Zoom H8 8-Input / 12-Track Portable Handy Recorder
Zoom H8 8-Input with three app-driven modes that instantly configure the color touchscreen for podcasting, music production, or location recording, it’s portable handheld recorder lets you quickly record up to eight simultaneous input signals via a workflow that’s highly optimized for your task.
Plus, it’s compatible with an array of capsules (available separately) for easy expansion into 10-input recording, Ambisonics 360-degree audio, and more.
Like other H-Series Handy recorders such as the H5 and H6, you can hold the H8 in your hand, attach it to a mic stand or tripod, or mount it to a camera (shoe mount available separately).
The H8 packs an impressive array of features into a lightweight body that’s more than ready to meet the varied demands of podcasters, musicians, sound designers, and content creators.
The bundled Cubase LE and WaveLab Cast software programs give you the tools you need to edit, refine, export, and upload your projects.
From the intuitive, tactile controls to the plentiful battery life and powerful audio processing functions, the H8 is well equipped for producing pristine audio for complete musical arrangements, independent films, and panel podcasts.
It can supply phantom or plug-in power for condenser mics, or accept direct connections from guitars, keyboards, or drum machines.
No matter the source, selectable auto-recording and pre-recording ensure that you’ll never miss the start of a take, and stereo safety track recording provides duplicate tracks at a lower level to avoid distortion.
App-Driven Touchscreen
Operating the H8 is extremely intuitive and user-friendly thanks to the 2.4″ color LCD touchscreen and the three app-driven modes optimized for podcasting, music, and field recording workflows at the touch of the screen.
- Podcast App: With four mic channels and two sound pad channels readily available, the Podcast app makes high-quality podcast production easy. Use the 13 pre-loaded sounds or load your own from an SD card to trigger sound effects, music beds, and more from the dedicated Sound Pads.
- Music App: Record up to 10 input tracks, overdub, mix, and enhance your recordings with EQ and compression, all while the Music app puts important controls such as audio levels, faders, and metering at your fingertips. Plus, you can connect to Zoom’s Guitar Lab via USB to access a vast assortment of amps and effects.
- Field App: Designed for location sound, sound design, conferences, and more, the Field app gives you instant access to large meters for every track, so you can make sure your recordings never clip. It also lets you quickly adjust input type, lo-cut filtering, compression, limiting, the noise gate, and other key settings.
X/Y Stereo Microphone Capsule
Leave your external mics at home and travel light; the H8 includes a stereo microphone capsule equipped with two unidirectional mics. With nothing more than the H8, you’re set to record speech, practice sessions, concerts, or ambient and environmental sounds, even ear-rattling ones up to 136 dB!
Zoom Capsule System 2.0
Zoom’s Capsule System 2.0 allows up to four channels of audio to be added to the H8’s capsule connection, creating new ways to expand your recording capabilities through the addition of new separately available capsules.
- XAH-8: The XAH-8 capsule delivers pristine stereo recordings via its two condenser microphones. Easily rotate the capsules from a tight X/Y pattern to a wide AB pattern to enhance the stereo image of your recordings.
- VRH-8: The VRH-8 is an Ambisonic mic capsule that utilizes four condenser microphones to deliver immersive 360-audio recordings. A built-in accelerometer helps ensure the capsule is always perfectly aligned, while the onboard Ambisonic decoder automatically handles the necessary conversions, saving you time in post-production.
- EXH-8: The EXH-8 capsule provides four additional XLR inputs, giving you a total of 10. Each additional input has a dedicated gain knob and pad switch. You can even use your favorite condenser microphones—just connect a power source to the EXH-8 capsule to supply phantom power.
Supports Existing Zoom Mic Capsules
The Zoom mic capsule input on the H8 accommodates Zoom’s existing line of separately available interchangeable capsules, which can be swapped out as easily as the lenses of a camera. With shock-mounted X/Y, Mid-Side, and mono or stereo shotgun mic capsules to choose from, you can be ready to record music, dialog, or sound effects without carting an external microphone setup. Opt for the EXH-6 combo input capsule to accept two additional mic/line signals via XLR-1/4″ jacks.
Fast, User-Friendly Operability
The H8’s front panel is ergonomically arranged with its most essential and commonly used controls—transport buttons for record, play/pause, and stop, individual record-arm buttons that double as mute switches during playback, large gain knobs, and pad switches. For added safety, a hold switch disables all front-panel buttons to prevent accidental operation during recording.
Instant Access to Gain Adjustments
Each H8 input has its own dedicated gain control knob. There’s no track selection or button pressing required to optimize your recording levels; just turn the dials (clearly labeled from 0 to 10) anytime you need to adjust the gain. If your XLR input sources are so loud that you need even less gain than the preamps provide at the “0” setting, use four front-panel pad switches to attenuate the XLR inputs by 20 dB.
Eight Channels of Microphone/Line Inputs
Equipped with four XLR inputs, two XLR-1/4″ combo inputs, and a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack input (on the XYH-6 capsule), the H8 can accommodate condenser microphones (via 12, 24, or 48 VDC phantom power), +4 dB balanced line-level sources, or signals from unbalanced instruments with active electronics. Whether you plan on recording studio condenser mics, feeds from wireless receivers, or a lavalier and shotgun mic combo for an interview, the H8’s preamps are ready to deliver low-noise performance.