One extra point to Tascam for including a 3.5 mm Mic input. It may not be a "professional" feature, but can be a life saver when I need to plug in some Røde or DJI wireless mic set. There can never be too many input/output options.
The ability to jam-sync timecode with the Tascam would make it an easy choice for me. A recorder at this price point with a TCXO and can integrate with your existing timecode devices makes post production much easier. Great review (as always)! Thanks Matt!
A noise floor test with "nothing" plugged in would have been great. You would have literally been able to see the system noise on your level meters. My Zoom F2 32bit recorders have a louse -55db noise floor and my Tascam X8 had a good noise floor of about -85db. If you plug a mic in, you cover that noise floor up with sound.
It's worth mentioning the FR-AV2 has been tested based off of a jam sync, meaning you don't need to keep it plugged in to the Deity-TC1 and it maintained its accuracy for over 8 hours at least.
Awesome, detailed comparison - thanks Matt. I bought the Zoom F3 just when the FR-AV2 got released, so ended up cancelling/returning the F3 (unopened). I think the Tascam just makes more sense nowadays, especially if/when the price drops a bit. Also FYI but I think there was a jump cut issue at 13:14? Unless that's just on my stream. Either way, great job Matt.
I thimk the Avisoft recorder ranking site measured the F3 with marginally better noise performance but in any real world situation it is neither here nor there.
They are identical in pre amp noise, if any I do feel like the Zoom is better, which I suppose by Ozpeter's comment, Avisoft ranked the same. So there's that.
It's rare to see a mention of a sponsor in a comment, but 'Track Club' sounded pretty neat. Anyway, this video is an excellent and fair review of these two devices, thanks! I do have the Zoom F1 which is very much the kid brother of the F3, and the form factor and general design philosophy works well for me. But the reason why I am not in the market for either of the review devices is that my Zoom H1 XLR arrived last week, and its feature set meets my needs, while it incorporates some of the basic features of the review devices. For someone who wants a half price device of this type, it is well worth considering. Or even someone who needs several to cover a wedding and doesn't want to break the bank! Maybe down the track you will review that one. If you do I will know, 'cos I just subscribed!
Matt, good review man. I would add that there’s slightly more hiss in the Tascam, based on the samples you shared in this video and we just don’t know how is the compression by RUclips but overall that’s not a problem.
FR-AV2 wins by a mile IMO. The Timecode advantages are just ridiculous at that price point. It's got what the Zoom F6 has at half the price. It's also small and lightweight enough to use on camera with a cold shoe mount.
Well... the F6 has three times as many (marginally quieter)preamps as the Tascam so it is boumd to be more expensive. It's a very different type of device.
Simple tools aren’t just for newbies! Anyone who’s dealing with a timeline that runs behind and has to be readjusted on the fly knows how easy it is to miss little details. Simple, reliable tools make for consistent results. One less thing to think about is a good thing.
The Zoom F3 ($340) in Australia is less than half the cost of the Tascam FR-AV2 ($769). That IMO is a big difference when you are effectively getting a basically indistinguishable difference in the final recording.
I need to know what exact brand of batteries are being used to be able to get the battery life I'm seeing others get. lol. Recently picked up the Zoom F3 and I have yet to get over 5 hours of use. I've tried with rechargeable and alkaline batteries.
Does Tascam FR-AV2 have the same preamps as Tascam X8/X6? If yes... then i'm wondering why they are saying F3 has better floor noise and preamps on the other, more audio oriented YT channels.
The Tascam devices measure at -127dBu A weighted, the F3 at -128, so yes it is marginally better but the chances of that being noticable in real world recording conditions is zero. I wouldn't make that part of my purchasing decision. YMMV!
I use zero batteries in my Tascam FR-AV2. D-TAP to USB-C powers the recorder great and for far longer than the 3 AA batteries can from my V-Mount setup. In addition if you place a resistor across pins 2&3 and analyze the result, the Tascam has superior performance for lower noise. Check out Chris Judd’s review for that comparison.
The Avisoft site which evaluates recorders with top grade tests ranks the F3 the winner compared to the Tascam - by one dB(A) which is neither here nor there in real world conditions.
In my opinion the measurement performed by Curtis on the F3 (with the 150K resistance Plug) is hardly correct since the recording level preset by ZOOM is not known. With the F3 it is not possible to set a precise value for the recording level, unlike the Tascam with which, being able to vary the recording level at will, it is measured starting from a well-defined value. Such a difference in dB would be audible and clearly visible on the program, which in my opinion does not happen (I own both ...).
@@calandrella57 I guess you would first have to use a tone generator to set both devices to the same input level (gain), then use the resistance plug. But that could be quite a tedious operation with these recorders, ensuring that you were really keeping the playing field level. At the end of the day, real world tests are the most important tests. I would love to put up a slew of 32 bit float devices in front of an orchestra each using an identical stereo mic, then compare with a reasonably blind test afterwards. Is that ever going to happen? I doubt it.
@@Ozpeter Since I own both recorders, I tried to match the recording signal by setting the Tascam FR-AV2 to 26.5 dB with a test signal given by a frequency generator. In this way the recorded signal was equal (allow me the home test approximation...) to that recorded with the ZOOM F3. After this adjustment I recorded with a Neutrik Plug with the 150K resistor inside, this with both recorders; I then loaded the files in Audition, applied a gain of +60dB on both and then measured the Maximum RMS Power. By doing so, a difference of 1.3 dB was found in favor of the Tascam FR-AV2, which is insignificant if we consider the DIY operation.
@@calandrella57 Well, that seems like a very fair test to me. Any difference between the two would have to be quite significant for it to be audible in real world conditions. I suppose the almost neurotic attention paid to noise levels these days is because frequency responses of these devices are essentially flat, so manufacturers can't use that to differentiate their devices. When I get time I might upload a comparative test of all the audio recorders I seen to have accumulated and see what differences can really be heard. One day...
Noise floor test was performed in a not very meaningfull way. It basically tested the noise floor of the mic. Shotgun mics are condensers. Even best ones are order of magnitude more noisy than any decent mic preamp. Preamp's noise was burried in the noise of the mic. Of course that means that both preamps are decent but to test their noise floor you would have to use dynamic mic or better yet 150Ohm resistor plug just like Curtis Judd did. And he found out that Tascam FR-AV2 has 10dB lower noise floor than Zoom F3. But for amost any condenser mic they are both more than sufficient.
I’ve got the zoom f3 and use a wireless bluetooth device to monitor the audio - cost about £40 and works quite well, little bit of lag but just plugs in to the headphone port and connects to Bluetooth headphones like any other device.
@ if I put a link I suspect Matt’s RUclips settings will detect it as spam and not post it. I bought mine on Amazon and if you search for this it should come up: Avantree Relay - Premium Airplane Bluetooth 5.3 Adapter
It's my understanding the amplification level DOES effect the recorded audio? He says it doesn't but another reviewer said it does. I mean it's right there in the name "amplification level"... so you could still end up with clipped audio if set too high?
The amplification level only affects audio recorded through the 3.5mm mic jack or if you use the recorder as a usb interface. I haven’t noticed it affecting the audio volume level on the internal audio tracks
Ok, Bluetooth Monitoring audio, what Bluetooth monitoring headphones are out there? This is basically only good enough to say hey, it's working or hey it's not working. I'm not going to critically monitor audio with AirPods.
Have you tested the real world bluetooth monitoring range on FR-AV2? And is there any noticeable latency? I sometimes do wireless monitoring via a hack (mixer -> Zoom f3 -> DJI Mic -> headphones), but it's not ideal (extra stuff, some latency). It would be nice to simplify.
TapersSection forum users seem a bit disappointed with its monitoring range compared to the cheap and venerable Sony A10, which has remote monitoring and control out of the box. (If that device has it built in, why does it come as an extra on more sophisticated devices?)
Hi, great review. Can the "TC in" trigger the FR-AV2 to start (and stop) recording? I read the manual and it's not clear to me. I get that the FR-AV2 will SYNC time code from an external source, but not to START a recording like my Sound Devices MIxPre 6 does.
@@railroadties2722 that would be cool. Currently with firmware 1.02 I don’t have external recording triggered by TC. But I hope a future update will include it. The firmware versions has been changing rapidly since release.
@@BootStrapTurnerVideography thank you for the reply. I sent the same query to Tascam... no response. As soon as they add the function to this, I'll buy it. Take my money goshdarnit! The trigger function is non-negotiable for what I use an external recorder for. The AV2 would be a total win for travelling. Cheers.
@@BootStrapTurnerVideography I got the following response from Tascam: "Thank you for your inquiry. It is not possible to sync the Record start/stop function to time code on the FR AV2. Kind regards". I too hope they include it in future firmware. I'd buy it in a New York minute!
Because AA batteries is available anywhere, and for field recording there's always the risk that you need to get fresh batteries. And for anyone who has this as an integral part of their kit, they will either use rechargeable AAs or a power bank. In either case, if they by accident run out of power, it's an easy save, because the nearest kiosk or supermarket got you covered, literally anywhere in the world. Trust me I've been there a few times :)
I use the AA batteries for smaller projects, but nothing beats having a power bank to power this device. I’m starting to get away from the proprietary power cells since I had one die on me in the middle of a project. 😫
@@parkviewphotography7529 Yeah, I've been looking into getting some better ones than the old ones I have atm. Anker looks like they've been making some great ones
One extra point to Tascam for including a 3.5 mm Mic input. It may not be a "professional" feature, but can be a life saver when I need to plug in some Røde or DJI wireless mic set. There can never be too many input/output options.
The ability to jam-sync timecode with the Tascam would make it an easy choice for me. A recorder at this price point with a TCXO and can integrate with your existing timecode devices makes post production much easier. Great review (as always)! Thanks Matt!
A noise floor test with "nothing" plugged in would have been great. You would have literally been able to see the system noise on your level meters. My Zoom F2 32bit recorders have a louse -55db noise floor and my Tascam X8 had a good noise floor of about -85db. If you plug a mic in, you cover that noise floor up with sound.
It's worth mentioning the FR-AV2 has been tested based off of a jam sync, meaning you don't need to keep it plugged in to the Deity-TC1 and it maintained its accuracy for over 8 hours at least.
Awesome, detailed comparison - thanks Matt. I bought the Zoom F3 just when the FR-AV2 got released, so ended up cancelling/returning the F3 (unopened). I think the Tascam just makes more sense nowadays, especially if/when the price drops a bit. Also FYI but I think there was a jump cut issue at 13:14? Unless that's just on my stream. Either way, great job Matt.
Better time code for Tascam, plus supposedly slightly lower noise in pre amps for Tascam. I hope for a price break on Black Friday.
I thimk the Avisoft recorder ranking site measured the F3 with marginally better noise performance but in any real world situation it is neither here nor there.
They are identical in pre amp noise, if any I do feel like the Zoom is better, which I suppose by Ozpeter's comment, Avisoft ranked the same. So there's that.
It's rare to see a mention of a sponsor in a comment, but 'Track Club' sounded pretty neat. Anyway, this video is an excellent and fair review of these two devices, thanks! I do have the Zoom F1 which is very much the kid brother of the F3, and the form factor and general design philosophy works well for me. But the reason why I am not in the market for either of the review devices is that my Zoom H1 XLR arrived last week, and its feature set meets my needs, while it incorporates some of the basic features of the review devices. For someone who wants a half price device of this type, it is well worth considering. Or even someone who needs several to cover a wedding and doesn't want to break the bank! Maybe down the track you will review that one. If you do I will know, 'cos I just subscribed!
I don't know if you know, but you are the best
OK so I did a recording at a theatre and was able to overload the Zoom F3 with a board feed. Be careful you have line or mic set correctly!
Matt, good review man. I would add that there’s slightly more hiss in the Tascam, based on the samples you shared in this video and we just don’t know how is the compression by RUclips but overall that’s not a problem.
Based on specialist measurements there would be no real world audible differences.
FR-AV2 wins by a mile IMO. The Timecode advantages are just ridiculous at that price point. It's got what the Zoom F6 has at half the price. It's also small and lightweight enough to use on camera with a cold shoe mount.
Well... the F6 has three times as many (marginally quieter)preamps as the Tascam so it is boumd to be more expensive. It's a very different type of device.
@ my point was in regard to the timecode capabilities of the F6. Just wanted to clarify bc my original comment wasn’t clear.
@MikePlayDrums Ah. I did wonder.
Simple tools aren’t just for newbies! Anyone who’s dealing with a timeline that runs behind and has to be readjusted on the fly knows how easy it is to miss little details. Simple, reliable tools make for consistent results. One less thing to think about is a good thing.
The Zoom F3 ($340) in Australia is less than half the cost of the Tascam FR-AV2 ($769). That IMO is a big difference when you are effectively getting a basically indistinguishable difference in the final recording.
Wow! Huge difference, I would definitely go for the F3 if I was in Australia.
Wow, is there a 100% tariff on Chinese Imports? That's a wild price difference!
Agree
@@SimplestUsername The quoted figures are Australian dollars. The Zoom is $429 at most sites. $340 is eBay I believe...
I need to know what exact brand of batteries are being used to be able to get the battery life I'm seeing others get. lol. Recently picked up the Zoom F3 and I have yet to get over 5 hours of use. I've tried with rechargeable and alkaline batteries.
Great comparison video Matt!
Interested to know how the Tascam DR701D (also has time code, and I prefer the form factor) stacks up against the AV2 here..?
Does Tascam FR-AV2 have the same preamps as Tascam X8/X6? If yes... then i'm wondering why they are saying F3 has better floor noise and preamps on the other, more audio oriented YT channels.
The Tascam devices measure at -127dBu A weighted, the F3 at -128, so yes it is marginally better but the chances of that being noticable in real world recording conditions is zero. I wouldn't make that part of my purchasing decision. YMMV!
@Ozpeter best answer i saw on the YT 🫵🏻👍
I use zero batteries in my Tascam FR-AV2. D-TAP to USB-C powers the recorder great and for far longer than the 3 AA batteries can from my V-Mount setup. In addition if you place a resistor across pins 2&3 and analyze the result, the Tascam has superior performance for lower noise. Check out Chris Judd’s review for that comparison.
The Avisoft site which evaluates recorders with top grade tests ranks the F3 the winner compared to the Tascam - by one dB(A) which is neither here nor there in real world conditions.
In my opinion the measurement performed by Curtis on the F3 (with the 150K resistance Plug) is hardly correct since the recording level preset by ZOOM is not known. With the F3 it is not possible to set a precise value for the recording level, unlike the Tascam with which, being able to vary the recording level at will, it is measured starting from a well-defined value. Such a difference in dB would be audible and clearly visible on the program, which in my opinion does not happen (I own both ...).
@@calandrella57 I guess you would first have to use a tone generator to set both devices to the same input level (gain), then use the resistance plug. But that could be quite a tedious operation with these recorders, ensuring that you were really keeping the playing field level. At the end of the day, real world tests are the most important tests. I would love to put up a slew of 32 bit float devices in front of an orchestra each using an identical stereo mic, then compare with a reasonably blind test afterwards. Is that ever going to happen? I doubt it.
@@Ozpeter Since I own both recorders, I tried to match the recording signal by setting the Tascam FR-AV2 to 26.5 dB with a test signal given by a frequency generator. In this way the recorded signal was equal (allow me the home test approximation...) to that recorded with the ZOOM F3. After this adjustment I recorded with a Neutrik Plug with the 150K resistor inside, this with both recorders; I then loaded the files in Audition, applied a gain of +60dB on both and then measured the Maximum RMS Power.
By doing so, a difference of 1.3 dB was found in favor of the Tascam FR-AV2, which is insignificant if we consider the DIY operation.
@@calandrella57 Well, that seems like a very fair test to me. Any difference between the two would have to be quite significant for it to be audible in real world conditions. I suppose the almost neurotic attention paid to noise levels these days is because frequency responses of these devices are essentially flat, so manufacturers can't use that to differentiate their devices. When I get time I might upload a comparative test of all the audio recorders I seen to have accumulated and see what differences can really be heard. One day...
Fantastic review Matt
Noise floor test was performed in a not very meaningfull way. It basically tested the noise floor of the mic. Shotgun mics are condensers. Even best ones are order of magnitude more noisy than any decent mic preamp. Preamp's noise was burried in the noise of the mic. Of course that means that both preamps are decent but to test their noise floor you would have to use dynamic mic or better yet 150Ohm resistor plug just like Curtis Judd did. And he found out that Tascam FR-AV2 has 10dB lower noise floor than Zoom F3. But for amost any condenser mic they are both more than sufficient.
I’ve got the zoom f3 and use a wireless bluetooth device to monitor the audio - cost about £40 and works quite well, little bit of lag but just plugs in to the headphone port and connects to Bluetooth headphones like any other device.
Do you have a link to the wireless device?
@ if I put a link I suspect Matt’s RUclips settings will detect it as spam and not post it. I bought mine on Amazon and if you search for this it should come up: Avantree Relay - Premium Airplane Bluetooth 5.3 Adapter
Damn, now I want!!!!
It's my understanding the amplification level DOES effect the recorded audio? He says it doesn't but another reviewer said it does. I mean it's right there in the name "amplification level"... so you could still end up with clipped audio if set too high?
The amplification level only affects audio recorded through the 3.5mm mic jack or if you use the recorder as a usb interface. I haven’t noticed it affecting the audio volume level on the internal audio tracks
@@whoismatt There isn't a 3.5mm mic jack on the F3, you must mean the output jack. It's okay, I will buy the Zoom F3 regardless!
I bought the Tascam FR AV2
Timecode with Zoom F6 both internal and external works fine with me.
Ok, Bluetooth Monitoring audio, what Bluetooth monitoring headphones are out there? This is basically only good enough to say hey, it's working or hey it's not working. I'm not going to critically monitor audio with AirPods.
already have the F3 but i want the Tascam for the timecode
i normally cable tie my zoom f6 on the audio table incase it drops since i gonna leave it there unattended
Have you tested the real world bluetooth monitoring range on FR-AV2? And is there any noticeable latency? I sometimes do wireless monitoring via a hack (mixer -> Zoom f3 -> DJI Mic -> headphones), but it's not ideal (extra stuff, some latency). It would be nice to simplify.
Bit of latency but it’s Bluetooth so it isn’t surprising
TapersSection forum users seem a bit disappointed with its monitoring range compared to the cheap and venerable Sony A10, which has remote monitoring and control out of the box. (If that device has it built in, why does it come as an extra on more sophisticated devices?)
@@whoismatt Thanks, Matt
@@Ozpeter Thanks, good to know
Please review the new zoom x1 xlr!
Yes! Matt would make a much better review than I did :)
Hi, great review. Can the "TC in" trigger the FR-AV2 to start (and stop) recording? I read the manual and it's not clear to me.
I get that the FR-AV2 will SYNC time code from an external source, but not to START a recording like my Sound Devices MIxPre 6 does.
@@railroadties2722 that would be cool. Currently with firmware 1.02 I don’t have external recording triggered by TC. But I hope a future update will include it. The firmware versions has been changing rapidly since release.
@@BootStrapTurnerVideography thank you for the reply. I sent the same query to Tascam... no response. As soon as they add the function to this, I'll buy it. Take my money goshdarnit! The trigger function is non-negotiable for what I use an external recorder for. The AV2 would be a total win for travelling. Cheers.
@@BootStrapTurnerVideography I got the following response from Tascam: "Thank you for your inquiry. It is not possible to sync the Record start/stop function to time code on the FR AV2. Kind regards".
I too hope they include it in future firmware. I'd buy it in a New York minute!
thanks for sharing
hmmm 🤔 how come I only got 3-4 hours battery life f3. i use aa eneloop pro
Eneloop Pro's have much less battery life than lithium batteries.
@ OK I see , those one time duracell battery last longer. I will keep some in my bag incase I need long hours
Tascam for me.
yey! im the first one to comment! watchiing from Philippines. shout out pls
Curious as to why they don't throw in a rechargeable internal battery in these.
Because AA batteries is available anywhere, and for field recording there's always the risk that you need to get fresh batteries. And for anyone who has this as an integral part of their kit, they will either use rechargeable AAs or a power bank. In either case, if they by accident run out of power, it's an easy save, because the nearest kiosk or supermarket got you covered, literally anywhere in the world. Trust me I've been there a few times :)
@@martinnielsen3978 Great points! This is why when audio is crucial, I get others to do it! lol
@@martinnielsen3978 exactly!
I use the AA batteries for smaller projects, but nothing beats having a power bank to power this device. I’m starting to get away from the proprietary power cells since I had one die on me in the middle of a project. 😫
@@parkviewphotography7529 Yeah, I've been looking into getting some better ones than the old ones I have atm. Anker looks like they've been making some great ones
13:10 Video Skips 💀
I died on the BRAWNDO comment