Zoom LiveTrak L-8 Podcast Recorder, Battery Powered, Digital Mixer and Recorder, Music Mixer, Phone Input, Sound Pads, 4 Headphone Outputs, 12-In/4-Out Audio Interface, Built In EQ and Effects

Product Information

I've bought this mixer to route my external synths into the Maschine+ which is running in standalone mode. The main headphone output is sourced from the master output while the three other headphone outs can be assigned to the master mix or an independent cue mix. Collection and delivery costs are included for the first 2 years in the event of an item becoming faulty Recording Media: 4GB–32GB SDHC-compliant cards (Class 10 or higher) 64GB–512GB SDXC-compliant cards (Class 10 or higher) The L-8’s USB connection is designed to eliminate accidental interruptions, giving you power on which you can rely.

Zoom have been on the cutting edge of this kind of stuff for years. The companies continued dedication to location recording and portability have seen them emerge as something of an industry standard for anyone working in the video/sound design/content space. If it involves audio and a location, chances are you will find a Zoom product somewhere in the vicinity, such is the companies omnipresence in the field. As I hinted at the outset, I love the Zoom LiveTrak L‑8. It offers so much convenience and versatility for so little money, and it sounds decent too. The mic preamps, which have a gain range of +10 to +54 dB, are never going to be world‑beaters on this sort of device, but they are competent: clean and quiet and as good as any in their class. I was happy using them for exposed sources like spoken word (eg. podcasting) and when applying plenty of gain for dynamic mics (a Shure SM57 and Heil Sound PR40) there was pleasingly little hiss. The neutral‑sounding broad‑brush EQ is exactly what’s required here, and I found a handful of the effects (mainly the reverbs) very usable, even if I always wanted to tweak the default settings to something that sounded less obvious. Each of the eight input channels has its own fader, mute (but not solo) and Select buttons, and when a channel is selected you can tweak further parameters in the Channel Strip section. This has five continuous rotary encoders and a (12dB/octave 75Hz) high‑pass filter button. Each encoder is circled by 13 LEDs, but as each LED has five levels of brightness and they light in combinations you’re treated to a finer level of indication than first sight suggests. A very minor gripe is that the height of the knobs means they obscure some LEDs’ default positions (eg. centre pan) when you’re seated, with the L‑8 on your desktop. The encoders control panning, the effects send level and a three‑band EQ, comprising high (10kHz) and low (100Hz) shelves and a peaking mid band (2.5kHz). Each band can boost up to ±15dB, again in fine enough steps that you have plenty of control.

Podcast creators are a special breed. They require a unique set of audio features, along with the flexibility of a proper mixing console. The LiveTrak L-8 combines Zoom’s famous audio performance with features made for podcasters. Sound Pad Magic

Zoom’s preamps are famous for a good reason: they’re transparent, powerful and ultra-reliable. The L-8 features six independent Zoom preamps, built to handle anything from a whisper to a raucous debate. Key Features All rest of the functionality like ABC Mixes, effects and Audio Interface mode only work in 41kHz mode. Alkaline surely lasts longer but who doesn't get bad conscience replacing alkaline batteries every 2 hours?

Zoom LiveTrak L-8 Mixer for Podcasters and Musicians Overview

You can mix and record live performances, straight to an SD card; which then can be remixed onboard or transferred to a digital audio workstation for deeper editing capabilities. The Zoom L-8 features seven scenes in total, where you can save and customise your mixer settings for instant recall for optimal flexibility. Exceptional audio fidelity and performance The Livetrak L-8 Mixer can deliver exceptional audio fidelity thanks to the premium-grade components and low noise microphone preamps. This allows you to record studio-grade audio up to 24-bit/96kHz in the WAV format. The high-resolution converters ensure you capture every nuance from your broadcasts and live performance. Sound pads - jingles and sound effects in one button Only USB host controllers with Intel Chipsets are supported. Operation is not guaranteed when used with USB hubs or expansion cards. The Zoom LiveTrak L-8 is the ideal mixing and recording solution for musicians and podcasters, providing a compact and affordable way to capture recordings in immense quality. The LiveTrak L-8 features eight discrete channels in total, as well as a stereo mix and custom monitor mixes. The mixer includes a wide range of connectivity including premium-grade mic preamps that boast the quietest and most advanced circuitry that Zoom has to offer. The LiveTrak L-8 comes with 13 preset sounds for its sound pads, making it ready for out-of-the-box production.