ZOOM F8N Location Sound Recorder

I want to start this review by responding to some statements I have heard about Zoom devices. They often get labelled as ‘cheap’ alternatives, or only suitable for amateurs, with critics citing various issues from noisy preamps to build quality and just a general feeling that Zoom products are not suitable for professionals.

I have been recording sound for 20 years, my libraries are used by many of the biggest producers in the world and yes, a significant number of those sounds were captured on Zoom devices.

I am not going to claim that a $1000 Zoom recorder is in the same league as a $6000 Nagra or Sound Devices machine, but if you are obsessing about the ticket price of equipment then I would suggest you are focusing on the wrong thing.

When I recorded a series of rare aircraft, including a Spitfire, Kittyhawk and oddities such as the Australian-designed Boomerang and Wirraway, I was able to record the interior of these planes for one reason only; because a Zoom H1 was small enough for a pilot to safely and happily carry it in a leg pocket while flying.