Gift Guide 2013: Zoom H6 6 Track Portable Digital Recorder

Zoom H6 6 Track Portable Digital Recorder

While this item is a bit pricy for a holiday gift, it is an amazing device. I have used several of the Zoom recorders in the past, including the H1 and H2, but the Zoom H5 looks to be the recorder I have always wanted. If you have a podcaster, YouTuber, or other new media creator in your, extra special, gift list, this might just be the ticket to make them very, very happy.

Features:

Interchangeable input capsules that can be swapped out as easily as the lens of a camera
Six-track simultaneous recording
Four mic/line inputs with XLR/TRS combo connectors
Gain controls (real knobs!) and -20dB pads for each input
Phantom power for all main inputs: +12/+24/+48V

The addition of XLR connectors with Phantom power opens up large opportunities for high-quality remote recording outside your “studio” including interviews, live shows and more. The interchangeable capsules also provide a high amount of flexibility in how you might use the recorder.

I must admit that the Zoom H5 is definitely on my own personal wish list!

Read an additional review of the Zoom H6 from Red Ferret

From Amazon.com…

The ground-breaking Zoom H6 handheld recorder will change the way you think about portable recording. With interchangeable stereo X/Y and Middle-Side microphone capsules included, plus Shotgun and Dual XLR/TRS Combo input capsules available separately, the H6 is the ultimate chameleon of the audio world — and its advanced preamps make it the best-sounding one too. Whatever your application — live recording, professional film/video work, or broadcast ENG (electronic news gathering) — the H6 can handle it with ease. The H6 offers four main inputs (1-4), plus two additional inputs (L, R) that are derived from whichever capsule (X/Y, MS, Shotgun, or Dual XLR/TRS Combo) is plugged into the unit. The supplied XYH-6 X/Y capsule also provides a secondary input for connecting an external mic- or line-level signal via a stereo 1/8″ Mic/Line In mini phone jack. When a connection is made to that jack, signal from the X/Y microphones is muted. The H6 Line Out is an unbalanced stereo 1/8″ phone jack, located on the bottom of the H6, beneath the LCD display. It carries the analog stereo output signal, as determined by the H6’s internal mixer. The H6 USB port, located on the side panel to the right of the LCD display, provides a digital output of either a stereo mix or the six individual input signals, depending upon the setting of the “Audio Interface”function in the USB menu. In addition, the H6 provides a headphone output with a dedicated volume control, located on the side panel to the left of the LCD display. Connect your headphones to the stereo 1/8” mini phone jack for private monitoring of the stereo output signal. The H6 even has a built-in speaker, located on the underside of the unit, for fast monophonic monitoring of the recorded signal without the need to make any connections whatsoever. This speaker is automatically disconnected when connection is made to either the Line Out or Headphone output.

More 2013 Gift Guide Items: