Zoom F6 Operation Manual

Operation Manual

You must read the Usage and Safety Precautions before use.

Copying or reprinting this manual in part or in whole without permission is prohibited.

Product names, registered trademarks and company names in this document are the property of their respective companies. All trademarks and regis-

tered trademarks in this document are for identification purposes only and are not intended to infringe on the copyrights of their respective owners.

Proper display is not possible on grayscale devices.

Notes about this Operation Manual

You might need this manual in the future. Always keep it in a place where you can access it easily. The contents of this document and the specications of the product could be changed without notice.

Windows® is a trademark or registered trademark of Microsoft® Cor-

◎

poration.

Mac, macOS, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch are trademarks or registered

◎

trademarks of Apple Inc.

The SD, SDHC and SDXC logos are trademarks.

◎

The Bluetooth® word mark and logo are registered trademarks of Blue-

◎

tooth® SIG, Inc. and these marks are used under license by Zoom Corporation.

Other product names, registered trademarks and company names in

◎

this document are the property of their respective companies.

Note: All trademarks and registered trademarks in this document are for

identication purposes only and are not intended to infringe on the

copyrights of their respective owners.

Recording from copyrighted sources, including CDs, records, tapes, live

performances, video works and broadcasts, without permission of the copyright holder for any purpose other than personal use is prohibited by law. Zoom Corporation will not assume any responsibility related to infringements of copyrights.

Introduction

Thank you very much for purchasing a ZOOM multitrack eld recorder. The

●

provides the following features in a compact form.

Record the quietest and loudest sounds at high quality with

32-bit oat WAV format

The high-quality analog input circuits can handle signals ranging from the most delicate to a professional maximum level of +24 dBu.

In addition to 16/24-bit WAV recording, 32-bit oat WAV recording, which

does not require input level adjustment, is also supported. With 32-bit float WAV format, the recording resolution can be retained even when changing levels greatly after recording.

Simultaneously record 6 channels and 14 tracks

●

Up to 14 tracks can be recorded simultaneously, including 16/24-bit WAV and 32-bit float WAV for Inputs 1–6 along with left and right tracks of a stereo mix.

Support for three types of batteries

●

A USB mobile battery, L battery or AA batteries can be used for power.

Two remote control options

●

Wireless control is possible by installing a ZOOM wireless adapter (e.g. BTA-1) and using the F6 Control iOS app. Moreover by connecting an F6 Control, which is a mixer-style controller designed especially for F Series recorders, with a USB cable, 60mm track faders, LED level meters and various transport buttons can be used for intuitive sound control. Combined with the F6 Control iOS app, iPhones and iPads can also be used as large meters with excellent visibility.

Support for SMPTE timecode input and output along with

●

wireless timecode input

The uses a high-precision oscillator that enables it to independently generate accurate timecode with a discrepancy of less than 0.5 frames

per 24 hours. If a BTA-1 dedicated wireless adapter is installed, wireless timecode can be received from a Timecode Systems UltraSync BLUE and written to re-

corded les.

Headphone jack with 100mW+100mW maximum output

●

Clear headphone monitoring is possible using the digital boost function while sending audio signals to a video camera or other device from the LINE OUT jack.

Flexible signal routing also makes mixer use possible

●

Pre-fader and post-fader signals from inputs 1–6 can be routed to outputs freely.

Phantom power supply (+24 V or +48 V)

●

This can be set for each input separately.

USB audio interface use with up to 6 ins and 4 outs possible

●

Use as a 2-in/2-out or 6-in/4-out audio interface (driver required for Windows).

Output multitrack audio by USB while recording

●

While recording to the installed SD card, multitrack audio can be sent to and from a computer by USB with up to 8 inputs (6 inputs + L/R stereo mix) and 4 outputs. This enables simultaneous backup recording and Internet live streaming.

360º audio

●

Ambisonic mode enables 360º spatial audio recording using VR mics. Decoding from Ambisonic format A to format B is supported along with gain and setting link functions.

Achieving high audio quality throughout recording and editing

With the dual A/D converter circuits and support for 32-bit oat WAV les, the can maintain the highest audio quality from recording to post-production.

Recording

Dual A/D converter circuit enables recording both loud

and quiet sounds without making gain adjustments

Post-production

32-bit float WAV file format maintains audio

quality from recording when editing

• Late night in suburb

according to desired

by two A/D converters

Dual A/D converter circuit overview

For each input circuit, the

has two A/D converters with different input gains. This design enables high-quality audio recording without the need to

adjust gain settings, a step that is normally indispensable.

Providing amazing dynamic range

By combining two A/D converters, a wide dynamic range not possible with a single A/D converter has been realized.

Conventional product

• Airplane

• Nearby thunder

• Train passing on tracks overhead

• Inside train

• Shouting

• Grand piano

Dual A/D converter

Low-gain A/D converter

A/D converter switches in response to input level

Switching between two A/D converters

The constantly monitors data from the two A/D converters, and automatically selects the one that provides the best recording results.

• Noisy street

• Chimes

• Ordinary conversation

• Whispering

• Quiet library

Adjust input gain

High-gain A/D converter

Wide dynamic range covered

Low noise because high-gain A/D converter selected

No clipping because low-gain A/D converter selected

Low noise because high-gain A/D converter selected

32-bit oat WAV le overview

32-bit oat WAV les have the following advantages over conventional 16/24-bit linear WAV les.

These features enable the quality of the sound during recording to be maintained even during post-production.

Resolution advantage

32-bit oat WAV les have the advantage of being able to maintain high

resolution even at low volumes. As a result, quiet sounds can be made louder when editing after recording without degrading their quality.

16/24-bit linear WAV

Resolution low

Volume raised

32-bit float WAV

Resolution high

Clipping advantage

If a waveform sounds clipped when output from the or in a DAW, it can be edited after recording to lower its volume and restore an un-

clipped waveform because the data in the 32-bit oat WAV le itself is

not clipped.

16/24-bit linear

Clipped recording

Still clipped

Volume lowered

32-bit float

Saved in data

Not clipped

Volume raised

Volume lowered

Contents

Notes about this Operation Manual ......................................................................... 02

Introduction .................................................................................................................... 03

Achieving high audio quality throughout recording and editing .......................04

Dual A/D converter circuit overview ................................................................................... 05

32-bit oat WAV le overview .............................................................................................. 06

Contents .........................................................................................................................07

Names of parts ............................................................................................................. 09

Connecting mics/other devices to Inputs 1–6 .....................................................11

Equipment connection examples .......................................................................................12

Display overview ........................................................................................................... 13

Preparations ..................................................................................................................16

Supplying power ..................................................................................................................... 16

Loading SD cards ................................................................................................................... 18

Turning the power on and off ..............................................................................................19

Setting the language .............................................................................................................. 20

Setting the date and time ..................................................................................................... 21

Setting the power supply used ............................................................................................ 23

Recording .......................................................................................................................25

Recording process ................................................................................................................. 25

Setting the recording le format .........................................................................................26

Selecting inputs and adjusting levels ................................................................................. 27

Recording .................................................................................................................................29

Setting the sampling rate......................................................................................................30

Setting the recording mode (bit depth) .............................................................................. 32

Setting MP3 le bit rate (MP3) ............................................................................................34

Setting the LR Track ............................................................................................................... 36

Capturing audio before recording starts ........................................................................... 38

Setting the recording time display ...................................................................................... 39

Setting the playback time display ....................................................................................... 41

Folder and le structure ........................................................................................................ 43

Move the previously recorded take to the FALSE TAKE folder. ..................................... 45

Recorded take settings ............................................................................................... 46

Changing the note for the next take recorded .................................................................. 46

Setting and managing recorded scene names ................................................................ 48

Changing the track name of the next take recorded (Track Name) ............................. 51

Changing the number of the next take recorded ............................................................. 53

Playback .........................................................................................................................54

Playing recordings ..................................................................................................................54

Mixing takes ............................................................................................................................ 55

Monitoring the playback signals of specic tracks during playback ...........................57

Changing the repeat playback setting ................................................................................59

Take and folder operations ........................................................................................60

Working with takes and folders ........................................................................................... 60

Overview of metadata (take information) stored in les ................................................ 66

Checking and editing take metadata ..................................................................................67

Writing a sound report ........................................................................................................... 76

Input settings .................................................................................................................79

Adjusting the input signal monitoring balance ................................................................. 79

Monitoring the input signals of specied tracks .............................................................. 80

Setting the input source ........................................................................................................ 81

Setting the monitoring volume on the PFL screen .......................................................... 83

Cutting low-frequency noise ................................................................................................ 85

Input limiter ............................................................................................................................. 87

Inverting the input phase ...................................................................................................... 93

Changing the phantom power settings ............................................................................. 95

Applying delay to input signals ............................................................................................ 97

Linking inputs as a stereo pair .............................................................................................99

Adjusting multiple track input levels together ................................................................101

Changing the automatic mixing setting ...........................................................................102

Setting the Ambisonic format ............................................................................................104

Setting the mic position used for Ambisonic recording ...............................................107

Output settings ...........................................................................................................109

Setting signals sent to the headphone output ...............................................................109

Outputting alerts through headphones ............................................................................ 112

Setting the headphone output volume curve ..................................................................113

Boosting headphone output to alleviate interference from recorded sound............114

Setting the output level .......................................................................................................116

Applying delay to the output ..............................................................................................118

Output Limiter .......................................................................................................................119

Selecting signals sent to the line outputs ........................................................................123

Timecode ...................................................................................................................... 125

Timecode overview ..............................................................................................................125

Setting timecode ..................................................................................................................127

Setting the automatic timecode recording delay ...........................................................136

Setting timecode initialization used at startup ............................................................... 137

Using USB functions ..................................................................................................139

Exchanging data with a computer ....................................................................................139

Using as an audio interface ................................................................................................141

Using SD card recording and audio interface functions at the same time ...............143

Audio interface settings ......................................................................................................145

Using an FRC-8 as a controller..........................................................................................146

Setting the type of keyboard connected to the FRC-8 ..................................................148

Setting user keys for the FRC-8 ........................................................................................150

Setting the FRC-8 LED brightness ....................................................................................152

Updating the FRC-8 rmware ............................................................................................154

Operating with an iOS device .............................................................................................157

Other settings ..............................................................................................................164

Setting the level meter peak hold time .............................................................................164

Setting the LED brightness .................................................................................................165

Making display settings ......................................................................................................167

Setting how marks are added manually ..........................................................................170

Setting the buttons held ......................................................................................................172

Other functions ...........................................................................................................174

Checking SD card information ...........................................................................................174

Testing SD card performance ............................................................................................175

Formatting SD cards............................................................................................................178

Checking the F6 Shortcut List ...........................................................................................179

Backing up and loading F6 settings .................................................................................180

Restoring default setting values ........................................................................................183

Checking the rmware version ..........................................................................................184

Updating the rmware .........................................................................................................185

Appendix .......................................................................................................................186

Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................186

Metadata list .........................................................................................................................188

List of shortcuts ...................................................................................................................192

Block diagrams .....................................................................................................................193

Specications........................................................................................................................200

Names of parts

■ Front

Status indicator Red: Input enabled Green: Playback track enabled Orange: PFL monitoring Unlit: Input disabled

MENU button Home Screen: Open Menu Screen Menu Screen: Return to previous screen

PFL/ENTER button Home Screen: Open PFL Screen Menu Screen: Confirm menu item

■ Back

Track knob Display

STOP

button

REC

button

FF/↑ button Home Screen: Select playback take Menu Screen: Select menu item

RWD/↓ button Home Screen: Select playback take Menu Screen: Select menu item

PLAY/PAUSE

button

L battery lock button

L battery mount

SD card slot

■ Left side

USB port LINE OUT jack Zoom wireless adapter (e.g. BTA-1)

■ Right side

TIMECODE IN/OUT jack

HEADPHONE jack POWER switch

Headphone volume

Inputs 1–3

Inputs 1–6 TIMECODE IN/OUT

XLR

1：GND 2：HOT 3：COLD

TRS

TIP: Input to F6 (output from external device)

RING: Output from F6 (input to external device)

SLEEVE: GND

Inputs 4–6

Battery cover

Connecting mics/other devices to Inputs 1–6

The can record 6 individual tracks that correspond to Inputs 1–6 and a stereo mix of these inputs with left and right tracks. Mics and the outputs of instruments and audiovisual equipment, for example, can be connected to Inputs 1–6 and recorded to tracks 1–6.

Connecting mics

Connect dynamic and condenser mics with XLR plugs to Inputs 1–6. Phantom power (+24 V/+48 V) can be supplied to condenser mics. ( →P.81)

Connecting line level equipment

Connect XLR cables from keyboards and mixers directly to Inputs 1–6. Direct input of passive guitars and basses is not supported. Connect these instruments through a mixer or effects device.

Dynamic mic

(XLR cable)

NOTE

When disconnecting an XLR cable, pull the XLR plug while pushing the connector lock release button.

Condenser mic

(XLR cable)

Keyboard

(XLR cable)

Mixer

(XLR cable)

Equipment connection examples

Recording is possible in a variety of situations like these.

While lming

• Input 1: gun mic for main subject sound

• Inputs 2–4: lapel mics for performers

• Inputs 5–6: mics for ambient sound

Gun mic

Pin mics

Ambient

mics

Concert recording

• Inputs 1–2: line inputs for outputs from mixer

• Inputs 3–4: mics for stage performance

• Inputs 5–6: ambient mics for audience sound

Mics

(Stage performance)

PA mixer

Ambient mics

(Audience voices)

Display overview

■ Home Screen

Status icons

Stopped

Paused

Counter During recording: Elapsed/remaining recording time During playback: Elapsed/remaining playback time

Recording

Recording/playback

sample rate

Clip indicator

Level meter

Track number Red: Input enabled Green: Playback track enabled Gray: Input disabled

Input link settings are shown by connected adjacent track numbers.

Mono

Playing back

Power type and remaining amount USB: Power supply connected to port EXT: L battery AA: AA batteries

Recording/playback take name When stopped, press and hold to show the name that will be given to the next recorded take.

Recording/playback timecode

Frame rate INT: Internal timecode enabled EXT: External timecode input enabled

Stereo

Ambisonic

HINT

•

When the Home Screen is not open, press and hold

• Some of the screen will appear differently when the recording mode is Float (32 bit).

to return to the Home Screen.

■ Character input screen

Text box

Keyboard

Operation

indicator

Press

input button

Automatic

Press

abc

Press

#+=

Press

123

Press

NOTE

• The following characters can be used in project names.

• (space) ! # $ ' ( ) + , - 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ; = @ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z [ ] ^ _ ` a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z { }

■ Editing operations

Move cursor in text box Select characters (vertical) Select characters (horizontal)

Conrm

characters

Delete characters

Use “ ←” and “ →” to move and press

Press

Move the cursor to the character to input, and

press Move cursor before the character to delete in the

text box, and press

Complete editing

Cancel editing

Move cursor to "OK" and press

Press

■ Automatic input keys

(Date): This automatically inputs the date. Example: 190210 (Time): This automatically inputs the time. Example: 180950 (Scene): This automatically inputs the current scene name.

Preparations

Supplying power

Power can be supplied three ways using AA batteries, an L battery or USB.

■ Using AA batteries

1. Loosen the screw in the battery cover on the bottom.

2. Open the battery compartment cover on the bottom,

remove the battery case, and insert 4 AA batteries.

3. Put the case into the compartment.

4. Close the battery cover and tighten the screw.

■ Using an L battery

1. Slide the battery in the direction of the arrow while

pressing it toward the recorder.

NOTE

• Be careful because the battery case could become loose unexpectedly if

the battery compartment cover screw is not tightened rmly.

• Use only one type of batteries (alkaline, NiMH or lithium) at a time.

• After loading AA batteries, set "Power Source" to the correct type of bat-

tery. ( →P.23)

• If the remaining battery power indicator becomes red, turn the power off immediately and install new batteries.

■ Using a USB Type-C cable

1. Connect the cable of the dedicated ZOOM AD-17 AC

adapter to the USB port.

2. Plug the dedicated AC adapter into an outlet.

NOTE

• A 5V mobile battery (commercially-available) can also be connected.

• When connected to a computer, power can be supplied by USB.

Loading SD cards

1. Open the SD card slot cover, and insert an SD card.

2. To remove the card: push it further into the slot and

then pull it out.

NOTE

Before using SD cards that have just been purchased or that have been formatted on a computer, they must be formatted. To format an SD card, use Menu > SYSTEM > SD Card > Format.

Turning the power on and off

■ Turning the power on

1. Press and hold briey.

The ZOOM logo appears and the power turns on.

NOTE

• The rst time the power is turned on after purchase, the date/time must

be set ( →P.21). This setting can also be changed later.

• If “No Card!” appears on the display, conrm that an SD card is inserted properly.

■ Turning the power off

1. Press and hold briey.

NOTE

Keep pressing it until the ZOOM logo appears on the LCD.

• If “Card Protected!” appears on the display, the SD card write-protection is enabled. Slide the lock switch on the SD card to disable write-protection.

• If “Invalid Card!” appears on the display, the card is not formatted correctly. Format the card or use a different card. Formatting SD cards ( →P.178)

Setting the language

The menu display language can be changed.

1. Press .

2. Use and to select

SYSTEM, and press

3. Use and to select

Language, and press

4. Use and to select the

desired language, and press

NOTE

The rst time the power is turned on after purchase, the language must be

set.

Setting the date and time

The date and time set on the are used when recording les, for example. The date format (order of year, month and day) can also be set.

1. Press .

2. Use and to select

SYSTEM, and press

3. Use and to select

Settings, and press

4. Use and to select

Date/Time, and press

▶ Continue to one of the following procedures.

Setting the date and time ……………………………………………………… P.22 Setting the date format ………………………………………………………… P.22

NOTE

The rst time the power is turned on after purchase, the date/time must be

set.

■ Setting the date and time

8. When done setting, use

5. Use and to select Set

Date/Time, and press

6. Set the date and time

Move cursor or change value:

Use

Change item value:

Use the item, and press

and

and to select

Enter, and press

This completes setting the date and time.

■ Setting the date format

5. Use and to select

Date Format, and press

7. The item selected to be

changed appears red.

Use

it, and press

and to change

6. Use and to select

the format, and press

Setting Explanation mm/dd/yy Month, day, year order dd/mm/yy Day, month, year order yy/mm/dd Year, month, day order

Setting the power supply used

When using AA batteries, set the battery type so that the amount of remaining power can be shown accurately. The voltage of each power supply and the remaining battery charge can be checked on this menu page.

1. Press .

2. Use and to select

SYSTEM, and press

3. Use and to select

Settings, and press

4. Use and to select

Power Source, and press

■ Setting the installed AA battery type

5. Use and to select

Type, and press

6. Use and to select

the type, and press

NOTE

• When multiple power supplies are connected, they will be used in the following order of priority.

1. USB (Power supply connected to USB port)

2. EXT (L battery)

3. AA (Installed AA batteries)

• The voltages of each power supply are shown on the display.

Recording

Recording process

Recording with the follows the process shown below. The data created for each recording occurrence is called a "take".

Connecting

Connect mics, instruments, audiovisual devices, and other equip-

ment to Inputs 1–6. ( →P.8)

1. Set the recording mode (bit depth) ( →P.32).

• Select one of the recording

modes: 16/24-bit WAV, 32-bit Float WAV, simultaneous 16/24-bit WAV and 32-bit WAV,

or MP3.

Turning the

power on

( →P.19)

2. Set the recording le

• Set the recording le format

( →P.26).

• Set the sampling rate ( →P.30).

Preparing to

record

・ Press to start

recording and stop.

・ Marks (for cueing) can

also be set.

・ Press

recording the next take.

・ Press to pause.

3. Select tracks to record ( →P.51).

• Turn the left until it clicks to disable the input. Input is

enabled at all other positions.

• This can be set to a stereo track ( →P.99).

to start

Recording

( →P.29)

・ Press to start playback

and

・ Marks (for cueing), for exam-

ple, can also be set.

or to stop.

4. Make various input and recording settings

• Settings, including metadata ( →P.67), pre-re- cording ( →P.38), low-cut

lter ( →P.85) and limiter ( →P.87) can be made.

Playing and

checking

( →P.54)

Checking take

information

( →P.67)

・ Check and edit

metadata.

5. Adjust input levels ( →P.28).

• Setting input levels is necessary in some operation modes.

Setting the recording le format

1. Press .

2. Use and to select

REC, and press

3. Use and to select

File Format, and press

Setting

Poly

Mono/Stereo

NOTE

• When recording Mono/Stereo, audio les are saved in a folder that is cre-

ated. ( →P.43)

• This cannot be set when the mode is set to MP3.

Tracks

recorded

Selected tracks 1-6

Explanation

A single poly le will be created that contains

audio for multiple tracks.

A single mono le is created for each mono track and a single stereo le is created for

each stereo track.

4. Use and to select the

le format, and press

Selecting inputs and adjusting levels

Select which among Inputs 1–6 to use. Inputs will be recorded on tracks with the same numbers. For example, Input 1 will be recorded on track 1 and Input 2 will be recorded on track 2.

Selecting inputs

1. Turn right for the number of an input to record,

making the track status indicator light.

HINT

Turn left until it clicks to disable the input. Input is enabled at all other positions.

NOTE

• The signals from the inputs selected this way will also be sent to the L/R tracks.

•

The levels sent to the L/R tracks are adjusted with

Track indicator

Lit red Red The input is enabled. Unlit Gray The input is disabled.

Track number

background color

Explanation

■ Adjusting input levels

5. Use and to select

1. Press .

2. Use and to select

INPUT, and press

3. Use and to select

PFL, and press

Trim, and press

NOTE

Trim cannot be used when the recording mode is set to Float. When set to Float, the setting is shown as “--”.

6. Use and to adjust the

input level, and press

4. Use and to select the

desired track, and press

HINT

• This can be set in a range from +12 to +75 dB when the input source is set to Mic, from –8 to +55 dB when set to Line, and from –35 to +30 dB when set to USB.

• If the sound distorts even after lowering the input level, try changing mic positions and adjusting the output levels of connected devices.

• Using the limiter ( →P.87)

• Using the high pass lter ( →P.85)

Recording

3. Press to pause.

NOTE

• Pausing occurs at whole second increments.

• When recording is paused, a mark is added at that point.

1. Press .

This starts recording.

HINT

If the timecode function is enabled, recording will start from frame 00 (00 or 02 when using drop frame) and the le length will always be a full second value. This makes synchronization easy when editing later.

2. Press to start a new take when recording.

This will end the current take and start a new take while con-

tinuing to record without interruption.

Press

• A maximum of 99 marks can be added to a take.

HINT

•

During playback, have been added.

• Marks can be added without pausing. ( →P.170)

to resume recording.

and can be pressed to jump to places where marks

4. Press to stop.

NOTE

If the file size exceeds 2GB during recording, a new take will be created automatically and recording will continue without interruption. No gap in sound will occur between the two takes when this happens.

HINT

•

Press and hold the next take recorded.

when the Home Screen is open to check the name of

NOTE

Pressing during recording is only possible after recording for at least a second.

• Files are automatically saved at regular intervals during recording. If the power is interrupted or another problem occurs during recording, an

affected le can be restored to normal by playing it with the

Setting the sampling rate

The sampling rate used to record les can be set.

1. Press .

2. Use and to select

REC, and press

3. Use and to select

Sample Rate, and press

4. Use and to select the

sampling rate, and press

Setting Explanation

44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz

47.952 kHz

48.048 kHz

47.952 kHz(F), 48.048 kHz(F)

These are standard sampling rates.

Select this when recording video at 23.976 frames per second in order to edit later at 24 frames per second. Select this when recording video at 24 frames per second in order to edit later at NTSC 29.97 or 23.98 HD. These function the same as the two above, but the sampling rate metadata will be recorded as 48 kHz for <FILE_SAMPLE_RATE>. This enables playback and editing with devices and software that do not support 47.952 kHz and 48.048

kHz WAV les. Playback, however, will occur at the ±0.1% speed at which the le was recorded.

+ 172 hidden pages

Zoom F6 Operation Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual