The multi-functional 8-track Zoom H8 Handy Recorder aimed at production sound recordists, podcasters, and musicians is capable of recording up to 12-tracks simultaneously, including backup tracks, or can be used as a 10-input device via optional expansion module.
Everything on the Zoom H8 has been streamlined for quick use in the field with three app-driven modes that instantly configure the colour touchscreen for podcasting, music production, or location recording. The H8 can capture high-quality audio from almost any source featuring six XLR inputs, two of which are XLR/TRS combo jacks, and ultra-clear microphone preamps. Each XLR input provides phantom power plus gain control knobs of -20dB. It records up to 12 audio tracks in 24-bit 96kHz directly onto SD, SDHC, or SDXC cards (up to 128GB) and Zoom says 4 AA alkaline batteries provide up to 20 hours of power. The H8 also has auto-record, pre-record, and backup functions as well as low-cut filters, compression, and limiters.
The Field app is dedicated to location sound work. It gives access to large meters for every track, and like the H6, you can adjust input type, low-cut, compression, limiter, noise gate, and other key features. The Podcast interface gives access to dedicated sound pads where you can trigger sound effects and music beds. Zoom has included 13 different sounds with the H8, or you can load your own via SD card. The Music app unlocks 12-track recording where you can mix, overdub, and EQ the audio. You can also connect to Zoom's Guitar Lab via USB to further mix the music.
The Zoom H8 comes included with the Zoom XYH-6 microphone which has two matched high-quality unidirectional mics, for capturing signal directly in front of the recorder. With the Zoom mic capsule system, you can easily swap capsules to ensure you’re always using the right mic for the job. The H8 is compatible with all of the previously released mic capsules as well as the new XAH-8, VRH-8 & EXH-8 capsules that use Zoom’s Capsule System 2.0, allowing up to 4 channels of audio to be added. To top it all off, the Zoom H8 12-track Handy Recorder also doubles as a USB audio interface for recording straight into a DAW.
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 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.
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 Zoom 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.
Key Features of the Zoom H8 Handy Recorder
- Customized applications for field recording, music and podcasting
- 3 distinct recording modes & interfaces for field recording, music and podcasting
- Interchangeable input capsules (X/Y Stereo Mic Capsule included)
- 4 x XLR Mic Inputs with Pads and +48V
- 2 x XLR-1/4" Mic/Line/Hi-Z Inputs
- 8-track recorder expandable up to 12-track simultaneous recording
- Four mic inputs and two XLR/TRS combo connectors
- Gain control knobs and -20dB pads for each input
- Supplied XYH-6 X/Y capsule provides secondary input via a stereo ⅛” Mic/Line In mini phone jack
- Phantom power for four main XLR inputs: +12/+24/+48V
- Intuitive large colour LCD touchscreen display
- 3.5mm Line & Headphone Outputs
- Records directly to SD, SDHC and SDXC cards up to 512GB
- Up to 24-bit /96kHz audio in BWF-compliant WAV or a variety of MP3 formats
- Stereo Safety Track Recording
- Auto-record, Pre-record and Backup-record functions mean that you’ll never miss that perfect take
- Built-in effects, including low-cut filtering, compression, and limiting
- Multichannel and stereo USB audio interface for PC/Mac/iPad
- Accepts standard AA alkaline or NiMH rechargeable batteries
- Over 15 hours of operation with 4 AA alkaline batteries
- Supports iOS App remote control via optional Zoom BTA-1 Bluetooth dongle
An APP for this, an APP for that | Simple to Use Built-in Recording Workflows
Whether you’re capturing audio on location, recording music, or producing a podcast, the H8 colour touchscreen adapts to your project's needs with three App-driven interface options. All with the touch of your finger.
Podcast App
The PODCAST App makes producing your podcast simple. With dedicated Sound Pads, use the touch screen to trigger sound effects, music beds and more. Choose from 13 high-quality sounds or load your own via an SD card.
- The Podcast App accommodates up to 4 mics and two Sound Pad channels.
Music App
The MUSIC App puts all the important controls at your fingertips: audio levels, faders, metering and more. With 10 inputs and 12 tracks, capturing a large group is easy. Mix, overdub, and enhance your recordings with EQ and compression. Connect to Zoom’s Guitar Lab via USB to access an endless assortment of amps and effects.
Field App
The FIELD App is ideal for location sound, sound design, conferences, and more. It gives you instant access to large meters for every track, so you can make sure your recordings never clip. Adjust the input type, lo-cut, compression, limiter, noise gate, and other key settings.
MEET ZOOM H8's NEXT GENERATION 4-CHANNEL CAPSULE SYSTEM
Zoom’s Capsule System 2.0 allows up to 4 channels of audio to be added to the H8's capsule connection, creating new ways to expand your recording capabilities.
XAH-8 | XY or AB Mic Combination (optional)
The XAH-8 capsule delivers pristine stereo recordings. Easily rotate the capsules from a tight XY pattern to a wide AB pattern to enhance the stereo image of your recordings.
- Tight XY pattern for focused recording
- or Wide AB pattern for enhanced stereo imaging
VRH-8 | Ambisonic Mic, 360° audio (optional)
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 on-board Ambisonic decoder automatically handles the necessary conversions, saving you time in post-production.
- Ambisonic, 360-degree audio recording
- 4x high-quality condenser microphones
- Built-in accelerometer for perfect alignment
- On-board Ambisonic decoder
EXH-8 | 4-ch XLR Expander Capsule (optional)
The EXH-8 capsule provides 4 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 favourite condenser microphones—just connect a power source to the EXH-8 capsule to supply phantom power.
- 4x additional XLR inputs
- 1x gain knob and pad switch per input
- Can supply phantom power by using a separate power source
Inputs & Outputs
H8 offers 4 XLR inputs with dedicated pad switches and gain control. 2 additional XLR/TRS combo jacks with Hi-Z switches allow you to capture line-level signals, microphones or directly record electric guitars and basses.
Monitor tracks using the built-in 1/8” headphone output or connect directly to your camera using the dedicated stereo line output.
- 4 XLR Inputs with dedicated pad switches and gain control
- 2 XLR/TRS Combo jacks with Hi-Z switches for line-level signals
- 1/8" Headphone output
- Dedicated Stereo Line output
Multi-Channel Audio Interface
The H8 is a powerful USB audio interface. Connect via USB to your PC, Mac, iPad or tablet for up to 12 channels of simultaneous recording.
Recording Time & File Formats
Get more than 15 hours of recording time from just 4 AA batteries. Or record forever with the optional AD-17 adapter.
Zoom H8 records BWF-compliant WAV and MP3 files in any of the following formats:
- 44.1kHz / 16-bit
- 44.1kHz / 24-bit
- 48kHz / 16-bit
- 48kHz / 24-bit
- 96kHz / 16-bit
- 96kHz / 24-bit
Compatible with Zoom's 2-channel Mic Capsules to suit your recording needs
With the Zoom mic capsule system, you can easily swap capsules to ensure you’re always using the right mic for the job.
The H8 comes with the Zoom XYH-6 microphone included. This capsule provides two matched high-quality unidirectional mics, for capturing signal directly in front of the recorder.
XYH-6 X/Y Capsule | You all-round recording mic (included)
This capsule employs two angled high-quality unidirectional mics sensitive to signals coming from the front but less to signals coming from the sides and rear. X/Y recording is optimum when you want to cover a wide area yet still capture a strong centre image - perfect for live recording.
- Two matched unidirectional microphones
- Large mic-diaphragm (14.6mm) for enhanced dynamic range
- Changeable mic angle from 90° to 120° for wider stereo image
MSH-6 MS Capsule | Shape your sound-picture after recording (optional)
“Mid-Side” recording brings a whole new level of precision to your ability to shape the sound. The MS Capsule contains dual mic elements and together they capture a fully mono-compatible stereo image that can actually be adjusted after recording – ideal for film, video, and television projects.
- Built-in MS decoding allows the stereo image to be adjusted in post-production
- Mid mic picks up the centre signal
- Side mic adds ambience and directionality
XYH-5 X/Y Capsule | For louder recordings (optional)
This capsule provides two matched unidirectional condenser microphones set at a 90 degree angle. Housed within an advanced shock mount these mics employ rugged external mic wires and rubberized material to minimize vibration and handling noise, making the XYH-5 ideal for location videography and live broadcast/podcast applications. The design of the XYH-5 also allows it to handle extremely loud sounds up to 140 dB SPL - making it perfect for capturing the sound of live rock concerts and for electronic newsgathering.
- Shock-mounted Microphones
- Rugged exterior cable for added shock isolation
- Handles up to 140dB SPL (equiv. to the sound of a jet aircraft from less than 200 feet away)
SGH-6 Shotgun Capsule | When you need directional capture (optional)
The optional SGH-6 Shotgun Capsule is a highly directional audio setup for film, video, live theatre, and ENG applications. Three elements combined with digital signal processing inside the SGH-6 give you the highly directional pickup power of a conventional shotgun mic in a unit only half the size – ideal for recording dialogue and narration with no intrusive mic in the scene.
- Ideal for dialogue and narration
- Half the length of a traditional acoustic tube shotgun mic
EXH-6 Dual XLR/TRS Combo Capsule | More inputs (optional)
This unit gives you two more inputs, transforming your H8 into a small eight-track recorder. Connect up to six discrete signals from external microphones, instruments, mixers, or portable music players to fully realize your audio vision.
- Provides two additional mic- and line-level inputs
- Connect more external microphones, instruments, mixers or portable music players
SSH-6 Stereo Shotgun Capsule (optional)
The SSH-6 Stereo Shotgun capsule adds a super-directional mic for capturing sounds directly in front, plus a bi-directional one for capturing ambient sounds. It’s ideal for location recording, allowing videographers and content creators to capture dialogue or narration with the centre microphone and mixing in the desired amount of environmental sound captured by the side microphone.
- Ideal for simultaneous capture of dialogue and ambient sound
- Super-directional mic
- Side (bi-directional) mic
State-of-the-art Editing | Zoom H8 Includes Download Licenses for Cubase LE & Steinberg WaveLab Cast
The Zoom H8 comes with a free download license for Cubase LE and Steinberg’s WaveLab Cast software. WaveLab Cast helps you to finalize your project with a wide range of comprehensive editing, mixing, and refinement tools.
Podcasting
WaveLab Cast connects you directly with podcast directories, such as Spreaker or Podbean*. You can upload episodes quickly, plus directly create and publish RSS feeds.
Audio for Video
Import your video file and WaveLab Cast will automatically extract the audio. You can use the editing tools to lower unwanted noise, change levels and remove loud sibilants. Metering options allow you to build new tracks, fade-in your music, use EQ and compression. Re-attach the audio to the video file using WaveLab Cast’s export functions.
Field Recording
WaveLab Cast supports up to 96KHz audio quality and includes a high-end re-sampler. RestoreRig removes noise and unwanted sounds. You can assemble new files using the snap functions and crossfade options. Once you’re done, export your sound files in any popular audio format.
- MPN - FXR008B
- GTIN - 4515260023097
