Zoom F6 Review | One Year Later
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- Опубликовано: 15 фев 2022
- I've been using the F6 for over two years. After battle testing it, here's what I think.
Justin's channel, Rebel Tech, with TONS of F6 Content:
• Rebel Tech: Zoom F6
I'm not paid for this review. I bought it. I used it. I made this video about it two years later.
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I have no social media presence other than RUclips.
You can contact me through shaunhautly.com
You can hire me at boomreactive.com
You can buy cool boom things at store.boomreactive.com
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Great video Shaun. It's nice to see another lover of the Zoom F6 making more content about it. Hearing other perspectives definitely helps me learn more about this device as well. Thanks again for the shout out to my channel! I really do appreciate it!
Thanks! I don't know anyone who knows this thing better than you do. Happy to push people your way for the details.
Thanks for the review, Shaun!
Thanks for the happy comment!
Thanks Shawn - nice review!
Glad you liked it!
Superb review well done ❤
Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful. I've since transitioned to using the F3 because I never used all six inputs. Still a great recorder with mostly the same brain.
Like this followup when almost every review is after a day of use. I'm pumped about the F8n Pro.
Thanks for the love! The F3 is also an interesting little machine....
Great video; thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
thanks for the short review man!
Glad it was helpful! It's rare I can resist being long-winded.
I’m pleased I found the extra cash to get the F6, it’s got more features than I’ll ever need but it’s quite an upgrade for me. I use a power bank and it goes on and on for ages and ages. A very nice recorder. I often use the line out to my camera for an extra recording as it only has one SD card but that also helps me sync in post. I do wish it had a dedicated 3.5mm input but a 3.5 to XLR adapter does the job.
All in all I love using it and it will be good enough for me for years to come…fingers crossed 🤞
I'm just hoping they don't release something that blows this thing away. I am happy living without FOMO with my audio gear for now.
As another St. Louis Interview heavy videographer I appreciate the video! I just picked up a Zoom F8n Pro that I use for legal video depositions and have really enjoyed it so far. I haven't uploaded to my channel in a while but I feel inspired to get back on the horse and get recording. Good luck!
Nice! I'm surprised we haven't crossed paths yet! I just subscribed to your channel, so when you're back on the horse, I'm here for it!
And I've since sold the F6 and gotten the F3 and F2, which are its little brothers. They haven't let me down yet!
I've only been in the game for about 6 months now so that could explain some of it, I've definitely got a lot to learn. Thanks for the sub and I've subbed right back! Those two devices look super handy as well, probably try to get my hands on an F3 next for some field recording. @@ShaunHautly
I have the same recorder and love it. One other con was the lack of a dual card sd. Alot of reliance on one sd card when it could glitch out. I run a backup recorder from the line out to a tascam dr 60, just in case. Would recommend you do this. Thanks for the great review.
Totally agree. I often run the line out into my camera and record the backup in camera. But I was just talking to someone recently about how many redundancies I make for SD cards to fail and... KNOCK ON WOOD... I have never had a card fail or glitch. I'm sure one will at some point, but so far it has only built my trust, which can be a dangerous thing...
@@ShaunHautly Truth - the old saying is correct - "Two types of people in this world...those who have lost data, and those who have YET to lose data!😆"
Hi, the awesome Shaun
You are!
I was debating whether i should sell my f6 or my h6 and this video convinced me to keep my f6 even though i probably wont be using it to its fullest potential
I am wondering about this recorder. The size and 32 bit float and Sony L battery use is great. I wonder how good the preamps are self noise wise. Sometimes I don't want to have to do much in post or have that much time. Assuming I follow best practices, I wonder how well the F6 does its work there. I am sold on the idea 32 bit float and am glad to see more of that. Very compelling review.
Thanks! I have had no issues with the noise floor. Even when I run a Shure SM7B right into it without any Pre-Ams, I'm able to lower the bass and export. I am a huge fan. The newer, smaller version is also appealing, as I never actually use all six inputs....
I bought an F6 to use on a paid shoot. Really amazing noise floor compared with my H6. I don’t like the F6 ergonomics but the sound was spectacular. At different times during the session and also experimenting beforehand, I was running passive ribbons / Neumann’s / Rode / Akg 414s into it and it coped beautifully with all of them.
I bought an F6 to use on a paid shoot. Really amazing noise floor compared with my H6. I don’t like the F6 ergonomics but the sound was spectacular. At different times during the session and also experimenting beforehand, I was running passive ribbons / Neumann’s / Rode / Akg 414s into it and it coped beautifully with all of them. I eventually returned it and got the F8n but honestly I preferred the sound of the f6
@05:48 - SD Card Slot Behind NPF Battery:
According to Curtis Judd, this isn’t an issue when you utilize having the AA batteries in as well. The device should prioritize the NPF battery when connected, and if you’re switching out NPFs, it’ll seamlessly stay powered on using the AA batteries.
Shaun does say this in the video 👆🏼, but I thought it was worth brining a bit more attention to. 😁
True on both accounts! I keep AA's in there, but try to only use them if I'm switching SD cards while powered on.
@@ShaunHautly Ah, good to know! I get my F6 in 2 days! 😁 So thanks for this helpful review! I very much appreciate it.
Going to attempt having 5 lab mics going in as well as a boom mic for a shoot this Saturday. X_X Very nervous
Haha, good luck!
@@mrcorymccabe How did it go for you!?
Subbed. Thanks
Glad it was helpful! Cheers!
Have you ever taken a 1/4” feed(s) from a sound board? Since it only has XLR inputs instead of combo inputs like other devices, I’m curious if line level can be sent and received through a male 1/4” to male XLR from the board to the input or if a DI box is required.
I have not. I’ve always been able to take an XLR out, but I do recognize it’s a problem. I do notice that I can’t plug guitars directly into it like I used to do with my F4. Annoying, but a DI box gets around it, yes.
Wow that's a real negative and I don't know why zoom didn't use the same XLR/1/4 plugs they have on the H6 - always nice to have options without adapters!
I thought I had researched these things before getting my MixPre-3, but somehow I missed that the F6 had a built-in L-series battery sled. Guess what my biggest gripe about the MixPre-3 is? It guzzles eneloop AAs at a fierce rate and replacing them is a faff, especially if you do sometimes bolt the recorder to a camera … which, incidentally, blocks the camera battery door too. Argh.
I’m just a dilettante so it’s not the end of the world, but powering mirrorless cameras and these small audio recorders reliably for a decent duration has been an unexpected headache for me. I have ‘range anxiety’ way too often.
Nice review.
Thank you. And to be fair, this thing gobbles AA's as well, and it's an annoying little holder to replace. Especially if mounted onto anything. Huge pain. But that built in sled makes me never really use AA's. I keep some AA's in just to power during battery swaps if needed, but I haven't changed them in months.
And we're all dilettantes when it comes to our gear. We deserve to be pampered!
The MixPre-3 can operate without a sled and its AA batteries and it can draw all its power from a USB-C cable to a power bank. With the sled off the MixPre-3 there are no issues with accessing the SD card in the recorder. For AA batteries the PowerEX 2700 AA NiMh provide 35% more power and longer recording times than the eneloop batteries.
@@brucesummers7448 Do you find the USB-C cable to reliably power it? I worry about a momentary bad connection if something knocks the cable.
One other thing: although the MixPre-3 is a miracle of non-fiddliness considering its size and capabilities, the one fiddly bit is the power switch when you have a USB-C cable attached. There isn’t room for my finger between the cable and the top plate of the recorder. I can kind of get in with the edge of the fingernail of my little finger sideways, but it requires just the right angle and there isn’t always room to accommodate the necessary angle.
Think I’ll look into those 2700 mAh cells. Thanks for the note.
Would you still recommend this today, or is there a different one you’d go with
I’m struggling to make a choice
Been tryna figure it out for 2 weeks
It totally depends on the number of inputs you need. Now that the F3 exists, I'd probably go that route because it's cheaper and smaller. I only ever plug in two things at most. So the F6's six inputs is excessive for me.
I like the Sony LP battery sled built into the F6, but since the F3 can run off any USB bank, that's just as well.
So it really comes down to how many inputs you need. If you need more than two, I'd recommend the F6. If two or one, the F3 is what I'd recommend. Both have 32-Float. Both sound great.
I’m running 6 wireless dji mis on thef6. I keep getting clicks and pops in my recording. Do you have any idea why?
It's hard to say, but my first guess would be to blame the DJI. Wireless signals are the most common place for problems to occur in audio. Especially with six simultaneous signals competing in the air for space. The DJI mics run on 2.4 GHz WiFi. The same signal broadcasted by your phone, laptop, watch, router, TV, smart thermostat, etc.
If you're in a crowded place, a building, or putting mics on six people who all have phones in their pockets, the amount of noise on that band of WiFi is immense. Your microphones are going to be hopping all over frequencies to try and find clean ones, and when they do, they'll make the other mics hop as well.
When putting mics on that many people in an uncontrolled environment, most location sound mixers would use a system that would be using VHF or lower UHF frequencies (400 KHz vs WiFi's 2.4 GHz).
If you're limited to using the DJI setup, I'd see if your results change after you ask everyone to power down their phones, and turn off as many electronics as you can.
do you have any crackling issues with the headphone jack....I use headphones Sennheiser HD 280 pros and while monitoring I hear crackling....doesn't comeout in the recording and I don't hear it when I'm using my H6 and Zoom F3. Any one have same issues?
I haven't experienced that issue. I'd double check with another pair of headphones, and then just contact support.
Thanks for the real-world review. I love my Zoom H6's and they've been workhorses. I usually split my XLR input to two channels and have the gain set high and low to avoid any peaking. I haven't used 32 bit float yet and I'm not sold on it just yet. That said, two big gripes with the H6 that make me think of upgrading. One - your batteries die in the H6 and you lose your clip - EXTREMELY POOR DESIGN ZOOM! You get around this by having the recorder plugged into a USB power supply (Note to Zoom - why not have the F6 have option of being powered by USB?). Two - Noise floor and gain. I've tried doing nature stuff with gain all the way up and it's barely enough to get quiet sounds and the noise floor is OK, but clearly there. Your review makes me think of making the jump to the F6 again -
I sold my F6 and got the F3 when it came out, as I never needed six inputs. It has great battery life.
And when you finally try 32-Float, you'll never go back. Forget two channel backup recording. Just one perfect track. Every time. No matter what.
@@ShaunHautly Sounds like a great recorder - would be nice to have two cards slots for safety, but you can't have it all at relatively low price point!
I'm in the market for an F6 (in fact, I plan on buying one as soon as Thomann get them in stock by the end of the year), so I've been watching a bunch of videos about them. They all seem to say pretty much the same thing, but this video has something others don't; you holding the F6 in your hand and waving it around for the entirety of the video. 520 grams is quite heavy when you consider how little handheld records weigh, so that's something I've been kinda worried about when it comes to portability and stealth. But I guess I'll have buy the K-Tek Stingray bag anyway, so it probably won't matter. Also, do you think the NTGT5 and NT5s are good starter mics for someone who wants to do field recording and foley work, both outdoors and indoors?
It's beefy, but all recorders are. I never really noticed that it's heavier than any other option that I've used. In a shoulder bag, you'll hardly notice it. I've clipped it to my belt before.
And I love my NT5, but I've never used the NTGT5 before so I can't say whether or not it'll work. Buy them from a decent company, try them, and return them if they're not the right microphone for you.
Good luck!
@@ShaunHautly Clipping to the belt sounds interesting. I have a pretty heavy key chain for work so maybe it won't take me long to get used to carrying something that heavy on my belt. And I'll definitely utilize Thomann's 30 days return policy. Do you mostly use the NT5 solo or as a stereo pair? And if solo, what would you say are its strengths? I've only ever read about people using that mic as a stereo pair.
@@jetlag1488 The NT5 is my favorite microphone. I use a single one as an indoor dialogue mic. I find that it reproduces the frequencies in voices very well. And it avoids all of the muddy problems that shotgun mics experience indoors.
@@ShaunHautly Nice to know it's your favourite! I only ever see praise for it, wherever I go. And after having used it for a bit, both in mono and stereo, i can definitely agree with the praise. Amazing microphone for the price.
I've been using the f6 and it is not performing like the reviews I'm seeing here on RUclips. I'm watching videos where people are editing in audition and are able to raise the quiet vocals to normal range, WITHOUT raising the noise floor. This has absolutely not been my experience. The noise floor raises considerably, rendering the audio useless. If I turn the fader up loud enough to match the audio ranges on set, oftentimes the noise floor is raised considerably. Yes, it doesn't clip, but the noise floor is insane. Any advice here?!
This is tricky, because I don't know your experience level, so if some of my suggestions are things you already know, please don't be offended!
I would first double check that you're recording in 32-float. Sometimes if you record in both 32 and 24, you might be using the wrong file.
Second, there's a difference between a device's noise floor and actual noise in the room that the mic picked up. If you're recording someone's voice in a forest, when you turn them up, the birds and wind are going to come up, too. So if your mic is picking up noise or interference, 32-float won't separate that from the signal, it'll just make sure the birds don't clip either.
If you're sure it's the device's noise floor and not anything in the signal, then I'd contact support and see if your unit can be exchanged because you might have a defective unit. That should not be your experience.
Good luck!
record on 32 bit float buddy.
It's often due to the microphone self noise.
Would this recorder be decent for live streaming music, two mics. Thanks a ton!
I think it's overkill for streaming two mics. It cannot record while functioning as a USB interface, so you might as well just get a USB interface. I use the Zoom AMS-24 which has two mic inputs and is way cheaper than the Zoom F6. It does not record, but it connects to your computer for streaming or recording using Logic, GarageBand, ProTools, etc.
@@ShaunHautly Thanks Shaun! I'll check that out for sure!
Excuse me Shaun for misspelling your name😕
Haha, no troubles! Most people don't notice when they spell it wrong. I appreciate the catch. Cheers!
It is a lot smaller than it looks in the pics or your hands are huge 😀
Ha. It is a relatively small device. It's ALMOST too small to be taken seriously by professional sound mixers.
The user interface is like something from the 1970's and it needs a touch screen. There is no excuse for this bad a UI from any company in 2022. It is like something engineered by Microsoft. I do not want to be forced to have a fully charged iPhone to be able to use a sound recorder. I have backup gear but that does not include a second smartphone.
Having the SD card under the L battery is done by Sound Devices with the MixPre-3 as well. There is a need for someone like Steve Jobs to direct the product design instead of having engineers working in a backroom with no input from actual users.
Spending more than $800 for a device and then having to buy a Bluetooth adapter is also antiquated. The MixPre-3 includes bluetooth as part of the unit which is what Zoom should have done with the F6. It is not like Bluetooth is something new to the world as it goes back to 1990. Any device that is going to be controlled by a bluetooth app on an iPhone should have bluetooth integrated into it at the onset.
I agree about the SD card. Annoying.
I don't use bluetooth on it, nor do I use my phone. For my use-case I'm just hitting record and I seldom mess with the settings. The UI is boring, but I haven't found it to be limiting.
I'm interested in the F3 to see if they fixed any of those annoyances.