Thanks for useful info , Three questions please: 1. which microphone capsule is used for Zoom H4 Pro because Zoom has more capsules? 2. And which of the capsules are best for recording educational youtube videos? 3. which device is giving best sound quality for recording educational youtube video, Zoom H4 Pro or Zoom H8 if only using built in microphone capsules? Much appreciated if you could help.

[@CavenInToTheWorld]

I have h5. Not using it much. But i wanted to get h6 since i wanted additional input for my guitars. One thing i notice from h8 vs h6 is the inputs h6 has 4 universal input but h8 has only 2 universal input.

[@leonardocalvo]

I have a doubt with the zoom h6, i can connect a condenser micropohone? I mean, it's have phantom power for that?

[@janclaunitzer2376]

Yes it has

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Leonardo. Yes it has phantom power. You need to activate it in the settings.

[@leonardocalvo]

@@FreeToUseSounds perfect!!!! Then, when i can, i Will Buy it

[@leonardocalvo]

@@janclaunitzer2376 thanks!!!

[@hmudesign]

Great video, I just got an H8 yesterday, upgrading my H4 from 10 years + ago, still going strong, but wanted to own a backup too. Been messing around with it today, great device. Are you in Iceland? I see some colors and landscape that looks awfully familiar :) Regards from Singapore.

[@garyclement5527]

You did a good job. The F8 is a great field recorder.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thanks!

[@aesonone]

xy capsules a-b i could hear some - granted small - difference, h8 a more voice body, h6 more highs. idk if it's because you recorded simultaneously and it's just the small difference in positioning

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hmm maybe.

[@ianpreece6391]

great video thanks. Is it possible to adjust individual channel monitoring on the H8? For instance mute a particular channel but still be recording that audio to file? You can do this in the H6 in the "monitor mix" menu but I can't seem to find out if you can do this on the H8? (important for me because I want to mute Tentacle sync audio timecode in my headphones but still have that audio recording to file)

[@prabhuja7554]

The new h6 material seems a blessing for a country like India...from old rubber material

[@tosofriday5686]

Hello free to use, I´ve watched some of your content and really liked it! I also bought the Zoom H8! But I do have an problem right now...how to you handle suspension sounds? I can´t find anything made for the H8. There is the rycote zoom h6 suspension, but I don´t know if it would fit on the H8 aswell. How is your approach?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! The suspension also fits under the H8 since the screw is the same.

[@ruechel]

Great video! Thank you.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you for watching.

[@prabhuja7554]

In Podcast setting can't we change the Khz in H8??

[@oliviadavis7184]

How well would the Zoom H6 record noise when recording outdoors? I need to document/record noise that is produced by an HVAC (Air Conditioner) while it is running from about 8-10 ft away. I tried to record the noise with my phone, but the recording is not clear and the recording does not sound like when you hear the noise in person. Should a mic be used with this recorder to capture the noise? If yes, which mic is recommended? Perhaps a (directional) boom mic? I might try using the Zoom SSH-6 Stereo Shotgun Microphone Capsule with Hairy Windscreen with it.

[@FelipeRollin]

Great products, i have been used h5 for years, but looking at tascam x8, this seams obsolete. Modern interface 32 bit float?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

That's where it goes. I don't have the H6 and H8 with me anymore.

[@XtremeStudiosTV]

Thank You!!

[@musikone1780]

I went with the H8. I agree that you shouldn't bother upgrading from an H6 to an H8. However, you didn't address which one to get if you don't have either one. For that, I would say, get the H8. The H8 is $70 more than the H6, however, you get two additional inputs, touch screen, 3 dedicated modes of recording (Field, Music, Podcast), Guitar Lab (Pedal effects for the line inputs on lines A and B) and as you stated, better pre-amps. if you're a guitar player, the built in effects pedals make this highly portable because all you need is your guitar. No more lugging the pedal board. The H8 can hold up to 50 pedal effects chains. Each chain can have up to 3 effects. It comes pre-loaded with 40 effects chains. You can configure the effects chains to your liking using the built in Guitar Lab app via a USB cable to your computer. If you are starting from scratch, pony up the extra $70 and get the H8. I like how you compared them. However, I think you should have told your viewers about the extra features in the H8.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! Hmm I think I did say that so I have to rewatch it. But its also great that viewers like you make such in depth comments so that other readers can read that. Thank you for that.

[@marshallmhamad]

Can you use H8 as a preamp?! To reduce noises before directly plug to an amp?! I dont have either of these but H8 doesnt come with the mic capsule and the hard case and no cable as well which really bother me, How strong are the guitar pedals and effects? I would still buy a hall of fame pedal though...

[@50sidu]

Is the sample rate restricted to 44.1 in H8 in podcast mode or can it be changed to 48 also?

[@lextertalks]

Zoom H6 user here 🙌

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Yeah!! Cool :)

[@abhishekvaru]

This was a great informative video.. . Would you please suggest me a good shotgun microphone... a budget one.. Thankyou..

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hey! Yes sure. If you could tell me what budget you have in mind?

[@abhishekvaru]

@@FreeToUseSounds $80 to $150

[@abhishekvaru]

also... is AudioTechnica 6550 a good shotgun mic, for recording dialogues in a noisy ambience !?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

This has no XLR but if that is not a problem for you, feel free to check it out. Do you need it to direct input to a camera or field recorder? The NTG1 is maybe a little out of budget but its a good one.

[@abhishekvaru]

I need it for recording dialogues outside, in open space and for recording Foley too.

[@MangopoAnd]

thank you for this video i will take the zoom H6 black

[@FreeToUseSounds]

I hope you like it. Also there is a new firmware update available.

[@soundnomad]

I enjoyed the good video. thank you!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Culturalities]

Great video, I'm a bit clueless which one to buy just to record beatbox or sounds to make music with after. Like recording the sound from a spoon hitting a glass, and play around with it in Ableton.. I'm really looking for the cleanest sound with little noise and so on.. Would you suggest plugging another mic in one of these recorders for that kind of purposes? Imma folllow your channel and enjoy your authentic content Marcel! Bless

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Yes you could get another microphone to record less of the ambience around it. Cardiod or super cardiod is great. Also try getting a contact microphone. You saw the video about the KORG? Its cheap and really good for that price.

[@MrFun800]

What do you think about the sony pcm D100 Audiorecorder?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Its a great recorder.

[@WTG194]

Can I plug in my external mic preamp and bypass the built in preamps in this unit? thanks for the good review!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Jon. Hmm I actually don't know the answer for this question.

[@Saeidazarmi]

How about h6 2013 ? Has any deference with black edition?

[@andybrixner.]

I bought one of these soon to come, but I'm not exactly sure which 128G SD card is appropriate. Could you tell me what it is? thanks!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

I use a 64 San Disk which is perfect.

[@sriramachandhran9841]

hey how do you solo individual tracks to monitor on a zoom h8? i tried long pressing buttons but did not work. Do u have any idea? But on zoom h6 i usually long press and the red light turns yellow indicating the selected track is in solo.

[@extremotionaltrouffas]

Great comparison! Can the H8 be powered with current via the mini-B USB port and the AD-17 optional power supply adaptor, like the H6 can?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you and I believe that should work if you use a USB to USB-C cable.

[@extremotionaltrouffas]

@@FreeToUseSounds Thank you very much..

[@MetawolfTV]

Great channel! I do own H1 and H6. How do you record dialogue outdoors and still keep the clear ambient sound in it? Eg: Lav on person and another recorder on a tripod? Or just use from a single source? What about phase issues when recording from two different sources? How do you do yours? Thanks

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! Thank you fo watching and yes I do use a Lavalier out keep it under the shirt if its to windy. I use either the F1 or the Deity HDX. Phasing issues from two different sources? You mean two different microphones too far from each other? That can happen for stereo recordings but I make sure this doesn't happen to me. Always make sure to keep the right distance between the microphones.

[@MetawolfTV]

@@FreeToUseSounds I mean issues if recording dialogue using lav and another mic source recording the same subject while concentrating more on ambient. Will the said dialogue bleed to the other mic and cause issues? If so how do you fix that. My aim is to get dialogue but still keeping Ambient sound clear in one take. Is this still possible? Since the lav will only capture subject voice. Otherwise I will need to record ambient separately on another take and combine them in post.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@MetawolfTV Hmm I think the best way to find that is by testing but what I do is recording ambience either before or after and layer it as background later in post.

[@MetawolfTV]

@@FreeToUseSounds You are right. I'm thinking of getting that Audio Technica 4025 as you suggested too. Thanks for all the great videos and tips

[@synthguy7774]

The only advantage I could think of is the startup time of the H6. It's good to know that if you hear something, you'll most likely not miss it.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

That is correct!

[@synthguy7774]

@@FreeToUseSounds Do you still think the H6 is worth keeping in 2022? I'm still on the fence about keeping it. But, I like the body more and I feel more comfortable taking the H6 on a hiking trail than I would with the H8. Also, the shape of the H6 would fit in carrying pouches better than the H8 ever could. I would love to hear more of your thoughts. I recently fell in love with field recording, which is something I wasn't expecting when I took acoustics at my local community college. I figured getting a field recorder is a great investment, especially as an aspiring video game composer when it comes to doing my own foley work. But yeah, your thoughts are appreciated. I love your channel by the way. You go great work!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@synthguy7774 The H6 is still one of the greatest handheld recording devices besides the Sony PCM100 and the sound quality is good too. If I would buy this recorder still in 2022? Sound gear is definitely more long lasting then video gear. Nobody would by a video camera from 2013 anymore. Technology moves forward and right now I have the X8 but already discovered an issue. Do you only want to use the onboard microphones or use the XLR inputs as well?

[@synthguy7774]

​@@FreeToUseSoundsI think I would like to do those things as well, it would be nice to be able to have something that could do podcasts, band recording, and field recording equally well. However, I would feel more comfortable bringing the H6 to rougher places than I would with an H8. But since I'm already going to spend that much to get an H8, I might as well take it a step further and get a Zoom F4, or the F3, and buy two higher quality X/Y mics to go along with it. I'm just blown away by all the technology! Also, would the VR mic work on the H6 since it's based off the Capsule 2.0 system? I think you said in the video that the 2.0 capsules could work on the H6 but I'm just double checking.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@synthguy7774 Oh you mean to attache the VR capsule to the H6? I'm not sure the software allows you to record all four tracks into one wav file. Also speaking of more rough areas. If you are talking about wind, rain, you won't get far without an additonal wind protection kit. So keep this in mind too. I just bought the X8 but have problems with the capsule inputs but the recorder alone feels nice.

[@frytor2240]

Tank u so much

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Pleasure!