ZOOM H8 Audio Recorder Review: A Swiss Army Knife Audio Recorder

[@OreApampa]

I use the Zoom H8 as a voiceover artist, initially I thought it was an overkill but it came in handy when I started using it for podcasts. I really like it. I have had it for a few years now.

[@curtisjudd]

Nice 👍

[@thisisscotts]

I like how Curtis puts the summary at the start. Dropped a Like at 23 seconds.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks!

[@thisisscotts]

@@curtisjudd no, thank YOU for the great work you do :)

[@scottvanderbilt1279]

I love Curtis's incredulity over the omission of a USB-C port. For those of you who don't know Curtis, this is the closest he will ever get to saying "What the actual f**k?"

[@curtisjudd]

Hahaha! Spot-on, Scott!

[@AllThingsFilm1]

LOL.

[@onocoffee]

I'm a bit behind - but what are the limitations of microUSB that people had them so much?

[@curtisjudd]

@@onocoffee USB has become a bit of a splintered challenge. I would be nice to be able to mainly just buy USB-C cables at this point. Most new devices have them at this point.

[@vrvretro]

@@onocoffee They wear out and break the pins inside the port. They are then difficult to repair. Blue Yeti's use this port on most all models, and the actual port replacement, if you'd like to see the level of difficulty if you could obtain the correct port housing for the board the mic is using. Just tube yeti usb repair or replacement. I'm with Mr Judd on this one for this reason.

[@MchangaS]

You offer the best, most detailed information in your reviews. I can’t thank you enough since I’m always looking for ways to improve my audio. You’re awesome!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Mchanga!

[@mcgreevs24]

Curtis, can’t thank you enough for all the knowledge and testing you share.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Martin!

[@mcgreevs24]

Curtis Judd Your deep dives into testing and reviewing audio equipment is an invaluable gift to the KZbin filmmaking community. Not to mention the quality of light education you’ve given us all with SSI, CRI, etc. I selfishly can’t wait for a Lupo Dual Color 60 review at some point. 😃. I wish you continued boomerang-ing success for everything you generously offer us all. I can only imagine how much time it takes to run all these tests and edit it all together to create these pieces. Truly an act of humble service. Thank you, Sir!

[@RobbyHuang]

Agreed. Always just such a pleasure to see a new Curtis Judd video and learn something new every time.

[@curtisjudd]

@@mcgreevs24 Wow, thanks so much Martin! Very much appreciate the kinds words.

[@curtisjudd]

@@RobbyHuang Thanks Robby.

[@MichaelDaniels]

Thanks! Great job on this video. Very detailed. I just bought one of these so I may be reaching out to you with a bunch of questions. Thank you

[@curtisjudd]

Happy recording!

[@skmkenny]

It is absolutely insane to think that we have reached a point where we can fit that much technology in a package that small These zoom guys are incredible

[@curtisjudd]

Agreed!

[@ConstantineO]

I just picked this up yesterday - pretty happy with it so far. Not as big as I thought it was going to feel in hand. Best review of H8 that I've seen - nice work Curtis!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks and happy recording!

[@curtisjudd]

**Update** V1.1 firmware was released on 31 August 2020 which fixes the slow boot-up issue. Can you spot where I used the wrong cable?

[@laszlokiss9394]

0:43 I think.

[@skakdosmer]

I don’t know, at 2:25 it looked a bit like a USB micro A, but it’s hard to see.

[@curtisjudd]

Spot-on. That's a TRS cable, not the typical TS cable you'd use for a guitar or bass.

[@makatron]

Stereo headphone 1/4

[@curtisjudd]

@@makatron Sharp eye there! Technically it was a 1/4" TRS to XLR cable, but the wrong cable regardless.

[@LoftyAssertions]

Big appreciation for your professionalism and including a summary at the beginning of the video, you truly understand what people want.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks, Liam. 🙏

[@EveBatStudios]

I just picked up the last one on sale for $260. waiting for it to arrive!

[@curtisjudd]

Happy recording!

[@richardsmith2532]

I have just purchased the H8 and my decision to buy as well as my ongoing education on how to use this unit have been guided by this great review. Much appreciated!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for the feedback, Richard. Happy recording!

[@MyOtheHedgeFox]

Thank you so much for another professional review, Curtis. Most of the stuff you review is way above my goals, means or money, but the experience and the approach you share and convey are incredible. It’s like having an incredibly patient mentor.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks so much, MyO!

[@tynanmedia7785]

The quality of this review is outstanding! Very professional, balanced, and useful. Cheers.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Tynan Media.

[@chennyye28]

“I came up with no reason for the micro USB port....I am sorry for the ios only app, even though I don't know why I am apologizing for zoom...” that made my day! A good job always~~~

[@curtisjudd]

😀

[@paulussantosociwidjaja4781]

Thank you for your helpful explanation, Bro. Love your review approach, Curtis.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks 🙏

[@darkenrahl8011]

Just really wish they'd release an F4 update with some of this stuff. Feels like they've neglected that part of the market. Would love to see F4 with dual card slots and real outputs get that color touch screen, 32 bit float and dual converters. Feels like a miss to have waited this long to update it!

[@curtisjudd]

I agree - would love to see an F4n with everything you listed.

[@RobinParmar]

It seems there is not enough demand, since the F4 was discontinued. In the same form factor you can get the F8n Pro, though obviously that's more expensive. Dual card slots is always a good feature. But a touchscreen is a negative for field work: it's too dim and you can't use it in hot (sweaty palms) or cold (gloves) climates.

[@SadekDemocratoz]

I love the light on your face its so soft and clean, thanks for all those infos

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Sadek.

[@donaldneumeyer4423]

Thank you Curtis! Just got my H8 a few days ago.

[@curtisjudd]

You're welcome and happy recording!

[@jackspring7709]

I used a Zoom H6 to record a coastline in Portugal - the playback almost sounded like surround sound and I wasn't even using external microphones. Delighted with the detail and I'm considering buying the Zoom H8, too.

[@curtisjudd]

👍🎙️

[@neotheek]

I was literally searching for your h8 review 6 hrs ago.

[@curtisjudd]

And here it is! Yay!

[@iantetteh]

maaaaaaaaate.. i was searching for hours.. zoom need to pay this guy

[@aqustks]

Outstanding review! This video finalized my decision in purchasing the H8. Thank you!

[@curtisjudd]

You're welcome and happy recording!

[@dlep2004]

Great video as always. Super helpful info for making a purchase decision. Production value is a new high at this channel. and I guess we're not mentioning that the H8 looks very alien-y (especially with the weirder modules)?

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@irvanwiranata6972]

This is the best and detailed information from a reviewer have to beeeee. Thank you Curtis you're the best !

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Irvan.

[@atishep]

What are its Kessel run specifications?

[@curtisjudd]

23 parsecs, not bad.

[@curtisjudd]

@Sasuntidictous Rhoireiphapos No quite but pretty good for $399 USD 😂

[@Rilloster]

I'll leave this man a like cause he was very thorough.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Richard.

[@MattBrandon]

Love the color grading and lighting!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Matt!

[@ahriik]

I love the little interviews you do with your family. I can only imagine the eye rolling when you say "honey I need to interview you again!"

[@curtisjudd]

Hahaha! They're good sports about it. 😀

[@ahriik]

@@curtisjudd I'm glad. Also very valuable in my opinion, not a lot of other reviewers manage to get female voice tests when trying microphones, and I think that's pretty important for us soundies.

[@paulk.dicostanzo2279]

When I first saw the H8 during Zoom’s pre-release marketing, I was immediately impressed with its capabilities. Though what immediately struck me was it’s singular aesthetics. It looks like a device Bruce Wayne might use in the Dark Knight.

[@curtisjudd]

And he’d capture some pretty good sound! 😉

[@prairiescion1614]

Love your addition of a simple summary table with the pros and cons for those of us who remember how to read. Keep up the good work. Subscribed.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@shellw1506]

Me, with my H6 looking at the micro-USB port thinking “I’m sure they’re going to fix this in the next recorder..” oh well.

[@curtisjudd]

*sigh*

[@krane15]

My sentiments exactly.

[@ephektz]

Zero excuses for this. The amount of oversight required to make this decision would make giraffes jealous.

[@ChristopherWoods]

At the least, make it recessed or protected. Yeesh. Surface level micro USB is lazy and unacceptably crap design.

[@MusabTahaTarik]

I bought mine today. Thanks Curtis. Your review was very helpful for a beginner like me. I didn't want to give more for a Tascam X8 or Zoom F3 + a capable shotgun mic.

[@curtisjudd]

Glad it was helpful. Happy recording!

[@TheZonga]

for reference, I just recorded live with the zoom H8 using all of it's ports as well as the included XY mic attachment on full battery power (4 AA Activ energy alkaline) the zoom was able to manage 30-40(ish) mins with 5 Mics using +48V This is a rough estimate as i was unwilling to let the zoom die mid-song so was forced to change batteries when the zoom displayed 1/3 power left

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for. sharing, Zonga Pat.

[@sandistained]

This is my experience too. Using all XLR inputs with phantom power is battery hungry.

[@BatonyRobson]

Thank you for these summary in the beggining of every video. This is huge timesaver. You are saint man.

[@curtisjudd]

You're most welcome!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Doesn't look as "spidery" as I thought it would A great audio recorder thing for the price! p.s. I thought I already commented on this video but couldn't find it. So maybe you get two comments on this for the price of one. :)

[@curtisjudd]

What a bargain! Thanks pal!

[@hmudesign]

I am so impressed by your reviews, without a fail :) Thanks for all the good stuff.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks!

[@J0ss717]

As always excellent review - Howewer, It does not look to be especially handy for cable management.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks JOS.

[@jeannotpetit7403]

most complete review on the internet. thanks

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@OTsuperduper]

The design seems awkward. Did you find you needed to place it flat on a table to use comfortably? Bag might be prohibitive.

[@curtisjudd]

Yes, but that was true of the H6, H5, H4n as well, generally. And this is a bit bigger than all of those.

[@josephyang3260]

It looks like a spider top down when you plug the cords in

[@curtisjudd]

@@josephyang3260 Yes, it does.

[@NikCan66]

Yet again another brilliant straightforward explanation of the pros and cons of the zoom h8 handheld device.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks NikCan.

[@NikCan66]

@@curtisjudd more than welcome

[@hisnameisrentoo]

"However, if you if you need a recorder for a specific situation Zoom has other options better suited..." whew. I thought for a moment I'd want to get his over the Podtrak P4. Thanks for keeping the device greed at bay. 😅

[@curtisjudd]

👍 I have to confess, for me the PodTrak P4 makes more sense for most of what I do.

[@hisnameisrentoo]

@@curtisjudd H8 looks so cool though... :))

[@n2rj]

The H8 is my workhorse. Often I just set it up on a mini tripod and use it as my mic for videos and even zoom calls.

[@curtisjudd]

👍 Thanks for sharing, Ria!

[@insanejughead]

Plug in all the cables and you've activated arachnophobia mode for your viewers...

[@curtisjudd]

Oh no! A spider!

[@LeonardoVarasGuerrero]

Super good video, the best reviews I've seen ever!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Leonardo!

[@tbreit]

Zoom's insistence to create 'unique' bevels/angles packaging design is creating obnoxious product cabling and portable packaging use. With all wires installed it looks like an octopus, is very non-bag-friendly placing undue strain on plugs/jacks, and nooks/crannies are dirt/dust magnets hard to clean. The Engineering keeps getting better with Zoom but their Marketing staff has allowed the final user's need to drift. Not good thinking.

[@SebasSant87]

Thomas Breithaupt Well I Thinking they have different configurations and trying to find what innovation sticks. I have a zoom H6 and I dont like that when Im podcasting with 3-4 people the cables run weridly to the sides before actually going the way I want to. I feel this design works with a round table of people podcasting. Im not saying its the best design, but I kinda get it. Plus cudos for trying imo

[@curtisjudd]

Definitely not made for bags. That "Swiss army knife" approach definitely results in several compromises. Not the right recorder for specialists. But could be a good choice for some. I didn't find the ports to be particularly problematic, but I do generally prefer to have all inputs on one side, all outputs on the other.

[@chakerian]

Yeah, no bags, but it does have strap loops which is how you'd want to carry it if doing field recording. I'm actually surprised the difficult shape wasn't on the "cons" list.

[@curtisjudd]

@@chakerian It isn't a con for me but I see how it could be for others. For field recording with the in-built mic module, it is big, but not unmanageable. For podcasting, I didn't see the form factor as an issue for me.

[@spoonido]

Excellent video. And you present as a level headed, friendly sort of person.Thanks for sharing.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks, spoonido.

[@Mersuharrastaja]

I just buy H8 and I'm happy with it. I thinking between F6 and H8.

[@christopherdunn317]

I got this tonight and i was shocked how light it is ? the only thing is ! how hard it is to get your fingers in there to switch the dials and switches LOL but seems pretty awesome !

[@curtisjudd]

Congrats on the new recorder. Get out there and make some great sound!

[@AntonioMeres]

Thank u soooo much Curtis! I really love your reviews. So much work in there. Thanks! Cheers from Chile 😃

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Antonio!

[@rango-konk]

I am the second guy to watch this. Thanks Curtis. Love from India.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Rango, congrats!

[@SummitShack]

I love this recorder and use it all the time (mostly for music but occasionally for weddings). After extensive testing and running all 6 main inputs + 2 additional (EXH-6 capsule) this recorder has to be plugged in to bank power or a power supply at all times (it annihilates AA batteries). Curtis also mentions this recorder not being the greatest for podcasts but in 2022 Zoom has an answer to that problem via ZHA-4. This unit allows four people to hear the H8 mix all at once! Also Zoom finally released the EXH-8 which is adds 4 additional XLR inputs- I usually record my bands practices and I can mic the whole drum kit, both guitars, the bass, and all three vocals- it's one of the most fun "toys" I have!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the H8. Nice!

[@f28MMLIVE]

YES! I was waiting until Curtis did his review. Thanks for taking the time to do these.

[@curtisjudd]

You bet, thanks Chris!

[@ahajonathan]

Awesome review Curtis. Subscribed right away, and having owned and pumped the life out of my h2n and h4n for years, I think this is the device for my short films. Purchasing this based on your endorsement. Thanks again.

[@curtisjudd]

Happy recording!

[@AllThingsFilm1]

When it comes to audio recording, I go to you, Curtis Judd, before I make any final decisions on purchasing audio gear. Thanks for all the hard work you put into your reviews.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Todd!

[@MrJoangles]

Thank you Curtis. You´re the man. Top of the line reviews and tutorials about sound recording. Regards J O

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks J O!

[@64north20west]

I can't believe how well this compares to my old H-4. Incredibly detailed professional-level video.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks muchotone.

[@slobbersloth1480]

Got mine today! Can’t wait to use it!

[@curtisjudd]

Congrats and happy recording!

[@Mooshnick]

This was great! Awesome overview Curtis. Subscribed!! Happy Holidays.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Patrick!

[@ingbaza555]

Just found out your channel couple weeks ago. I want to say thank you so much for always explaining technical information as I'm just learning about sound recording. : )

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@NoloCuban]

Thanks Curtis, we really appreciate you sharing all your knowledge and detailed reviews, it makes a difference!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks M Santana!

[@webingerphoto49]

Curtis...thank you for another in depth, honest video! Kudos!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks!

[@flyboytech8246]

You need to do a video with the zoom headphone adapter for the H8 and tell us if its any good

[@SnorreSelmer]

I picked up my H8 yesterday, and while I got the impression the A and B ports didn't have phantom power, but after upgrading to the 2.0 firmware, I noticed that phantom power is an option in the menus. I'll admit, I didn't check this in the original firmware, and I don't have a condenser-mic to test with (yet). If this recorder is capable of running six lavs directly off the recorder, that is perfect for my needs.

[@curtisjudd]

That's good news. Thanks for sharing!

[@SteneArtStudios]

So helpful!! Thanks! Thinking of getting the H8 or the P8 for podcasting. However would also use this for recording audio for videos. So appreciate the indepth look.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@MansSuperPower]

Another awesome review by the best in this arena. You’re the best, Judd! Thanks much!!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks! 👍

[@soundnomad]

Thank you for good information. Your video helped me a lot in purchasing the zoom h8. Now all that's left is to put some good sound in it. thank you.

[@curtisjudd]

👍 Happy recording!

[@review5788]

Hello Curist! I love the way you make videos and provide proper guideline. But now I have been blown away by the look of you. May I know how did you lit yourself. I am very eager to see how you set up your lights.

[@curtisjudd]

Hi Re View, thanks. I used a Godox SL150W II LED light for the key light with a big softbox. We have a review of that coming in the next week or two.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Curtis! Great review as always and I just received the H8 as well. Regarding the headphone for podcasting, we just a simple headphone splitter to connect several headphones. That would do the trick.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@andrewade7017]

Curtis your channel is fantastic! Thank you for sharing!!!!!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Andre!

[@ben100976]

Extremely nice review of the product. Thank you ++ :)

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Benoit.

[@crooker2]

I love this thing! I do H8 the fact that it only uses iOS for its app... And uses micro USB. I figured this would be worth a lot more than 399...that's a surprise to me. Great video as always, Curtis. Thanks again!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Dave.

[@auxsom]

Excellent, informative video. Thanks for the time you put into this to help intermediate level folks make a well-informed buying decision.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks 🙏

[@110MediaNetwork]

Thanks for the video. Your content is straight to the point, very informative and honest reviews. You seem like an awesome educator. Keep up the great work! you got my subscription, like, and comment lol.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Lee!

[@pianopotato]

I'm a musician and use the H8 to record my performances and create amateur content such as short videos and interviews. I find the touch screen quite good and the user interface very intuitive. Preamps sound similar to the H5 and H6 which I've owned in the past, not amazing but good enough for people like me. I don't bother with the "musician" or "podcast" sections of the device and just operate in "field" mode for all my work whether it's performance or interview recordings. The thing that I came to appreciate the most is recording small classical music ensembles where you realise quickly the luxury of having up to 6 xlr and a 3.5mm input. Love your reviews Curtis!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the H8, Hoang! Happy recording!

[@edwardscruggs6555]

Informative and beautifully presented as always. Many thanks.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Edward.

[@johnhmaw]

Another full and incredibly helpful review. An unexpected bonus for me was to see a use for the Edelkrone FlexTilt style heads. I bought one quite some time ago and found no use for it, dismissing it as the most pointless thing that I had ever purchased. Now I see that using it with a field recorder can work rather well (once the thick layer of dust had been removed), so thanks for that as well.

[@curtisjudd]

Hi John, glad to have sparked an idea!

[@martinevans75]

I bought the zoom h2 which I had for like ten days before it was lost accidentally on a job. Thought it was amazing, used the money my friend paid out to me from losing the device to get a H4 model. Thought it was just brilliant, but then for some stupid reason I got rid of it when I wasn't using it for a while. Deeply regretted that decision. Picked up a zoom H5 shortly afterwards and couldn't be happier with it. I have done dozens of professional audio projects on it and during lockdown, it has been my go-to device for my audio work for television and radio commercials which I voice. It certainly isn't a criticism of my H5 unit, but I could do with a few more XLR inputs for the podcasts I have been recording. I have no doubt that the H8 is a beast. I think I will buy myself one as a treat in due course. Zoom is a brand that I have complete confidence in. whether you are shooting video or singing along with your guitar. It is intuitive and great value. Get one. You will not regret it.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for sharing, Martin!

[@roygertel]

Hi ! I bought the Zoom H8 & I confused as a previous owner of the H6. I have few questions: 1. How can I hear all my recording inside the Zoom H8 (In the Music App) ? I only manage to listen to the last recording I did. In the Zoom H6 it wasn't an issue at all, I just went to the recording folder inside the H6 & chose one. .. 2. How can I do overdubs on the H8 ? I mean, I want to listen to one of my tracks & record another one while it playing ? Great review man !

[@curtisjudd]

Hi Roy, I don't do music recording with the H8 so I don't know, but PianomanChuck might be able to help since music is his focus and he reviewed the H8: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rILaq6mprZmog8U

[@blakelystudio2520]

Solid content, as always. Thanks for covering so much.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks, Blakely Studio.

[@EnforcerMan]

Thank for all your videos! Based on your videos and recommendations via a short comment conversation a while ago, I got the NTG5 and F6 and I believe this is a monster combo 👍🏼

[@curtisjudd]

Hi EnforcerMan, congrats on the new recording setup - solid combination!

[@PhillipBridgesReviews]

I received mine this weekend. So far, I am very happy with it. The main downside for me as you mentioned was only being able to use one processor at a time for each channel, but not a deal-breaker at all. Hopefully, a firmware update will fix this.

[@curtisjudd]

Congrats, Phillip! Happy recording!

[@trevormadsen]

Thank you for review. You guys talk about anything but analogue/digital converter of the unit. This is more important than the other things. What is the converter chip? Quality? Latency?

[@curtisjudd]

Trevor - I didn't open it and ZOOM doesn't disclose that information. But, this is a consumer grade product, so I'm guessing it isn't a top-tier ADC. I can say that the DAC certainly isn't amazing.

[@trevormadsen]

@@curtisjudd You know, I am thinking about record producing of live music in location by this unit. Standards are important in this job. I have my own studio and I use RME audio interface, so everything is already predetermined based on standards of the market in my studio. But It can be nonsense if I use a recording device that I don`t know how it converts. What standards?

[@curtisjudd]

@@trevormadsen Given that you use RME interfaces, I would SKIP all of the ZOOM products. Your standards are higher than what these products provide.

[@iantetteh]

Thank you soo much for this.. I almost died of boredom trying to read the manual

[@curtisjudd]

LOL! Glad this helped.

[@africanhistory]

i wonder if you can use it as a soundcard like a MOTU for recording music tracks since it uses ASIO drivers and link it to Cubase VST

[@curtisjudd]

Yes, but not nearly as nice as a MOTU.

[@atiq191]

Thanks for taking your time doing this excellent review. Do you know which ADC chip is used in the H8 recorder?

[@curtisjudd]

Hi atiq191, no, unfortunately I do not know.

[@adobemastr]

Another great review! Thank you, Curtis.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks R. S.!

[@CourseBuildersAcademy]

Great content, he's the man when I want a detailed review!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Andrew!

[@eastern05]

Such a crazy looking thing. Thanks again Curtis!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for stopping by, Kreigh!

[@GeneWaddle]

Most of the other folks who have talked about this recorder felt it was important to mention the looks of the unit being different, space-age, or just plain weird. Thank you for not mentioning that because it really doesn't make a difference. I think the design makes a lot of sense. This was a great and thorough review, as always. 👍🦆

[@daniellove162]

Weird in context of how can you use this in a bag seems relevant.

[@GeneWaddle]

@@daniellove162 I'll give you that, but only one mentioned that. The rest just thought it was ugly. The majority of them also had never had it in hand and were doing "reviews" off of spec sheets. 🙂

[@curtisjudd]

Yes, but as noted - this is a Swiss army knife style recorder, not made for bags. Hopefully my summary made that clear.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for the feedback Gene.

[@50450720]

Thanks Curtis, loving your reviews 👍

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks 50450720 👍

[@stewartpope8305]

I am curious about using the the H8 for recording music for music videos and using it as an interface for multi-track recording.

[@curtisjudd]

You might like this review then: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rILaq6mprZmog8U

[@OAK77uk]

Very well balanced review - tricky decision whether to buy - l personally feel a demo model could sway that decision. l have and still use Tascam HD-P2 : Tascam DR-100 : Roland R-26 for Gathering SFX - Interviews - Acoustic Instruments & Live Gigs & am deciding on an updated model having come from a Tape to DAT to Digital background with their inherent asides & having to learn more learning curves often takes away the responsive use & then the technical knowledge of each external Mic etc... One thing so far, I’m not sure if l missed it - what is the body handling noise when using Internal Mics especially if using the Plug-in Mic on the X-Y Head ie Cable Noise plus when using Phones (cable noise) when in Field if using on-board Mics? When using Roland R-26 l use Rycote Lyre suspension with Handgrip as it would be impossible otherwise not to hear the body-hand noise. Do you feel some of the issues ie Compressor/Limiter etc single use on a track can be sorted in Firmware update? Once again a great review thank you for posting. Michael /OAK77uk

[@curtisjudd]

Hi Michael, like the Roland, this will pick up handling noise while recording with the stereo mic module. A firm grip like demonstrated in the footsteps demo work ok with a firm grip and no settings changes while recording. But you need to keep a firm grip and not making changes to any of the controls while recording. Not sure about the effects limitations. I suspect it is a limit of the processing power of the device.

[@OAK77uk]

@@curtisjudd Hi Curtis apologies for late reply. I'm now finding I have issues with a Mint Condition Roland R-26 due to a problem with SD Card slot - even though old, this unit has been very good for Sound Atmos Collection via AudioTechnica AT-825 Stereo Mic or my Soundfield ST-250 for various Atmos Gathering. I'm trying to find a Roland Third Party (due to age) in U.K. hoping the person Roland have suggested can help but I'm now in process of deliberating on a new unit and am stuck between that Rock and a Hard Place with the Zoom F6 with 32 Bit for ability to alter in Post or the Sound Devices Mix Pre 6 ii and I know that you don't like to suggest but given that I would like to also use unit for my Music tracking to record then add to the recording - I really would appreciate your ideas - I don't have an endless budget and with our global current issues would appreciate your ideas. As always thank you for your reviews. BTW pls add me if you're on Twitter as you'll see we have a large output from here on /OAK77uk - Michael - TouchwoodMusic.com UK

[@curtisjudd]

@@OAK77uk Hi again Michael, my preference would be for the MixPre. It also offers an optional musician plugin which allows you to do multitrack overdub recording without connecting it to a computer/DAW. And you can also connect it to your computer/DAW via USB if you prefer. The ambisonics plugin is optional as well. So the price is higher, but you asked for my personal opinion. 😀

[@ADEker]

i was interested how it performed in the music mode ,but you did not go in to that ,i was curious how it performed when multi tracking a more tracks recording .

[@curtisjudd]

Check Piano Man Chuck's review which focuses on music mode.

[@PianoManChuck]

I know you only covered the Field and Podcast apps... but the Music app actually supports up to 3 effects chained together (tap the track# to get to the EQ/Pan/Send screen for that track, and from there tap the "Effect" icon and you can get to dozens of choices). Unfortunately, this only works when recording in 44.1 Khz mode.

[@curtisjudd]

Hi Chuck - appreciate the info. You're the right guy to review the music app. 😀

[@PianoManChuck]

@@curtisjudd Thanks Curtis, I appreciate that. I hope to have that review out later this week.

[@ayberkfahri]

This is a lovely review and made me buy the unit. Thanks a lot! It would be nice to have more info on the music app though. For instance I couldn't manage to get individual effect patches for individual channels yet... Might be a similar issue to being have to choose between gate, compression or limiter.

[@curtisjudd]

I’d recommend you have a look at one of the reviews from a musician: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJ_OaYmwn5unoJY

[@ayberkfahri]

@@curtisjudd Hello and thank you for the suggestion. I've already seen that one. I might do one myself for band recording in the end... Also asked zoom my question which they replied : "On the H8 only one patch can be applied to one track at a time, or the patch can be applied the send. If you apply the patch to the send all the tracks can have their audio sent to the patch."

[@curtisjudd]

@@ayberkfahri Thanks for helping the community!

[@berbagidata1772]

Thanks for detailed and easy to understand explanation

[@curtisjudd]

You're most welcome!

[@peshrawable]

Thank you again for your videos, you're the best and we learn so much from you ,i appreciate it

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Peshraw!

[@petronics2454]

Really enjoyed this review Curtis, so thanks very much. I suspect this would be great for me as a one person director / shooter and the quality of your demonstrations seemed very nice. I expect it would be around $800 here in Australia 🇦🇺. I will keep exploring all your reviews as always. Fond regards Pete

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks so much, Pete. And happy filming!

[@petronics2454]

👍thanks Curtis for your response.. I appreciate that. P

[@sortojuanh]

Mr Curtis I love your videos are so informative, and so helpful for us amateurs, I recently bought the zoom h8, and I was wondering can I connect a mixer to the zoom h8, and have a line from the h8 straight to the camcorder or phone? And if that is posible what would be the safest way to do it? I appreciate your response in advance

[@curtisjudd]

Yes, but if the camcorder has XLR inputs, then you wouldn’t need the H8.

[@tombuck]

While I’m definitely not a fan of the design, the featureset is spectacular. 🤯

[@curtisjudd]

I hope the design will grow on me. Fortunately, it isn't on camera for most situations. 😀 It is pretty good in terms of usability for the handy recorder type of form factor