Review: Zoom H6studio

H6studio is the latest in a long line of wildly successful H series handheld recorders. The company runs an alternate flagship lineage for ‘field’ recorders, the ‘F’ series, but that’s not to imply the H6studio couldn’t be used as such. In fact, the H6studio, like its H5studio sibling before it, borrows the same high-quality mic preamps from the F series.

HANDS ON

H6studio offers four XLR/TRS combo inputs with 60dB of gain and are exceptionally clean with a -127dBu input noise floor and a dynamic range of 132dB. 48V phantom power is available for each. Input gain for the XLR inputs and the on board X/Y configured mics is via dedicated pots on the face of the unit, although the inputs and on board mics can be set to adjust gain automatically. Gain adjustment and button pressing does introduce a degree of handling noise, so you’re best to set up, hit Record and then step away from the unit. If this is an inconvenience you can control the unit via Bluetooth and the Zoom Handy Control & Sync app (you’ll need the optional Bluetooth receiver plugged into the base of the unit).

The on board mics (19.4mm diameter capsules) offer an exceptional 140dB SPL, so [[[if you’re recording at a concert or sticking the recorder straight in front of a band with a full drum kit you needn’t worry about overloading the mics.]]] They’ll handle it. It’s pretty much twice the dynamic range of the original H6. Interestingly, the X/Y mics can be swapped out for optional Zoom microphones such as the SSH-6e mid-side stereo shotgun mic capsule, or the EXH-6e two-channel XLR/TRS input capsule. Various DSP functions are available to each channel, such as lookahead limiting and high-pass filtering. Recording can be up to 192k although there are some caveats when using the unit as a computer recording interface.

PRESS RECORD

Recording is straight to a single microSD card (HC and XC), with my 128GB card providing just under 100 hours of record time at 32-bit float. 16/24-bit recording is also available with no alteration to record time, so I’m assuming the 16/24-bit option is simply 32-bit word lengths encapsulated in a 24-bit container. The H6studio will record eight tracks simultaneously – six tracks via the on board mics and XLR inputs, alongside a stereo mix of those six tracks. A 3.5mm line output allows sending your mix of tracks out to cameras and such, plus there’s an additional 3.5mm output for headphones with dedicated volume control. Or you can playback via the built-in speaker. [[[The speaker will also recite where you’re placed within the operating system via an ‘Accessibility’ feature.]]] Available in several languages, I found this quite useful for navigating operation without having to refer to the display. Overall, operation is intuitive and straightforward. You’ll be up and running without diving into a manual or becoming lost amongst menus.

You can, as mentioned, also use the H6studio as an audio interface and record straight to MacOS, smartphones, and tablets via USB-C. This is restricted to 96k. Although, if recording to both the H6studio and computer/other device, you’re restricted to 48k. Windows-based machines will require a driver installation. Nothing new there. The H6studio is also shielded to negate RF interference from devices such as smartphones and radio mics.

UP TIME

Power is provided via four AA size batteries – cheap and universally bountiful. As an indicator, I stuck a condenser mic into one of the inputs of the H6studio and ran it with 48V power on rechargeable lithium batteries, which got me to around six hours of record time. Not bad for AA batteries. If that’s not enough for you and you’re after redundancy you can run the unit via USB-C connected power packs.

The H6studio is a worthy and highly capable successor. The mics sound great; the preamps are clean and capable; and it’s extremely easy to use. Not to mention the raft of versatility and connectivity with different mic modules and audio interface capability. An exceptional all-rounder that won’t break your budget.