Zoom H6 Handy Recorder

Whereas the original H6 sports a gray finish, two interchangeable stereo mic capsules, and premium accessories—a protective case, a foam windscreen, and a USB cable, the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder 2020 Version is presented in a sleek, solid black finish and includes a single stereo mic capsule. Both versions include four AA batteries for powering the H6 on the go.

The Zoom H6 Handy Recorder’s front panel is ergonomically arranged with its most essential and commonly used controls—transport buttons for record, play/pause, stop, back, and forward operations, 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.

Day or night, view vital information such as audio levels, recording time, battery status, and more on the 2″ full-color LCD, which happens to be backlit and angled for maximum visibility.

Each Zoom H6 Handy Recorder 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-1/4″ 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 combo inputs by 20 dB.

Leave your external mics at home and travel light; the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder includes a stereo microphone capsule (the original H6 includes two interchangeable capsules). With nothing more than the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder, you’re set to record a variety of sources, even ear-rattling ones up to 136 dB!

The matching black X/Y capsule provides clear, phase-accurate capture in two different X/Y positions—90° for a tight stereo image or 120° for a wider perspective. Just twist the capsules to their premarked positions to switch between the two configurations.

The Zoom mic capsule input on the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder accommodates Zoom’s 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.

Equipped with four XLR-1/4″ combo inputs and a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack input (on the X/Y capsule), the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder can accommodate condenser microphones, 4 dB balanced line-level sources, or signals from unbalanced instruments with active electronics. Turn on 12, 24, or 48 VDC phantom power to the XLR jacks, or 2.5V plug-in power to the mini-jack. Whether you plan on recording studio condenser mics, feeds from wireless receivers, or a lavalier and shotgun mic combo for an interview, the H6 All Black’s preamps are ready to deliver low-noise (-120 dB EIN) performance.

The Zoom H6 Handy Recorder boasts 6-channel recording at up to 24-bit / 96 kHz resolution. Record all channels simultaneously or utilize the overdubbing function to add layers of instruments after an initial recording. Adjust levels and pans for your tracks, then use the internal mixdown function to blend six tracks down to a stereo file.

Maximize portability by recording directly to an SD card (up to 2GB capacity), SDHC card (up to 32GB capacity), or SDXC card (up to 128GB capacity). A 2GB card will yield over 3 hours of 16-bit / 44.1 kHz stereo recording time using the BWF-compliant WAV format for uncompressed audio quality and industry-standard file compatibility. Note that media cards are available separately, and larger capacity cards will increase startup times.

Alternatively, use the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder as a 6-in / 2-out USB 2.0 audio interface at up to 24-bit / 96 kHz. For audio interface operation with an iPad (Apple Camera Connection Kit required and available separately), select USB stereo mode, which offers two channels in and out at up to 16-bit / 48 kHz.

The Zoom H6 Handy Recorder boasts a 3.5mm line and headphone mini-jack outputs for simultaneously feeding your camera/DSLR and a pair of headphones. Independently adjust the headphone volume via the side-panel volume control. For quick playback reference, a built-in monophonic speaker is also provided.

Power the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder via four included AA batteries, or plug it into a wall outlet with an AD-17 AC adapter (available separately). Alkaline batteries can keep the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder running for over 20 hours of continuous 16-bit / 44.1 kHz recording using the X/Y mic capsule, or for over 9 hours of nonstop 24-bit / 96 kHz recording using the X/Y mic and the four XLR-1/4″ inputs. When using the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder in the stereo USB audio interface mode, USB bus powering is possible.

The durable, ergonomic body lends itself naturally to handheld use. Should you need to mount it on a mic stand or tripod, a threaded hole on the back of the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder obviates the need for stand adapters. Obtain a hot shoe adapter (available separately) to attach the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder directly to a DSLR.

The Zoom H6 Handy Recorder’s onboard effects allow you to add polish to your recordings. Compression and limiting compensate for fluctuations in input level, while a low-cut filter helps eliminate wind noise, blowing, and other kinds of low-frequency rumble. Normalize files for maximum gain, split them into smaller chunks, and even insert up to 99 marks per recording.

There’s an onboard metronome and tuner, and you can loop playback and adjust pitch and speed independently, making the H6 All Black an ideal tool for phrase training.

The Zoom H6 Handy Recorder offers selectable recording functions designed to prevent you from accidentally missing the start of a performance. By keeping the previous two seconds (one second at 96 kHz) of audio whenever you press the record button, the pre-record option ensures that you’ll never cut off the beginning of a great take. Auto-record can automatically start recording when a user-set sound level is detected, making it great for voice-activated recording.

The backup record enables the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder to automatically record a duplicate of the L/R input with 12 dB less input gain. Even if your original track is distorted, chances are the Backup version will be fine!

Use the RCH-6 remote (available separately in the APH-6 accessory pack) to control the transport, arm tracks, and adjust the volume at a distance while eliminating handling noise.

The Zoom H6 Handy Recorder comes with free download licenses for Steinberg’s Cubase LE music production software and WaveLab LE audio editing software, representing a complete audio production toolkit.