Это видео недоступно.
Сожалеем об этом.
ZOOM PodTrak P8 for Podcasting and Live Streaming: Recorder, Mixer, Audio Interface
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 13 авг 2024
- ZOOM launched a new addition to its PodTrak line of recorders, the new PodTrak P8. This all-in-on mixing board, recorder, and USB audio interface features six XLR inputs, 9 sound pads (with 4 switchable banks), and an input for mobile devices to add remote guests. Its automatic mix minus feature also makes it easy to add remote guests. Let’s take a closer look and compare the PodTrak P8 to the RODECaster Pro - it’s most obvious competitor. We also talk a bit about how the P8 compares to the ZOOM LiveTrak L8.
If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses at school.learnlightandsound.com including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest course is Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini.
Support my work creating videos by donating at www.buymeacoffee.com/curtisjudd or become a patron at www.patreon.com/user?u=342927...
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, Pictureline or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- ZOOM PodTrak P8 Podcast Recorder, Mixer, & USB Audio Interface - B&H geni.us/W8EU
- RODECaster Pro Podcast Recorder, Mixer, & USB Audio Interface - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/N21CF
- SHURE SM7B dynamic broadcast microphone - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/GYU7dHy
- SHURE MV7 dynamic podcast/livestream microphone - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/bTlN3S
- Electrovoice RE20 dynamic broadcast microphone - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon geni.us/kP1lo
- Canon C200 cinema camera used for talking head shots - B&H geni.us/9Zi4m4a
- Canon EF 24-105 f/4L Lens - B&H, Amazon geni.us/kZyU7e
- Canon C70 cinema camera used for BTS shots - B&H geni.us/ABYB
- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L IS Lens - B&H, Amazon geni.us/qwsEs
- Panasonic GH5S camera overhead B-roll shots - B&H, Amazon geni.us/WFo5U
- Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens - B&H, Amazon geni.us/6cvOQ
Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself: geni.us/G7by
Copyright 2021, Curtis Judd
#ZOOM #PodTrak #P8
Index:
00:00 Start
00:12 Summary
00:22 Inputs
01:30 Sound Pads
02:24 Touch Screen
02:42 Mute and On Air Buttons
03:04 Noise Reduction & Isolated Channels Recording
03:53 Podcast Sample
05:33 Outputs
06:19 USB Interface & File Transfer
07:00 Power Options
07:41 Effects - Limiter, Low Cut, Tone, Compressor, De-esser
08:00 Limiter Test
10:35 Noise Reduction - Why It Is Awesome
11:11 Record Isolated Microphone Tracks
11:34 SD cards
11:45 Sample Rate - Con
13:30 Build Quality - Con
14:02 Recommendation
14:45 P8 vs RODECaster Pro
18:18 Final Thoughts
19:40 P8 vs LiveTrak-L8
20:15 Wrap-up
20:30 Please buy my courses
I loved how firm yet calm you were in telling Zoom to add 48! LOL. Great review Curtis!
Thanks Dave! I want them to succeed. They just needed a touch of tough love from one of their fans. 😀
@@curtisjudd I agree, Zoom probably has some first-mover advantage in the prosumer space, but they'll be taken out quickly in this age of rapid prototyping.
That's a cool unit, man I cant believe how far some of these units have come. What I think is really special is the summary that you provided at the very beginning, viewers can quickly get a glance at the pros and cons of the unit. Seems like a really slick device for producing a podcasting show.
They have come a long way for sure! I like to put the summary there to save viewers time.
Terrific video, Curtis! Very thorough and helpful. 👍🤓
Thanks Gerald! I hope you're doing well!
its Gerald undone..........*HE"S CRRRRAAZZY*
A few other things: 1) Mix minus is automatically applied to connected phones (via cable or bluetooth) and 2) the On-air feature also makes it so that when a channel is off air, that person can be heard by the other headphone outputs, but is not recorded. That's pretty cool.
And there's nothing like the On-Air feature with the Rodecaster, correct?
@@onocoffee Oh, is there an on-air feature in the RODECaster?
@@curtisjudd Actually meant that as a question - asking if there was anything like the on air feature on the Rodecaster that allows you to talk back and forth without it going to the recording?
@@onocoffee Sorry, I misunderstood. Not that I can see on the RODECaster. It seems like a bit of a corner case from my perspective, but some people seem to want that feature.
Since you really seem to key on the "auto mix / noise reduction" feature, would have been good to show an A / B head to head with the Rode Caster, noise gate is essentially the same thing so would be great to hear the difference which seems to be the decision maker here. Good vid in general.
FYI - The PodTrak P8 also allows you to export each individual channel, along with the full mix. They are located separate from the main mix in a subfolder called "P8_Multitrack". Took me a few minutes to find this, but it's there.
Yes, indeed, it does record the iso tracks on its own SD card.
I bought the L8 on the strength of your reviews 2 years back and use is for my daily podcast and RUclips channel. Ive now bought the P8 for my camper van so I can head out for days at a time and still record shows. Thanks for another great video (even if It is 2 years ago :) )
👍
That’s so dope that your family helps you with your content so much. Love it.
Thanks Byron!
Curtis is a true OG in this space! I remember watching his lav mic reviews 10+ years ago. Another great review!
🙏
As soon as you stated it only records at 44.1 Khz sample rate, it made it a deal killer... I share the same frustrations that you voiced. This could have been an awesome product otherwise.
And that's coming from a music expert! Thanks Chuck!
i needed this i just found the P8 and was going to use it for live streaming so ineeded something that could give me a lot of audio control and quality, thank you :)
You're welcome and happy streaming!
I looked at both of these and in the end went for the L-8 with the TRRS in/out to Streamyard, tactile EQ, line input for an iPad mini for hits and show running using the GoButton app, effects for voice “pigs in space” :) USB to REAPER all tracks plus mix I found it a lot more versatile... BUT as a dedicated plug and play Podcast setup the P8 did tempt me. Great review as always. Tim.
Thanks Tim, for sharing the details of your setup.
I really appreciate this information on the Podtrak P8. You are a true professional. Thanks, Tony Indy
Thanks Tony.
I love all the color coding on the hardware, and the matching in the UI.
That's thoughtful and very user centric.
Agreed - on both the P8 and RODECaster.
Fantastic depth in the review, definitelly the Roadcaster Pro... the ease of adjusting each individual channel is the dealbreaker here.
Thanks Homesick Mac.
So helpful. Thanks for the straightforward review. Definitely helped make a good selection between the Rodecaster and the P8. Probably going towards the P8. 😃
👍 Happy recording!
Which one did you get?
Last year in February I convinced my friend to sell his Zoom R24 on ebay and get a Livetrack L8. He would typically produce podcasts with 5 to 6 participants, but he hasn't made anything all year because of social distancing, and now the Podtrack looks like a much better option. But, Curtis, I won't tell him if you don't. 😉 I still LOVE my Sound Devices MixPre-10II with the MixAssist plugin, but it's too complicated for most average users to pick up. The Zoom is probably better for someone who wants to get setup and podcasting without fussing around with too many menu options. I'm not an audio professional, but ever since I enrolled in the courses at LearnLightAndSound people are always coming to me with questions and asking for advice when it comes to their audio. I always recommend they sign up for the courses themselves.
Thanks Living Spiritism. I promise not to tell your friend! 😀 I agree - that MixPre with MixAssist is fantastic!
Recently discovered you channel while shopping for audio gear to *try* and improve my own channel. :) Very good reviews - excellent delivery of information. Not afraid to have an opinion, but very balanced approach. Thanks for helping me on my quest - I have ordered the P8, even though I work alone - I think its features will be valuable.
Congrats, Justin. I hope it serves you well!
Thanks you for great review. I adore your modest, neutral and unbiased approach.
Thanks so much!
"...a company crippling a product, that didn't need to cripple." Yessss...
👍
Wait, was Zoom purchased by canon?
@@tombuck Oh Ouch.
Great tutorial sir, but to be honest I had no plans on watching the entire video, but the professional clear voice hypnotized me, and I couldn't stop watching lol!🙏🏾✊🏾
Well thanks for sticking around!
@@curtisjudd no problem, great presentation!
This is hands down the most helpful tutorial on this device.
Thanks.
Excellent information! I am a truck driver, and I do a ton of recording in my truck. I have the P4, and I love it. I really hope Zoom does a firmware upgrade to make 48K an option, along with multitrack recording to a PC/Laptop via USB.
👍
Very good review, and I loved that intro and outro music! 👍🏾
🙏
Great review! I just bought a PodTrak P8 and am really happy with it. It actually does capture all individual mic tracks - as well as a stereo mix - although I have to transfer the file to my laptop to access them (guess this could be due to an update).
👍
You gotta know, this is amazing content. I just got thrown into a project and have to work on one of these, I come up with a new question every day and just come to this video. So damn good man
Thanks Trevyn!
Thanks for the review. I really like the smaller formfactor of the P8 vs the Rodecaster but the 44,1 Khz restriction is just crippling in some regards. A lot of podcasters in Germany swear by Studiolink which provides a high quality peer2peer remote connection between podcasters. It relies on the Opus codec though and thus on 48 Khz as well. I therefore wouldn't be able to use the podtraks as USB interfaces. It's such an annoyance as I would otherwise really prefer it over the Rodecaster.
Great example of where that 44.1kHz sample rate is a problem. Thanks Alexander!
As always.. Great review! I always make my purchase decisions based on your reviews and it never fails me and saves me days of research. Thank you for being the go to channel
Thanks Moe!
I love your reviews. One thing I can't ignore: A lot a lot of hiss noise on the P8! Not good at all. Thanks for such a great content Curtis!
Thanks Antonio.
19:40 - Thanks for including that part.. I was wondering here what whould be better for podcasting, voice recording, voiceover works and was thinking lot of LiveTrack instead.. You have helped me to make the final decision easy :) Many thanks for that and of course - for the whole video content about P8 :) Excelent work! 👏👏👏
Thanks and happy recording!
Thank you for this review. You provided the information I needed to make my decision.
👍
I have the Zoom Podtrak P4 and the Rodecaster Pro. I also have a Zoom H6 recorder. I think what Zoom and Rode was thinking is that these units were designed for AUDIO not video and that's why Zoom went with the 44.1 rather than 48. I know that when the Rodecaster Pro came out, the users complained about missing features. What Rode has done is that they built their unit so it could be updated and that's what they did. They added features missing with updates. As a radio show host on an FM station as well as I host an internet radio show, I have never had more than three guests in the studio and generally one. So four mics is overkill in most cases and six same overkill. I love both my products, I have the ZOOM P4 for a portable use going remote for interviews, but I also use it at one studio workstation where I can do a podcast or the internet show if need be. Everybody has their priorities and I agree with your cheap plastic comment as far at the P4, my H6 is bullet proof, very sturdy construction. The Rode is hands down higher quality all the way around. You did I nice review.
Thanks for the insights Dwight.
When you had first mentioned "Tone", I got really excited because I thought that it would be similar to the "Sound Mark" feature on the H1n. I really wish there were more portable audio recorders that allow you to easily sync audio recordings to the line out sent to your cameras, it's a true lifesaver! Oh well, one can dream...
Thank you so much for this very thorough review, Curtis! Best of luck in 2021!!
Thanks Michael!
Curtis, you are absolutely the best!!!
Thanks Juansher!
Great and informative review. You speak so clearly listening to you is a pleasure. I have the P8 and just bought the Atem mini pro video controller which I'm enjoying using. Well done !!!
Thanks Stewart. I hope the P8 works well for you!
Excellent review. The main differences between P8 and Rodecaster Pro is price point and build quality. Whichever product you buy will be a win based on individual needs and cost/benefits. I have a Rodecaster Pro and love it. The extra cost is justify as I love the premium feel and ease of use. A simple feature that is taking for granted is the screw in power cord. It guarantees you don't lose power if you are clumsy, like me!
Good point on the locking power connector.
I’ve got to say, the amount of gain available is outstanding. Being able to use gain-hungry mics without a Cloudlifter is pretty nifty. 👍
👍 they got that very right.
@@curtisjudd not really, noise floor is -124 dBu at full gain, so with cloud lifter or similar inline preamp you can lower noise by 5-6 dB, and that is a lot.
@@Mr_G Good enough for me. But if you prefer to add a cloud lifter, that is certainly an option.
@@curtisjudd Yes, but if you need to buy six of them, then it becomes very expensive. Zoom is known to cheat with the preamps, they claim huge gain, but in reality the preamps is low gain and ater some point they boost gain digitally. I personally measured zoom h1, zoom h6 and zoom uac2 - all of them does same thing.
@@Mr_G Ok. If you have more stringent requirements, that's perfectly legitimate. It is no surprise that ZOOM cuts corners to hit a price point. Their main market strategy is to provide lots of features at lower prices than their competitors. If I had to choose, I would not hesitate to buy a Sound Devices MixPre with MixAssist and a USB control surface for my podcast production work. But I'm old enough I can afford to do that. Not everyone can. And in that case, if this sounds good enough for them, then it isn't a horrible choice, in my estimation. Though I'd probably opt for a RODECaster Pro in that case.
All the cables coming out of the top would look really untidy and send me insane!!
Best you stay away from this one.
Very good video with lots of good information, thank you.
Thank you.
I have to agree with you, Curtis, that the lack of 48 kHz is a real issue and one that would likely cause me to resist buying it if I was in the market for one.
Hi Daniel, yes, weird product feature choice.
I love the look of this interface. I want to have it for my podcast. First time coming to your channel.
It is pretty cool. Thanks for coming by, Nikki!
Thanks Curtis !
you made me decide to buy it !
Happy recording!
@@curtisjudd thaaaanks....
I bought it and its really what i need. One problem solved. Now how to good lighting my film set with right lights...
If you want to record mainly music and podcasts also, would you still choose the Podtrak P8 over the Livetrak L8...?
Semi related: There are hundreds of videos comparing the Zoom P8 or L8 against the Rode Podcaster.
But I could not find a single direct comparison between the Zoom L8 vs Zoom P8...
No, if music is part of the plan, I'd definitely go with the L-8.
Thank you for the fantastic and complete review. Even though it's a 2 year old video I see you do a great job of responding to people even as recent as this month (which earned a like and subscribe from me), and it's why I wanted to shoot you a question as I'm having a devil of a time figuring this out (I assume it's because the answer is 'no, you can't do that'). I was considering grabbing one of these for a friends & family videogame Let's Play channel I do, but there appears to be one possible missing piece of functionality for me to do so - which is I don't know that I can connect this up in a way to capture the video game sound. Here's what I currently do (and you can easily see why I am looking for something else); me and one other person will connect our headphones to my PC, OBS on that same PC records the videogame video & audio, the same PC records the audio from one microphone via Audacity, and then a separate laptop records the other microphone via audacity. So our headphones only provide the game sound and we just have to have the volumes set so we can hear our voices in the same room. I was thinking with the Podtrak P8 it would be nice to capture our vocals on the unit, and have our voices through our headsets, but while OBS would still capture the game's audio, I can't see how we could hear that audio through the P8. Any thoughts? Anyway, thank you for such a thorough review of this device.
ADDENDUM to my question. It just occurred to me, maybe all I need to do is get a 3.5mm to XLR male and plug that into the PC's headphone jack and then the XLR male to the PodTrak as one of the mic lines?
I’d look at something like a RODECaster Pro II instead
the most important thing i want to buy this for is noise reduction, and I didn't see a sample of how it works, you just pointed out the low cut function without testing. and your video has a lot of background noise throughout the whole thing, i was wondering why is that?
If noise reduction is your main goal, this is not the device you’re looking for. High pass filters help a tiny bit but are not noise reduction filters.
This was super helpful. Especially the Rodecaster comparison!
Thanks Paul.
Excellent friend, I think that if the functions of the live L8 were placed in that mixer it would be perfect. I want to make potcat and if my guests are musicians and want to connect their instruments
👍
Hi Curtis hope your'e well just a quick question in regards to the noise reduction. I am looking to pick one of these up for use on a work podcast but am looking at ways to keep my editing time down and removing mic bleed is the longest part of the edit for me.
Are you able to tell me if the noise reduction/automix is applied pre or post fader ideally I want to record multi track without the rest of the proccessing enabled and add comp, eq aftewards. I was originally looking at the zoom f6 but that appears to only apply the auto mix to the stereo track.
When you say noise reduction, I assume you're referring to the noise gate? It is applied in the digital realm. So the question of pre- or post- fader may not be relevant here. Everything is post fader on this and because of its wide dynamic range, that doesn't appear to introduce any issues or cost in terms of audio quality.
This a great video definitely got my mind up the price point and the quality is where I need it to be, thank you
👍
i'd really like to have a quick feedback if possible; i'm about to buy this product and my question is: i have logic pro x; is it possible to record directly on my software 4 simultaneous microphones and each input separately? how to setup this; thanks
Excellent review!
Thanks!
I saw that the Zoom P8 Noise Reduction feature only affects the mixed stero track of all the inputs and has no effect on the multitrack individual tracks recorded. Can you confirm if this is the case? If so it really negates the strongest selling point of this device for podcasters that need to edit and trim their episodes.
I don’t believe it had a noise reduction feature when I reviewed it. Maybe they added it in a later firmware?
On the main menu seen at 17:00, I would have loved to see an "EQ" square leading to a sub-menu with separate "sub-squares" for each channel. When hitting one of those "channel squares", then getting a 5-band equalizer for the selected channel. I really - as in really, really, really - would like to have at least a 5-band EQ for each channel on a mixer, just like a regular, serious audio mixer has. Lack of proper EQ options on podcast mixers is why I'm personally using the Behringer XENYX 1002B.
👍
I just got me one, had the L8... I personally didn't go rode because I need to be mobile and the battery power part sold me on zoom.
I hope it works well for you!
Thanks, me too. The thing I don't quite understand is the part about the kilohertz.
I like the long throw fader of the Rode compared to the small muppets faders from zoom.
Another good point!
good point but you have to understand both long and short have their advantage, I prefer the short fader because you don't have to travel far, and the zoom fader feel premium, it slide smoother than the rode, the rode fader is not just that smooth and feel loose when sliding up or down. but it is a personal preferences .
Curtis, your reviews are in a class of its own as always. On a more speculative note, how far away are we from a hardware revision on the Rodecaster Pro in your opinion? Is it still worth buying it or is the Rodecaster Pro mark II just around the corner? I noticed Rode's product cycles are comfortingly long which does give me some confidence that it is not too late buying a Rodecaster right now, but what do you think? Potentially 32 bit recording or the ability to have more customizable buttons to turn off / on certain menu functions quicker vs. going through the touch screen, much like on a modern mirrorless camera, would be 2 features they could add in a new revision. They could allow users to repurpose some of the sound pads for that, of course. One last note on comparing it to the P8, from how they sounded to me, the aural exciter but especially the big bottom seem to be more useful sound effects vs. what is currently available on the P8. Thanks a lot for your thoughts!
Hi Konrad, thanks. I suspect you're right - RODE does not generally rev hardware quickly so I think the RODECaster is not likely to get a mark II release any time soon. But that's entirely a guess. They have been good about releasing new firmware which is great. I'd like to also see an auto mix feature to replace or compliment the noise gate.
Do you think Rode can add that “automix” type feature via firmware update?
I think they could, yes.
@@curtisjudd how about Noise Reduction via firmware update for the F Series.... that would be killer.
Got quite excited when I saw the advertisement. Then I read the pros and cons... thank you for putting this at the start so I didnt have to watch a video on an item I know I dont want. I know it doesn't help your watch hours. But you earnt yourself a like and a sub from me just for that. Give the info straight. Thank you. Ps. My issues are. Mainly 16 bit is completely unusable as a musician. And secondly and much less important. No reverb.
Yes, not really for music, just spoken word.
Curtis Judd dang... I hope they come up with something soon that does a lot of those features for live music... there are some things I would really want on it... but... 16bit eeeew lol thanks for the response!
Thanks for all the great work you do. Love your reviews.
Thanks Paul.
Thanks Curtis, wow they very nearly nailed it! Let's hope the sample rate can be firmware updated. I can see the plastic build quality perhaps giving it less weight? It looks a little smaller than a Rodecaster too so perhaps more portable with the right tough shellacs or padded bag...if only they built it in magnesium and gave it 32 bit float recording. I would really love a device from Zoom that gave us the best of both this and the F6, kept it compact but let it be controllable by the add on control surface or iPad/smartphone control...portable, powerful, professional and capable of running Sony batteries as well as AA. I want a 'Rodecaster Go' type device that is equally talented at recording a live band as recording a podcast.
Yes, it is slightly lighter and smaller than the RODECaster. You want a do-all device. :)
This was an excellent review! Did Zoom update the firmware since your review to provide a 24 bit/48kHz on the P8?
It doesn't look like they've issued a firmware update yet, no. I'm not 100% sure it will be possible to do that in a firmware update, but I hope it is and that they do it.
Very useful information, thank you.
🙏
There is a slight buzz in the background, if I get the podtrack I will be able to edit it out, I noticed the podcast sample has less buzz then the video ( showing the podtrack )
Ok.
Great review LOVE IT
Any recomendation i want to start a podcast how to start , how and where to market it
thanks
Been waiting for this review for the longest. I really want to make a decision between the P8 and Rodecaster. I already have the H8 so I’m not sure 48khz is a big deal for me. I’m far away in Nigeria, where this is definitely unavailable for testing but, thanks Curtis
👍
Thanks again for a great review. So now my question is; which one is the best for mostly live streaming with the ATEM mini and once in a while recording podcasts?
I'd opt for the RODECaster, personally, but again, they each have their strengths and weaknesses.
Great review Curtis! Zoom is really late to the game here, I have a Rode as does alot of people and if I was buying today I would still buy the Rode. Rumor has it a New Rodecaster is 6 months out that address things like people using the RODEcaster as a audio mixer for the video podcast as a bunch of people do. I do like plugging everything in on top vs on the back of the RODEcaster. I use the RODEprocaster MIC and though RODE has enough power to get sufficient volume it not as clean as using a Cloudlifter. I agree I wish RODE used a SD card insteard of a microSD card!
👍
I've owned the Rodecaster Pro for over a year now and the MicroSD card is a massive annoyance for me. I love the unit outside of that especially with the most recent firmware update but that MicroSD card is a miss in my book. Had the Zoom P8 come out first I think the 44.1khz limit might have been a deal breaker for my use though it seems better than the Rode in a few ways. Thanks for the review.
You're welcome. Happy podcasting!
Thank you for the great review. I'm trying to understand the difference between the noise-reduction feature of the P8 and my old Olympus hand-held recorder which has/d a feature that could set the mic to record only when a sound is heard, and lower the recording volume/gain to zero when no sound presents. When you raved about it, I checked the date of your video again, just to make sure it is not one from 10 years ago, when this feature was built into the voice recorder. Thanks again. I purchased a few devices based on your recommendations in the past.
The noise reduction feature on the P8 doesn't stop the recording, it just reduces the input level of the channel where sound is not currently present. I think the way the auto record feature often works on voice recorders is that the recording stops when there's no sound? Also, the P8 doesn't reduce the input level entirely, just enough to make a cleaner recording. Probably 6 to 9 dB from what I can tell.
@@curtisjudd Thank you. Yes, you are correct. The hand-held recorder stops recording, while the P8 continues the recording. Thanks for the clarification.
Curtis, we're waiting on your Tascam Mixcast 4 review!
Oh! I need to get my hands on one!
@@curtisjudd Just subscribed! I'll be waiting on your notification for when you get one!
As always - very specific and effective review - thanks!
Regarding the 44.1 khz vs 48 khz for video - THIS is exactly why I like your reviews - you find things like this.
I do video so this unit is just not something I will pay $500 for when it does not do the job for video. For me - its a serious oversight from Zoom, as is the plastic case.
FYI, my Zoom H6 USB power connector disconnected from its mount and does not work (now only batteries work) - after relatively not much use - after 14 months. That means it cost about $175 for a warranty replacement. Also, it does not have enough gain for my Shure SMB-7 mic. (I boost it separately).
So, I like the zoom concept - but I'm drifting away from being a future zoom customer.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Steve!
I find this very helpful in making my decision about which device to get. Are you planning to do a review of the new Tascam Mixcast 4? It has an auto-mix ('noise reduction') feature which I believe is what you most liked about the P8.
Would sure like to get my hands on one but I'm still waiting for the Tascam x8 to ship.
Gah! Just bought a R0decaster Pro, but feel I should have waited for this.
Thanks for the great review though :)
I would be surprised if you are not very happy with the Rodecaster Pro. I think I select that unit over this one, features and benefits aside. The Rode seems more fun to use.
@@RobertLinthicum Yes, on reflection I would still choose the R0decaster for my Livestreaming desk. The noise reduction feature is one I already have on the F8n (called 'automix'), which I plan to keep using for recording.
Hopefully the RODECaster serves you well. I bought the RODECaster and have no regrets.
@@RobertLinthicum You will enjoy the RCP. It's a workhorse. I've had no problems with mines for livestreams, podcast, VO work or whatever. It just gets the job done.
Thank you for that review! I have a question regarding the "noise reduction" feature: is that feature comparable to Sound Devices NoiseAssist or just like MixAssist/Dugan (or both)? Thanks for the clarification. Ronald
It aims to do the same thing, but it does it in a different way.
Hi Curtis. Is your view still Rodecastor over P8? I don’t podcast but do prerecorded videos and livestream and want to improve my audio. P8 is currently going for $449 on Amazon (sale at the moment) compared to $599 for Rodecastor. I could pick up Rose on eBay for around $430. Just interested in your thoughts.
Yes, I still prefer the RODECaster Pro. It is a subjective opinion. 😀
Is there anyway to shut the monitor off on yhe p4 to get the monitor more from the usb plugin than double monitoring it?
Question: is an effective automix feature more important in environments with a good bit of background noise as opposed to a studio? I would think that if you do a podcast with 4 people in a somewhat noisy coffee shop the noise reduction (automix) feature of the P8 would be huge. Imagine 4 microphones running and all of them picking up clanking dishes, conversations or laughter from other tables, noise from street traffic (not to mention the microphones picking up crosstalk between the podcast guests). But if you are in a studio or quiet living room with carpeting the auto mix feature probably wouldn't be as big of a deal. I am leaning toward the Rodecaster but I think an effective automix feature would be huge if you are the podcast host and want take part in the conversation instead of playing the role of audio engineer and managing the level slider controls all the time. I would really appreciate a second video comparing the effectiveness of the noise gate of the Rodecaster and the noise reduction (automix) feature of the Podtrak P8. I am also curious if the autoducking of the P8 is mild (like the F8n) or more agressive like the SD Mixassist plugin.
Hi Dan, ambient noise is a problem regardless of whether one uses noise gates or auto mix. If the ambient noise is loud enough, it will "trick" most auto mix algorithms so I don't really look at auto mix as a solution for ambient noise. I see it as a help for microphone bleed and room reverberation. I have to send the P8 back to B&H today so I won't have a chance to test it further, but my subjective opinion is that it is about the same as on the F8n, but you notice the difference most when working with 3+ microphones. It isn't as noticeable with 2 microphones.
Hi thanks for the video. Can I record electric drum pad such as Rolland spd30 with music from the phone ?
How do you get mix-minus from the Zoom PodTraK P8 for online guests?
Im waiting for the ultimate podcaster setup with 32bit float recording for those soft spoken high energy laughers!
Hahaha! 👍
33bit floats
@@YoungBlaze You'd be seriously floating if you were working with 33 bits. Very niche.
Hi, thanks for this informative video. I would like to know if you are using a cloud lifter while you're using sm7b with this zoom interface? thanks
No, I just plugged the microphone directly into the P8.
Hmmmm.... no 48K is an instant hassle. What would you recommend for an interface solution to add cell phones into a stream? What solution would you put together if you needed to add phone calls?
I'd probably use an online service like Cleanfeed instead of traditional phone if I could. Otherwise, I've had pretty decent luck with the RODECaster when I just need to bring in one caller, or I could use the multi-party call feature of my phone if I had to. There are some phone/pro audio interfaces but I haven't used them.
@@curtisjudd Thank you so very much! I will have a look at the rodecaster. You're the Bee's Knees!!!
Great, thorough stuff mr Judd. Thanks!
Thanks Nic.
Hi Curtis, fantastic review, as always. Both PodTrak P8 and Rodecaster have pros and cons, I get that, but which one would you choose between PodTrak P4 or PodTrak P8? Is there any significant difference besides more XLR inputs on P8's side? Keep up the great work and greetings from Serbia!
Hi Ivan, If you need something more portable and 4 inputs is enough, I'd go for the P4. If it will mostly be at your home or studio, I'd consider the P8.
Koji si kupio Ivane?
can you record all tracks simultiously AND have a stereo over usb to your computer (with e.g. OBS studio).
And how does the mute and on-air buttons affect the recordings ?
I don't have the P8 on hand to double check for sure, but I think it can do both - multitrack on the P8 and a stereo stream via USB to computer. But you'll want to contact Zoom support before buying if that's a critical feature for you. Mute completely shuts down a mic both to the recording/USB stream whereas off-air just prevents the recording from capturing that mic in the stereo mix (and now I'm not sure if it also stops it from recording to the isolated channel). I'm sorry. Probably best to contact Zoom support to confirm all of these.
Curtis, thank you. One confusion I have, just opening my Podtrak P8 is that apparently the single 3.5mm mobile audio in (track "7") is one-way (audio in)... and does that mean that, in order to interview someone by phone-- even if your 'phone' occupies track 7-- UNLESS you are using the separate BTA-2, it appears that the mix minus doesn't work, in that they cannot (from what I have tried) hear YOU speak. Is this the case? Again, to clarify my question: Is the media/audio input 7 one-way audio in... and the ONLY way you can do an interview by phone... is to use the optional blue tooth feature? Second question: what is the "usb" setting, setting 3 on track 6 (there is the mic, phantom and then USB). What does that USB go to? Thanks-- great review!
Hi Freddy - When I plugged a phone into the 3.5mm jack on the P8 (using a TRRS 3.5mm cable), the caller was able to hear me. I'd suspect maybe there was an issue with your cable, but that's only a guess. Be sure to use a TRRS cable - three colored rings on the barrel of the connector. So, no, you do NOT need the bluetooth adapter to record a phone call. The USB setting allows you to record audio from your computer via USB. This would be useful for recording Zoom or Skype calls as an example.
@@curtisjudd thank you. I checked and a setting was off- mix minus. Great work.
I have a question, not that long ago I purchaset audio interface Audient Id4, it supports loopback as a streamer I do play games a lot and have intertaining projects with many ideas that includes music. I need hardware device that will allow me to play or send music from for example spotify or my own library from computer into the game as saperate channel that can be send via mic. Will this device will allow me to do so?
Not easily. I'd look to a RODECaster Pro II.
I've been waiting for this. Great as always!
Thanks Jaime.
Just to clarify! I just purchased the SM7B and I have the P8. You didn’t need a cloud lifted or fethead for the mic? I was under the impression it was needed but your audio sounds great. Just wondering if that’s because post processing or if that’s straight out the P8
I boosted the levels in post.
Awesome video!
Thanks Emilia!
Curtis, my phone guest cannot hear audio from the soundboard when we are live. Both host mics are heard fine, but not the soundboard audio. Do I have a setting wrong? Or is this not possible with the Zoom P8. Thanks
Hi Adam, I believe it worked when we tested it making the review but I only borrowed the P8 for the review so I don’t have it on hand to check. Probably best to contact ZOOM support. Best wishes!
@@curtisjudd Thanks! Great channel!
Great content, this is very similar to the portable multitrack recorders like the zoom MR, Boss BR series
Thanks, Scott.
My RodeCaster (firmware 2.1) is able to lower all mics when the host on mic #1 person is speaking. They call it "Ducking". To activate ducking, simply go to: 'Settings' > 'Advanced' > 'Audio' > 'Processing' and press 'Ducking'. It would really be great if they could expand on the feature to give you the option to make it more like the PodTrack 8 and lower all mics other than the one of the person who is speaking and not limit it to just the #1 mic.
Agreed! 👍
Thanks for the great content as usual. I have a question about the noise reduction... is there a way to get a similar benefit with the Rødecaster using multitrack out to usb and some software that does the noise reduction?
Certainly - you could use noise reduction in post. Or you could use the noise gates to help as well.
You could try Auphonic which is an online mastering service if you will (there are also desktop apps). They have a crossgate feature that’s very similar to what the P8 does and which I’ve been using for a couple of years now
I don't get the 44.1kHz limitation. My old cheap H2N records at 48kHz and 96kHz at 16 and 24 bits so I don't see why Zoom can't do the same on the Podtrak P8. Hopefully they will see this video and make the change.
I hope so!
Damn I just bought the Live 8 last year! 😫
Good choice from my perspective.
Agree must have 48Khz. It does look cheaply build.Probably good enough for pod casts.Has some nice features.
Yes. If it had that 48kHz sample rate, would be a good option for a lot of people.
So the P8 wouldn't be good for live streaming is what I'm getting, but still better than L8? My usecase needs to do both for multiple different projects and settings, primarily podcasts, but video is a must.
You can use it for live-streaming if the platform you stream to is ok with 44.1kHz sample rate. Most on the web are fine with it. Broadcast TV is not ok with it.
@@curtisjudd thank you so much, Curtis!
I have read the manual for the P4 version and unless I read something wrong you can transfer each individual input that you've recorded into your computer or you can just move the stereo mix over so for example if you had two mics and you use the pad for intros or outros that's a total of three tracks. according to the manual I have the option to move those three tracks over into my computer to do post-production or if I like the stereo mix I can just drag that one over. Let me know if I didn't read the manual correctly but I actually downloaded it
You can record a mix and isolated channels on both of them and then transfer those files to your computer. What you cannot yet do on the P8 is stream isolated channels in real-time over USB to a computer. Only a mix.
@@curtisjudd okay well thank you for the clarification sir I really appreciate it have a wonderful
You can record and have it as USB stereo mix at the same time, though.
@@EditioCastigata Good point.
I have a Podtrak P8 that I use for my podcast. I would like to add video to my setup. I have not been able to find any instructional videos on what equipment I need and how the items all connect together. I believe I am right that you cannot record video to the P8. I think I need my current P8 and mic coupled with my laptop, a camera, and an Atem Mini. I would like to see a tutorial on exactly what is needed and how the setup goes together. I would really appreciate it.
I’m planning to cover this in an upcoming video.
I bought this after watching your video but I'm getting a humming sound. I have tried turning off (mute) all the inputs except the one used. Batteries instead of AC, changed cables and mics but the humming is still humming. Taken it out of the building and still humming. Anyone with similar experience? I really like this unit but can't get rid of the humming.
I'm sorry, it sounds like something is wrong with your copy. I would get in touch with ZOOM support to confirm and hopefully replace it.