Zoom H8 Handy Portable Recorder Overview
Zoom H8 Handy Portable Recorder
The Zoom H8, the most adaptable handy recorder ever made. For over two decades Zoom handy recorders have been the go-to portable audio recorders for professionals, amateurs and everyone in between. The new H8 takes portable audio capture to a whole new level for Musicians, Podcasters and Sound Designers.The H8’s ingenious colour touchscreen interface presents a radical, yet intuitive “3-way” app workflow navigation like on your smartphone. So, whether you’re recording music, sound effects in the field, or professional podcasts, the H8 adapts instantly to the feature set required for the job.
Under its hood the H8 features all of Zoom’s industry-leading audio fidelity, legendary transparent preamps, and overall dependable performance. With four XLR and two XLR/TRS combo jacks and 4 capsule inputs, the H8 can record up to 12 tracks simultaneously, and you can quickly and easily adjust input type, lo-cut, EQ, compression, limiter, noise gate, and more. In addition, the H8 can be remote controlled via an IOS device and you can load your own effects via the Guitar Labs software. For podcasters, the H8 features four Sound Pads to activate sound effects such as laughter and applause. You can choose from 13 prerecorded sounds or download your own sound effects from your SD-card. The H8’s updated Capsule System 2.0* provides even more flexibility with brand new, high-end, mic and input attachments, as well as offering flawless backwards compatibility with the H6’s capsules.
Features:
- 12 simultaneous recording tracks, interchangeable capsules, and an App-driven touchscreen interface, the H8 is designed to meet all your audio recording needs.
- There’s An App For Your Workflow
- Whether you’re capturing audio on location, recording music, or producing a podcast, the H8 color touchscreen adapts to your project’s needs with three App-driven interface options. All with the touch of your finger.
- The Podcast App
- The PODCAST App makes high-production quality simple. With dedicated Sound Pads, use the touch screen to trigger sound effects, music beds and more. Choose from 13 high quality sounds or load your own via an SD card. (The Podcast App accommodates up to 4 mics and two Sound Pad channels.)
- The Music App
- The MUSIC App puts all the important controls at your fingertips: audio levels, faders, metering and more. With 10 inputs and 12 tracks, capturing a large group is easy. Mix, overdub, and enhance your recordings with EQ and compression. Connect to Zoom’s Guitar Lab via USB to access an endless assortment of amps and effects.
- The Field App
- The FIELD App is ideal for location sound, sound design, conferences, and more. It gives you instant access to large meters for every track, so you can make sure your recordings never clip. Adjust input type, lo-cut, compress, limiter, noise gate, and other key settings.
- The Mic Capsule
- The H8 comes with the Zoom XYH-6 microphone. This capsule provides two matched high-quality unidirectional mics, for capturing signal directly in front of the recorder. With the Zoom mic capsule system you can easily swap capsules to ensure you’re always using the right mic for the job.
- Next Generation Capsule System
- Zoom’s Capsule System 2.0 allows up to 4 channels of audio to be added to the H8's capsule connection, creating new ways to expand your recording capabilities.
- Combination XY / AB Mic
- XAH-8
- The XAH-8 capsule delivers pristine stereo recordings. Easily rotate the capsules from a tight XY pattern to a wide AB pattern to enhance the stereo image of your recordings.
- Ambisonic Mic
- VRH-8
- The VRH-8 is an Ambisonic mic capsule that utilizes four condenser microphones to deliver immersive 360 audio recordings. A built-in accelerometer helps ensure the capsule is always perfectly aligned, while the on-board Ambisonic decoder automatically handles the necessary conversions, saving you time in post-production.
- Expander Capsule
- EXH-8
- The EXH-8 capsule provides 4 additional XLR inputs, giving you a total of 10. Each additional input has a dedicated gain knob and pad switch. You can even use your favourite condenser microphones—just connect a power source to the EXH-8 capsule to supply phantom power.
- Remote Control
- You can monitor level meters and hit REC,PLAY, and STOP in each H8 application mode. Just insert the BTA-1 to your H8 and connect to your iOS device. (*BTA-1 sold separately.)
- Inputs & Outputs
- H8 offers 4 XLR inputs with dedicated pad switches and gain control. 2 additional XLR/TRS combo jacks with Hi-Z switches allow you to capture line level signals, microphones, or directly record electric guitars and basses.
- Monitor tracks using the built-in 1/8” headphone output or connect directly to your camera using the dedicated stereo line output.
- Multi-Channel Audio Interface
- The H8 is a powerful USB audio interface. Connect via USB to your PC, Mac, iPad or tablet for up to 12 channels of simultaneous recording.
- Recording Time & File Formats
- Get more than 20 hours of recording time from just 4 AA batteries. Or record forever with the optional AD-17 adapter.
- State-of-the-Art Editing
- The Zoom H8 comes with a free download license for Cubase LE and Steinberg’s WaveLab Cast software. WaveLab Cast helps you to finalize your project with a wide range of comprehensive editing, mixing, and refinement tools.
- Podcasting aveLab Cast connects you directly with podcast directories, such as Spreaker or Podbean*. You can upload episodes quickly, plus directly create and publish RSS feeds.
- Audio for Video
- Import your video file and WaveLab Cast will automatically extract the audio. You can use the editing tools to lower unwanted noise, change levels and remove loud sibilants. Metering options allow you to build new tracks, fade-in your music, use EQ and compression. Re-attach the audio to the video file using WaveLab Cast’s export functions.
- Field Recording
- WaveLab Cast supports up to 96KHz audio quality and includes a high-end re-sampler. RestoreRig removes noise and unwanted sounds. You can assemble new files using the snap functions and crossfade options. Once you’re done, export your sound files in any popular audio format.
- Get more than 20 hours of recording time from just 4 AA batteries. Or record forever with the optional AD-17 adapter.
- The H8 records BWF-compliant WAV and MP3 files in any of the following formats:
- 44,1 kHz / 16 Bit 44,1 kHz / 24 Bit 48 kHz / 16 Bit
- 48 kHz / 24 Bit 96 kHz / 16 Bit 96 kHz / 24 Bit
