Sooooo, I had to figure these steps out in the middle of an operating theatre in Türkiye whilst running a 4 cam setup with a Professor who I had only met 24 hours prior with a team I have never met before. Thank you for reading my mind, as I am too much of a mess to read instruction manuals! Thank you, as always.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@rosstrend1177
4 ай бұрын
Thank you Curtis, the F3 has become my favorite recorder for almost everything.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
🎙️❤️
@roadrunna.
4 ай бұрын
WoW! My lucky day, feels like you made it for me, I'm sitting here fiddling with my newly acquired F3 :) Thank you!!
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@SkillCult
17 күн бұрын
clear and helpful as always. Thanks for all the years of help with AV stuff :)
@curtisjudd
17 күн бұрын
👍
@keensoundguy6637
4 ай бұрын
Thanks to Curtis's tip about the F3 sale price not too long ago (in his H4essential review), I picked one up (Amzn had it at an even lower price: $268). Zoom's quick start guide actually says more about setting the recording level than the owner's manual. Based on the block diagram in the owner's manual, I assume that setting the level is akin to what happens when you modify the level in post -- you're basically multiplying the digital magnitudes. I did encounter one review that incorrectly stated that it only changes the signal magnification level for the display. That is only true if you change level while recording. Of course Curtis's review of the F3 was correct that it only changes the recorded level if you set it before you start recording.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@starttofinishmediaco.2520
29 күн бұрын
straight to the point and simple - thanks!
@curtisjudd
28 күн бұрын
👍
@JimCutler
4 ай бұрын
I bought this after your original review, Curtis. It's a terrific little recorder.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍🎙️🎧
@BeauHannamGuitars
4 ай бұрын
It was my understanding that the Levels (talked about at 8:14) wave form visuals were just that- Visuals with no relation to, or impact on the gain giving to the signal. Is this not the case? Thanks for the video
@thismarkp
4 ай бұрын
This is my understanding too - it's a 32bit recorder, you don't need to set levels. It's just a display thing. Page 45 in the Zoom F3 manual says "The F3 records in 32-bit float format, so the input gain does not need to be adjusted. Depending on the input signals, however, waveforms shown on the display could appear too small or too large, making them difficult to check. By changing the waveform display magnification, input waveforms can be adjusted to sizes that are easy to check. "
@BeauHannamGuitars
4 ай бұрын
@@thismarkp I feel that as this for easy visuals only (nothing to do with gain levels) it is a bit of a design fault in that it is confusing. They should have just made the visual a nice medium wave form and not made it possible to magnify the visual. (and that is the confusing part- most people assume [including me until I read the instructions to make sure] that magnifying the visual is turning the gain up. Not so)
@galachiev
4 ай бұрын
This device has no gain adjustment. It allows you to set digital levels as well as any post processing software. This levels doesn’t matter until you’re giving output signal to another device from your zoom.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
It is not just visual. It is technically a fader control. It defines the level at which the audio is digitally boosted before saving to the SD card. You can change it in post since it is recorded to 32-bit float. It is critical to set the fader so that the audio does not exceed 0dB when you’re sending audio from the F3’s output to a camera (though there is a digital output limiter to manage slight peaks).
@calebveta8330
4 ай бұрын
Thanks again for your tutorials Curtis, familiarizing myself with the new gear i have has been challenging but your videos get me up to speed quick.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@lofidarkambient
4 ай бұрын
Thanks, Curtis, always such great information
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
🙏
@topicruben
14 күн бұрын
Super professional video. I’ve been watching your videos for a while and it just click “ I gotta subscribe” so, I’m happy to be part of your community. I recently purchased the RED Komodo 6k, made my first video and while editing it I realized something I knew; the preamps are not exactly made to record audio…, and so I’ve been looking for an external audio recorder with XLR, cause I use the Sennheiser MKE 600. Thank you for the video and if you have a better advice for me within the budget, I’ll be very grateful. Cheers from Italy
@curtisjudd
10 күн бұрын
The F3 is a good place to start for much better audio. 👍
@topicruben
10 күн бұрын
@@curtisjudd Thank you. The problem now is that I bought the f3 from Amazon but now Zoom released the h1 xlr at half the price 😭. Do you think it would be worth return it and wait for the h1 xlr? Thanks again
@curtisjudd
10 күн бұрын
@@topicrubenthe H1 XLR is likely using the same preamplifiers of the H4e and H6e recorders and those preamplifiers are noisier than the F3 preamps. So I would not worry about the newer H1 and get to work making great sound with your F3.
@topicruben
10 күн бұрын
@@curtisjudd I highly appreciate your response. Thank you 🙏
@topicruben
10 күн бұрын
@@curtisjudd Thank you so much!
@threeoverfour
Ай бұрын
Very helpful, Thanks!
@curtisjudd
Ай бұрын
👍
@jordanhazel6557
3 ай бұрын
Really appreciate the simple tutorial! 🙏🏽🙏🏽
@curtisjudd
3 ай бұрын
🙏
@PipCritten
4 ай бұрын
This a great little two channel recorder that takes up very little space in the kit bag. Ideally suited to most small shoots or interviews.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@SamEmilio2
4 ай бұрын
This is a great video! I plan to use the F3 a lot in the future and maybe purchase one, but when I rented one for a job a few weeks back, the available set up guide videos were far, far less to the point than this one. Will definitely come back to this
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@ath3263
4 ай бұрын
Always excellent and educational information thats invaluable for newbies to the area.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@thepaintpeople
13 күн бұрын
As a content creator that plans to use this for interviews and video podcasting, do you think it’s worth waiting for the Zoom H1 XLR? Or do you recommend spending double on the F3?
@curtisjudd
11 күн бұрын
I'll review the H1 XLR once it arrives. I'm betting that the H1 XLR's preamps will be noisier (like the H4essential's are much noisier than the F3). As with many things, the more expensive zoom recorders usually outperform the cheaper recorders.
@jacksonier
7 күн бұрын
@@curtisjudd Followup Q, is the Zoom F3 better than H1 XLR , wanna know the answer :)
@curtisjudd
7 күн бұрын
@@jacksonier The H1 XLR hasn't shipped yet, but I will review it when it arrives. NOTE: It probably is NOT better in terms of the preamplifiers based on my experience with previous H and F series recorders.
@jacksonier
7 күн бұрын
@@curtisjudd Okay, cool!
@forewarnedfilm
4 ай бұрын
Really useful & clear instructions - thank you!
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@dblbassted
4 ай бұрын
Love my F3. This is a great reference vid for it.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@Brink1957
4 ай бұрын
I really like this little recorder, so I bought 2 of them!
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍🎸
@nsharma99
4 ай бұрын
Curtis!!!!! yessssss 🎉 thank you 🙏🏾!!!
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@jacksonier
7 күн бұрын
I have a question ! How do I correctly stop turn off the Zoom F3, like can I just go ahead and press the Power Off button, while the XLR mic is plugged in and I am not recording? Or do you need to take into account something, like should I unplug the XLR mics or anything else ??? Thanks in advance!
@curtisjudd
7 күн бұрын
You can just press the power button.
@mattwruff
4 ай бұрын
Well, if I was still working, it might be handy to have one as a retired audio junky my MixPre ii - 6 can handle anything I throw at it...
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@stranger957
4 ай бұрын
Hello! I have a question about Zoom F3 recorder and its line output level. I even wanted to ask official zoom support but they have no distributor in my country. It’s about setting an output level. When you setting it, you have an opportunity to play a “test tone”. In the manual, it says that this signal must be at -6dbfs. But in practice with my test I came to a conclusion that for having 6db of analog headroom above the test tone we must hold “Output level” on the Zoom at +-0db. Meanwhile, with such settings, “test tone” will not reach -6dbfs with my gear. On my camera (Fuji X-T4) it will be at -10dbfs, on my audio interface (Motu M4) it will be at -24dbfs. On both devices it was line connection with no signal reduction. In case of a camera I can add 4db in the “output level” on the zoom and reach -6dbfs with a test tone but there will no actual 6 dB of headroom in this case. In case of an audio interface I won’t reach -6dbfs at all. Signal will start clipping sooner. So I don’t understand should I even try to reach -6 BFS with a test tone. What does this value from the manual mean?
@Granfoss
Ай бұрын
A question. If I want to record stereo sounds with my Røde Stereo Videomic X. Do I need a 3,5mm to 1 XLR or 2 XLR to get stereo?
@curtisjudd
Ай бұрын
2 XLR to get stereo.
@jannarkiewicz633
4 ай бұрын
very clear
@TP-Fotografie
4 ай бұрын
You can not adjust the levels while recording. That`s what I learned from you in the first video about the Zoom F3. A very good recorder for weddings.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
You cannot adjust the recording levels, but you can adjust the levels for the 3.5mm output which is important if you're feeding audio from the F3 to a camera.
@RhettBrownatRetroWreck
4 ай бұрын
Great! I noticed a seletion under the source menu that said "Line (+48)" , Now what and why is this here. I can't find anything that tells me when I would need to use this selection. Do you know?
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
When you want to use a condenser microphone to record a very loud sound source.
@santanuc9298
11 күн бұрын
Could you please also review the Zoom H1 XLR?
@curtisjudd
11 күн бұрын
Yes
@jwdegroot1177
4 ай бұрын
Thank you!
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
You’re welcome!
@ChrisFlores22
3 ай бұрын
I love my f3 and the f6 is too much for my needs. How can I incorporate my tentacle syncs with the f3 to have timecode on my cameras, track e recorders and the zoom f3? I also have a sync e and cable that goes from sync e to xlr. Do I need to burn one of my channels for tc on the f3? Do record in stereo or mono to be able to use tc for meta data layer using the ten le sync app? Thanks Curtis!!!!!!
@curtisjudd
3 ай бұрын
Unfortunately, with the F3 the only two options for timecode are to use one of the inputs to record audio timecode or go with the ATMOS Ultrasonic Blue timecode system (which has its own limitations). In short, the F3 isn't great for timecode workflows unless you only need one input for audio.
@ChrisFlores22
3 ай бұрын
@@curtisjudd if I burn a channel do I need to switch it from mono channels to stereo recording? Almost like a left and right that comes from the tentacle sync? (Audio on one channel TC on the other)
@LearnLightAndSoundSessions
3 ай бұрын
@@ChrisFlores22 Not sure. Test with your editing app to see which works.
@ChrisFlores22
3 ай бұрын
@@LearnLightAndSoundSessions appreciate it!!
@REMY.C.
3 ай бұрын
Hey guys, how would you set up the levels on the F3 if you have a mic like the Røde VideoMic NTG that is self powered and has an integrated gain wheel?
@curtisjudd
3 ай бұрын
Since the NTG doesn’t have a meter, I’d make test recordings. Start with the mic gain at lowest setting. Then work up a couple of notches at a time. It technically doesn’t matter what you set the input to on the F3 if you normalize the audio levels in post.
@REMY.C.
3 ай бұрын
@@curtisjudd Thanks a lot Curtis, that was exactly what I was wondering, getting good levels when recording with 32bits floats vs worrying about "self noise" made by the mic amp vs recorder amp.
@thesilencer6736
3 ай бұрын
Does it have direct monitoring for the headphones?
@curtisjudd
3 ай бұрын
Yes
@ursthomann3463
4 ай бұрын
Thanks, Curtis, for this little tutorial. I wonder what Input I select if I plug in the receiver of a Rode News Shooter kit. Would that be line or just mic? Cheers, Urs
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
Mic 👍
@qvarfoto
4 ай бұрын
Great video, thank you for sharing it! I've used mine for almost 2 years now and it's a really handy little recorder. I've used it on everything from YT videos to short film productions and it's done great. One thing though, about the input levels - are you sure that the "X__" are actually setting the levels, and not just zooming the waveform in the window in and out? I think I read that somewhere when I got it and have just assumed that's what it was ever since then.. and since it's 23bit float I didn't really think twice about it. But I could be wrong of course. Cheers.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
Positive, IF you set before recording. And during recording it will affect the level from the output of the F3.
@realmalteherwig
4 ай бұрын
Helpful video, Curtis. What lithium batteries do you recommend? I only find no-name ones on the internet and am sceptical of those
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
No recommendations to share yet. I’m using no-name Li rechargeables and they’re…let’s just say I don’t recommend them.
@Warren_Liebmann
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for this video. Quick question. How do I record 2 sources, but only monitor one at a time - say an interview of 2 people?
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
It doesn't officially have headphone routing to achieve that, but you might try changing the file format in the menu to stereo and then just keep the ear of the headphones with the mic you want to hear on your ear, the other off (hopefully that makes sense.)
@geezer2tech154
4 ай бұрын
If you are not using the second channel it's best to turn it off. This helps to preserve battery life when the unit is powered by its internal batteries or a power bank.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@paulengle5784
4 ай бұрын
Great video. When you talk about setting levels, that doesn’t “lock in” or “bake” any decisions when editing the audio in post, right? For instance, If I set it to x32, but that’s too hot, I can adjust the volume in post without losing sound quality?
@galachiev
4 ай бұрын
If you’re recording directly through your Zoom F3 - yes. Levels doesn’t matter, you can change them later
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
Correct!
@rojoneutro
4 ай бұрын
thnks a lot !!
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
🙏
@kosmicjedi
4 ай бұрын
I've got an interesting question to ask: if anyone can answer As a gamer, I'd like to know if this can connect//work a PS4 & PS5 console with an XLR or mini shotgun mic like rode micro connected? Thank you in advance.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
I don't have a PS on hand to test, unfortunately.
@kosmicjedi
4 ай бұрын
@@curtisjudd thank you 😌 I think that could be or will be an interesting video to make (if you guys can), maybe do a poll? Often wondered which XLR audio interfaces are able to connect to both the ps4 & ps5 or even the Xbox consoles, coz I’ve never really seen a dedicated channel or vids touch on that at all. The only one I know that works is the Behringer U-Phoria UM2. Anyways, I love your videos a lot and thanks for your reply.🙏🏾😌
@randomgeocacher
4 ай бұрын
Nice! As a computer geek who learned IT/DOS:programming before English, “execute” is very natural and non-confusing to me. Is the duality of this word an actual point of confusion to native speakers? I.e. is the lethal meaning of the word so strong that some / many get confused by how it’s used in IT? I guess execute just means perform, confirm, in how we use the word. Would be fun to hear non-IT English people explain what they think an “executable” is… :)
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
Yes, that's my point - it is perfectly natural for software engineers, less so for non-engineers. I'm just trying to have a bit of fun and help people who aren't used to talking that way to feel confident with their F3. 👍
@JorgeDourado
4 ай бұрын
Hi Curtis!! For the past 6..maybe 7 years your channel has been an important source for sound for me and I believe for many others,, big thanks!!! Always great to bump into your videos! As for the Zoom F3, coincidence but very very recently I just got one, as for power, I have tried 6 batteries, Duracell Plus AA and unfortunately I couldn't get more than 20min...maybe 35min from using the recorder. Yes I did set the power to be *Alkaline and I have pre recorder set to off. Is this normal? I still have to try to record with an external battery bank to see how it goes. I'm using a 32gb card and a sample rate of 96Khz. Any tips? Once gain, big thanks, cheers.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
Yes, especially at higher sample rates like 96kHz, Alkaline batteries won’t last long. Really need rechargeable Ni-MH or lithium rechargeables for longer operating times. Or USB battery.
@JorgeDourado
4 ай бұрын
@@curtisjudd Okay! Thank you for the feedback, cheers.
@geezer2tech154
4 ай бұрын
Turn off the second audio channel if you are not using it. This helps preserve the batteries.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
@@geezer2tech154 Also good advice.
@JorgeDourado
4 ай бұрын
@@geezer2tech154 I went with other batteries and I got around 50 min using both channels. When using a power bank I can get around 4 hours. Hope my unit is okay, aside of the batteries everything seems to be working okay.
@kosmicjedi
4 ай бұрын
does the recorder with an SD card? thank you in advance.
@lofidarkambient
4 ай бұрын
Live in Belgium, and ordered the F3 from Thomann Germany. It came without a battery or SD card but they also have bundles that include extra stuff like a SD card. So check before you buy would be my advice. I'm using a Samsung 128 EVO Plus A2 V30. Obviously, you don't need 128 GB but that was what I had lying around.
@kosmicjedi
4 ай бұрын
@@lofidarkambient Thank you very much for your answer/reply dude, much appreciated.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
Same here in the US - from ZOOM it does NOT come with an SD card. Some retailers will bundle a card.
@Gonejack
Ай бұрын
I believe power type lithium is not make for rechargeable lithium AA batteries as they would died in a second without any voltage decrementing ahead.
@curtisjudd
Ай бұрын
Please explain?
@Gonejack
Ай бұрын
@@curtisjudd Rechargeable lithium batteries use a step-down chip to reduce the 3.7 volts of lithium batteries to 1.5 volts. Its voltage curve will remain at 1.5 volts until the battery is exhausted and it will directly become 0 volts. Even if there is only 1% of the power left, it will remain at 1.5 volts. This means that the general method of judging the power based on voltage will fail, and the display of its power is meaningless and has no basis for judgment.
@curtisjudd
Ай бұрын
@@Gonejack Thank you.
@588ta
4 ай бұрын
😅Thanks for the video.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
👍
@nightdonutstudio
4 ай бұрын
Is that rechargeable lithium battery?
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
Yes
@ImaginetMedia
4 ай бұрын
2004 just called. They want their LCD display and menu back.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
LOL
@dag221
4 ай бұрын
2024 answered. Full color big touchscreens use way more power that would require more batteries, which would require a bigger size unit to hold them which would negate the small size that the recorder was intended to be. Everything is a tradeoff, price, size, features. I love my ancient looking menus on my Sony recorders because they are simple to use and don't drain battery life.
@curtisjudd
4 ай бұрын
@@dag221 Touché. All fair points.
@deuceandguns
4 ай бұрын
@@dag221 I'd personally like to see an even more efficient E-ink type display. That'd be more readable in outdoor/full sunlight situations where I shoot and have even more battery life. Probably cost prohibitive though when compared to the old lcd.
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