TromboneChat

Hey All,

I recently purchased a Zoom H6 and XLR Expansion Module. 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/H6

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/H6EXH6

I put it through its paces a little while recording my Master of Music recital, and it held up like a champ!  While recording/performing the recital, I made used 5 of the available 6 XLR/TRS inputs, Spot miking the piano (with a Blumlin stereo array stuck into the piano), Bass Trombone (with a LDC) and overhead/room mics (SDCs hanging in the hall).  All Mics (except the OH mics) were run into a 50 foot snake to backstage, where I recorded the recital unattended in two chunks (Start-Intermission, Intermission-End).  It worked great!  No audio dropouts, all recorded without incident. 

A link to the recording: http://snd.sc/1lFJ6ig

Some information about the performance/recording/equipment used:

   The Program:

      Koetsier: Allegro Maestoso
      Hidas: Meditation for Bass Trombone
      Lebedev: Concert Allegro

         -Intermission-

      Bozza: New Orleans
      Brubeck: Concerto
         I. Paradise Utopia
         II. Sorrow Floats
         III. Cadenza into James Brown in the Twilight Zone


   Mics used:

      Piano: Blumlin Stereo Array | Placement: horizontally placed into piano | Mics: Cascade FATheads                                     

         Preamps: Inline FEThead preamp (phantom powered)

      Bass Trombone: MXL v67G Large Diaphragm Condenser (modified) | Placement: 2-3 feet from bell, off center.                            
                               
      Room/Hall: Unidentified Neumann Small Diaphragm Condensers.

         Preamp: Universal Audio Stereo Preamp with Phantom Power.

   Recording Format: WAV – 24 bit 44100

   Mixed in: Ardour 3.3, using mostly LinuxDSP LV2 plugins

Here are some overall thoughts about the Zoom H6 and the Expansion Module I used.

What I like:

-The removable mic modules are very handy.
-It's nice to have analogue feeling controls for gain adjustment.
-The color screen is great for keeping track of levels in real time.
-The sound quality of the mid-side attachment and on-board decoder is impressive (I still haven't tested the XY module, so I can't yet comment on it).
-The ability to link two tracks together into a stereo meter for monitoring is very handy depending on what the job calls for.
-Seeing an on-screen estimate of recording time remaining on the loaded SD card (when arming/disarming tracks) is a useful feature.
-Overall, the device feels rugged, without feeling overly heavy.
-Having a line-in located directly on the XY module was a great idea.  I'm sure I'll have a need for it in the course of my use of the device!


Areas of improvement:

-The screen could be a little bit bigger.
-The track wheel is just as hard to use as it was on the original H4.
-Change simple settings (such as recording format) are deeply buried in the menus.
-Locking XLR combo jacks would add to peace of mind if setting this up on a stage.
-Phantom power activation should really have dedicated physical buttons/switches on the device (next to each channel's gain encoders.
-The XLR expansion module cannot send phantom power (I'm not sure if this can be remedied with a firmware upgrade).
-Lack of a dedicated power adapter port is problematic: if I'm running the device off the USB port (for power), it causes audible noise in monitoring (which is not present when running off of battery power).
-Running the device as an audio interface at low latency can be hit and miss. 
-The ability to sync the H6 to a Q3HD would be convenient.

I hope all of this is helpful to people looking for a new recorder.  Also, I hope you enjoy the recording  It was a lot of fun preparing this program, especially the last movement of the Brubeck!

Thanks for reading/listening!

Thanks for your review. This looks like some really cool gear!

I didn't listen to all your recordings, but you sound very good! But I really miss some "room" on this recording. Maybe adding some reverb would help.

Thank you! 

I did add a little reverb, but I like to rely on a balance between the hall mics and the spot mics to create that "room" sound.  If I add too much it can start to sound a little artificial, so I try to go light on effects (like I would for my clients recording a pre-screening audition cd, etc).

Hi

Bringing up this old topic because I am really looking into buying a Zoom H6 now.

Any more experiences with the Zoom h6? Anybody used it to record a full ensemble? Impressions?

I've also used it to record full ensembles.  Do you want to use mic pods that plug into the device, or do you want to use external condensers?  If you want to use it with the provided mic pods, they work ok (pretty much like an h4n).  I'd recommend using external mics with this if you are able.  I usually do a stereo array above the group I'm recording, with an a-b array close up to the ensemble, and spot mics where necessary.  I don't mix down on the device, instead I import locally into my DAW (on my computer).  Anything else specifically you would like to know about the device?

I think i'd want to use two external mics on the left and the right plus the x/y mic that come with the zoom in the center. Do you think that would work well?

Would that give me three independent tracks?

Wich mics do you use with your zoom for ensemble recording?

I use a mix of condensers, but it really depends on the ensemble and the space.

I use a mix of condensers, but it really depends on the ensemble and the space.