Could the new portable audio recorder eliminate stress over distortion and peaked audio levels?
Zoom announced the release of the new F3 field recorder. The palm-sized audio recorder is equipped with two XLR balance inputs and records 32-bit float in WAV format.
Designed for portability, the F3 compact audio recorder weighs in at just 8.53oz, and is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand or attached to a boom pole using Velcro. Users can also control and monitor the audio recorder from a distance using the F3 Control app or Bluetooth.
The F3 features two AD converters for low and high gain. Zoom also claims the audio recorder can achieve a high S/N ratio in both quiet and loud environments. This could be extremely valuable when recording in environments where volume and background noise can increase suddenly.
Key Features
- 32-bit float recording
- Two inputs and two-track recording
- No need to adjust the gain and record to prevent peaking
- Two independent XLR balance inputs (with locking mechanism)
- Mono or stereo WAV format up to 192kHz sampling/32bit float fixed
- High-definion microphone preamplifier with ultra-low noise floor of EIN -127 dBu or less
- REC hold function to prevent misoperation during recording
- Real-time waveform display for monitoring
- A compact and robust housing that can be attached to a boom microphone pole with Velcro
- PHONES output and LINE output terminals with dedicated volume control for 3.5mm plugs
- Direct recording to microSDHC/microSDXC (up to 1TB compatible)
- High-precision timecode for accurate synchronization with images
- Remote control from the Android/iOS app “F3 Control” via Bluetooth connection
- USB audio interface function with 2 in / 2 out, up to 96kHz/32bit floats
- Two AA alkaline batteries, powered for more than 8 hours
- Powered by 2 AA batteries, AC adapter (AD-17 sold separately) or USB mobile battery
Pricing information for the F3 has yet to be released. The audio recorders are expected to start shipping at the end of February. For more information, visit the Zoom Corp. website.
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