All my 32-Bit Recorders! Which Would You Choose?

welcome back to freedo sounds in today's

video we do things a little bit

different so instead of heading out to

record sounds we're going to show you a

complete overview of all 32-bit

recording devices that we currently own

and use these recorder ranges from Zoom

to Tas Cam and sound devices but we also

own Sony recorders but since they don't

support 32bit they won't make it in

today's video all the recorders that

we're going to show you are for our main

purpose and this is field recording so

you won't use them for Content creation

or Location Sound podcast music

recording instruments there are so many

ways that people use these recorders but

again for us and on our channel here

feed recording is our main purpose if

you're using a 24-bit device right now

and you would like to upgrade or you're

planning your first recorder should be

in 32-bit then I hope that we can show

you several options here in this video

by 32bit makes recording much easier on

the go it does require more work in post

for me this is not an issue at all first

off I love editing sounds and also it is

necessary if you would like to provide

sound libraries then editing is a big

part not just editing the sounds but

also going through the metadata and

description so let's get started with

the least expensive recorder to the most

expensive recorder let's start with the

first recorder and this is always very

exciting to me because when I started

out with sound recording I had to assume

age 1 then we had a zoom h1n and now we

have the zoom H1 essential as well I

personally I will use this recorder in

airports or in airplanes taxis

restaurants so wherever I feel like I

don't want to use the big gear that's

when the small handy recorders come in

very handy so really if you just want to

start out get some affordable wind

protection plug in your headphones go

out start recording and then see where

the journey leads you just like as I

mentioned in the previous video video we

started out in 2017 sound recording is

our full-time business so who knows

where you will end up if you start with

a small recording device like this one

one more thing if you think ah the mic

capsules I'm not really happy with it of

course you can use external microphones

you can pluck them into the line in I

use the Rollin for this but some people

using mic boosters or LOM micro ois and

they're very happy with it so then

they're using this recorder as a drop

break for example for nature sound

recorders I didn't really use that

before so I don't really do drop bricks

but if I want to do this in the future

then I know that if I use a recording

device like this and not something like

let's say this which I'm going to talk

later about it then this is a great

alternative to get nature sounds and if

there is an animal that would maybe bite

the cables or maybe even an elephant

steps on it which happened to another

field recordist it hurts but it's not

that bad if you would ask me myself what

is your recorder of for 2024 I think I

would say it's the zoom H2 essential

it's really hard for me if I would have

to make the decision between this one

and the test cam FR FR av2 then we're

talking a little bit about it I thought

I don't know what it is but when I was

out with this recorder I really enjoyed

recording first off if you understand

the function and what it's all in here

it's it's absolutely fantastic for $160

$170 we paid 180 in Thailand the front

microphones the rear microphones you

have the MS cap abilities you can use

line in here with Roland microphones or

other lavaliers like I mentioned before

the uji micro or mic bust mic boosters

not Mic Busters it's absolutely

fantastic 32bit 96 khz what do you want

more of course in this video I don't

want to get into the technical details

and about the sound quality but if you

want to see this video This Record in

action we made a video about here in

Thailand feel free to check it out right

here now if you want to step up from the

entry level and you want to have a

recorder with XLR the only one that we

right now have here on the table in

32bit is the Tascam X6 talking about the

price really quick it's around $260 in

the US if you thinking about should I

get the X8 instead uh I have this one as

well but not here right now so that's

why I don't want to include it but there

are a few options that you have on this

one for example here we have two xlrs

there we have four but here we don't

have the Dual Port so if dual Port is

important you may want to look for the

X8 also 96 khz on this one 32bit X8 192

khz 32bit if this is important for you

also this is one thing that I like more

on the X6 and this is that you can

swivel this one on the X8 you have to

take them in and out which some people

complained which I also understand and

another feature that I would love to see

in a future model maybe is possible

Maybe not that would be having a cage

around the capsule just to protect them

so if you would like to have a recording

device with touchscreen then this one

can give you this now if you would like

to hear this record and actions we have

two videos for you and what I'm doing

now is I'm going to put this links to

the other videos in our description down

below so that you can listen to the

recorder and not listening to me right

now now the next recording device when

this one came out I knew it's going to

be a big hit and and that was the zoom

F3 and I'm going to use this one or I

use it a lot with my ortf kit the

senheiser MK 840 but also with the DPA

4560 I put all the links in the

description down below if you want to

listen to the XLR inputs just to the

sound quality with different microphones

I use it with my creative field

recording kit that I'm still going to

use it so I have my ambient hydrophone

back it's going to be used in this one

and also overall just it's very robust

you can drop it I don't want to

recommend doing it but it is still a

fantastic device that I will definitely

have on our journey one of the downside

of it that a lot of people were

disappointed is that it does not have

dual Port you can use adapters but one

of the big ones is that we don't have

line in so we can't really use it with

um external microphones let's say for

example the Rolland or the micro Yuji

now we can still use these microphones

here on the XLR ports but yes it was a

deal breaker for some but there is

another recorder that will now fill this

Gap and this is the Tas cam FR

av2 oh just about the price it's around

$270 right now so if you looking for

something that is Affordable maybe you

want to use it as a drop break or for

experimental field recording then this

is still a fantastic option let's talk

about the new Tascam erra av2 just very

briefly but if you really want to know

more about it you want to listen to it

the pros and cons I don't think that we

ever put more effort and work into one

of our previous videos than in this one

because we really enjoyed it I went

through YouTube comments I answered

almost all the questions that I could

and if you just want to listen to the

sound quality please feel free to check

out the video I really enjoyed using it

and I'm definitely going to use it more

often I will use it more exclusively

with a new Ms kit that I'm going to

build and also with my Earthworks qdc 50

and the reason why is I'm using the sum

F3 for my creative field recording kit

so I don't really want to mix the

settings around so that's why this

recorder is for this kind of gear and

the other recording devices that I'm

going to show you are for other

recording gear so I don't really mix

stuff around and if you're now thinking

yeah but I just want to want one

recorder one that can do it all and I

got to say if there are any kind of

things that you miss in the sum F3 you

will find them in the task cam and

here's another kicker if you buy for

example from ik ik multimedia the iig XY

you can plug them on here and then you

have your own little handheld or handy

recorder centrance has the same option

but it's about $300 here you can get it

for €80 so if you decide to buy that I

have not tested it I'm going to buy them

we're going to order them and then I

will report back to you and see how it

performs just in case you're curious but

if you already want to purchase it feel

free to do it so just briefly about what

you can use it for Ms decoding you can

use it with any line in external

microphones you can adjust the plug-in

power between 2.5 and 5 volt it does not

have touchcreen as we have here on the

Tascam X6 so you have to go around the

menus again if you already used portter

capture before then you may expect this

maybe this is something we can see in a

future version of this one but for now

$400 you can use Bluetooth adapter the

Bluetooth adapter is not internal so you

have to buy this extra but overall great

experience great sounding recorder and

definitely worth the price now when we

talk about the next recorder then I can

tell you that I'm very excited about it

and a little bit nostalgic and this is

The Zo F6 this was the very first 32-bit

recorder that I got and and when we

thinking about back in the days it was

2019 and two years in and everyone in

the field recording Community talked

about sascom nagra sound devices but

from a financial point of view I feel

like I wasn't ready yet to make that

purchase and when Zoom brought out the

zoom f8n and of course the zoom F6 it

kind of bridged the gap between let's

say entry level and professional gear so

I think it's fair to say to call it

semi-professional

gear and I was never been more happy to

use a recording device like this one and

over the last 5 years I use it a lot I

use it with all the gear that we

purchased you can even use it for am

Sonic of course there's no dual port in

here but that was never really a problem

for me we had yonics microphones that we

used within all kinds of mono

microphones experimental microphones the

geophone we made so many videos with

this device and and if you would like to

see this then you're not just seeing a

video about this recorder you can also

see a little bit of the progress because

for us Libyan I it was the first time

ever that we are making a video in this

kind of style that we keep on doing

until this day but just the progress and

how it all started this starts not just

with the zoom F6 but also with us and

our YouTube Journey when it comes to

field recording and gear now from a

nostalgic point of view if you would ask

me should I buy it or not I would say

yes of course but now it is almost 2025

and it is over 5 years old and the

question is should we wait is there

maybe another one coming out soon and

you don't want to spend $650 and then

maybe next month or next year you you

see a complete new version of this one

or maybe even Tas cam when we just

looking at the naming system FR av2 who

knows maybe an FR av6 is planned and

launching in maybe 6 months or maybe

even less I don't know that I'm just

putting this out there for you to have

something to consider when we're talking

about a technology that came out in this

device in 2019 it still holds up you

know it's very different than camera

gear which every year new camera gear

but with this one even if you buy it now

if you just care about sound and you

want six input you want something that

is light then this is still an amazing

recording device to purchase there's a

lot to talk about about the zo F6 and I

really love this device that's all I can

say but if you have any more questions

about it if you feel to let me know in

the comments down below and I'm very

happy to answer and now let's get to

another recording device now let's talk

about the sound devices mix Bri 6 Mark 2

which is the 32-bit version and this is

a recording device that you will see a

lot when it comes to professional field

recording and also people working on set

so why do we have that device now after

after we upgraded from our Sennheiser or

TF to a shs double midside we already

had this device but then I really could

figure out the power of this because I

wasn't really happy using the shs DMS

with the zoom F6 because here on this

one the channel linking was just so much

easier you know you CH put in one two

three and then you link the channels

here in the settings and then boom you

can start recording when we bought this

device it's not just about buying the

device you also buy service and when I

had questions I reached out to sound

devices either per email and they

respond within 24 hours or I went to the

Facebook group and I always got the

answers that I was looking for so if you

decide to purchase sound devices you're

not just getting a product you're also

getting great service of course sound

device offers you other models that cost

you over

$8,000 but the mix pres series is the

perfect entry recorder when it comes to

professional audio gear let's talk about

about our last recording device and this

is also the most expensive here in our

list and this is the sound device mix

spr 10 Mark I and we can already see a

big difference here in size so if you

are not really into big recording device

then this might be not for you

especially if you don't need more than

let's say four channels for everything

else uh I got to say I'm not utilizing

this recorder to its full potential I

only use it for one microphone setup and

this is the DPA

5100 which is a six Channel surround

system and then all what I do is I plug

in all the channels that we have here

which are six in here and then we still

have two channels left and that's

interesting if I just want to use with a

shotgun microphone or maybe even

hydrophone recordings and then link them

all together this is all possible here

but I don't really do that I really just

use it for this and then everything else

I would use either with the zoom

recorder or the shs is exclusively for

the mix 36 and then of course we have

all the other recording devices so when

I do this I really have my back with all

this gear in one and this is just for

here for this device but there's one big

difference if you're interested and this

is about the power supply now here we

can just power everything through a

power bank using the USBC Port if you

use the USB port you can't power more

than two channels so make sure that if

you use a power bank you do and you do

USBC then you can link all four channels

here on this one first I thought this is

possible but no here we have a heroa

connector and then all what I do is I

have a small rig battery and then I

connect this and then I can power all

six or eight channels without any issues

so if you want something that has more

than let's say four Channel or even six

then the mix pre 10 is definitely a

great option for you so there you have

it these are all the 32-bit recording

devices that I use today and whether

you're just starting out or you're

already really deep in your recording

Journey remember one thing gear doesn't

Define your success you define your

success now while making this video I

ask myself one question when did I enjoy

recording the most and don't get me

wrong I love to record sounds but when I

use smaller gear budget friendlier or

more affordable gear I still feel like I

have more freedom I feel more

adventurous I don't really have to think

about where I want to go I can just go

out and record sounds on the other hand

larger setups makes me more focused on

deliberate but it also limits me of the

places that I would like to go both

approaches have their value and it's all

about finding what works best for you

one thing is for certain and this can

apply to many things you don't need the

most expensive gear to start something

amazing start with what you have and

keep exploring and recording so thank

you so much for watching if you have any

more question feel free to leave them

for me in the comments down below and I

can't wait to see you in our next video

[Music]