PRODUCT
TESTS
Zoom F6 Professional Field Recorder
By Drew Robertson
Zoom is well known for its handheld field recorders , but the F6 stands out as the latest addition to the manufacturer ’ s burgeoning professional lineup of field units . With six inputs , dual A / D converters , and the ability to record at 32 bits , all in a package that is not much larger than the Lumix GH5 camera I was testing it with , there is a lot to talk about .
Construction & Features The Zoom F6 consists of an all-metal frame wrapped around a rugged plastic housing . The primary interactive controls are along the front of the device , which includes six rotary encoders for controlling the audio mix level , four multifunction buttons that change depending on where you are within the interior menus , and the playback / recording controls . On the right side of the device are three of the onboard preamps , the multifunction headphone encoder , the headphone line out , timecode in / out , and the power button . On the rear is the insertion point for the SD card , a Kensington lock point , and two large gold contact pins that will be much appreciated by Sony shooters as the F6 is capable of receiving power from Sony L-type batteries . On the left side of the device are the three remaining preamps , the dedicated line out , a USB-C port , and a curious port covered by a rubber plug that I learned is for making use of Zoom ’ s BTA-1 Bluetooth connection unit — truly there are no limits on connectivity here . For backup when no AC power or battery bank is available , it also accepts four AA batteries .
Internally , the F6 has a 32-bit audio engine with dual A / D converters , which is unique in this class of recorder and a first for Zoom . The importance of dual A / D conversion in a professional recorder can ’ t be understated . In short , there are two parallel conversion paths running concurrently at all times , with the second stream having a lower overall gain structure , which allows the device to automatically swap between streams if it senses an overload of audio , thus reducing the amount of clipping and saving the audio in real time as it ’ s recorded . Couple this with recording in 32-bit float mode and even where you do get clipping , there is a good chance you ’ ll be able to recover the full audio in post-production with a simple gain adjustment or with software like iZotope ’ s RX audio repair tools . With the onboard features , you ’ ll likely be able to edit unsightly noises out of a take , or at least reduce it .
The caveat to working with these files is their larger size and the need for a more powerful computer system when editing them . Speaking of computer systems , you can also connect the F6 via USB to either a Mac or Windows system and use it as a six-in / four-out interface . Truly the feature set of the F6 is massive .
Usage Getting started with the F6 was simple . The F6 packs a lot of features under the hood and getting to them is not as difficult as one would imagine , thanks to clear menus and generally having the most-used features appear right at the base menu . For example , chaining any of the stereo link settings for the inputs is found easily under the Input section and allows you to pre-set your incoming audio as mono , stereo pair , mid-side pair , or the more advanced Ambisonics mode , which will link the first four channels to make recording Ambisonic surround audio easy and pre-formatted for import into the DAW . Sadly , I wasn ’ t able to fully test Ambisonic mode as I didn ’ t have an
appropriate mic on-hand , but the included functionality is fantastic and really forward-thinking by Zoom .
For new users of field recorders , you may think that overall input gain is controlled by the encoders on the front , but you ’ re only partially correct . Much like Sound Devices units , the front faders only control the level of the outgoing mix to headphones , and in the F6 ’ s case , the line out as well and not the actual gain stage of the preamp . To alter the amount of gain , you go to the Input menu for the desired channel you ’ re altering and adjust the Trim setting . Once balanced , you return the main screen and adjust the mix level using the appropriate control encoder . If you ’ re recording for film , the F6 allows you to name each track as well as set up a naming scheme for the overall recording session — a must in a professional shooting environment .
Given the F6 ’ s limited space for controls , it doesn ’ t feel like a chore to adjust settings . For those concerned about inadvertently jostling an encoder and messing up your output mix , I found the rotary encoders to be quite positive in terms of friction and not prone to moving without direct / deliberate force . So , the odds of them moving of their own accord is quite low in my opinion ; however , a positive lock would also be very appreciated .
Conclusions The Zoom F6 packs all the professional features you would want in a small field recorder with very little compromise . Comparing it to similar offerings from industry standard Sound Devices , the F6 stands toe-to-toe , offering loads of features at an exceptionally competitive price point ( around $ 850 CDN ). Anyone looking for a field unit would be wise to consider the Zoom F6 or even its larger brother , the F8 , which is closer to the more traditional form factor for field recorders .
Drew Robertson is an audio engineer , live sound tech , and educator based out of London , ON . He can be reached at RobertsonAudioPost @ protonmail . com .
22 PROFESSIONAL SOUND