The BEST Budget Recorder! Everything You Need to Know! 

I’m looking to upgrade my original Zoom H6 and noticed they had recently released the H6 essential. In the same price range I noticed that Tascam has the Portacapture X6, but that only has 2 XLR and the built in mic isn’t interchangeable like the Zoom ones. My only qualm is that the new Zoom Essential series isn’t compatible with the old H series mics - and I had bought several of them. Kind of a pain, but the 32 bit recording is a nice upgrade and i could probably just sell my original H6/mic since they’re still good for a lot of purposes.

Without the ability of a gain knob how do you properly monitor audio levels on set. For example before you get a chance to take some interview audio to post production for editing, do you just have to adjust the gain on the xlr microphone being used during the interview? Edit: can you see the waveforms on the screen when playing back recorded audio? Thanks

Hey, bud, thanks for making this video. I recently picked the H6 Essential up as a massive upgrade to my old H1n. As this is my first time working with 32 bit float audio, I'm hoping you can help solve my conundrum. When I use 32-bit float mode, H6 Essential creates 2 audio files: one that's labeled DateTimeLR.wav and DateTime1_2.wav. I'm using it right now to record my modular synth setup (not sure if relevant but it produces hot ~10V signals) but I'm wondering: am I meant to layer the two audio files together to make the "one true" master audio file, or am I meant to choose one of the two audio files I feel sounds the best? Is there a best practices that is typically followed? Why I ask, is when I layered the two files together in Audacity, it started popping and clipping until I turned down the dbs a bit on both files or only played one solo file at a time. Basically, stacking them was taxing my pc audio and causing distortion until I adjusted the loudness. At first I was worried that I had somehow gotten the recorder to clip, but it was just the playback. Thank you for any insight you may give into this!

When recording with multiple inputs simultaneously, can you monitor audio tracks separately? Like input 1 in my left ear and input 2 in my right ear? Can’t find any info on that anywhere. Nice video btw.

Hey Pal, thank you for this video, I only have a one question, if you can: Can we plug 4 XLR mics which need Phantom Power and record with 32 bit flow over separated files? Please, just let me know! Thanks in Advance!

I'm on a budget is the H6e has surplus of advantages over the H4e?

what about F3?

Yep you trade in versatility of the mic modules for 32 bit float, and other dubious things. Backward compatibility will not be a thing here. Tell you what. Save your money, and buy a Sound Devices Mix Pre, or the F series Zoom if you're staying in the family. Essential was built to a price point, obvious by the really cheap plastic construction, drop it once and cry kind of quality. The Tascam X series similar. Great if meetings, or small gigging is your thing, and you treat them nice. Preamplifiers are nothing to get excited about. But that is what happens when cheap is the goal and getting a bigger audience that is new which Zoom will no doubt succeed. They know their audience. It will never be me. Too much used gear out there that is better,more robust, and importantly, sounds better. I use the Tascam DR-100 mk.3, and the Sound Devices 442 Mixer, and 702 CF recorder. Sound Devices bought used at what an F8n cost new, I can blow that out of the water. Know your core must haves. Need a small cheap recorder that is easy to use, budget is tight. Buy a used H5,H6. Or a used F4 or F8. Or you can get the Essential family. For spoken word it would be adequate. Just nothing special beyond that.