Zoom H6 Vs H4n + Rode NTG-2 Mic 

Your hair is fantastic.

Thanks! Theres a lot of features im liking about it so far that i did not mention in the video as well!

Part 2 please.. Some more test with H6 and NTG2 maybe outdoor and all

Thanks for the comment marco, loved all you have done for the dslr community and the 5d VS BMC video (why i purchased a bmc!) I have honestly not shot any clips longer than 5 minutes. So far i have not seen any noticeable difference. How long are your clips typically when you start to see drift with the h4n?

Thanks for the review. I got the tascam dr-60D and the zoom h6. We have done 3 different tests. The latest with an audio engineer. And what we found is that Tascam DR-60D preamp noise is 30 db less than Zoom H6. Really low overall. Zoom H6 preamp is still better than the Zoom H4n. Video will be out this Thursday. Surprisingly the inboard mics (L/R) has less noise than the xlr inputs

I agree. The H4N is a GREAT recorder if you know how to properly use it.

Dave Thanks fr answering. Currently I have a Roland Octacapture...I am eager for a standalone device as opposed to interface, laptop and grinding hard drive! Easy to pack & setup....but the only X factor is preamp quality. Would love an A/B test of the H6 vs a decent Interface. BTW - Roland has a Duo-Capture, 99 bucks and powers off the USB...not that you'd ned it :-)

nahh, noise only gets worse the louder you push a preamp, in this case the zooms are pretty noisy. I never record above -12 on zooms, thats their happy spot for signal to noise. After that i have some waves plugins i run them through - eq - compression - limit. With wav/raw files they have a lot of dynamic range to be pushed in post. But if theres already noise in that wav file pushing it in post will only make it worse. Record a clean file and you can push it as loud as you need.

absolutely, however the h4n locked the gain settings when on hold. Really hope they make some type of option/update in the future that would allow you to hold the current gain setting when on hold

Hey Chris, sound quality so far is better, obviously with a decent preamp for the shotgun mic it will be much better, but in general just for mic feeds and what not it should be perfect! The option to add 2 more xlr inputs with the optional adapter is just crazy! The stereo capsule has 2 elements on top of each other, a unidirectional mic facing forward and a bi-directional mic set perpendicular to it for the sides. Pretty crazy mic!

You are correct with that - but you can lock the settings during a recording session which is at least something useful.

Thanks! Oddly enough it was a Rokinon 14mm. Pretty wide lens, but man i love it so much more than canons 16-35.

Loved the video. If sometime you have time, can you do a training video how you do your post audio to get the best audio. I own the H4n, and always wished it could record louder. Is that mic still worth keeping? Does it make a difference to record with phantom power or use the battery with your NTG. And where did you buy your battery adapter for the NTG-2. I have the NTG-3 and wonder if I can get a battery adapter instead of using phantom. thanks for your time.

Ill get around to making a video showing my workflow with processing audio. The NTG2 has a battery compartment for phantom power which makes it very handy, ntg3 does not unfortunately. I have not done enough tests to see if it adds noise, but if i was you id just use the h4n phantom power.

Unfortunately you cant lock the gain knobs which is the main thing you wouldn't want touched in a bag.

H6 is slightly heavier with the capsule on, without it feels quite similar even with 2 more AA batteries! Capsules are metal, but pretty thin, i imagine they will dent like a 58. Has the typical 1/4 on the bottom and not much else at the moment.

-Thank you soooo much for this review! I'm too thinking on switching to an H6, I'll browse for other reviews but your video drew a pretty good picture of what I'm getting. I think I'm going to get it. Cheers from Spain.

Good to see they improved upon the start-up time, I have an H4n and am considering the switch, and that alone is almost enough to sell me :) And the noise difference is quite amazing also.

You're an absolute champ! It's a big gamble to buy this online without playing with it first, so your video has been a big help. Cheers bud

Hi, That was a nice comparison between Zoom H4n and H6. Would you recommend Zoom H2N for field recording for documentary/short-movies/full time movies? Thanks so much :)

I had trouble with the gain as well with the NTG-2 + zoom H4n combo. Giving that that the zoom H6 has better gain, is a preamp still necessary?

Thanks ... interesting sound field on the side mic (ball). Looks like the H6 is doing a good job. Just ordered my H6.

Good review though. Sounds like overall a better sounding unit. The lack of locks for the pots is a bit disturbing. That's actually one thing that I liked about the H4, was the ability to set things and then lock it down.How's the weight comparison? Are the capsules metal or are they plastic like the H4n's? any additional mounting advantages, or does it just have a standard 1/4" mount?

This is helpful. I don't need much for field ambience or sound capture, as I use way better equipment for recording music and studio sounds. But this is a great demonstration for a good on-the-go mid-level sound design recorder.

Hi David, thx 4 the video! Just a question, which software do you use for video tethering (talking about PC, not MAC) thx in advance

Also, if im recording with my studio setup - Pre - lynx Aurora - Protools, i record even lower on every track, leaves room for processing, and the A/D converter is super clean so i can get any amount of volume ill need once mixing/mastering

I have a rather technical question about the H6....I hope the way I explain it won't confuse you...if it does, let me know and I will try to clarify better... Ok, I'm a singer and my main goal for using this device is using it in a way that I can record directly from my PC sound card into the recorder....Upload that audio track to my video editor...then record vocals on another track and then upload that...thus making a 2 track recording in the video editor...that way it sounds cleaner than just blasting stereo speakers and recording everything through the XY mic that comes with the unit...I don't think it is possible...I could be wrong, but I was sure hoping this would work...that was my ultimate goal in buying the unit to begin with. I hope that does not confuse you...I'm just really let down by what seems to be a huge problem for me! Any advice?? Thanks 😀

It's because other voice recorders uses microSD so they wanted it to be interoperable with those too.

Unfortunately i just sold both my BMC's, hoping to get my hands on the 4k when its out :P Did you ever have issues with the 5D and h4n?

Great video- i'm looking for a system to use with lavaliers. Is the H4 good enough and how many lavaliers can it do at a time? Thanks man

Thanks for your reply. I got the H6 recently, and my last video I have recorded a whisper video (for ASMR community) with it. Very impressed with the improved preamps and reduced noise floor. Much improved over the H4n. But it has a bunch of things that irritate me, I have to say.

Thanks! Waited forever for a decent comparison review.

Thanks David for the great review! Can't wait for the next one

Great work, man! Thanks for doing this test for us!

Hey, I've been having a weird "watery" noise problem with my Zoom H6 and I got it changed, only to have a unit that has the same problem. Basically it's about some noise that can be distinctively heard in the headphones when at full volume, and when the XY capsule knob is set to 1-4.... I made a video about it. Please, if any of you own a copy, please test it for this problem, it's (kind of) easy to overlook it, and give me some feedback. Maybe I (we) can get to the bottom of this. Zoom H6 "Weird Headphone Noise"

I think you could definitely record an album with this, preamps may not be as amazing as most but definitely will hold their ground, what mics would you be using? Maybe ill make a video of recording a whole song with the h6 :-0

Hey David. Perfect video. I have the Zoom H4N and the Rode NTG-2 and was thinking about upgrading to the H6. I was curious though, what program are you using on your computer. And also, this is labelled as part 1 but I didn't see a part 2. Are you still planning on doing a follow-up video now that you've had some time with this thing?

Hey! Ill be doing a test rather soon of the zoom vs an API 3124+ (My favorite) a Focrusrite ISA, and profire 2626. Im quite interested to hear the results for myself :D

Great review dude. No unboxing stuffs. Just whats meters: the sound!

Ver interesting! Like the old zoom, it definitely has some quirks! looking forward to the video

Question - hope this ain't too dumb...how do the preamps & quality stack up against a decent audio interface for a laptop (I'd use external mics)? I am a musician, looking to use this mainly for recording, but I love the idea of doing solo guitar recordings with no laptop and an easy setup? The specs say the preamps on this are "improved" but are they good enough to record a CD?

Very nice review, well recorded too.

Thanks for the video your good at it, I am picking up one of these to become a little more portable

very very good test I am baying the H6 instead of zoom H2n . I am looking foreword for your next video with canon 5d . thanx

It's nice to see the same piece of tape on the back of the H4n as mine. Also, have you tried the H6 on line-in feeds from DJ boards or anything else. I've always had problems on the H4 with line-in feeds.

First off, super helpful review. I definitely want to get my hands on a H6, now. XS Second, what lens did you use for this? A lot of wides have kinda gross distortion, but I liked the feel of this one. :P

start up time is a big deal, h4n takes ages. Also, thanks for actually testing the noise levels, I couldn't seem to find a lot of other videos doing that.

Shot on a 5D2 with a rokinon 14mm. 2 light setup

Thanks for the guide to the H6. Sounds good!

I wondered about the micro sd card too. I think they did that so people can move the audio to a phone or other small music player.

Thanks David for responding. Yeah I noticed at very low input there is a less noise but not completely gone. After you jack it up with a limiter do you do any noise reduction at all or you got with the fine noise in the background

I have a question: In what situations would you use the M/S and in which situations the X/Y head? always confused me :/ Thanks!

Which video camera or DSLR+lens did you use for this test by the way? Looks like you are in low-light condition and result is just perfect. Am I right? Greetings...

nice review David :), after recording in h6, u used any mixer to scale up the voice ?

Thanks for the video. I would like to know more about that equipment. Have you ever used it as a audio interface ?. If the answer is positive have you felt any delay problem while recording. It would be appreciated if you could kindly respond.

Brilliant video, thanks!

Man the gain definitly sucks on the h4n. Returned it after realizing. Thinking I should save up for the H6 now :D I have a question for you David. Who is the H6 not for?

Wow. This is exactly what i need. Thank you! You got a new subscriber

You CAN lock the settings on hold in fact.

Amazing video David!!! Really nice and interesting channel!!!

excellent comparison,very helpful.thank you

Very nice review, I just got one a few days ago so for I like it too

Great review thanks, Just started working at BBY, and needed some customer reviews for better product showcasing. BTW, when you had the boom mic on with the H4n at level ~70, it still gets lots of noise, so the op-amps in it aren't that great or aren't filtered properly. Now I just need a review on the Beats Pill, is the best mobile sound system there is right now, just 'cause the integrated mic, so you can use a phone handsfree while cooking, still want to know the sound quality of it. Cheers.

Nice review! I just bought the zoom h6 and now I have to choose the mic. For advertising and film production it's better the ntg 1 or ntg 2? There is a difference between the distance that each one can record? Thanks.

damn i wish i saw this 2 days ago before i bought the H4N

you don't want to record at a lower level and push it up in post. You are just making the noise louder. You should record hotter on production.

most time people want to just hear what audio quality of what it can do over all good review

thank you for that. that was really helpful

Did you record with a Rode NTG-2? If so, you just confirmed something I haven't been willing to trust up until now. The NTG-2 isn't very sensitive at 15mv/Pa. Also, if you're recording at 60%, what levels are you getting? That's what I shoot for... which is what leads to using the 100% Recording Level setting. Even when booming from a foot and a half away. Perhaps you can provide some specifics about mic, distance to mic, and noise levels you receive before (and after), noise removal. Thanks.

For a newbie in film, what do you suggest for me to buy? Thanks

Hi David! Thanks for sharing the video as there aren't many videos available for the H6. I'm having issues with my H6 not showing input levels nor hearing sound on all four tracks via headphones. I'm not sure if you had this issue in the beginning or not but what settings do you have set on yours? Or which fix do you recommend?

thank you for this. h6 with rode ntg2 was exactly what i was looking for. Do you think the two are a good combo now for film making? Im just starting out and this audio thing is really overwhelming.

Sounds promising. If you are doing a Skype interview, and you connect the H6 via usb to a computer. Does your voice still do through the XLR mic so that the other person can hear you on Skype? While recording your own voice to the device

Great video, Very torough testing of the devices. Thumbs up. I am going to subscribe now

Ill try to make a video at some point making a whole song with the H6 :) Thanks Adam

Olá David.Gostei muito do video,acabei de adquiri o zoom h6 e pelo que vi ele é perfeito,um abraço de um fã Brasileiro nome Abraão silva..

I need to get one of these, the 4 XLR inputs are great for grabbing outside acoustic shows. I always had to rig something to pull it off with my H4n. My H4n is trashed, the door is coming off like yours and my capsules are busted. Question: is that stereo capsule binaural? I'm listening to this on headphones, and when you put the X/Y capsule down, i thought someone was knocking at my door, but it was just you putting the capsule on your desk. It sounded behind me. Haha.

I've been really wanting to hear an audio comparison between these two devices before plunking down the cash. Thanks, my friend! Although I've enjoyed using the H4n in compact situations over the years, I've always had 3 big gripes, amidst several other small grips: S/N ratio sucked, boot times sucked, and drift with video always sucked. It looks like the first two items are finally fixed with the H6. What about drift? Any status on that? If that's fixed, I'll be grabbing an H6 immediately.

i appreciate a micro-sd -> sd combo. 2gb is too little (and slow?) actually, but, after updating the sd-card, the old one will be much more useful in this transformer format

thanks for your video. Usefull and complete review form know differences between these devicese. Great rode ntg2!!!

the sound of the h6 and the rode seems very noisy and seems not louder than with the h4, although you say the meters show something differenr

hi David, i need your guidance for recording Audio books with Zoom H6 portable digital recorder please help me how to set it & how can i use it

Good review, thanks. But what was the metre level on the H6 at the start of the video?

does the H6 has MTR function? Is it as good as H4N for musicians?

thanks a lot, very useful and clear review!

How did you sync all of these?? The Original H4 had bad sync problems but with a Time Warp effect of 99.952% it was close enough to match Video again. What program did you edit the audio in. It sounds good. =)

NTG2 and the H6 sounds fucking CLEAN- did you do any post cleanup?? Or is this straight out, just synced?

I wish you test the xy capsule as well

Thanks for the video,im looking to compare the h6n and the roland r26, ¿do you have any idea of wich one is better?

underlighting! now thats a interesting youtuber light setup!

Great review. Thankyou so much.

at about 6

my HNn doesnt sound as good as yours. i think you did a real good processing with the recording on a DAW

How did you connect your camera with monitor? Just mini hdmi cable? any software needed?

Sighhh...,..looks like I'll be getting the Tascam 60D or Juice Link :/ S/n ratio to off or how would you rate it ? :)

Can you tell me what camera you used to shoot the video clip? Thanks.

H4n Pro coming out now! Same pre amps as h5 and h6 at a much lower price.

Awesome review. I was leaning toward H4N still for budget reasons, but I think you convinced me. =)

Thanx. The H6 clearly wins

Love it, and enjoying it.