Zoom F8n MultiTrack Field Recorder

After my portable audio mixer died, I looked for an acceptable, affordable replacement and found the F8n. I often find myself using as many as four XLR-connected audio sources (typically hardwired microphones or wireless receivers) and sometimes more if multimedia is involved. I can be on multiple locations in the same day, so portability is key. The F8n has worked out very well for this purpose. Because there are 8 inputs in a small unit, the knobs are a bit small, but very smooth to adjust gain. This isn't something you can use right out of the box. I had to force myself to take the time to actually read the instructions and become acquainted with the menus so I could fine tune the unit for my purposes. I purchased two small mini-XLR to standard XLR breakouts so I can connect to a camera and use the SDI out from the camera to keep the audio on two channels for live streaming. This is an excellent, versatile device.

The F8n is an updated version of the original F8. Comparisons of the features can be found online. Sound quality is good, build quality is very good, and I'm amazed at how many features are packed into such a small box. If you're a production sound pro then you should consider the Sound Devices recorders which have better sounding mic pre-amps but the F8n is no slouch. The F8n is being used in many mid to lower budget productions and as a back up recorder in large budget productions. This is an excellent product and highly recommended.

i bought this zoom after using a Roland Field recorder for years. i am an AVID AUDIO person and this is not some random user, i've been recording and editing audio using field recorders for 10 years now!!!the device is nice and easy to use BUT BEWARE!!!!if the power cuts off mid recording then you are screwed, files are lost, no way to recover them which is insanefurthermore, the device froze twice during recording and again, files were lost, hours of data and audio lost with no way or recovering files via the device or otherwise, Zoom customer service and troubleshooting complete incompetent level of knowledge or help and confirmed that there is no way to recover data when device shuts off or freezes.DO NOT BUY THIS!

I'm reluctant to allow my clients see this little thing. It is fantastic, amazing and marvelous, but visually very underwhelming. I've taken to hiding it and just letting them see the mixing board. I know it's a field recorder, but It's good enough for studio use. A larger front bezel with larger knobs would be perfect. Be prepared to buy accessories. Monitor adapters, external battery, bag, camera bracket. All things considered, I love it! Worth every penny.

I love this recorder. The sound quality is great. The build is excellent. My only small gripe with this model is that they didnt include the mount with it.

Buena calidad y muy potátil

Amazing,

This is an excellent recorder. I was up and running with it recording six channels about 10 minutes after removing it from the box. The controls are easy to figure out and provide the right amount of detail.However, I bought this recorder due to the feature of being able to control it via Bluetooth. I shoot a lot of concert video in clubs, so being able to make sure the recording at the Soundboard is still running correctly would be a huge win for me. Sadly, this was not meant to be.First, the app is iOS only! They are cutting out at least half the smartphone market for one thing. I borrowed an iPhone so I could test out the recorder/bluetooth during a show.Second, the communication REALLY needs to be 5ghz wireless, not a weak bluetooth connection. I was about 25 feet from the recorder and my bluetooth connection kept dropping/reconnecting. Eventually I just gave up trying to monitor the levels until the set ended. When I went back to check on the recorder, it was hard frozen on a message reading something like "Connecting Bluetooth...". I had to unplug the unit and pull a battery to get it to shut off. I lost the entire set! I always run a second recorder as a backup, so it wasn't a total loss...but it did make think this recorder was not worth the thousand dollars, hence I returned it.