ZOOM F3 FIELD RECORDER Portable, 2-channel, 32-bit float recording, microSDHC/microSDXC

Zoom F1 field recorder is a portable two channel audio recording device that supports 24-bit, 96kHz audio in broadcast WAV or MP3 formats, which is recorded directly to micro SD or micro SDHC card up to 32GB in capacity.

Two versions of the F1 are available; Zoom F1-LP includes a lavalier microphone and is designed for ENG use and audio recordists who require a compact recording device to capture audio via external microphone whilst Zoom F1-SP includes the SGH-6 mono shotgun microphone and is designed for ‘run-and-gun’ filmmakers who are using in conjunction with DSLR or video camera. Functionality includes an internal tone generator allows the user to calibrate audio levels between Zoom F1 and DSLR camera or video camera, making the need for an attenuator cable redundant. A ‘sound marker’ tool can be set up to automatically output a tone to enable easier audio/video sync.

Up to 10 hours of operation can be achieved when recording with the lavalier microphone of the F1-LP and using 2x AAA alkaline, NiMH or lithium battery cells.

Battery life

(1) With included lavalier microphone, 48kHz/24-bit, mono, plug-in power ON
(2) With included SGH-6 shotgun microphone, 48kHz/24-bit, mono

The front facing panel of the F1 houses a 1.25-inch monochrome LCD screen along with STOP, REC, and PLAY/PAUSE transport buttons. Beneath the monochrome display four additional buttons give access to functions including recording format, low cut filter, limiter, and recording level. An LED positioned to the bottom-right corner illuminates during recording, and flashes to warn of clipping input level. The left side of the recorder has a microUSB port for connection to computer or iOS device when using as an audio interface or card reader. The USB port is also used when combining with the Zoom AD-17 DC power supply. Volume up and down buttons are also found on the left side of the field recorder. The right side of the F1 has the microSD card slot located beneath a hinged cover and sliding power button which doubles up as a ‘hold’ switch to disable accidental button operation.

The bottom side of the recorder has a 3.5mm locking jack mic/line input that supports 2.5V plug-in power; and a 3.5mm locking jack ‘PHONE’ headphone output. The upper side of the recorder has a 10-pin connector for use with a range of optional Zoom interchangeable microphone capsules.

Included accessories: Zoom F1-LP: F1 recorder, LMF-1 lavalier microphone, WSL-1 windscreen, MCL-1 mic clip, BCF-1 belt clip, 2x AAA batteries, quick start guide. Zoom F1-SP: F1 recorder, SGH-6 shotgun microphone, WSS-6 windscreen, SMC-1 stereo mini cable for DSLR, SMF-1 shock mount, 2x AAA batteries, quick start guide.
Optional accessories: ECM-3 cable extension, ECM-6 cable extension, EXH-6 dual mic/line input module, MSH-6 mid-side microphone module, SGH-6 shotgun microphone module, SSH-6 stereo shotgun microphone module, XYH-5 shock-mounted microphone module, XYH-6 X/Y microphone module.

Supported format: 44.1kHz/16-bit, 48kHz/16-bit, 48kHz/24-bit, 96kHz/24-bit, mono/stereo WAV; 48kbps, 128kbps, 192kbps, 256kbps, 320kbps, mono/stereo MP3; ID3v1 tags supported. Recording media: Single microSD/microSDHC, class 4 or higher, up to 32GB. Input gain: inf. to +50dB, mono shotgun mic (SGH-6); -12 to +36dB, mic/line in; -32dB/1Pa at 1kHz, lavalier microphone. Input impedance: 2kohm or more, mic/line. Output connectors: Unbalanced 3.5mm stereo jack, phone, 11mW + 11mW into 32ohm load. Power requirements: 2x AAA battery cells/AD-17 5V/1A DC adapter. Dimensions (W x D x H): 64 x 79.8 x 33.3mm. Weight: 120g, without microphone.

Zoom F2 is a field recorder is a compact and portable mono audio recording device that utilises 32-bit float recording in broadcast WAV format (BWF), which is recorded directly to microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC card up to 512GB in capacity.

Two versions of the F2 are available – F2 and F2-BT with Bluetooth. Both recorders include a Zoom LMF-2 lavalier microphone making the kit ready to go out of the box, with the exclusion of microSD card.

Up to 18 hours of operation can be achieved when recording with the lavalier microphone of the F2 using 2x AAA alkaline, NiMH or lithium battery cells.

Battery life

The front facing panel of the compact field recorder features a record button positioned within a power on/off and hold turning toggle. A red LED illuminates when the unit is in active record mode. When the power toggle is set to ‘Hold’, the buttons are disabled to prevent accidental operation. To the left of the front facing panel are two colour-changing LEDs. One LED illuminates according to the input level received, and the second illuminates to signify the remaining battery charge with solid green signifying full charge; solid orange signifying less than full charge; blinking orange signifying low charge; and blinking red signifying empty battery cell. Two buttons allows the increase and decrease of output level, whilst a further two buttons allow stop and play functions.

The top of the F2 has a USB-C connector for transferring files or adjusting settings using the F2 Editor software. This USB-C connection can also be used with the optional AD-17 power adapter. To the right of the USB-C connection is a 3.5mm stereo jack connection for connecting headphones, and a second 3.5mm locking jack connector for use with the included lavalier microphone or other compatible input source. The rear panel of the field recorder features a belt clip, along with media card slot with cover.

Included accessories: 1x LMF-2 omnidirectional lavalier microphone with 160cm fixed cable terminating with locking 3.5mm stereo jack plug, 3x WSL-1 windshield, 1x MCL-1 microphone clip, 2x AAA alkaline batteries, Wavelab Cast software, Operation manual.

Supported format: WAV, 44.1kHz/32-bit float mono, 48kHz/32-bit float mono. Recording media: Single microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC, class 4 or higher, up to 512GB. Input gain: None, dual AD conversion system. Input impedance: 2kohm or more. Maximum input level: -5.5dBu. Output connector: 3.5mm stereo jack, 20mW + 20mW into 32ohm load. Power requirements: 2x AAA battery cells or AD-17 adapter. Dimensions (W x D x H): 57.5 x 46.4 x 22.4mm. Weight: 32g, without microphone.

F2-BT has all the specifications and features of the Zoom F2, however in addition has built in Bluetooth. This enables the user to control the F2-BT remotely via the free to download Zoom F2 Control app. Controls include start/stop recording, adjusting output volume, control lo-cut, and display important information including battery levels. A full list of Bluetooth functionality can be found on the supporting datasheet.

Zoom F6 field recorder is a six input mixer capable of recording up to fourteen tracks directly to SD/SDHC/SDXC card. It has been designed for audio recordists in film, television, and broadcast, and in particular where small and compact dimensions are required. F6 provides up to 16.5 hours of operation using lithium batteries (with phantom power off), or 7.5 hours with four AA battery cells. A USB-C connection allows for use with AC/DC 5V power supply, whilst also supporting bus power.

Designed to support a floating 32-bit recording gives the engineer more flexibility with the input gain settings, allowing adjustment of fluctuating dynamics in post-production. This field recorder can operate at 192kHz when recording at 24-bit or 32-bit, or at 96kHz when recording in 24-bit and 32-bit simultaneously.

Internal processing allows the user to employ look-ahead ‘hybrid limiters’ that adds a 1ms delay to anticipate input signal clipping, high pass filtering, phase inversion, mid-side decoding, and Zoom AutoMix software. Time code I/O on BNC connectors can be adjusted to frame rate of 23.976ND/24ND/25ND/29.97ND/29.97D/30ND/30D with a precision of +/-0.2ppm. An Ambisonic mode can be used to achieve A to B decoding when combining with the Sennheiser AMBEO microphone, see SENNHEISER MICROPHONES - Multichannel, Ambisonic Surround Sound, Ambisonic Surround Sound. Bluetooth protocol can be achieved using the optional BTA-1 Bluetooth adapter. This enables the wireless connection of the iOS Zoom F Control app to remotely monitor and adjust input levels, start/stop recording or playback, or monitor battery status.

Battery life

Notes: (1) Recording 2 channels at 48kHz/16-bit to SD card with LINE OUT off, TIMECODE off, LED/LCD Brightness 5, headphones into 32ohm load, PHANTOM off. (2) Recording 6 channels at 48kHz/24-bit to SD card with LINE OUT off, TIMECODE off, LED/LCD Brightness 5, headphones into 32ohm load, PHANTOM off. (3) Recording 6 channels at 192kHz/24-bit to SD card with LINE OUT on, TIMECODE set to Int Free Run, LED/LCD Brightness 60, headphones into 32ohm load, PHANTOM at 48V.

The front facing panel of the F6 has dedicated STOP, REC, and PLAY-PAUSE transport buttons beneath the 1.54-inch full-colour/monochromatic LCD, dual function menu down/RWD and menu up/FF buttons to the right of the screen, and two navigations to the left of the screen. Six rotary controllers, three at each side of the screen, allow the user to adjust the input levels. Next to each rotary controller is a status LED that illuminates red when the input is enabled; green when track playback is enabled; orange for PFL monitoring; and off when input is disabled. The rear facing panel of the F6 has the SD card slot, and L battery mount dock. The underside of the unit has a screw locking compartment to house the batteries required for operation.

The left side of the recorder has three locking balanced 3-pin XLR inputs for channels 1-3, USB-C port, 3.5mm jack line output, and slot for optional BTA-1 bluetooth adapter. The right side of the F6 has three more 3-pin balanced XLR inputs (channels 4-6), 3.5mm jack headphone output connection, 3.5mm TRS jack timecode I/O jack, and power switch. A recessed headphone volume wheel is also positioned on the right side of the unit.

Included accessories: Camera mount adapter, 4x AA battery cells, Cubase LE and Wavelab LE download codes, quick start guide.

Supported format: 44.1/47.952/48/48.048/88.2/96/192kHz, 16/24-bit/32-bit float, BWF and iXML; 128/192/320kbps, 44.1/48kHz, mp3. Recording media: Single SD/SDHC/SDXC card up to 512GB. Input gain: +12 to +75dB, mic; -8 to +55dB, line. Input impedance: 3kohm, mic; 5kohm, line. Maximum input level: +4dBu, XLR; +24dBu, line. Phantom power: +24/+48V, 10mA maximum, mic inputs. Equivalent input noise: -127dBu or less, A-weighted, +75dB input gain. A/D dynamic range: 150ohm typical. Output connectors: Unbalanced 3.5mm stereo jack, line. Headphone output: 15ohm unbalanced 3.5mm stereo jack socket, 100mW + 100mW into 32ohm load. Power requirements: 4x AA battery cells/AD-19 DC adapter. Consumption: 10W. Dimensions (W x D x H): 100 x 119.8 x 62.9mm. Weight: 520g.

Zoom F8N Pro field recorder is a 32-bit float, field multi-track recorder designed for audio recordists in film, television, and broadcast. F8N Pro provides up to 5 hours of operation using the caddy-less 8x AA battery cell drawer, and can simultaneously record up to ten tracks of audio, recording to two SD/SDHC/SDXC cards if desired. This field recorder can be used as an 8-in/4-out USB audio interface, operating at 96kHz. A 10-pin connector positioned on the rear of the unit allows the user to connect optional and interchangeable audio input capsules to provide a number of different input methods including X/Y or mid-side pickup, or additional audio inputs.

Internal processing allows the user to employ look-ahead ‘hybrid limiters’ that adds a 1ms delay that anticipates any input signal clipping, high pass filtering, phase inversion, mid-side decoding, and Zoom AutoMix software. Time code I/O on BNC connectors can be adjusted to frame rate of 23.976ND/24ND/25ND/25.97ND/25.97D/30ND/30D with a precision of +/-0.2ppm. An Ambisonic mode can be used to achieve A to B decoding when combining with the Sennheiser AMBEO microphone, see SENNHEISER MICROPHONES - Multichannel, Ambisonic Surround Sound. Bluetooth LE protocol enables the wireless connection of the iOS Zoom F8 Control app to remotely monitor and adjust input levels, start/stop recording or playback, or monitor battery status.

The recorder can be powered via 8x AA battery cells, external DC battery pack via Hirose connection, or included AD-19 12V DC power supply.

Battery life

Notes: (1) Recording 2 channels at 48kHz/32-bit floating/16-bit linear/24-bit linear to SD1 with MAIN/SUB OUT OFF, TIME CODE OFF, LED/LCD Brightness 5, 32Ω headphones, PHANTOM OFF. (2) Recording 8 channels at 48kHz/32-bit floating/16-bit linear/24-bit linear to SD1 with MAIN/SUB OUT OFF, TIME CODE OFF, LED/LCD Brightness 5, 32Ω headphones, PHANTOM OFF. (3) Recording 8 channels at 192kHz/32-bit floating/16-bit linear/24-bit linear to SD1/2 with MAIN/SUB OUT ON, TIME CODE Int Free Run, LED/LCD Brightness 60, 32Ω headphones, PHANTOM 48V.

The front facing panel of the F8N Pro has transport buttons, including backlit play/pause and record buttons. A green backlit power LED is positioned in the lower right-hand corner and a rotary headphone output level controller is positioned to the centre of the recorder. Above the transport buttons each of the eight input channels has a dedicated rotary input level control, PFL switch, and 6-stage LED level meter. Above the headphone volume control, a menu button and jog wheel allows the user to adjust settings as well as scroll through the menu that is displayed on the 2.4inch, 320x240 pixel full colour backlit LCD that can be set to monochrome mode if desired.

The left side of the recorder has four locking balanced Neutrik XLR/TRS combo inputs for channels 1-4, Hirose connection, USB port, and two SD media slots. The right side of the F8N Pro has four more balanced Neutrik XLR/TRS combo inputs (channels 5-8), sub output on 3.5mm unbalanced jack socket, 6.3mm headphone output connection, and two TA3 connections for main out. These TA3 outputs can be converted to 3-pin male XLR connectors using the optional TXF-8 breakout cable. The rear of the field recorder has BNC I/O connections for time code, 10-pin MIC IN for optional capsules listed below, DC power supply connection, and access to the caddy-less battery tray.

Included accessories: Zoom AD-19 12V AC power adapter, operating instructions.
Optional accessories: FRC8 F-Control, PCF-8n carrying case, ECM-3 extension cable, ECM-6 extension, CMF-8 camera mount adapter, TXF-8 TA3 to 3-pin XLR cable.

Supported format: 44.1/47.952/48/48.048/88.2/96/192kHz, 16/24-bit linear, 32-bit float, BWF and iXML; 128/192/320kbps, 44.1/48kHz, mp3. Recording media: SDHC card, 4GB to 32GB; SDXC card, 64GB to 1TB. Input gain: +10 to +75dB, mic; -10 to +55dB, line. Input impedance: 3kohm or more, mic; 5kohm or more, line. Maximum input level: +4dBu, XLR; +24dBu, line (at 0dBFS, limiter on). Phantom power: +24/+48V, 10mA maximum, mic inputs. Equivalent input noise: -127dBu or less, A-weighted, +75dB input gain. A/D dynamic range: 113dB typical. Crosstalk: -90dB or less. Output connectors: 2x balanced TA3, main out 1/2; unbalanced 3.5mm jack, sub out 1/2. Output impedance: 150ohms or less, main; 100ohm or less, sub. Headphone output: 18ohm, output impedance; unbalanced 6.3mm stereo jack socket, connection; 100mW + 100mW into 32ohm load, maximum output level. Power requirements: 8x AA battery cells/AD-19 DC adapter/DC-HIROSE cable. Consumption: 15W. Dimensions (W x D x H): 178.2 x 140.3 x 54.3mm. Weight: 1200g.

FRC8 F-CONTROL Control Surface

Zoom F-Control FRC8 mixing control surface is compatible with the Zoom F6 and F8N Pro and has been designed to give the user ‘more control and flexibility’ when recording in the field. This compact controller has 9x 60mm faders (8x channel and 1x master) with controls for trim, pan, and track arming. 12-segment LED meters gives a visual indication of each channel’s levels. An external USB keyboard can be connected to enable the user to type track information such as name, scene name, notes, and ‘false take’. A 6.3mm jack headphone socket allows the connection from the headphone output of the F8N Pro to enable the user to monitor.

Power options: 4x AA batteries, 4-pin HIROSE connector with external battery pack, or USB bus power (F8N Pro only). Power consumption: 2.5W. Dimensions (W x D x H): 243.8 x 180.6 x 45.7mm. Weight: 980g

BTA-1 Bluetooth Adapter

BTA-1 is a Bluetooth adapter compatible with F3 field recorder. It allows remote recording control from iOS or Android device with F3 control app.

ECM-3, ECM-6 Extension Cable

These items are extension cables designed to give the user the option of remote mounting their Zoom microphone/input capsules for better placement. ECM-3 is a 3m extension, and ECM-6 is a 6m extension, both include a hot shoe adapter to allow the user to mount to a tripod or boom pole.

EXH-6 Input Module, dual mic/line

This module has two balanced 6.3mm/XLR combination inputs to give the user additional inputs to their compatible Zoom recording device. Each input has a 0/20dB pad switch along with rotary input level controller.

Compatible with H6, H5, Q8, U-44, F8, F6, F1-LP and F1-SP.

MSH-6 Microphone Module, mid-side

Zoom MSH-6 capsule contains a unidirectional forward-facing microphone element as well as a bi-directional, side-facing microphone element to capture audio otherwise known as ‘mid-side’. The compatible recorder’s MS (mid-side) decoder allows the capture of a stereo image that can be later adjusted – particularly handy for film, video and television application.

Compatible with H6, H5, Q8, U-44, F8, F6, F1-LP and F1-SP.

SGH-6 Microphone Module, shotgun

SGH-6 is a shotgun microphone capsule designed to capture audio front the front of the microphone and reject audio from the side or rear.

Compatible with H6, H5, Q8, U-44, F8, F6, F1-LP and F1-SP.

SSH-6 Microphone Module, stereo shotgun

Zoom SSH-6 microphone capsule features a ‘super-directional’ microphone element for capturing audio in the front or centre, and a bi-directional microphone element to capture audio from the left and right of the capsule. This results in a ‘mono-compatible’ stereo image that can be adjusted in post-production, often desired in film, video and television applications. Includes hairy windscreen.

Compatible with H6, H5, Q8, U-44, F8, F6, F1-LP and F1-SP.

XYH-5 Microphone Module, shock mounted stereo

This capsule is designed for live broadcast and podcast applications and provides two unidirectional condenser microphones, each fixed at a 90degree angle. Capable of handling input levels up to 140dB SPL, this capsule is also well equipped to capture audio from live concerts or electronic news gathering (ENG) applications.

Compatible with H6, H5, Q8, U-44, F8, F6, F1-LP and F1-SP.

XYH-6 Microphone Module, adjustable stereo

Like XYH-5, Zoom XYH-6 is an X/Y audio capturing microphone capsule however it doesn’t have shock mounting properties. The angle of the microphone capsules can be altered from 90 to 120 degrees for a wider stereo image.

Compatible with H6, H5, Q8, U-44, F8, F6, F1-LP and F1-SP.

CMF-8 Camera Mount Bracket

A camera mount bracket for F8N Pro field recorder, allowing the physical connection of the F8N Pro to a DSRL camera.

TXF-8 Cable

Zoom TXF-8 is a dual female TA3 to dual male 3-pin XLR adapter cable designed for use with F8N Pro field recorder.