The Zoom H6 audio recorder was unveiled earlier in 2013, and along with it came some much-needed upgrades to the brand that has become extremely popular among lower-budget productions. Now the company has unveiled a smaller version called the H5, which removes some of the fancy features of the H6. Click through to check out more about the recorder.
Here's what's different in the new recorder:
Appealing to those who are looking for the functionality of the H6, but don’t need all of its inputs or bells and whistles, the H5 has a black-and-white screen (as opposed to the H6’s color screen) and features 2 inputs for external sources, in addition to its swappable stereo mic capabilities. The H5 will record to external SD cards.
The H5 will ship with its own, brand-new XY stereo microphone module that features a built-in shockmount system and an impressive 140dB maximum SPL. The recorder is also equipped with four input channels, allowing you to record simultaneously from the included stereo XY mic and two additional sources. Each input is controllable by its own analog gain knob.
A big addition to the H6 was the ability to add modules on the top of the recorder. This includes all sorts of different mic attachments, and the H5 is compatible with all of them. While the H5 will be limited to two XLR inputs, you can add two more with the EXH-6 module (XLR inputs are on the left and right):
So what's it going to cost you? It doesn't seem like there has been a price released just yet, but based on the $400 cost of the H6, and the $270 H4n, the H5 will likely slot in somewhere in-between there (we'll update when we find out). I would venture a guess that it will be offered for $300, so you'll have to make a decision whether you really care about the extra inputs and channels on the H6 (though again you can add a few with the EXH-6 module for $70).
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