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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Zoom F8 vs Sound Devices 744T

AndreasOberg said:
I have been listening to our recordings from Sri Lanka with Zoom F8 and thought I would share our thoughts.
I think the recorder is easy to use and very flexible. It can also attach to the Epic in a very nice way on the side.

Sound:
I'm no recording expert, but I have a background in classical music and I am in general quite sensitive to sound defects.

Our microphones were Sanken CS3e shotgun and Audio Technica BP4045. Basically we saved money on the recorder and stereo mic but got a good shotgun
Click to expand...


Solid choice with the Sanken CS3e, I use it as my main mic as well, but you want to make sure you've got a skilled boom op using it due to its surgical levels of precision.
 
David Peterson said:
Solid choice with the Sanken CS3e, I use it as my main mic as well, but you want to make sure you've got a skilled boom op using it due to its surgical levels of precision.
Click to expand...

So far I have only used it handheld with a pistol grip or on the camera (with limited success because the noise that comes from operating the camera). Need to get a boom as well.

/Andreas
 
martinnoweck said:
I always wanted to buy an Sounddevices 788T because of the preamps, but my collegue said I am nuts and we settled on the F8 ... and I am happy. The first months I used a Sounddevices 302 as Preamp in front of the F8, but then I stopped, because there was barely any audible difference.
And i also dropped the F8 on concrete from 160cm high ... still working!

best wishes and kind regards,
Martin
Click to expand...

Great that you are happy with the Zoom. I really like it technically. It is just that I'm really sensitive to harsh sounds and I can hear them more than in sound devices. I think for us I would probably pick a 533 since it seems to have very similar sound to 788T. The 788T also needs a mixer so it begins to be very heavy which isn't great. Integrated mixer and recorder = yes!
 
The MixPre-D 10 might interest you also... it's more compact than the big brother mixers, but has a mixer and recorder built in. :)

Supposedly the preamps on that line are even better than the ones in the bigger models like the 633 and all.
 
Rakesh Malik said:
The MixPre-D 10 might interest you also... it's more compact than the big brother mixers, but has a mixer and recorder built in. :)

Supposedly the preamps on that line are even better than the ones in the bigger models like the 633 and all.
Click to expand...

Even better, and still cheaper? How does that work out? Sounds good if its true.
/Andreas
 
AndreasOberg said:
So far I have only used it handheld with a pistol grip or on the camera (with limited success because the noise that comes from operating the camera). Need to get a boom as well.
Click to expand...

Oh dear! Well there you go, you have your reasons why you were not happy with it.....
 
AndreasOberg said:
Great that you are happy with the Zoom. I really like it technically. It is just that I'm really sensitive to harsh sounds and I can hear them more than in sound devices. I think for us I would probably pick a 533 since it seems to have very similar sound to 788T. The 788T also needs a mixer so it begins to be very heavy which isn't great. Integrated mixer and recorder = yes!
Click to expand...

Do you mean the 552? Be aware it is only a stereo recorder.

And has a few other downsides, such as the joys of listening to Sven! haha

I own a 552 btw, and used to use it in front of my Tascam DR680. But since I upgraded to a Zoom F4 then usually my 552 stays at home unless I need the 552 for some specific reason.
 
David Peterson said:
Oh dear! Well there you go, you have your reasons why you were not happy with it.....
Click to expand...

Well the main problem was the ambient recordings which wh’ere done with a tripod and stereo mic. Shotgun was mostly recording birds from a jeep. Don’t think a boom would hae helped there, or?
Sorry I meant the 633 recorder not 533.
 
AndreasOberg said:
And no timecode I see
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True. It has a port that allows you inject timecode, but no generator. That makes me glad that I had the foresight to order two TentacleSync boxes during the crowdfunding campaign instead of just one. :)
 
Rakesh Malik said:
True. It has a port that allows you inject timecode, but no generator. That makes me glad that I had the foresight to order two TentacleSync boxes during the crowdfunding campaign instead of just one. :)
Click to expand...

Yes you are right. We use tentacles with our zoom since zoom looses timecode when you shut it down and they work great. I think the 633 still are a bit more attractive for us with duals storage for example but interesting that soundnis meant to better on the new.
Any tips for a more highend stereo microphones?
 
Here are some examples for study. In general I think that when the birds have a stronger or higher pitched voice. These are usually 96kHz uncompressed wav files from Zoom F8.

Sigiriya morning. This is a good example where I think the insects are very harsh sounding. I have done some spectral repair of noise like they shot fireworks sometimes, but I cannot hear it reduces the sound quality anything. Stereo mic
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vyhh4r60p0zex2r/Kuwera_Morning.wav?dl=0

Peacocks. Some bumps from us moving equipment. Also sounds quite harsh. Sanken Shotgun mono
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2v7xb2kj234t1tf/SIGIRIYA_15_LAKE-T002_peacock.wav?dl=0

Same recording but cleaned up in Izotope RX
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4i1ds8e5zc7pdqz/SIGIRIYA_15_LAKE-T002_peacock_somecleanup.wav?dl=0

Lake, morning. This one sounds nice. Stereo
https://www.dropbox.com/s/185y411wmjd1zeo/UDAWALAWE_19-T004_Lake.wav?dl=0

I think most of the recorings has a quite harsh note. I also remember that in a review online I thought the sound was a bit harsh and others mentioned that they could hear it. Here is a link to the comparison.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM6VOEYpm4g

My "inexperienced" conclusion is that since both Sanken and the stereo mic sounds a bit harsh in these recordings it is probably the recorder that is the limit, but also possibly the stereo mic. Could of course be my lack of skill.

Any thoughts are of course welcome.
/Andreas
 
by the way - is there a way to make the F8 follow the camera to start recording (pressing record on the DSCM2 triggering the F8 to record audio)?

best wishes and kind regards,
Martin
 
AndreasOberg said:
Yes you are right. We use tentacles with our zoom since zoom looses timecode when you shut it down and they work great. I think the 633 still are a bit more attractive for us with duals storage for example but interesting that soundnis meant to better on the new.
Any tips for a more highend stereo microphones?
Click to expand...

I've had an Audio Technica mid-side shotgun for years. It has a lot of reach, and it's nice to be able to control how wide its pickup pattern is in the mixer. If you record ISOs you can remix the stereo width cleanly in post. And it sounds nice and clean.
 
martinnoweck said:
by the way - is there a way to make the F8 follow the camera to start recording (pressing record on the DSCM2 triggering the F8 to record audio)?

best wishes and kind regards,
Martin
Click to expand...
I dont think so Martin, maybe. You can setup Zoom to prerecord which helps a bit. I would normally have a routine to press record in a sequence of the camera and then the recorder.
/Andreas
 
martinnoweck said:
by the way - is there a way to make the F8 follow the camera to start recording (pressing record on the DSCM2 triggering the F8 to record audio)?

best wishes and kind regards,
Martin
Click to expand...

Yes, is easy, just take the TC output and feed to the F8 to trigger it (obviously change the TC settings in the F8 for this).
 
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