The Zoom H6studio improves on the H5studio by offering six recording channels. Four XLR/TRS combo jacks and two capsule inputs support multiple microphones, wireless systems, or direct console feeds. This design allows users to capture six discrete sources plus a stereo mix simultaneously. Demonstrations included cooking-show style setups, live outdoor music, and multi-mic interviews, showing its versatility in both video and audio production.
A major highlight of the Zoom H6studio is its 32-bit float recording with dual A/D converters. This ensures wide dynamic range, preventing clipping from sudden peaks and preserving low-level details. Physical knobs now adjust digital gain after conversion, protecting the original signal. Recording is supported up to 192 kHz, with all tracks available up to 96 kHz. The feature is often compared to high-dynamic-range video, where creators gain recovery options in post-production.
Upgraded preamps, connectivity, and power
The Zoom H6studio ships with the XYH-5s capsule featuring 19.4 mm diaphragms in a 90° XY array, capable of handling 140 dB SPL. Its F-series preamps deliver low noise performance at -127 dBu, offering cleaner sound than older H-series designs. Connectivity includes a 3.5 mm input, dedicated camera output, headphone output, and USB interface for Mac, PC, iOS, and Android. Users can livestream while recording to microSD cards up to 2 TB. Power comes from four AA batteries for 15 hours of runtime, or via USB or AC adapter. Optional capsules and wireless expansion modules extend flexibility further.
Connectivity and interface options
The recorder offers four XLR/TRS inputs, a 3.5mm stereo line input, a 3.5mm output for cameras, and a separate headphone output. It also functions as a 6×2 USB audio interface for Mac, PC, iOS, and Android devices, supporting 16-, 24-, and 32-bit float capture. Additionally, users can livestream while simultaneously recording a backup to microSD cards (up to 2TB supported).
Other notable features include:
- phantom power on the combo inputs
- +4 dBu line-level support
- mono mode for interviews and narration
- built-in low-cut filter
- normalize and export functions for WAV files
- variable speed and A-B repeat playback
- a recording start tone for easier video sync