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NAB 2018 sneak peak: Zoom F8n


IronFilm
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1 hour ago, squig said:

I'm curious about how those new limiters sound compared to Sound Devices limiters.

I'm "happy" enough ish with the current Zoom F4/F8 limiters, they give you an extra 10dB of headroom, so if you're recording conservatively (as you shouldn't be driving your limiters hard even if you have a 633/Maxx/SX-R4+/etc) with a single extra safety track (for the boom track, I usually don't worry about the wireless as you're more likely to run into issues earlier in the gain staging on average than at the final recorder end of things) that you've set levels for sensibly beforehand then I have nothing to worry about with Zoom's limiters. 

And if they become even better? As we expect. Well I'll certainly be very happy with them as well I'm sure!

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Reports are rolling of the earliest pre orderers getting their deliveries! Mine is scheduled to arrive at my reshipper in Oregon USA tomorrow, but then will take a bit longer to get from there to New Zealand :-/

However I'm getting ready for that day! Having now purchased an iPad Mini 2 and iPod Touch 6th Gen (wonder if I can use both together at once? That would be the dream! But using either one at a time is the plan at the moment). Currently hunting down research for the next part of the jigsaw puzzle which is how to mount these best to my Orca OR30 bag. 
 

1 hour ago, webrunner5 said:

Software for Audio- Editing Uses Guide. Might be helpful.

https://www.videomaker.com/audio-editing-software-buyers-guide-5/

One word:

Reaper.

https://www.reaper.fm

 

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55 minutes ago, IronFilm said:

However I'm getting ready for that day! Having now purchased an iPad Mini 2 and iPod Touch 6th Gen (wonder if I can use both together at once? That would be the dream! But using either one at a time is the plan at the moment).

Mmmmm......The F8n is Bluetooth LE so it is actually possible to have multiple clients but it would depend on how Zoom have implemented it.

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As I anticipate the imminent arrival of my F8n I'm planning for it with purchases of an iPad Mini and an iPad Touch (am curious, is it possible to use simultaneously two iOS devices connected to an F8/F8n at once?), which then raises the question of how to mount them to my Orca OR30 bag: how are others doing this?

 

My initial thoughts for now are to use this iPad (or iPod/iPhone, I'll get a smaller one as well) mount:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tablet-Tripod-Mount-Holder-Bracket-1-4-Thread-Adapter-for-7-10-1-iPad-Mini-Air/142413780492

 

Together with this clamp to affix it to the Orca bag:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Metal-Spring-Clamp-Clip-w-Ball-Head-for-Camera-Flash-Photograph-N8M2-M1C6/282724516816

 

But there are surely other approaches as well, maybe this might be better:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Metal-Spring-Clamp-Clip-w-Ball-Head-for-Camera-Flash-Photograph-N8M2-M1C6/282724516816

 

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You are probably wearing enough stuff around your neck anyway but this is a very practical solution if you can mount it to your existing straps.

It folds the iPad up to your chest when not used and then can hinge it forward to be flat or at an angle over the bag.

43561_t_sq.jpg.6b9b9c34c39fef5a9c4ad388d19a842c.jpg

43561_b_sq.jpg.d6e21a5bdf9e7a713404f6fc529b782d.jpg

43561_2_sq.jpg.66f587708b809e2e9a8b216509c4d394.jpg

https://www.performanceaudio.com/item/setwear-ipad-hands-free-chest-pack/43561/

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16 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

You are probably wearing enough stuff around your neck anyway but this is a very practical solution if you can mount it to your existing straps.

It folds the iPad up to your chest when not used and then can hinge it forward to be flat or at an angle over the bag.

Yup, I've seen lots of other crew members wear these or similar. 

But for me? It seems like a 100% guaranteed recipe to one day get that all tangled up with the mixer harness I'm already wearing! 

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10 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Yup, I've seen lots of other crew members wear these or similar. 

But for me? It seems like a 100% guaranteed recipe to one day get that all tangled up with the mixer harness I'm already wearing! 

Sort of like this guy. I bet with all those girls in cowboys boots, that picture had to be taken in Texas LoL. I think I am moving to Texas!

 

Canon guy.jpg

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5 hours ago, Kisaha said:

@IronFilm your last 2 links are the same.

Oops

I meant to link to this as the 3rd link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Camera-Super-Clamp-Tripod-for-Holding-LCD-Monitor-DSLR-Camera-video-light-DV/182964737590

 

5 hours ago, Kisaha said:

How are you going to use the iPad with the F8n? I have one (an iPad Air that never use) around and I am probably getting the F8n also.

Join the F8n club!

Check if your iPad is new enough to run the app. 

And the iPad will only be for more stationary set ups. Most of the time it will be the iPod Touch 6G

5 hours ago, Kisaha said:

 

Edit: what happened with the Audix?!

Somewhere waiting to  be  unboxed probably...

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I rarely ever use my Zoom F4 as a USB audio interface, but had a friend asking for help so made a little video about it (the problem is if you're using this mode for the first time none of the tracks are armed! As it appears *none* of the settings you had before transfer over into the USB audio interface mode?!):

 


The good news is the Zoom F8n does both USB and normal recording mode simultaneously, thus I would assume it wouldn't have this same quirk as my F4 has. 

 

 

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On 6/30/2018 at 6:44 AM, IronFilm said:

I rarely ever use my Zoom F4 as a USB audio interface, but had a friend asking for help so made a little video about it (the problem is if you're using this mode for the first time none of the tracks are armed! As it appears *none* of the settings you had before transfer over into the USB audio interface mode?!):

 


The good news is the Zoom F8n does both USB and normal recording mode simultaneously, thus I would assume it wouldn't have this same quirk as my F4 has. 

 

 

First off, I have to thank you for singing the praises of the Zoom F series over the last year or so. The H4 was the first portable recorder I ever bought and it was so bad I thought I'd never go back. Now thanks to your reviews I'm seriously considering picking up an F4, but aside from using it in the field I'm wondering whether the sound quality and audio interface functions are good enough to have it replace my current audio interface, an RME Fireface 400?

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Sometimes I half wonder if Zoom should have created an entirely new brand for the F8 launch. 
As you're better off chucking out all your preconceptions about Zoom. 

If the F8/F4/F8n was a "Sound Devices" name plate on it the chassis then people would be singing their high praises!


Rough timeline history:
F8: groundbreaking unseen tech/quality/specs for the sub $1K price point! (together with the Tentacles released the year before, this could be as game changing for sound as the HDSLR Revolution was over on the camera side of filmmaking? Kinda)
F4: a year later offering much of what the F8 can do at its core but at an even lower price
F8n: fixes up many of the complaints of the F8, plus adds in even more, while still keeping the sub $1K price!

 

44 minutes ago, Ty Harper said:

Now thanks to your reviews I'm seriously considering picking up an F4, but aside from using it in the field I'm wondering whether the sound quality and audio interface functions are good enough to have it replace my current audio interface, an RME Fireface 400?

Obviously any of the F8/F4/F8n would be massively better for recording in the field with than your current audio interface. 

But which would be best specifically as an audio interface?! Dunno, I have no hands on experience with the RME Fireface 400. 

However if that is a lot of what you'd do then I'd strongly suggest getting the Zoom F8n as one of its new features is being able to both recorder and be an audio interface at the same time. 

 

Edit: from a very superficial 5 second google search, and from reading this thread:
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=205212

I think maybe I'll take a wild guess that the Zoom F8n (or even F4) would perform better as a USB interface than the old RME Fireface 400. But it depends I suppose on what you're recording, and how quiet you need your pre amps to be. 
 

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5 hours ago, IronFilm said:

I think maybe I'll take a wild guess that the Zoom F8n (or even F4) would perform better as a USB interface than the old RME Fireface 400. But it depends I suppose on what you're recording, and how quiet you need your pre amps to be

As a USB interface I wouldn't be doing much recording (if that's what you were referring to). Maybe the odd v/o, or record as I continue to digitize my old vinyl. In the field it would be for talking head interviews that require more than two mic inputs as I already have a Marantz PMD661 with the Oade mod that's fine for my two-person interview needs. But sorry, are you saying the pre's on the F4/8/8n would be better than the RME FF400, or worse?

And thanks for the link!

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10 minutes ago, Ty Harper said:

But sorry, are you saying the pre's on the F4/8/8n would be better than the RME FF400, or worse?

I have no personal experience with that RME product, but a five second google leaves me with the gut feeling that the F series would be better (or bare minimum not worse). 

Take that with the big gain of salt it deserves. 
 

10 minutes ago, Ty Harper said:

In the field it would be for talking head interviews that require more than two mic inputs as I already have a Marantz PMD661 with the Oade mod that's fine for my two-person interview needs.

Oh nice, that is a fine old recorder to have. Popular over on taperssection. 
(not one I'd ever use on a film set though as a soundie! As ergonomics is horrible, plus other problems)

Do you already have more than two wireless? 
If in no rush, then I guess Deity should bring out a new wireless kit this year. 

 

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I was quite interested in Mix Pre 3 until F8n came out. Honestly, I don't need F8n as it is, in my ways, an overkill for me but the fact that it has the auto mixer built-in makes me excited about it. I imagine that it would be quite useful for live streaming and quick post-production. I hope to see reviews for it.

For example, I wonder if the F8n does mix-minus automatically and more importantly when you bring in the audio from a computer, does it also apply audio mixing to that channel? In practice, what it means is that when a remote guest is not speaking, say for example via Skype, you don't send unnecessary hiss and noise to the final mix.

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22 minutes ago, IronFilm said:

Do you already have more than two wireless? 
If in no rush, then I guess Deity should bring out a new wireless kit this year. 

I've got a pair of the G3s that are fine for me + I've got an extra G3 transmitter I bought for cheap, just need to pick up a receiver for it. Thanks for all your help!

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1 hour ago, JBraddock said:

For example, I wonder if the F8n does mix-minus automatically and more importantly when you bring in the audio from a computer, does it also apply audio mixing to that channel? In practice, what it means is that when a remote guest is not speaking, say for example via Skype, you don't send unnecessary hiss and noise to the final mix.

You can route almost anything to anything, would be my assumption. 

 

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