Zoom H6 Black

166

Portable 6-Track Audio recorder

  • Maximum recording quality: 24 bit / 96 kHz
  • Up to 6 channels can be recorded simultaneously
  • X/Y-Microphone capsule XYH-6 (included in the delivery)
  • Exchangeable clip-on microphones (available separately, not included)
  • 4 x Mic / Line input (XLR / TRS combo socket) - expandable to 6 inputs with EXH-6 module (module not included in the delivery)
  • Integrated 2-6 channel USB audio interface
  • Supports SD / SDHC cards up to 32 GB and SDXC cards up to 128 GB
  • Colour: LC display
  • Built-in speaker
  • Stereo line output (3.5 mm jack)
  • Stereo headphone output (3.5 mm jack)
  • Power supply via 4x AA batteries (not included in the delivery) or USB
  • Dimensions of the H6 without microphone (W x D x H): 77.8 x 152.8 x 47.8 mm
  • Weight of the H6: 280 g
  • Includes XY-microphone capsule and quick guide
Available since April 2020
Item number 490582
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Integrated Stereo Microhone Yes
Recording Tracks 6
Microphone Inputs 4
48 V Phantom power Yes
Line Inputs 4
Storage Medium SD/SDHC Card
Headphone connection Yes
Integrated Speaker Yes
Resolution max. 24 bit
Max. Sample Rate 96 kHz
Limiter Yes
Max. Memory 128
Recording Format BWF, MP3, WAV
Power Feed 4x LR6 (AA) batteries, USB
Dimensions 78 x 153 x 48 mm
Weight 280 g
Included In Delivery XY Microphone Capsule
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$205
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Six channels “to go”

The Zoom H6 Black is a versatile mobile digital recorder that can simultaneously record up to six audio tracks. It features four independent mic/line inputs in XLR/jack format, and each channel can supply 12, 24, or 48 V of phantom power, thus allowing high-grade studio microphones to be used without an external power supply. The remaining two channels are equipped with an XY stereo microphone (XYH-6), which, much like a camera lens, can be removed and replaced either with a mid-side microphone (MSH-6) for better control of the stereo field, a shotgun microphone (SGH-6) for increased directivity, or a module featuring two additional XLR/jack inputs (EXH-6). The Zoom H6 Black will thus appeal to anyone looking for a high-performance and easily transportable multi-track recording solution.

The ultimate portable multi-tracker

The Zoom H6’s preamps have plenty of gain and an excellent signal-to-noise ratio, indispensable for optimum-quality recordings. The H6 also features a colour LCD screen that provides easy access to a variety of functions, such as auto-record, pre-record, back-up and saving commands, and the activation of onboard effects such as the low-cut filter, compressor, and limiter. Audio data can be stored as high-resolution WAV files (at up to 24 bit/96 kHz resolutions) or as MP3 files at selectable bit rates (48 kbps to 320 kbps). All files can be backed up to SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards with a storage capacity of up to 128 GB (not included as standard). The Zoom H6 Black may be powered by four AA (LR6) batteries, which will provide over 20 hours of battery life. However, should you be using several microphones that require phantom power, it might be preferable to connect the H6 to an external battery or even to the mains via its USB socket.

Compact and powerful

With its six input channels and excellent preamps, the Zoom H6 Black will always provide top-quality multi-track recordings, whether on the move or in the comfort of the studio. The Zoom H6 is a versatile, professional-level multi-track recording solution for musicians who want to record song demos, rehearsals, or concerts and for podcasters, journalists, and filmmakers looking to record on the go. It is also much more compact and ergonomic than the regular setup of a laptop/tablet coupled with an audio interface. Furthermore, the Zoom H6 also functions as a 6-in, 2-out audio interface for PC, Mac, and iOS devices.

About Zoom

Founded in 1983, the Japanese company Zoom manufactures a variety of audio equipment, including a range of portable "handy" recorders as well as multi-effects processors, effects pedals, drum machines, and samplers. Over the past thirty years, the company has built a reputation for producing innovative yet affordable products based on original microchip designs. Since the Zoom-9002 (an ultra-compact multi-effects processor that can be attached to a guitar strap) was introduced in 1990, Zoom has become one of the leaders in digital audio processing.

The best sound in the picture

Filmmakers know that audio quality is an essential factor when recording videos, especially if you need to record multiple channels simultaneously. Although its dimensions of 77.8 x 152.8 x 47.8 mm and its weight of 280 g place it amongst the "larger" recorders in its class, the H6 can nevertheless easily be fixed to a camera using a hot shoe adapter and provide the optimum multi-track recording conditions for your film. It can also be mounted on a dedicated stand and its monitor output sent to the input of a DSLR, thus saving the picture and soundtrack simultaneously to the same video file – while still allowing you to rework the audio on separate tracks in post-production. The independent headphone output is particularly useful for monitoring in this scenario.

166 Customer ratings

4.8 / 5

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94 Reviews

A
Simpler than a laptop with interface and decent mic pre-amps
Artistek 12.06.2023
I bought this to simplify recording set-up for small events and choirs.

For a spoken word event with slides, film clips, and music playback, I had the two radio mics for the presenters and a matched stereo pair for the room (no audience participation but we did need their reactions). The combination of operating position and required position for the room mics does not permit using the XY module in my situation. Having a compact recorder like this was much simpler than setting up a laptop with an audio interface, especially as there is only one laptop and it is already doing show control as well as video and audio playback in a very confined operating position.

For smaller choirs with no more than five singers per part, I like to have one mic each for bass/tenor/alto/soprano or maybe one for a solo and re-arrange the others. I didn't buy the XLR module (yet) so I have only four XLR inputs at present.

The set-up was pretty straightforward and the pre-amp quality suits me fine. I am a bit of a Focusrite fanboy but I also just want to be able to get the job done and I had no reason to complain about the quality of the inputs on the Zoom H6. With no laptop to set up or software to configure, I can travel a bit lighter and it's easier to find a comfortable operating position. At the venue, i can be recording pretty soon after arrival; with the recordings in the bag, I can pack down quickly and back to base to fettle the sound into shape. With just a little time in my DAW, I had the sound I wanted.

The machine feels solid to use. Arming tracks, enabling phantom power, and setting up stereo pairs or splitting back to independent mono is simple enough. I am quite used to the convention of having left on an odd channel and right on even. Zoom H6 follows this convention with no workaround, which does limit flexibility slightly but it's common enough that I personally don't find it a problem. Getting a recording underway is also very obvious, as it should be.

All-in-all, I am very happy with this device. It will seem limited for some uses but for the purposes I set out above, I would happily recommend Zoom H6 to other people.
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NP
Fantastic!
Nik Pogo 20.01.2022
I chose for a very long time from different options of recorders and stopped at Zoom h6. I bought it for recording drums - I was very pleased! Even on the native XYH-6, the capsule records perfectly, there are a lot of control functions. The sound of the drums does not interrupt the recording and does not create a crackle. I'm not even talking about the fact that you can record the entire installation \ or different tools directly (with a large selection of quality \format\ type). There are a lot of videos with a demonstration on the Internet, I can only add from myself that I do not regret the purchase and I am unlikely to regret it!
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I
Good, not great
I_dont_like_papayas 16.08.2022
In general: This is a good portable device for recording podcasts, instruments and low-budget student movies. Personally, I use it for all this. For its price, this is probably the best solution that only an older model, the Zoom H8, can compete with.

Now about the disadvantages:

1 - Naturally a mini usb port for using the recorder as a sound card, for a recorder released in 2020, this is as ridiculous as it is unacceptable.

2 - It is not possible to charge the recorder via this mini usb port, even if batteries are inserted instead of batteries.

3 - The Bluetooth sensor needs to be purchased separately, which is also surprising. Moreover, inside the recorder itself, it is held unreliably and can easily fall out. BUT even with the sensor, you can control the recorder remotely only from devices on the IOS operating system, I don't understand why the developers have deprived people using devices on the Android operating system.

4 - Capsules are not held too securely and not very tightly. If you use the recorder as a microphone in your hands, even with a vibration suspension, the capsule may twitch a little, creating unwanted sounds.

And now about the advantages:

1 - The stability of the work deserves all the praise. The recording was never interrupted, and all files were recorded in perfect order always.

2 - Up to 6 channels and combined XLR/TRS connectors also give a huge field of possibilities.

3 - Analog, real gain adjustment toggle switches. It is much easier, more convenient and more intuitive than adjusting the gain on the touch screen, as it is implemented in the Portacapture X8 recorder.

4 - The battery life of a good manufacturer is really impressive.
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EE
A Great Field Recorder For Any Production at great price - including MOVIES!
Ekebert Esken 27.06.2023
I have owned this little recorder for 2 years now and I've realized that it has been a great purchase! (My review is long but detailed and hopefully helpful)

Here's what I have done with it;
I have used this recorder to record in different music situations - even a string quartet, using 4 external Condenser microphones and the Zoom's own LR capsule for capturing stereo room sound - it sounded fantastic! Here is the video of it: also recorded a classical pianist's video using this recorder and a stereo ORTF mic pair. Here is the video: even more exciting - I am currently using this little beast to record all of the audio for my very first feature film "HIKE". So the Zoom is the field recorder for us and we also use a Rode NTG-2 with a blimp on it outside. on top of a Rode Boompole PRO - a solid combo! So I would say that so far we have had no worries combining the Zoom H6 with the Rode NTG-2. Indoors we use a Rode M5 condenser mic with the Zoom. After some post production mixing, the dialogue and sound effects and ambiences sound great and very professional! I also love that the Zoom has the capsules available since it makes recording stereo ambiences very fast and easy on the spot! Hopefully you will be able to see and hear the movie in the start of 2024!

Here are the things I love about this recorder and also the things that you should keep in mind:
For about 350 euros you are getting 6 channels of phantom-powered 96kHz 24-bit recording! That is a lot! Even in a forest with no electricity, you can just hook up the H6 with a power bank and easily record 4 external condenser mics at once, and on top of that add the 2 channels of the capsule mic in the mix as well!

The sound quality in my opinion is very good and not at all far off from a Zoom F8 or Sound devices. You just have to learn the basics of recording great audio - but this you need to do with any other recorder anyway to capture great audio.

Don't worry - the recorder from my experience is not very noisy at all. Most importantly, especially when recording dialogue on a movie shoot, get the microphone always as close as you can so that you can keep the gain lower - that way you will eliminate a ton of undesired noise from your recordings! Also, if you still experience too much noise in your recordings, I would advise perhaps getting a microphone that has a hotter signal, since from my experience that makes a lot bigger of a difference than upgrading your recorder itself.

The recorder doesn't have timecode since it is not built for the complete professionals in the top tier of movie making. But I don't use or need it anyway since my Panasonic camera also doesn't have the timecode built in. I just use the trusted "clap" technique for syncing and have always manually synced my audio and video anyway.

The biggest obstacle that I came across when using the Zoom H6 as a field recorder was not actually the recorder itself but getting a field recording bag for it. As far as I am aware, there still isn't a special field recording bag made for the H6 where you could have the bag in front of you and the H6 properly mounted so that you can easily see the screen when looking down and also adjust the knobs. But for now I am using a small camera bag instead for that. In that bag I also have a regular smaller power bank with a usb mini cable which supplies power for the H6 for a long long time! No need to mess with the batteries in the back. But I also do have 3 pairs (4x each) of rechargable batteries in case I only use the H6 itself with no bag or anything.
But often we also just mount the Zoom H6 onto a tripod or a stand with a 3/8 thread and I also mount the power bank and the Rode Wireless GO 2 system (providing Lavaliers for us) on it. This also works and is comfortable to use when we are not moving around in the scene.

The menu in my opinion is well designed and is simple to use. You just have to get used to operating the whole menu system with two buttons - but it is actually very simple! And even though it isn't a touch screen, from my experience it has not slowed us down at all.

The quality is solid from my experience however the only thing that I have come across is that the screen of my H6 seems to get dust under it over time. I'm not sure how to stop or fix it but it is actually not a problem at all since we can see just fine on the LCD screen.

Overall, I absolutely love this recorder and even though I have thought about getting a Sound Devices before, I don't think I will since the Zoom H6 can still do everything I need it to and it is so easy to use and has never failed on me on a shoot before. The sound quality is great, the build quality from my experience should last for many more years and I am now creating a FEATURE FILM with just this for all of the audio! That's how much I love and trust this recorder ;)
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