Zoom H6essential review | Juno Daily
Zoom’s new flagship recorder offers immediate, high-quality recording options for a range of applications. Greg Scarth finds out what makes this handheld recorder extra handy.
‘Just press record’ is the message which greets you upon opening the Zoom H6essential’s box. That might be oversimplifying things slightly – you’ll need to insert batteries, a memory card and hook up a mic or cable – but it’s a good summary of the overall approach. The H6essential is the flagship model in Zoom’s freshly revitalised range, with the stereo H1essential and four-track H4essential sitting below it. Aside from the differences in track count, the H-series models all follow a similar formula, with 32-bit float recording and the ability to overdub.
Sticking with the H6 on test here, the feature set is deeply impressive. The six-track model comes with an X/Y microphone capsule and features four additional inputs via combo TRS/XLR sockets. It’s a robust, well-built unit which records at 96 kHz sample rate. The colour LCD screen is the largest of the three H essential models, giving good clear visual feedback, while output options include 3.5 mm headphone socket, 3.5 mm line out, or a built-in speaker.
Ease of use is the overriding ethos behind the H essential series, and the big advantage of 32-bit float recording is that it avoids needing to set levels before recording, meaning that you can get started immediately. The included X/Y microphone capsule is capable of handling sound pressure levels up to 135 decibels, meaning you should be able to record virtually anything from interviews to field recordings and bands. Thankfully, the recording process is otherwise just as straightforward and intuitive, enabling tracks to record, setting up stereo linking, phantom power for condenser mics, and so on via clearly laid out menus. Hitting the Mixer button gives instant access to the basic mixer, allowing you to set levels for monitoring.
The H6essential comes as standard with the XYH-6e stereo mic capsule, which contains a pair of stereo mic capsules arranged in an X/Y stereo format, ideal for quickly capturing stereo sounds. Alternatively, the optional SSH-6e stereo shotgun capsule allows for mid-side recordings with a focus on a central sound source (such as someone speaking in a video shot). The EXH-6e input capsule, meanwhile, can be used to add two more XLR/TRS combo inputs. All in all, it gives you plenty of options whether you want to record quickly straight out the box or modify the setup for a specific video, podcasting or studio recording application. Whichever approach you take, sound quality is very good, with
The H6essential proves a very convenient, user-friendly little unit but one that has enough versatility to work in a wide range of different applications. Hooked up to a computer or mobile device via USB-C, the unit can be used as an audio interface and record to SD card simultaneously. The USB connection can also be used as a power supply for longer operation, although 10 hours battery life from two AAs is more than respectable. It’s also worth noting that the H6 has very good accessibility features for blind or visually impaired users, with Voice Guidance functionality to read out the menu options in a range of languages. The music tech industry has been slow to acknowledge the importance of accessibility, so it’s refreshing to see it’s been taken seriously here.
At just under £270, the H6essential rivals the slightly less intuitive Tascam Portacapture X6. Both are good value options, but the immediacy of the Zoom will make it appeal to lots of potential users.
Greg Scarth