Friends of Zoom

[Bryn]

Bryn, when you said that H5, H6 and H8 offer interchangeable microphone capsules, do you mean that the microphones built into the Zoom can be replaced by others? Presumably, the idea would be that these other microphones would be of higher quality? Or would there be some other reason for changing the microphones?

Zomm H5 and H6 have alternative microphone modules, a standard XY configuratin, a mid-side configuration and a shotgun microphone. The H8 can also use an ambisonic array based on the H3-VR.

https://zoomcorp.com/en/us/handheld-recorders/

[Dave2002]

The Zoom mics seem good enough for many amateurs, and some professionals too. There are/were also some similar Sony mics which were used to record live concerts. What sort/makes of microphones would a really serious professional recording engineer - no expense spared - use to perhaps get better results? Would most of us really be able to tell the difference?

[Bryn]

The Zoom mics seem good enough for many amateurs, and some professionals too. There are/were also some similar Sony mics which were used to record live concerts. What sort/makes of microphones would a really serious professional recording engineer - no expense spared - use to perhaps get better results? Would most of us really be able to tell the difference?

All aspects of the technology employed by Zoom have improved over recent years. That includes the microphone capsules. However, they do reflect their price. Bear in mind that the cost of, say, an H4n Pro (the lowest priced model with XLR inputs) is around that of a single entry-level professional microphone. A professional recording engineer would have a wide range of microphones available, each suited to a particular instrument/placing/venue. I am not a professional recording engineer. I'm an enthusiastic amateur with a limited budget. The most expensive microphones I have cost me less than £250 per capsule (the four-capsule RØDE NT-SF1) which is the mass-produced 'low-cost' entry-level Soundfield microphone introduced by RØDE after they bought the Soundfield product line and name. There are others here far better placed to offer advice on microphones for specific applications.