Drawing from more than 35 years of experience, Zoom has branched out into many fields, creating affordable guitar and bass effects pedals, developing affordable recording gear, and revolutionizing the world of mobile media production. Whether you're rocking out onstage, laying down tracks in your bedroom, or capturing audio on set for your latest indy film, you can count on the quality of Zoom products for outstanding results. As affordable as they are, Zoom products are so good that many of the professionals here at Sweetwater consider them staples in our own rigs, and we're happy to tell you all about them.
When Zoom introduced their first Handy Recorder models, they had no idea they were going to completely revolutionize the field recording industry. This was at a time when handheld field recorders were new, relatively unreliable, and limited in their basic functions. Zoom was among the first to introduce handheld recorders with integrated microphones, high-capacity removable-media storage, and professional 24-bit/96kHz digital resolution. This immediately allowed media professionals to record audio in the field and bring it back into the studio.
The first major breakthrough for the Handy Recorder line happened when the indy film world adopted the model H4n 4-channel recorder. As of 2018, the H4n (now in its second edition, the ultra-low-noise H4n Pro) is still one of the top-selling field recorders in the world for the same features it introduced nearly a decade ago. In addition to its 24-bit/96kHz resolution, the H4n offered three features that made it ideal for DSL video production: it came loaded with an XY pair of truly studio-quality condenser mics, it included an additional pair of XRL combo inputs for 4-track recording via off-camera microphones, and it fit perfectly mounted atop a DLR.
Today, the concepts that began with the H series Handy Recorders have expanded to include medium-format field recording interfaces. For example, the Zoom F8 brought full 8-in/10-track recording to serious filmmakers and sound designers working on an indy budget. In addition to offering up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution, F series recorders feature extremely low-noise preamps, full time-code integration, and easy-to-use interfaces that focus on productivity in the field. We can't tell you how many Sweetwater customers have raved about these amazing multitrack field recorders.
Zoom has never been one to rest on their laurels, so at the same time they began working on the F series, they followed the success of the early Handy Recorder models with a serious campaign into the field of handheld video recorders. This led to the Q series Handy Video Recorders. This series came about because Zoom recognized the need for artists to be able to easily produce quality video with high-grade audio for developing a presence on YouTube, Facebook Video, and other social media platforms. With their versatile 160-degree wide-angle lenses and excellent audio quality, Q series Handy Video Records quickly became extremely popular, and the line has continued to thrive and grow.
One of the things Sweetwater respects the most about Zoom is their dedication to continuous innovation, and the next phases of their Handy Recorder line introduced many examples of this. Chief among these developments is their modular capsule system, which lets you swap out microphones via a proprietary docking system. The benefit of these capsules is that you can modify the same recorder to have XY stereo mics, mid-side stereo mics, a shotgun mic, or even more preamps in seconds. What's more, this modular system is compatible across multiple models, providing field recording pros with more options than ever.
At the same time Zoom broke new ground in mobile recording, they continued to develop many of the technologies that established them in the first place. One solid example of this is their LiveTrak L-12 digital mixer. In many ways, the LiveTrak L-12 carries on the tradition of the MRS and R series hardware DAWs, adding more extensive live mixing options to the established multitrack recording format. It's one of the few affordable hardware DAWs we've seen that's ideal for producing and recording live sound. Similarly, Zoom has continued to develop inexpensive and highly flexible guitar and bass effects. Today they offer a full line of multi-effects processors that includes expression, loopers, amp emulation, and more.
With new innovations on the way all the time, we could never cover the full array of important contributions Zoom has made. Other notable innovations include their popular U series audio interfaces, which paved the way for their TAC Thunderbolt interface line, as well as their ARQ series live rhythm machines. What's next? It's hard to guess, but whatever Zoom comes up with, you can bet it will be affordable and professional, while fitting a real need in some area of music, video, or audio production.
