Good comments, David. Excellent review. My L-8 arrived a couple of days ago and like you I'm very happy with it. If anybody wants to see how the L-8 can be really useful for a musician (as opposed to a podcaster) I recommend David's video where he takes it to a park and makes a live recording (I think there's a link at the end of this full review video). What I like most about the L-8 is the fact that you can access so many of its functions using physical buttons and knobs rather than having to scroll through menus. With the L-8 you rarely have to enter a menu, whereas in a lot of recording and/or mixing gear out there (including gear from Zoom) it's rare when you DON'T have to enter a menu to change or adjust something. Buttons and knobs cost money and take up space, so a lot of audio products have commonly-used features buried deep in menu structures. The downside of course is that it takes time to find menu items, assuming that you can remember where the software engineers decided to bury them. It's nice to see Zoom implement the more expensive option of physical controls, and they've done a very good job of organising them and making buttons light up when they are active, etc. It all makes the L-8 extremely user-friendly and saves lots of time. Number 2 on my list of likes is being able to send a stereo mix with reverb to FOH but at the same time record up to 8 individual tracks dry so that you can remix everything when you get home from the gig. Number 3 is the fact that it's battery-powered. I'm running mine off a USB powerbank via the USB cable, as you did in your live recording in the park. And number 4 is the size and weight. I was very surprised at how small it was when it arrived, and it's very light. The L-8 doesn't feel particularly solid or rugged, but I'm used to a heavy, bullet-proof Dynacord powermixer . I'm guessing that the L-8 is built to last so long as you don't drop it or sit on it and so long as you use a rugged case with internal foam shock protection to transport it. I've been waiting many years for a product that ticks the boxes that this one does. This is sure to be a classic and a bestseller for Zoom I think. PS: Some of those pad sounds will be a laugh to use during gigs, eh? And you can create your own. I'm looking through my collection of sound effects for sounds like 'Fight breaking out' or 'Huge female audience cheering madly' or even 'Police arriving to shut the place down'.
haha love the sound effects you're thinking of!!! 😉I always got a kick out of playing a siren through the PA every now and then for my own amusement! haha. Def one of my fav features is the fx to main FOH whilst still getting raw individual tracking! ....now if only I could gather with a bunch of cool muso's to record haha... there will come a time! 😊
@@neomerismedia1383 Wow, I missed your question two years ago. Sorry. I use an Anker PowerCore 26,800 mAh powerbank. On paper it has capacity enough to power the L-8 for well over 24 hours, although I’ve never checked in reality.
It was due to all your vodeos on the L8 that I purchased mine. I run a Podcast for just me (so, slight overkill at the mo) but its quality of recording far outweighs the Behringer I was using. I record direct to SD first so there is no PC noise to interfere and I am blown away (Rode Podmic and cloud lifter) Because of this setup I can now produce the tracks needed for my app, I really can not thank you enough for your reviews.
You and Grant Stinnett's review on this L8 are the best on UA-cam right now. Yours has more detail and technical info but also very practical. His is very use case focused giving examples of how he has and will use it. Thanks again for this vid and the performance vid!
@@davidshanhun No but it's next on my gear purchase list. Going to use it to keep all of my instruments hooked up in my home studio as an Audio Interface. Also going to use it when my buddies come over and jam. Also going to use it in a live looping setup with drum machines, bass, guitar, synth etc hooked up. It's such a super versatile piece of kit. I look forward to watching you new vids on it!
Well, after quite some pain with Headphone monitor outputs, I got a couple of SB-5 DI boxes from Radial Engineering and it works perfectly also with Jack -> XLR. It's also possible to do it with other DI boxes, but this one really shines as it allows for summing L/R channels to single mono XLR or you can plug two jacks to it. I use that combo to bring sound to our JVC camera (XLR only input) at correct level. It seems the monitor outputs are preamped for headphones, so it's way too strong for other uses. DI box solves that.
Wow, someone that really knows how to make a painless review! Starting with the negative is the best. Reason I like that ... If I don't mind the negatives, I'll be happy to hear the rest. I hate learning what maybe a deal breaker after watching all a video. This is exactly what I needed to help me make a decision. Thank you
You said it has no master output EQ but what does it have for per-track EQ? Does it have virtual tracks for bouncing overdubs when you use it as a recorder?
I've had a Zoom H6 for a few years now and am completely satisfied with it....but am getting the L-20. Have lots of impromptu get togethers and never know how many mics will be needed or instrument inputs etc. Would have needed 14 just before Christmas for a house party but the H6 did a pretty good job of recording the "room". Thanks for your great reviews it will save me some learning time. Also want to use it for recording rehearsals once we can get back to creative collaboration...Thanks again !!!
So, by now, I've actually bought one - in part thanks to your answer about the AKG 712... - it arrived this week...! So the L8 manual states, that the Master Headphone out will put out an identical signal to the master out. (going directly to active speakers in this case) So how come my speakers on the master-outputs are getting signal, but the master headphone-out is getting nothing? And I've used consoles since the 80's. I have an SQ-5 and getting along with it... what am I doing wrong?? Starting to wonder if I got a defective unit? I tested that headphone and cable are good. Thinking you might be the most likely one to know, since you've covered lots of details on this unit :D . As for my first unboxing impressions: I hate it. Plasticky, flimsy and the USB driver for PC sucks - it doesn't list up the channels - its just an in-transparent blob. I want to route PC audio to USB 3+4, i.e stereo channel 8, there is absolutely no way to assign that. Driver update from Zoom? nada. Gravely, I think all the controls are just held by their soldering joints and will not hold up, unless you keep it in a box full of cotton balls. But for battery powered, there is nothing else except MixPre 6II (which is more cumbersome to operate) and Behringer Flow8, which can only handle 2 condenser mics. (wish Behringer had aimed a bit higher on that, like 6 condenser mics for $320 instead of 2 condenser mics for $220 - because otherwise it would be a much better mixer than the L8 imo) Oh yeah and I forgot those Zoom Field recorders, with the same shitty plastic build. I'm not railing against plastic in general - Some other companies simply use higher quality plastic (Tascam, Sony) ** I'd say that you have to be damned sure, that you really need it battery operated before buying that. ** At least one, maybe both of the other Livetrak units have a metal housing, I think. Was it the L12 and L20 or only L20?
on the monitor output, i believe you may need an xlr splitter cable (Y cable) because the monitor outs are sending an unbalanced stereo signal. without the splitter cable you may hear a muffled signal. cheers!
A stereo output which is wired to an XLR (pin1 ground. pin2 left pin 3 right (por vice versa)) creates a karaoke mixer - all the centre information is cancelled out by the differential amplifier on the receiving balanced input.
Your very first point about the headphone cabling issue - Does that mean AKG 712 Headphone users are prevented from using their Headphones, because the ONLY input to those is a mini-XLR connector - which is really great, because if you ever mess up your headphone cable with those, you can just plug in another one - no trip to the repair shop, no trip to the cellar to get out the soldering iron...
great question but no - they are the exact headphones I use and they work great with this mixer. The mini-xlr connector you mentioned is the connection TO the headphones which can be anything (depending on your headphones). The other end of the headphone lead which will go into the desk is a 1/4 or 1/8' trs jack which plugs straight into the desk. Cheers for the question though.
@@davidshanhun awesome, much thanks for the answer :) Those headphones are indispensable to me. I bought Waves' "Abbey Road" virtual speakers/studio plug-in just to use with those headphones, where ever I have no speakers...
You could probably use a Pyle Mini Hum Eliminator for the headphone jack issue. (Not for the hum elimination, although that part is nice.) it's has 2 TRS inputs and two TRS outputs + 2 XLR inputs and 2 XLR Outputs. You could probably use it playing live anyway.
Excellent review David. No nonsense and very thorough. Seeing this and your other Livetrak L8 videos convinced me to buy the L8 but then I hit a snag. As primarily a guitar player I sometimes need to punch in on guitar tracks, usually using a foot switch, but this is not possible with the L8. It also seems that the only way to punch in is to press a button on the mixer - as you demonstrated for a vocal track in one of your videos. That’s OK-ish for a singer but impractical for a guitarist (and many other musicians). The L8 doesn’t even seem to allow preset punch in/out points to automate the process. Unless I’m misunderstanding or someone has a clever way around this (other than getting an assistant to press the button which is often not viable) it’s a deal breaker for me. Such a shame as in so many ways it is the ideal portable recorder/interface. By the way, for anyone concerned about using a combination of condenser and other mics with the L8, particularly ribbon mics, I’ve got around this in similar situations by using the inline Triton Audio ‘Phantom Blocker’ which passes signal but not phantom power. There may well be other similar gadgets available.
Hey Jimbro! Cheers for this comment/message brother - and yeah, so far I haven't figured out a way around this either. Would be amazing if you could use the 'mark' function to set punch in punch out, but I don't believe that's an option. Appreciate the details on the Phantom Blocker too!
Hi David. This is by far the most informative of videos of the L8. It was just given to me as gift, I was pumped about setting it up as an interface with Logic Pro X. I DONT GET IT ! When I record on Logic I use input monitoring, and when I select input monitoring like usual in Logic while using this, I get feedback from the stereo channel 7 when set to usb. Which is the signal from the computer (including my input monitoring)? Right? Why am I hearing feedback? My output is XLR jack to jack into studio monitors. They just made it too confusing. Is there way to fix this? Goal: use it as an interface with LPX while being able to hear the master sound coming from the input monitoring (computer) without hearing feedback? I appreciate the video and any help in advance! Thanks
Thanks for doing this, David. There are always caveats no matter which multitrack mixer/recorder you look at. I would have preferred more hands on & views of the L-8 rather than your up-close face to be honest, or at least further from the camera - but I managed to get through the video due to the invaluable information. Cheers from Oz.
@@davidshanhun not bad at all. Tracked some live drums and it came out really good. One thing I don’t like or I’m not sure if I haven’t figured it out, is the fact that there’s no way to cut the volume for the monitors/speakers while recording! So I’ve been literally having to turn off the speakers when I’m ready to record; that’s annoying! 😵😩
@@iamtonyade just bring the master down - the recording is before any of the faders at all - so you'll still get your recording exactly the same - and means you can move any of the faders mid performance or have them completely on 0 and you'll still end up with the same individual .wav files for each channel.
@@davidshanhun Hey David! So I’m not sure if your advice pertains to recording via a DAW, but if I turn the master fader down, I get no sound in my headphones, which makes it impossible to record and hear what’s being recorded. Can you please help me out? Thanks so much man
Great review David! I have a question for you: when you recorded audio to your DAW using Zoom Livetrak, were you using PC or Mac? If you were using Mac, did your computer have USB standard as input or just USB-C? The reason I'm asking that is because I have a Mac with only USB-C and, looking at the specs of Zoom Livetrak it says "Operation is not guaranteed when used with USB hubs or expansion cards". I'm affraid I will have issues while recording using a USB hub to connect Zoom to my Mac.
heya! I'm on a mac but still have a usb-a slot. I suspect buying an adaptor or using a usb hub won't be an issue - if you use a usb-a to usb-c adaptor you'll be sweet - hubs are usually what tend to cause issues (if there are). In saying that - I'm pretty sure I've run it from a hub no worries.
I noticed in the manual that it says the 1/4 inch master out and the three 1/4 inch monitor outs are all stereo outputs. Which makes sense when using headphones. But how does that work if using the 1/4 inch master out to run a powered speaker with a 1/4 inch input? The speaker is a mono plug and cable will be a mono jack, but the output jacks on the board are stereo. Great review!
Hey Michael - I haven't tested this actually as haven't been panning anything much into a stereo mix that then gets sent to the monitor outputs. I presume you only get Left OR Right, just not sure which one, so if you have things panned in your mix you may lose some of the panning. If nothing is panned and your signal is basically mono then you're all good though. As mentioned above I haven't specifically tested this but that's what I would expect given the outputs from the 1/4 jacks are only working as mono.
@@davidshanhun if it is truly a stereo output, and you are panning anything that you record, you'll want to monitor in stereo. Get an adaptor... 1/4" trs to two mono 1/4" (or xlr, whichever you monitor input is)
Man that was so informative, Thank You. I am wondering about the SD cards and if you have issues with them. What would be minimum capacity for say 6 tracks? Probably has to be the high performance ones right?
Thank Jon. I haven't had any issues - have recorded 5 tracks as the most at a time so far using a Sandisk Extreme 32gb which is 90 mb/s. From memory they do have a list of compatible or recommended SD cards on the Zoom site. I would go for the high performance ones just for peace of mind that it's all going to be captured smoothly every time!
This is a great review and tutorial. I just picked one of these up for my Acoustic Project off of Ebay. I love you just got to the point of things! Thank you!
Thx David, your info and teaching is so simple to understand and apply . Have learnt good points from you on how to use L-8 mixer/recorder. I had a question Can you delete/remove at track file within a project ?
My friend, thank you for this video. You brought up the subject of incorrectly labeled channels. I've had a zoom l8 for a few weeks and I couldn't record anything in garage band, only the feedback from the left channel was recorded (I selected 1 in the DAW).
David, I am looking at the Zoom LiveTrak L-8 vs the Tascam Model 12. I would use this mainly for recording, but possibly for small venues as well. I would need this for vocals only. Live and recording would be 4-5 tracks. I have an equalizer I can hook to it for live performance if needed. Would the Zoom LiveTrak L-8 be plenty for what I need, or would something like the Tascam Model 12 be a better fit for just vocals. I feel the Model 12 would be over kill for what I am needing, but I like the fact that it has compression and I can adjust the highs, mids and lows. Wanted to know what your thoughts were on this. Great detailed video on the zoom track 8.
Hey Tyler. You can adjust the EQ highs, mids and lows on the L-8 also - it is just done by selecting the track you want to adjust, and then adjusting the settings, then selecting the next track that you want to adjust etc. So EQ wise you're getting a similar setup as the Tascam just with a different way to set it. the thing I like about the Tascam is it has sweepable mids for each, plus an EQ with sweepable mids on the master also. I haven't heard the compression from the model 12 - but it is something I would appreciate having that the L-8 doesn't - purely for live however. If it's all being recorded and mixed in post, then it's really irrelevant, but for live it is a benefit for sure. One of the main reasons that I totally forgot to mention in this video for me choosing the L-8, is that I can film and record audio with individual tracking all powered by a phone battery bank (or if I wished AA batteries with the L8). Hope that helps you with your choice!
Another good vidéo fromage David ! Thanks for this review ! Zoom always good quality of matérials ! Most possibilty but not too much from live looping because simple configuration is better for my opinion ! Are you confortably with this mixer in live ,?
thanks! :) It's not the greatest option for live shows - but at it's price range, for being able to do live shows as well as record the individual tracks nothing else compares at this stage. The l-12 rather than the l-8 is much better suited to live shows (channel compression, sweepable mid eq, and proper monitor outputs). Hope that helps!
Great video!!! I have some questions: Can I use usb return 1-2 and 3-4 at the same time? If yes, the tracks 7 and 8 are in stereo? If I use a usb return at channel 7, can I still use the track 8 with line input ?
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Track 7 & 8 , both are stereo. If you use Track 7 for USB , track 8 can use for line in. It is individual. If use TRRS for phone call, track 7-8 will combine.
I thought recording a channel to SD card included gain but not EFX or EQ? When you demonstrated having a venue mic record only, you said you can leave this fader completely down. If I understand correctly, wouldn't that prevent anything from recording from that channel?
heya! When recording to the SD card it does include gain but not fx/eq/panning etc. BUT... the gain is different than the fader knob. The gain is the little dial at the top of the channel strip - whatever you set that to is the recorded level. The sliding fader simply decides how much gets sent to the mix. So, you can record with the fader completely down, and you still get a great clean signal for the recording.
@@davidshanhun My podcast is Christian Music Archive podcast (christianmusicarchive.com/podcast) But I also use the zoom for a podcast that I help record (mercytoday.global)
Excellent!! Very thorough explanation. You answered all my questions and made my decision so easy. This is the piece of gear that I need. Kudos and thank you for your time!!
Hey David thanks for the review mate. 3 years on, have you seen anything else come onto the market worth taking a look at in the recording/mixer realm?
Hey Will - yeah there's a lot mate! I actually bought and sold a bunch of mixers last year around this (intended to do a video but that didn't happen in the midst of life), but it's great to see more and more mixers include individual recording direct to SD. The zoom stuff is great and for budget I really rate it - but just released is the Allen & Heath CQ series which is an excellent option. Most comes down to budget etc for this stuff though tbh - there's the m20x from RCF that's a pretty nice piece of kit with SD recording etc but they're all at a higher price bracket than where Zoom is. Essentially I'd still rate the zoom stuff for being able to do this really well at the price range and I like the overall sound from their desks... but they are missing the tools to deal with live sound really well when compared with the more expensive gear. So - it's a balance of what's needed or general budget overall haha! What are you running at the moment?
@@davidshanhun legend! I’m running a Behringer 1002b at the moment with a TC Helicon Play acoustic in front of it, and then simple recording with a Zoom H5. I’m always looking to improve the sound and have never been totally satisfied with the TCHPA which seems no matter what I try to make my vocal a bit “too digital” so was tinkering with the idea of just using effects off a board. ( I don’t use much effect anyway). Have had a good look at the Allen and Heath Zed series. Such a journey with our gadgets! Appreciate all your shared wisdom mate.
@@willpriormusic yeah funny journey to find and like our own sound eh! The best thing with a bunch of these kind of desks is if you're fx are coming from them - you can totally change or adjust them entirely in post if you wish to. Sometimes I've been in rooms where it requires massive amounts of reverb to sound 'normal' and others it's completely off to fit the room haha. If that same sound has to go out to your recording it's a tough call on what you prioritise eh? Best sound for the room or best sound for the recording haha! what part of the world are you in?
ah nice bro! I'm digging that series more and more as i look them over! got a mate that just ordered the cq20 so will get to have a fool around with it soon haha! @@willpriormusic
Many thanks David, this was a great help to me setting it up......One important point all should know is the faders seem to remember their last settings, which is good but....they need to be wiggled when testing or nothing comes through. Thanks again.
Hi David, this was a really very informative review of the L-8. Just 2 questions : when I play music from my PC, can I adjust the output volume of my headphone on the L-8? Or do I have to do that on my PC? And how do I adjust the audio output of my DAW(Ableton)?
Thanks. Yes - when playing music from the PC, you can adjust the volume of it using the channel fader on the L8 (channel 7). You can do the same with adjusting the output of your DAW - either change the master volume from your DAW, or change the channel fader volume on the L8 to suit the best levels for you. 😊
I don’t understand , if the headphones put out on a TRS this should be fine to an xlr , it’s all the same internal wires going to the same places ? Not only that , you could use them as aux sends and have 6 aux sends if you used a TRS split to two TS cables no ? Ok you won’t have many channels to return them to. Edit , I see you did an update video addressing this , thanks for being conscientious enough to update , appreciate the review😊 which now makes me wonder , is there enough signal for an effects pedal to be returned to one of the buses if you use the headphones out as sends.
Hi David, thank you so much for this video! Helped a lot! We did a zoom (conference) choir rehearsal using the zoom (mixer) where me and the choir director sang and the rest of the choir sang at home with muted mics. The stream worked great! Wish you all the best! Greetings from a Brazilian stranded in Germany! :)
Great Review thanks! Way more detailed than others. Question do you think it is still worth it in 2023? Main use would be live streaming and recording events.
For the price it's still an ace unit. However - the CQ series from Allen and Heath would be my recommendation if your budget allows it as a combo of live and streaming. Otherwise for streaming/recording the Boss gigcaster, and the Rodecaster pro are really good options as well (focussed more on the streaming and recording side rather than running live events also).
As a musician i wouldn't go for that unit tbh. I'm considering buying the Mackie profx3 serie for several reasons. However its analogue preamps are of better quality 192khz 24 bit recording, balanced XLR outputs and usb audio interface. This is also less expensive 159€ for the first model. I like its versatility and overall quality. The Zoom has advantages over the Mackie for live environment and post edition mainly but still too expensive from my pov.
This looks awesome! You have definitely helped us with choosing what we need for our next steps forward regarding live and streaming. With the livestream mix, is it possible to set up an ambient moc like you suggested, have this in the mix to the phone but not front of house? Regards and thanks again ☺️
hi The Wax Birds! Yes - this is totally possible to do - we did it with a livestream a while back at a venue - not an ambient mic but another dynamic mic that was purely to chat just for the livestream. To do this you set up your main mix, as well as Mix A (or B or C etc). The one thing to remember is that the main mix is what gets sent out of the TRRS cable on track 8 - so if you want the ambient mic going to your phone include it on the main mix. The downside of this is you need to run your speakers and FOH from one of the headphone outputs and either daisy chain, or what we did was run that signal into another small desk and then into our FOH. Also - when you switch mixes to set it up - change the fader level for each mix instead of using mute - mute applies to all mixes. Hope that all makes sense - reach out if you have further Q's etc.
This is now quite an old unit really, but a pretty good simple option combined with the L8. amzn.to/2JZg71J (find what works for you though - there are all sorts of options similar to this!).
Good Morning David! Ever use the L-8 with headphones in Mix-A-B-C? We've tried several headphones (impedances all over the map) and all have what sounds like clip-buzzing when we push a bit: Both vox and guitar. Weird... BTW, when we record and play it back the buzzing doesn't seem to be coming out the PA (QSC K-12's). Weird, right?
yes I have used Mix A a few times with no issues - although I find the output quite low overall. Are you using them still set to 'Master' or are they set to different mixes? ...and it's something coming through regardless of headphones used yeah? (just checking I understood what you said)
@@davidshanhun We're using separate mixes (A for Pete, B for Sheri, C for durmmer). We've used 5 different headphones all with a different impedance: Same clip-like buzz when pushed. We agree the volume is really pretty low, right on the edge of being unusable: For a strong vocalists the idea of headphones is to drown out the "voice in your head" (the sound of your voice resonating through your body we hear when we're speaking normally) and hear what's coming out of your mouth instead. A strong vocalist (Pete is Bono loud) needs a LOT of volume pushed into those headphones.
Good Morning David! Think we've got it figured out: After a little more careful reading of the manual, specifically page 6 under Gain Knob, using Hi-Z and or -26dB pulls those levels back into non-clipping. We DO now believe that the clipping buzz was a clipping buzz. Without engaging Hi-Z and -26dB there is a built in 10dB push. They've certainly made some odd choices with this rig! We'll probably continue to use it (quickly getting addicted to the multi-channel recorder ON-BOARD) (beat our old solution). We always miss working from unity though...
Dig what you're doing performance wise! Hit us over our website if interested in a longer discussion: We're not big into letting our fans in on how the sausage gets made! ROKKON!! \m/ (Also we want to use some of your schtuff as break-music for our gigs.)
@@DeafBunnysBand Awesome that you've found some solutions/discoveries and thanks for the feedback 👌Yep, loving having the onboard and individual tracking from the desk itself eh. So handy!
Hey David, your video was very informative! I bought the Zoom Livetrak L-12 a month ago and I have been enjoying every aspect of it. But I saw this video and you mentioned that the headphone outs don't work with xlr to 1/4 inch cables. Is this the same for the L-12? I am looking to buy a wireless IEM pack and most of them are XLR...
Hi Abel, I haven't tested the L-12 i'm sorry! There will be ways around it even on the L8, headphones work just fine that are stereo when plugged straight in, so I expect it's simply which way around they have the tip/sleeve/ring configured. If I were you I would buy a trs to xlr adaptor - amzn.to/2Z2eQvM - connect it to an xlr cable that you have and see if you get signal out into another mixer or similar. If you check it out would you mind letting me know?
I don't definitively know the answer sorry! I suspect you will be all good with the L12 given there is a L and R monitor output in addition to the stereo headphone outputs that the L8 has. Hope that potentially helps you!
Excellent review! Am looking to use this as part of a self monitoring rig for my band. Regarding the headphone monitor outputs only working with jack to jack leads, will it still work with a stereo 1/4" lead split into 2 mono 1/4" leads into a stereo wireless iem transmitter?
Hi! Great video! Is it possible that with the mixer I can use live mode at the same time that I send sequences on the computer to the main Mix and send another sequence to headphones/monitors?
Awesome review mate. My mixer/interface had output issues suddenly. Need an urgent replacement while the fix it under warranty. Definitely will sort out my immediate workflow issues.
Great video David! I had one question though. Regarding the monitor mixes, would it still work if I had a male 1/4" TRS to female 3.5mm TRS adapter for my cheap headphones?
haha yeah that's a handy lil thing to do for sure! I used it in the other video recording with the L8, from memory I simply used an on camera mic for this particular review. hope that helps!
Hi David, You really have become my go to for advice and kit (I already have the VL3X based on your videos!). Thanks for this - huge dump of information (and yes, the wallet is now £300+ lighter!). Thanks again, you've really helped me get on the road!
Good review, David. I've also had a few Zoom devices over the years starting with a Zoom 9000 way back in '92. Most are great and some not as much. Sounds like a good little mixer there.
Thanks. I think this is a pretty stunning piece of kit! haha. Still finding many more things it can do... perhaps there'll be an updated review at some stage! 😂
Hey David! I've been trying to figure out if you've ever used this mixer for live streams on UA-cam through OBS Studio on macOS. I'm struggling to understand how to properly connect the mixer. Should I use a USB connection, or is it preferable to go through TRRS? Also, I'm having trouble figuring out how to set up the audio sources when connecting via USB. The sound in my stream ends up being very quiet. Any tips or advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated!
heya! yep used it for many streams, connected via USB. have you downloaded the zoom plugin required first? That may be the issue - from there stream volume is what the master volume shows - so you should have a good amount of lights lighting up which will equate to a good streaming level. Reply or reach out if you're still stuck, or send me a photo on insta @davidshanhun.
Do you happen to remember how the headphone amps are? Hissy/noisy at loud volumes? I’m an old radio guy that runs them hot. Thinking of using for podcast. Thanks!
I've found them really good at high volumes. Headphone impedance for me is 62, so you may pick up more noise if you're running something much lower. In saying that i've pushed them and they remain very clear. Hope that helps!
Hi David! Thanks for a great review. Only one thing I seemed to have missed in it but it's sort of essential to what I'm looking for - do the individual mixes turn up as a source in the computer? Besides main outputs, that is?
Hi Ford - sorry I missed this! Do you mean the individual tracks (not mixes). If so then YES, they do turn up as a source in the computer - tracks 1-6 mono, 7 & 8 stereo. If you're asking about the headphone mixes, then no - but you're able to create mixes inside the computer from the individual tracks if you really needed to (in a DAW). Hope that helps!
Hi, very nice review. I ordered an L8 but I am having second thoughts for one specific thing : Overdubbing. I am a multri-instrumental musician and would love to go to the park, record multiple tracks with different instruments, not live but overdubbing each time on a separate track. I have seen some videos showing the L12 capabilities for overdubbing, but none with the L8. Do you use overdubbing and if yes, were there any issues? Thanks.
You can absolutely do this! Video is in the process of being made on this specific thing and how to do it. Have only tested the waters a little bit so far, but no issues as of yet. If there's a video on overdubbing with the L12, the process will be the same for the L8 with how the brains are set to run.
@@davidshanhun Thanks. Indeed there are with the L-12. But I was wondering why all the videos about the L-8 would not mention this - in my opinion important - use of the device. Thanks for the reply.
Hi David, awesome review planning to buy 1 for our church, 1 question can I just hooked our analog mixer for Drum Mic to 1 of those 6 channels? Your response is greatly appreciated 🇵🇭
hi Isaac - yes you can happily do that. Just set the output level from your analog mixer to an appropriate level and the gain on the channel you use and you'll be good 👌
Hi David, excellent review, I love the L8 for traveling and recording ideas or jams. I'm thinking of getting one as the UI24 records straight to USB drive and will give you the multitrack and stereo recording options you need and comp and EQ, but not great for a plane or backpack. The DB es503 speaker gives you an antifeedback EQ which would be handy paired with the L8 for live settings.
Hi David, Thanks for your good review. I plan to buy l8. I need some clarifications. When compared with soundcraft ui16, is zoom l8 a better mixer? In which dimensions? Can i edit each recording tracks using adobe audition software? Thank you very much
Hi Jifin. They are quite different mixers. There is an issue where occasionally the ui16's drop out or freeze, which means a bunch of people have ruled them out for live gigs, even though they sound amazing and have more built into them than the livetraks do (if the ui16's freeze you typically have to restart the unit). The second part is what you want to record to - with the ui16 you'll need to bring your laptop and plug it in to record, with the livetrak you record straight to SD card and can put that into your laptop later. With both you can edit using whichever software you choose. Hope that helps!
hello. Thanks for the video. How do you evaluate the quality of the preamps of this mixer-recorder? In terms of noise and ambient sound In terms of record high and low frequencies as well as midranges? And is the phantom power button separate for each line? or not thank you 
How do I evaluate the preamps? Generally I go by what other people say in forums etc and then at some point make my mind up. Other than that you can look up the specific details in the manual or online if it's of interest to you. Phantom power is not separate but I'm sure you've found that out already haha!
Could I ask about the zoom livetrak 12 please? I cant find anyway the same info regarding the monitor out connections. Can I use a jack to XLR connect on that zoom mixer. Is that something you would know? (Btw nice review)
Hi! I expect that it would be the same on the L12 - but I don't know for certain. This was only something I discovered through actually using the unit, and the info doesn't appear to be anywhere online that I've found. I expect it wasn't intended to be an issue, but in actual use it is 😝
@@davidshanhun Thanks David. Well yeah correct it is an issue if you do live work like me as well. My monitors (Eurolive Behringers) take XLR inputs so I hope the Live Trak 12 does. Again I cant find any info online and it seems Zoom in Europe have practically disppeared off the face of the planet. I've emailed Zoom US for a simple quick reply but as yet have heard nothing. (If there is anybody in this chat that uses a live trak 12 could you try it and maybe let me know please?) Thanks Dave sorry for the intrusion!
@@gspianoguitar4369 not sure there is anyone in this chat that is on the L12 - but perhaps check out a review video or similar from someone and ask them? I got around it using a jack to jack into another mini desk then xlr out 😂but that's more gear than is desired or needed lol - just so I could take advantage of the recording part!
Hi David, thank you for being so honest and such a great communicator! Temporarily I want to attach a minidisc player of backing tracks to record vocals. Although technically rca but can use adapter, which input would you suggest please, and are all SD cards compatible? I’m looking at the L12. Great videos, just awesome, you are so helpful. Thank you.
heya! I would suggest going into track 11 or 12 on the L-12 with the RCA's, and then you can record your vocals on any of the other channels you wish. They have a list of compatible SD cards on the zoom site - I use a lexar professional SD card with a write speed of 95MB/s and it works great. All the best with your recordings!
I'm thinking of getting it. My goals are to 1. Run Roland v drums though a laptop to get the realistic sounds from SD3,I guess this device is good enough to deal with any e drum latency?2. Record a band,5 are probably enough. I guess I should get it right? Thanks for your opinion ☺️
Seems like you've answered your own questions here haha! Latency will be more dependant on your laptop setup than this unit - so if you're already running v drums through sd3 and back out to speakers with no issues it'll be the same with this. If you're playing live with a band the L-12 has some nicer options with compression/sweepable mids, plus monitor outputs, but obviously comes with a higher price tag as well. Hope that helps!
Hi David, great review i ended up getting the mixer due to this info! One question when plugging the trrs cable into my phone from channel 8 to do a live stream via social media, its not picking up a signal but if playing back music etc that works fine! Am I missing something as I'm sure it worked previously.. many thanks! Sunil - London UK!
@@davidshanhun Hi David, I got it sorted to capture my audio from the mixer to my android phone. I basically went trs Jack out of one of the headphone outs to a ride trrs converter into my phone which works perfectly for capturing livestreams on at gigs or remotely!
No. Hope the session goes well! Highly sugggest having a play the night before walking into a shoot with new gear - but also nothing like learning on the job haha!
Good video! So, you're using this, to save the extra weight and size of the ZOOM L12? I didn't catch anything in your L8 review, that the L12 couldn't do also... I was pretty much decided to buy an L12 as a portable mixer... then I saw the L8, but it seems to cheat on the "8"
hey Builder - I actually skipped one of the biggest reasons I personally got this mixer in this - and that's because it can be battery powered also. If you don't need battery power I would totally go for the L-12. What are you planning to use it for?
I use L-8 as audio interface for my pc. This is my problem: when I talk with my friends on Discord for example, they ear not only my voice, but even everything that I’m listening on my Pc. I’m using channel 7, USB 1-2 on MIX A output. Furthermore, for let my freinds ear me, I have to use the MASTER red fader. How can my friends listen only my voice? What I can do? Thank you a lot.
Hey Stefano thanks for the comment. Yep this can be solved. The master output is what is set to come out usb 1-2 by default even if you're listening to Mix A. Here's how I would set it up. On the master mix make sure the only fader that is up is whichever channel your voice is on. Then switch to Mix A, and set the faders for your voice and channel 7 volume that you personally want to hear etc. A friendly reminder not to use the mute buttons as they apply to all mixes at once. Let me know how you go 👌
Hi David! Thank you so much for everything you put out here on this video!! It helped me a lot to understand this interface and to resolve a few issues I was stuck on!!! Blessings and all the best!
Thanks for the great video! Is it possible to record a channel without sending it through output? I want to capture audience sound and record it but also be recording music/speech and pipe it back out to monitors
Thanks very much for the exhaustive review, David! So very informative and presented in casual cool style :-) I know you mentioned vocal processor but about that lack of compression... Not a deal breaker for you as a "singer" songwriter during live performances? And by any chance have you heard of or seen the Zoom V6 Vocal Processor? It's pretty new too!
Hi Cliff. Glad it was useful! I still missed off heaps of things haha! The compression isn't a deal breaker for me for live shows - it's a really nice touch if you have it - but I don't feel essential. Being wary of how loud you sing and having a reasonable mic technique helps - you can do your own 'compression' in a sense by your distance from the mic haha! I just took a look at the V6 on seeing your comment - looks pretty cool! Have you tested it out by any chance?
That L8 looks looks amazing and really like the cool way you present it too. A breath of fresh air and feel totally inspired. Love the idea of taking it anywhere, recording on SD cards which I think you can go up to 512GB which is pretty cool. Just been thinking of a couple of ideas to try and get around this EQ problem. Not sure if its possible though. I'm wandering If there was a way of linking another small mixer with USB so you could assign to each track. Keep the dry mix on the L8 and have the EQ sent by another mixer and record straight onto SD card for post editing or use a DAW. What do you think? One thought too is if I’m doing a live gig I could link my soundcrsft 12mtx to the zoom live track so I can capture each track individually with EQ and send it to zoom livetrack l8 or if I’m using it for capturing videos or podcasts I can use it as you suggested and do the EQ bit afterwards. Would that work? 🌞
Hey Dave, sounds like you are wanting to record each individual track with the EQ locked in. Is there a reason you would do this? The main reason the EQ doesn't go to the individual recording/tracks is so that you have the most flexibility when you go to post processing. I would only want the EQ if I was doing zero post processing of the audio - but that would mean I would take the stereo main output (which does have all the EQ and fx). Possible I missed what you've meant in this but perhaps that helps you?
David Shanhun. You’re absolutely right. I’m totally with you and it sounds brilliant the way you ve set it up. It s got me thinking about exploring ways of recording live shows using the L8. Could I link in another small mixer and send that signal to the L8 and record down to SD card if that makes sense. So you would have a FOH mix from another mixer going out to the audience and that mixer would also send out the dry mix into the L8 so as you say I can put the EQ on later. Would that work? 🌞The other thought was maybe it doesn’t need that second mixer if you think the L8 would be cool in a live gig situation. You could record it dry and add the EQ using a EQ rack or something before it goes out into the PA speakers which I think you mentioned. What do you think? But love been able to use it to record ideas and develop videos and albums on the fly remotely. That excites me. There’s nothing to get in the way of your creativity and it looks so simple to set up too. You don’t need a lot of equipment or setting up time plus it supports live streaming as well which is fantastic. What I’m trying to say is if you think it could handle live gigs the performance and recording side then I m totally there with this little mixer 🌞
Hi. Thanks for this video. Sorry if this is a silly question but could you connect the “live streaming” cable out of the mixer into a DSLR camera thus getting the mixed/multi-mic sound directly to your video recording?
I stream Live on Stage 10 I have tried so many times to use this mixer but I get everyone on headphones, speakers on there end turned down so no way the signal is getting fed back through the mic, but I cannot eliminate the echo on the recording. We do not hear it when we are broadcasting. I am going to go to a simple interface like Focusrite or Presonus if I cannot find a solution Any Ideas? Thank you so much
Send me a link to one of the recordings if you can - especially if the livetrak is in shot. Things like this are usually a simple solution, but there's a few things to check to find out exactly what it is in each case. Can also be an issue with how you setup audio in OBS (if you're using it to stream) rather than this desk in which case a Focusrite won't help you! Feel free to reach out - this stuff can be frustrating until you find what the issue is. 😊
David Shanhun, I recently learned the Roadcaster Pro has an issue with mix-minus: If a person calls in via iPhone (a mix-minus setup), they will not hear an audio input or UA-cam audio. For example: a host and the guest (via mix-minus) analyzing a UA-cam or other audio clip. Questions: If you know,… 1. Does the ZOOM LiveTrak L-8 suffer this mix-minus issue? 2. Will the guest (connected via mix-minus) hear the sound pads? Thanks in advance, yYM
no mix minus issues that I'm aware of anybody having with the l-8. They hear the master output of the desk including sound pads etc, and minus their signal.
Hi David. Great, great video in every sense and by far the best review of the L-8. Got mine last week -largely due to your informative review- and I am equally stoked! Have you tried the "Dolby On" phone app? I am feeding the master mix (guitars & vocals) to it via USB and taking a video simultaneously - the result is great (as long as you got the mix "right") as the app essentially "masters" the mix. Using an iphone 9 and the camera connection kit. The problem with this is that you can only run the L-8 on batteries as the USB is being issued to feed the audio mix to the iphone. Do you know of any power bank that will power the L-8 AND allow pass-through of the USB data to the iphone simultaneously? Hope this makes sense. Thanks again and let us know if you have any more ninja tips! ^^
heya! thanks. I just downloaded the Dolby On app - overall it seems pretty cool, although I don't like the fact that I can't adjust the settings as much as I would like to. It's a great tool though and will be a definite upgrade on audio for a lot of videos i'm sure! In answer to your question - YES - we found a split usb cable for exactly this. Not sure the exact product link, but this was the forum that I started with that got it sussed for another guy/gal that asked. superuser.com/questions/649803/is-there-a-usb-wire-that-splits-into-two-a-plugs-for-separating-data-and-power Let me know how you go!
This or the L-12 should work well for doing that. Would just depend how many mic inputs you are after (depending on how you are mic'ing your kit). This wouldn't be ideal for live drum mic'ing with no compression or main/graphic EQ option (would still work but not ideal for live), but for home and recording into a DAW where you'll EQ and edit afterwards you'll be sweet!
technically trs to trs should work - the monitor mixes are stereo, and work fine with headphones which are a trs jack you're plugging in. ...actually testing now haha! YES - sent a trs (both ends) cable from the monitor mix into my headphone amp and stereo signal received just fine. 👌
like most things - they're usually not better or worse - they're designed with different features and goals in mind. Work out what it is that is most important to you from the features offered and you'll know which to go for!
I just want to ask if this is easy to travel with if you're doing commute with your other stuff such as guitar, fx and L8, would it be easy to put in your backpack?
To reiterate: THANK YOU for YOUR TIME, EFFORTS & expertise…
most welcome Richard - thanks for the message!
Good comments, David. Excellent review. My L-8 arrived a couple of days ago and like you I'm very happy with it.
If anybody wants to see how the L-8 can be really useful for a musician (as opposed to a podcaster) I recommend David's video where he takes it to a park and makes a live recording (I think there's a link at the end of this full review video).
What I like most about the L-8 is the fact that you can access so many of its functions using physical buttons and knobs rather than having to scroll through menus. With the L-8 you rarely have to enter a menu, whereas in a lot of recording and/or mixing gear out there (including gear from Zoom) it's rare when you DON'T have to enter a menu to change or adjust something. Buttons and knobs cost money and take up space, so a lot of audio products have commonly-used features buried deep in menu structures. The downside of course is that it takes time to find menu items, assuming that you can remember where the software engineers decided to bury them. It's nice to see Zoom implement the more expensive option of physical controls, and they've done a very good job of organising them and making buttons light up when they are active, etc. It all makes the L-8 extremely user-friendly and saves lots of time.
Number 2 on my list of likes is being able to send a stereo mix with reverb to FOH but at the same time record up to 8 individual tracks dry so that you can remix everything when you get home from the gig. Number 3 is the fact that it's battery-powered. I'm running mine off a USB powerbank via the USB cable, as you did in your live recording in the park. And number 4 is the size and weight. I was very surprised at how small it was when it arrived, and it's very light.
The L-8 doesn't feel particularly solid or rugged, but I'm used to a heavy, bullet-proof Dynacord powermixer . I'm guessing that the L-8 is built to last so long as you don't drop it or sit on it and so long as you use a rugged case with internal foam shock protection to transport it. I've been waiting many years for a product that ticks the boxes that this one does. This is sure to be a classic and a bestseller for Zoom I think.
PS: Some of those pad sounds will be a laugh to use during gigs, eh? And you can create your own. I'm looking through my collection of sound effects for sounds like 'Fight breaking out' or 'Huge female audience cheering madly' or even 'Police arriving to shut the place down'.
haha love the sound effects you're thinking of!!! 😉I always got a kick out of playing a siren through the PA every now and then for my own amusement! haha. Def one of my fav features is the fx to main FOH whilst still getting raw individual tracking! ....now if only I could gather with a bunch of cool muso's to record haha... there will come a time! 😊
Any advice for the powerbank to buy ? Will receive my L8 in a few days....
@@neomerismedia1383 Wow, I missed your question two years ago. Sorry. I use an Anker PowerCore 26,800 mAh powerbank. On paper it has capacity enough to power the L-8 for well over 24 hours, although I’ve never checked in reality.
It was due to all your vodeos on the L8 that I purchased mine. I run a Podcast for just me (so, slight overkill at the mo) but its quality of recording far outweighs the Behringer I was using. I record direct to SD first so there is no PC noise to interfere and I am blown away (Rode Podmic and cloud lifter)
Because of this setup I can now produce the tracks needed for my app, I really can not thank you enough for your reviews.
That's awesome Martin! Glad to hear you are able to create what you need! 👌
You and Grant Stinnett's review on this L8 are the best on UA-cam right now. Yours has more detail and technical info but also very practical. His is very use case focused giving examples of how he has and will use it. Thanks again for this vid and the performance vid!
ah thanks so much Shane! Got two more videos on the L8 coming out today and tomorrow around multitrack recording with it - do you have one?
@@davidshanhun No but it's next on my gear purchase list. Going to use it to keep all of my instruments hooked up in my home studio as an Audio Interface. Also going to use it when my buddies come over and jam. Also going to use it in a live looping setup with drum machines, bass, guitar, synth etc hooked up. It's such a super versatile piece of kit. I look forward to watching you new vids on it!
@@sjpachica3 sounds like lots of fun to be had! 😊
Well, after quite some pain with Headphone monitor outputs, I got a couple of SB-5 DI boxes from Radial Engineering and it works perfectly also with Jack -> XLR. It's also possible to do it with other DI boxes, but this one really shines as it allows for summing L/R channels to single mono XLR or you can plug two jacks to it. I use that combo to bring sound to our JVC camera (XLR only input) at correct level.
It seems the monitor outputs are preamped for headphones, so it's way too strong for other uses. DI box solves that.
Andrej! Thanks so much for suggesting this gem of a DI box. great solution to this issue and the mono summing option is also brilliant!
Wow, someone that really knows how to make a painless review! Starting with the negative is the best. Reason I like that ... If I don't mind the negatives, I'll be happy to hear the rest. I hate learning what maybe a deal breaker after watching all a video. This is exactly what I needed to help me make a decision. Thank you
ah cheers! what did you end up going with?
THE BEST 20 MINUTES OF WATCHING A REVIEW! THANK YOU!
ah that's awesome - thanks!
Thanks bro, good to see a review from another Kiwi! Rockshop have got these on sale for $545 so pretty sure I'm gonna grab one
yeah mate that's an ace price at the moment eh!
Finally got mine. Watching this as I unbox and set up, to get a better idea of what to do. Thanks for this amazing video bro!
most welcome! Enjoy the unit!
You said it has no master output EQ but what does it have for per-track EQ?
Does it have virtual tracks for bouncing overdubs when you use it as a recorder?
I’m getting it now because of you . Your description of all the features was very easy to listen & understand too
I've had a Zoom H6 for a few years now and am completely satisfied with it....but am getting the L-20. Have lots of impromptu get togethers and never know how many mics will be needed or instrument inputs etc. Would have needed 14 just before Christmas for a house party but the H6 did a pretty good job of recording the "room". Thanks for your great reviews it will save me some learning time. Also want to use it for recording rehearsals once we can get back to creative collaboration...Thanks again !!!
The L-20 will be epic! ...I've got some more videos to do on overdubbing with these units - I still missed so much off this review haha!
So, by now, I've actually bought one - in part thanks to your answer about the AKG 712... - it arrived this week...!
So the L8 manual states, that the Master Headphone out will put out an identical signal to the master out. (going directly to active speakers in this case)
So how come my speakers on the master-outputs are getting signal, but the master headphone-out is getting nothing?
And I've used consoles since the 80's. I have an SQ-5 and getting along with it... what am I doing wrong?? Starting to wonder if I got a defective unit?
I tested that headphone and cable are good.
Thinking you might be the most likely one to know, since you've covered lots of details on this unit :D
.
As for my first unboxing impressions: I hate it. Plasticky, flimsy and the USB driver for PC sucks - it doesn't list up the channels - its just an in-transparent blob. I want to route PC audio to USB 3+4, i.e stereo channel 8, there is absolutely no way to assign that. Driver update from Zoom? nada.
Gravely, I think all the controls are just held by their soldering joints and will not hold up, unless you keep it in a box full of cotton balls.
But for battery powered, there is nothing else except MixPre 6II (which is more cumbersome to operate) and Behringer Flow8, which can only handle 2 condenser mics. (wish Behringer had aimed a bit higher on that, like 6 condenser mics for $320 instead of 2 condenser mics for $220 - because otherwise it would be a much better mixer than the L8 imo)
Oh yeah and I forgot those Zoom Field recorders, with the same shitty plastic build. I'm not railing against plastic in general - Some other companies simply use higher quality plastic (Tascam, Sony)
** I'd say that you have to be damned sure, that you really need it battery operated before buying that. **
At least one, maybe both of the other Livetrak units have a metal housing, I think. Was it the L12 and L20 or only L20?
on the monitor output, i believe you may need an xlr splitter cable (Y cable) because the monitor outs are sending an unbalanced stereo signal. without the splitter cable you may hear a muffled signal. cheers!
A stereo output which is wired to an XLR (pin1 ground. pin2 left pin 3 right (por vice versa)) creates a karaoke mixer - all the centre information is cancelled out by the differential amplifier on the receiving balanced input.
Your very first point about the headphone cabling issue - Does that mean AKG 712 Headphone users are prevented from using their Headphones, because the ONLY input to those is a mini-XLR connector - which is really great, because if you ever mess up your headphone cable with those, you can just plug in another one - no trip to the repair shop, no trip to the cellar to get out the soldering iron...
great question but no - they are the exact headphones I use and they work great with this mixer. The mini-xlr connector you mentioned is the connection TO the headphones which can be anything (depending on your headphones). The other end of the headphone lead which will go into the desk is a 1/4 or 1/8' trs jack which plugs straight into the desk. Cheers for the question though.
@@davidshanhun awesome, much thanks for the answer :)
Those headphones are indispensable to me.
I bought Waves' "Abbey Road" virtual speakers/studio plug-in just to use with those headphones, where ever I have no speakers...
@@Pharesm ooh don't know this plugin but use a few of the waves stuff. Might check it out!
@@davidshanhun ua-cam.com/video/Euef8rtUYf0/v-deo.html
:)
I just ordered mine for podcasting and a doing work for an internet radio station! I’m so stoked!
awesome Jeff! Enjoy when it turns up!
You could probably use a Pyle Mini Hum Eliminator for the headphone jack issue. (Not for the hum elimination, although that part is nice.) it's has 2 TRS inputs and two TRS outputs + 2 XLR inputs and 2 XLR Outputs.
You could probably use it playing live anyway.
Ah that's a cool option/idea. Thanks!
Dude thank you for this video, it was exactly what I needed and the most complete video out there so far regarding the Zoom LiveTrak L-8!!!
Most welcome! Glad it helped! 😊
Excellent review David. No nonsense and very thorough. Seeing this and your other Livetrak L8 videos convinced me to buy the L8 but then I hit a snag. As primarily a guitar player I sometimes need to punch in on guitar tracks, usually using a foot switch, but this is not possible with the L8. It also seems that the only way to punch in is to press a button on the mixer - as you demonstrated for a vocal track in one of your videos. That’s OK-ish for a singer but impractical for a guitarist (and many other musicians). The L8 doesn’t even seem to allow preset punch in/out points to automate the process. Unless I’m misunderstanding or someone has a clever way around this (other than getting an assistant to press the button which is often not viable) it’s a deal breaker for me. Such a shame as in so many ways it is the ideal portable recorder/interface.
By the way, for anyone concerned about using a combination of condenser and other mics with the L8, particularly ribbon mics, I’ve got around this in similar situations by using the inline Triton Audio ‘Phantom Blocker’ which passes signal but not phantom power. There may well be other similar gadgets available.
Hey Jimbro! Cheers for this comment/message brother - and yeah, so far I haven't figured out a way around this either. Would be amazing if you could use the 'mark' function to set punch in punch out, but I don't believe that's an option.
Appreciate the details on the Phantom Blocker too!
Thank you very much I learned so much about my Zoom LiveTrak L8. I mainly use it for podcasting but I see it so much more than a podcast Mixer
Awesome Rocky! Glad it was useful!
Hi David. This is by far the most informative of videos of the L8. It was just given to me as gift, I was pumped about setting it up as an interface with Logic Pro X. I DONT GET IT !
When I record on Logic I use input monitoring, and when I select input monitoring like usual in Logic while using this, I get feedback from the stereo channel 7 when set to usb. Which is the signal from the computer (including my input monitoring)? Right? Why am I hearing feedback? My output is XLR jack to jack into studio monitors. They just made it too confusing. Is there way to fix this? Goal: use it as an interface with LPX while being able to hear the master sound coming from the input monitoring (computer) without hearing feedback? I appreciate the video and any help in advance! Thanks
heya, do you have a live mic in the room whilst doing this? - eg what is your input monitoring signal?
Thanks for doing this, David. There are always caveats no matter which multitrack mixer/recorder you look at. I would have preferred more hands on & views of the L-8 rather than your up-close face to be honest, or at least further from the camera - but I managed to get through the video due to the invaluable information. Cheers from Oz.
hehe this is the most common comment tbh. Feedback received haha!
This was a great and very informative review. Thanks for taking the time out to share! I can’t wait for my Zoom L-8 to come in the mail tomorrow! 😊
whoop whoop! how's it going so far?
@@davidshanhun not bad at all. Tracked some live drums and it came out really good. One thing I don’t like or I’m not sure if I haven’t figured it out, is the fact that there’s no way to cut the volume for the monitors/speakers while recording! So I’ve been literally having to turn off the speakers when I’m ready to record; that’s annoying! 😵😩
@@iamtonyade just bring the master down - the recording is before any of the faders at all - so you'll still get your recording exactly the same - and means you can move any of the faders mid performance or have them completely on 0 and you'll still end up with the same individual .wav files for each channel.
@@davidshanhun I actually tried that, but when I brought the master down, I also couldn’t hear from the headphones any longer 🤷🏾♂️
@@davidshanhun Hey David! So I’m not sure if your advice pertains to recording via a DAW, but if I turn the master fader down, I get no sound in my headphones, which makes it impossible to record and hear what’s being recorded. Can you please help me out? Thanks so much man
Great review David! I have a question for you: when you recorded audio to your DAW using Zoom Livetrak, were you using PC or Mac? If you were using Mac, did your computer have USB standard as input or just USB-C? The reason I'm asking that is because I have a Mac with only USB-C and, looking at the specs of Zoom Livetrak it says "Operation is not guaranteed when used with USB hubs or expansion cards". I'm affraid I will have issues while recording using a USB hub to connect Zoom to my Mac.
heya! I'm on a mac but still have a usb-a slot. I suspect buying an adaptor or using a usb hub won't be an issue - if you use a usb-a to usb-c adaptor you'll be sweet - hubs are usually what tend to cause issues (if there are). In saying that - I'm pretty sure I've run it from a hub no worries.
Honestly one of the best reviews on a product ever, so much specific info! Thanks for this!
appreciate that Josh!
I noticed in the manual that it says the 1/4 inch master out and the three 1/4 inch monitor outs are all stereo outputs. Which makes sense when using headphones. But how does that work if using the 1/4 inch master out to run a powered speaker with a 1/4 inch input? The speaker is a mono plug and cable will be a mono jack, but the output jacks on the board are stereo. Great review!
Hey Michael - I haven't tested this actually as haven't been panning anything much into a stereo mix that then gets sent to the monitor outputs. I presume you only get Left OR Right, just not sure which one, so if you have things panned in your mix you may lose some of the panning. If nothing is panned and your signal is basically mono then you're all good though. As mentioned above I haven't specifically tested this but that's what I would expect given the outputs from the 1/4 jacks are only working as mono.
@@davidshanhun if it is truly a stereo output, and you are panning anything that you record, you'll want to monitor in stereo. Get an adaptor... 1/4" trs to two mono 1/4" (or xlr, whichever you monitor input is)
Man that was so informative, Thank You. I am wondering about the SD cards and if you have issues with them. What would be minimum capacity for say 6 tracks? Probably has to be the high performance ones right?
Thank Jon. I haven't had any issues - have recorded 5 tracks as the most at a time so far using a Sandisk Extreme 32gb which is 90 mb/s. From memory they do have a list of compatible or recommended SD cards on the Zoom site. I would go for the high performance ones just for peace of mind that it's all going to be captured smoothly every time!
This is a great review and tutorial. I just picked one of these up for my Acoustic Project off of Ebay. I love you just got to the point of things! Thank you!
Thank you mate! Happy recording and creating with it!
Thx David, your info and teaching is so simple to understand and apply .
Have learnt good points from you on how to use L-8 mixer/recorder.
I had a question
Can you delete/remove at track file within a
project ?
My friend, thank you for this video. You brought up the subject of incorrectly labeled channels. I've had a zoom l8 for a few weeks and I couldn't record anything in garage band, only the feedback from the left channel was recorded (I selected 1 in the DAW).
David, I am looking at the Zoom LiveTrak L-8 vs the Tascam Model 12. I would use this mainly for recording, but possibly for small venues as well. I would need this for vocals only. Live and recording would be 4-5 tracks. I have an equalizer I can hook to it for live performance if needed. Would the Zoom LiveTrak L-8 be plenty for what I need, or would something like the Tascam Model 12 be a better fit for just vocals. I feel the Model 12 would be over kill for what I am needing, but I like the fact that it has compression and I can adjust the highs, mids and lows. Wanted to know what your thoughts were on this. Great detailed video on the zoom track 8.
Hey Tyler. You can adjust the EQ highs, mids and lows on the L-8 also - it is just done by selecting the track you want to adjust, and then adjusting the settings, then selecting the next track that you want to adjust etc. So EQ wise you're getting a similar setup as the Tascam just with a different way to set it. the thing I like about the Tascam is it has sweepable mids for each, plus an EQ with sweepable mids on the master also. I haven't heard the compression from the model 12 - but it is something I would appreciate having that the L-8 doesn't - purely for live however. If it's all being recorded and mixed in post, then it's really irrelevant, but for live it is a benefit for sure. One of the main reasons that I totally forgot to mention in this video for me choosing the L-8, is that I can film and record audio with individual tracking all powered by a phone battery bank (or if I wished AA batteries with the L8). Hope that helps you with your choice!
Another good vidéo fromage David ! Thanks for this review ! Zoom always good quality of matérials ! Most possibilty but not too much from live looping because simple configuration is better for my opinion ! Are you confortably with this mixer in live ,?
thanks! :) It's not the greatest option for live shows - but at it's price range, for being able to do live shows as well as record the individual tracks nothing else compares at this stage. The l-12 rather than the l-8 is much better suited to live shows (channel compression, sweepable mid eq, and proper monitor outputs). Hope that helps!
Great video!!!
I have some questions:
Can I use usb return 1-2 and 3-4 at the same time?
If yes, the tracks 7 and 8 are in stereo?
If I use a usb return at channel 7, can I still use the track 8 with line input ?
Track 7 & 8 , both are stereo.
If you use Track 7 for USB , track 8 can use for line in. It is individual.
If use TRRS for phone call, track 7-8 will combine.
Did you find a solution?
I thought recording a channel to SD card included gain but not EFX or EQ? When you demonstrated having a venue mic record only, you said you can leave this fader completely down. If I understand correctly, wouldn't that prevent anything from recording from that channel?
heya! When recording to the SD card it does include gain but not fx/eq/panning etc. BUT... the gain is different than the fader knob. The gain is the little dial at the top of the channel strip - whatever you set that to is the recorded level. The sliding fader simply decides how much gets sent to the mix. So, you can record with the fader completely down, and you still get a great clean signal for the recording.
Thank you for taking the time to share the important things about the device. Really helpful. The only problem is, now I want one. :)
haha love it! Let me know if you end up getting one! 😜
Great review, David. Helped me learn a couple of things I was trying to get for my podcast. Thanks for taking the time to do this!
Glad it was helpful! What's your podcast Dave?
@@davidshanhun My podcast is Christian Music Archive podcast (christianmusicarchive.com/podcast)
But I also use the zoom for a podcast that I help record (mercytoday.global)
Best review of this board!! Got all the info, great job!
Thanks!
Excellent!! Very thorough explanation. You answered all my questions and made my decision so easy. This is the piece of gear that I need. Kudos and thank you for your time!!
love it - it's a pretty great piece of kit!
Hey David thanks for the review mate. 3 years on, have you seen anything else come onto the market worth taking a look at in the recording/mixer realm?
Hey Will - yeah there's a lot mate! I actually bought and sold a bunch of mixers last year around this (intended to do a video but that didn't happen in the midst of life), but it's great to see more and more mixers include individual recording direct to SD. The zoom stuff is great and for budget I really rate it - but just released is the Allen & Heath CQ series which is an excellent option. Most comes down to budget etc for this stuff though tbh - there's the m20x from RCF that's a pretty nice piece of kit with SD recording etc but they're all at a higher price bracket than where Zoom is.
Essentially I'd still rate the zoom stuff for being able to do this really well at the price range and I like the overall sound from their desks... but they are missing the tools to deal with live sound really well when compared with the more expensive gear. So - it's a balance of what's needed or general budget overall haha! What are you running at the moment?
@@davidshanhun legend! I’m running a Behringer 1002b at the moment with a TC Helicon Play acoustic in front of it, and then simple recording with a Zoom H5. I’m always looking to improve the sound and have never been totally satisfied with the TCHPA which seems no matter what I try to make my vocal a bit “too digital” so was tinkering with the idea of just using effects off a board. ( I don’t use much effect anyway). Have had a good look at the Allen and Heath Zed series. Such a journey with our gadgets! Appreciate all your shared wisdom mate.
@@willpriormusic yeah funny journey to find and like our own sound eh! The best thing with a bunch of these kind of desks is if you're fx are coming from them - you can totally change or adjust them entirely in post if you wish to. Sometimes I've been in rooms where it requires massive amounts of reverb to sound 'normal' and others it's completely off to fit the room haha. If that same sound has to go out to your recording it's a tough call on what you prioritise eh? Best sound for the room or best sound for the recording haha! what part of the world are you in?
Yeah great points those! Will be interesting to have a look when the A&H CQ reach our shores. I’m in NZ mate. Down in Martinborough 👍.
ah nice bro! I'm digging that series more and more as i look them over! got a mate that just ordered the cq20 so will get to have a fool around with it soon haha! @@willpriormusic
Many thanks David, this was a great help to me setting it up......One important point all should know is the faders seem to remember their last settings, which is good but....they need to be wiggled when testing or nothing comes through. Thanks again.
yes absolutely David!
Hi David, this was a really very informative review of the L-8. Just 2 questions : when I play music from my PC, can I adjust the output volume of my headphone on the L-8? Or do I have to do that on my PC? And how do I adjust the audio output of my DAW(Ableton)?
Thanks. Yes - when playing music from the PC, you can adjust the volume of it using the channel fader on the L8 (channel 7). You can do the same with adjusting the output of your DAW - either change the master volume from your DAW, or change the channel fader volume on the L8 to suit the best levels for you. 😊
I don’t understand , if the headphones put out on a TRS this should be fine to an xlr , it’s all the same internal wires going to the same places ?
Not only that , you could use them as aux sends and have 6 aux sends if you used a TRS split to two TS cables no ? Ok you won’t have many channels to return them to.
Edit , I see you did an update video addressing this , thanks for being conscientious enough to update , appreciate the review😊 which now makes me wonder , is there enough signal for an effects pedal to be returned to one of the buses if you use the headphones out as sends.
Hi David, thank you so much for this video! Helped a lot! We did a zoom (conference) choir rehearsal using the zoom (mixer) where me and the choir director sang and the rest of the choir sang at home with muted mics. The stream worked great! Wish you all the best! Greetings from a Brazilian stranded in Germany! :)
No eq on master? Great review, thanks. Gotta go🖐
Thx David, your info and teaching is so simple to understand and apply .
Have learnt good points from you on how to use L-8 mixer/recorder.
Subscribed because of the first 1 minute. Good job with that intro.
Cheers!
Great Review thanks! Way more detailed than others. Question do you think it is still worth it in 2023? Main use would be live streaming and recording events.
For the price it's still an ace unit. However - the CQ series from Allen and Heath would be my recommendation if your budget allows it as a combo of live and streaming. Otherwise for streaming/recording the Boss gigcaster, and the Rodecaster pro are really good options as well (focussed more on the streaming and recording side rather than running live events also).
@@davidshanhun Thank you for the response, I am not familiar with the CQ nor the Boss one, I will take a look at them. Thank you!.
As a musician i wouldn't go for that unit tbh. I'm considering buying the Mackie profx3 serie for several reasons. However its analogue preamps are of better quality 192khz 24 bit recording, balanced XLR outputs and usb audio interface. This is also less expensive 159€ for the first model. I like its versatility and overall quality. The Zoom has advantages over the Mackie for live environment and post edition mainly but still too expensive from my pov.
perfect. Glad you know what you want and what you'll use it for etc! All the best with your recordings!
This looks awesome! You have definitely helped us with choosing what we need for our next steps forward regarding live and streaming. With the livestream mix, is it possible to set up an ambient moc like you suggested, have this in the mix to the phone but not front of house? Regards and thanks again ☺️
hi The Wax Birds! Yes - this is totally possible to do - we did it with a livestream a while back at a venue - not an ambient mic but another dynamic mic that was purely to chat just for the livestream. To do this you set up your main mix, as well as Mix A (or B or C etc). The one thing to remember is that the main mix is what gets sent out of the TRRS cable on track 8 - so if you want the ambient mic going to your phone include it on the main mix. The downside of this is you need to run your speakers and FOH from one of the headphone outputs and either daisy chain, or what we did was run that signal into another small desk and then into our FOH.
Also - when you switch mixes to set it up - change the fader level for each mix instead of using mute - mute applies to all mixes.
Hope that all makes sense - reach out if you have further Q's etc.
Dear David.
Regarding 3:50 .... what graphic EQs would you suggest?
This is now quite an old unit really, but a pretty good simple option combined with the L8. amzn.to/2JZg71J (find what works for you though - there are all sorts of options similar to this!).
Good Morning David! Ever use the L-8 with headphones in Mix-A-B-C? We've tried several headphones (impedances all over the map) and all have what sounds like clip-buzzing when we push a bit: Both vox and guitar. Weird... BTW, when we record and play it back the buzzing doesn't seem to be coming out the PA (QSC K-12's). Weird, right?
yes I have used Mix A a few times with no issues - although I find the output quite low overall. Are you using them still set to 'Master' or are they set to different mixes? ...and it's something coming through regardless of headphones used yeah? (just checking I understood what you said)
@@davidshanhun We're using separate mixes (A for Pete, B for Sheri, C for durmmer). We've used 5 different headphones all with a different impedance: Same clip-like buzz when pushed. We agree the volume is really pretty low, right on the edge of being unusable: For a strong vocalists the idea of headphones is to drown out the "voice in your head" (the sound of your voice resonating through your body we hear when we're speaking normally) and hear what's coming out of your mouth instead. A strong vocalist (Pete is Bono loud) needs a LOT of volume pushed into those headphones.
Good Morning David! Think we've got it figured out: After a little more careful reading of the manual, specifically page 6 under Gain Knob, using Hi-Z and or -26dB pulls those levels back into non-clipping. We DO now believe that the clipping buzz was a clipping buzz. Without engaging Hi-Z and -26dB there is a built in 10dB push. They've certainly made some odd choices with this rig! We'll probably continue to use it (quickly getting addicted to the multi-channel recorder ON-BOARD) (beat our old solution). We always miss working from unity though...
Dig what you're doing performance wise! Hit us over our website if interested in a longer discussion: We're not big into letting our fans in on how the sausage gets made! ROKKON!! \m/
(Also we want to use some of your schtuff as break-music for our gigs.)
@@DeafBunnysBand Awesome that you've found some solutions/discoveries and thanks for the feedback 👌Yep, loving having the onboard and individual tracking from the desk itself eh. So handy!
Hey David, your video was very informative! I bought the Zoom Livetrak L-12 a month ago and I have been enjoying every aspect of it. But I saw this video and you mentioned that the headphone outs don't work with xlr to 1/4 inch cables. Is this the same for the L-12? I am looking to buy a wireless IEM pack and most of them are XLR...
Hi Abel, I haven't tested the L-12 i'm sorry! There will be ways around it even on the L8, headphones work just fine that are stereo when plugged straight in, so I expect it's simply which way around they have the tip/sleeve/ring configured. If I were you I would buy a trs to xlr adaptor - amzn.to/2Z2eQvM - connect it to an xlr cable that you have and see if you get signal out into another mixer or similar. If you check it out would you mind letting me know?
Monitors jack 2 jack... Bummer!
Would you say the L12 does that better?
I don't definitively know the answer sorry! I suspect you will be all good with the L12 given there is a L and R monitor output in addition to the stereo headphone outputs that the L8 has. Hope that potentially helps you!
Excellent review! Am looking to use this as part of a self monitoring rig for my band.
Regarding the headphone monitor outputs only working with jack to jack leads, will it still work with a stereo 1/4" lead split into 2 mono 1/4" leads into a stereo wireless iem transmitter?
Thank You! With LIVE Streaming and performing LIVE, can u send the main mix to your iPad/Phone while simultaneously sending the same main mix to FOH?
yes you can.
Hi! Great video! Is it possible that with the mixer I can use live mode at the same time that I send sequences on the computer to the main Mix and send another sequence to headphones/monitors?
you've got two channels you can send from the computer to the desk and can then send those wherever suits - main/a/b/c etc. so yes 👌
Awesome review mate. My mixer/interface had output issues suddenly. Need an urgent replacement while the fix it under warranty. Definitely will sort out my immediate workflow issues.
hey Fin! will answer the question on your other message - hope you got this sorted!
I’m very curious about the quality of the preamps. Any info on that?
I'm really happy with them - but don't have a huge amount of info to send you sorry!
Where do you plug your speakers into for the sound to come out. Thanks in advance.
into the two main outputs on the unit (the two xlrs).
Didn't get your opinion about outs. Can i use this outs with three headphones with extension cables on stage? Why not?
headphones are sweet as - that's what they are designed for as outputs 👌
Great video David! I had one question though. Regarding the monitor mixes, would it still work if I had a male 1/4" TRS to female 3.5mm TRS adapter for my cheap headphones?
hey Vince - yes absolutely - that's what my headphones have also and works absolutely fine 👌
@@davidshanhun awesome! I just ordered one of these and I can't wait to try it out!
@@vinchenzo_88 nice! Happy recording/playing/experimenting etc! :)
Very very cool hidden gem on the room mic thing. Great idea. Are you using it for these reviews?
haha yeah that's a handy lil thing to do for sure! I used it in the other video recording with the L8, from memory I simply used an on camera mic for this particular review. hope that helps!
Hi David, You really have become my go to for advice and kit (I already have the VL3X based on your videos!). Thanks for this - huge dump of information (and yes, the wallet is now £300+ lighter!). Thanks again, you've really helped me get on the road!
Great review David. Very informative, straight to the point and sounds and clips. Thanks mate!
Thanks 😊
Good review, David. I've also had a few Zoom devices over the years starting with a Zoom 9000 way back in '92. Most are great and some not as much. Sounds like a good little mixer there.
Thanks. I think this is a pretty stunning piece of kit! haha. Still finding many more things it can do... perhaps there'll be an updated review at some stage! 😂
Hey David! I've been trying to figure out if you've ever used this mixer for live streams on UA-cam through OBS Studio on macOS. I'm struggling to understand how to properly connect the mixer. Should I use a USB connection, or is it preferable to go through TRRS? Also, I'm having trouble figuring out how to set up the audio sources when connecting via USB. The sound in my stream ends up being very quiet. Any tips or advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated!
heya! yep used it for many streams, connected via USB. have you downloaded the zoom plugin required first? That may be the issue - from there stream volume is what the master volume shows - so you should have a good amount of lights lighting up which will equate to a good streaming level. Reply or reach out if you're still stuck, or send me a photo on insta @davidshanhun.
Do you happen to remember how the headphone amps are? Hissy/noisy at loud volumes? I’m an old radio guy that runs them hot. Thinking of using for podcast. Thanks!
I've found them really good at high volumes. Headphone impedance for me is 62, so you may pick up more noise if you're running something much lower. In saying that i've pushed them and they remain very clear. Hope that helps!
@@davidshanhun Thanks for this! I use Sony 7506s so I should be good there. Best...
Thanks for this full review of the Zoom LiveTrak L-8 mixer / recorder. This is really helpful.
yay! So happy it was helpful! 😊
Thanks!
Can this be used as regular mixer,or is it only for livestreaming etc?
Hi David! Thanks for a great review. Only one thing I seemed to have missed in it but it's sort of essential to what I'm looking for - do the individual mixes turn up as a source in the computer? Besides main outputs, that is?
Hi Ford - sorry I missed this! Do you mean the individual tracks (not mixes). If so then YES, they do turn up as a source in the computer - tracks 1-6 mono, 7 & 8 stereo. If you're asking about the headphone mixes, then no - but you're able to create mixes inside the computer from the individual tracks if you really needed to (in a DAW). Hope that helps!
Hi, very nice review. I ordered an L8 but I am having second thoughts for one specific thing : Overdubbing. I am a multri-instrumental musician and would love to go to the park, record multiple tracks with different instruments, not live but overdubbing each time on a separate track. I have seen some videos showing the L12 capabilities for overdubbing, but none with the L8. Do you use overdubbing and if yes, were there any issues? Thanks.
You can absolutely do this! Video is in the process of being made on this specific thing and how to do it. Have only tested the waters a little bit so far, but no issues as of yet. If there's a video on overdubbing with the L12, the process will be the same for the L8 with how the brains are set to run.
@@davidshanhun Thanks. Indeed there are with the L-12. But I was wondering why all the videos about the L-8 would not mention this - in my opinion important - use of the device. Thanks for the reply.
Hi David, awesome review planning to buy 1 for our church, 1 question can I just hooked our analog mixer for Drum Mic to 1 of those 6 channels? Your response is greatly appreciated 🇵🇭
hi Isaac - yes you can happily do that. Just set the output level from your analog mixer to an appropriate level and the gain on the channel you use and you'll be good 👌
@@davidshanhun this sounds even more enticing to me thank you! Will probably consider this item after seeing you review thanks again!
Great Review - and info thanks David.
Cheers Brett!
Hi David, excellent review, I love the L8 for traveling and recording ideas or jams. I'm thinking of getting one as the UI24 records straight to USB drive and will give you the multitrack and stereo recording options you need and comp and EQ, but not great for a plane or backpack. The DB es503 speaker gives you an antifeedback EQ which would be handy paired with the L8 for live settings.
Hi David, Thanks for your good review. I plan to buy l8. I need some clarifications. When compared with soundcraft ui16, is zoom l8 a better mixer? In which dimensions? Can i edit each recording tracks using adobe audition software?
Thank you very much
Hi Jifin. They are quite different mixers. There is an issue where occasionally the ui16's drop out or freeze, which means a bunch of people have ruled them out for live gigs, even though they sound amazing and have more built into them than the livetraks do (if the ui16's freeze you typically have to restart the unit). The second part is what you want to record to - with the ui16 you'll need to bring your laptop and plug it in to record, with the livetrak you record straight to SD card and can put that into your laptop later. With both you can edit using whichever software you choose. Hope that helps!
thank you for this im the audio tech at my college radio trying to find us a better setup. this video really helps. cheers :P
Glad I could help! There's lots of good options for gear now it becomes hard to know sometimes what will be a good fit eh!
I bought it and it's amazing. Thanks to you :-)
ah that's awesome! Enjoy!
hello.
Thanks for the video.
How do you evaluate the quality of the preamps of this mixer-recorder? In terms of noise and ambient sound In terms of record high and low frequencies as well as midranges? And is the phantom power button separate for each line? or not thank you

How do I evaluate the preamps? Generally I go by what other people say in forums etc and then at some point make my mind up. Other than that you can look up the specific details in the manual or online if it's of interest to you. Phantom power is not separate but I'm sure you've found that out already haha!
Could I ask about the zoom livetrak 12 please? I cant find anyway the same info regarding the monitor out connections.
Can I use a jack to XLR connect on that zoom mixer. Is that something you would know? (Btw nice review)
Hi! I expect that it would be the same on the L12 - but I don't know for certain. This was only something I discovered through actually using the unit, and the info doesn't appear to be anywhere online that I've found. I expect it wasn't intended to be an issue, but in actual use it is 😝
@@davidshanhun Thanks David. Well yeah correct it is an issue if you do live work like me as well. My monitors (Eurolive Behringers) take XLR inputs so I hope the Live Trak 12 does. Again I cant find any info online and it seems Zoom in Europe have practically disppeared off the face of the planet. I've emailed Zoom US for a simple quick reply but as yet have heard nothing. (If there is anybody in this chat that uses a live trak 12 could you try it and maybe let me know please?) Thanks Dave sorry for the intrusion!
@@gspianoguitar4369 not sure there is anyone in this chat that is on the L12 - but perhaps check out a review video or similar from someone and ask them? I got around it using a jack to jack into another mini desk then xlr out 😂but that's more gear than is desired or needed lol - just so I could take advantage of the recording part!
Hi David, thank you for being so honest and such a great communicator! Temporarily I want to attach a minidisc player of backing tracks to record vocals. Although technically rca but can use adapter, which input would you suggest please, and are all SD cards compatible? I’m looking at the L12. Great videos, just awesome, you are so helpful. Thank you.
heya! I would suggest going into track 11 or 12 on the L-12 with the RCA's, and then you can record your vocals on any of the other channels you wish. They have a list of compatible SD cards on the zoom site - I use a lexar professional SD card with a write speed of 95MB/s and it works great. All the best with your recordings!
@@davidshanhun Than you so much David. We all appreciate you videos very much.
@@ThePipster2 aw thankyou!! ❤️
I'm thinking of getting it. My goals are to 1. Run Roland v drums though a laptop to get the realistic sounds from SD3,I guess this device is good enough to deal with any e drum latency?2. Record a band,5 are probably enough. I guess I should get it right? Thanks for your opinion ☺️
Seems like you've answered your own questions here haha! Latency will be more dependant on your laptop setup than this unit - so if you're already running v drums through sd3 and back out to speakers with no issues it'll be the same with this. If you're playing live with a band the L-12 has some nicer options with compression/sweepable mids, plus monitor outputs, but obviously comes with a higher price tag as well. Hope that helps!
Hi David, great review i ended up getting the mixer due to this info!
One question when plugging the trrs cable into my phone from channel 8 to do a live stream via social media, its not picking up a signal but if playing back music etc that works fine! Am I missing something as I'm sure it worked previously.. many thanks!
Sunil - London UK!
Hi Sunil - did you get it sorted? are you plugging the trrs directly into the phone, or is it via an iphone adaptor?
@@davidshanhun Hi David, I got it sorted to capture my audio from the mixer to my android phone.
I basically went trs Jack out of one of the headphone outs to a ride trrs converter into my phone which works perfectly for capturing livestreams on at gigs or remotely!
@@suniltailor131 ah that's awesome! Clever work on that one! 😊
Thanks for your video. Do we need the SD when using it in audio interface mode?
No. Hope the session goes well! Highly sugggest having a play the night before walking into a shoot with new gear - but also nothing like learning on the job haha!
Thanks very much for going over this! Seems like a cool unit. They should make the pads larger and then they can double as a mini drum machine. Lol
That would be a cool addition eh!
Good video!
So, you're using this, to save the extra weight and size of the ZOOM L12?
I didn't catch anything in your L8 review, that the L12 couldn't do also...
I was pretty much decided to buy an L12 as a portable mixer... then I saw the L8, but it seems to cheat on the "8"
hey Builder - I actually skipped one of the biggest reasons I personally got this mixer in this - and that's because it can be battery powered also. If you don't need battery power I would totally go for the L-12. What are you planning to use it for?
I use L-8 as audio interface for my pc. This is my problem: when I talk with my friends on Discord for example, they ear not only my voice, but even everything that I’m listening on my Pc. I’m using channel 7, USB 1-2 on MIX A output. Furthermore, for let my freinds ear me, I have to use the MASTER red fader. How can my friends listen only my voice? What I can do? Thank you a lot.
Hey Stefano thanks for the comment. Yep this can be solved. The master output is what is set to come out usb 1-2 by default even if you're listening to Mix A. Here's how I would set it up. On the master mix make sure the only fader that is up is whichever channel your voice is on. Then switch to Mix A, and set the faders for your voice and channel 7 volume that you personally want to hear etc. A friendly reminder not to use the mute buttons as they apply to all mixes at once. Let me know how you go 👌
@@davidshanhun Thank you! i finally understood how it works... in the end! :D
@@stefanoricchiuti3726 yay! haha it caught me out a bit at the start too man!
Hi David! Thank you so much for everything you put out here on this video!! It helped me a lot to understand this interface and to resolve a few issues I was stuck on!!! Blessings and all the best!
This was super helpful. I am a mixer/live streaming noob so this was amazing.
Thanks for the great video!
Is it possible to record a channel without sending it through output?
I want to capture audience sound and record it but also be recording music/speech and pipe it back out to monitors
yes absolutely - I do this and highly recommend it. Records after the gain setting not the fader 👌
@@davidshanhun thank you!
Thanks very much for the exhaustive review, David! So very informative and presented in casual cool style :-) I know you mentioned vocal processor but about that lack of compression... Not a deal breaker for you as a "singer" songwriter during live performances? And by any chance have you heard of or seen the Zoom V6 Vocal Processor? It's pretty new too!
Hi Cliff. Glad it was useful! I still missed off heaps of things haha! The compression isn't a deal breaker for me for live shows - it's a really nice touch if you have it - but I don't feel essential. Being wary of how loud you sing and having a reasonable mic technique helps - you can do your own 'compression' in a sense by your distance from the mic haha! I just took a look at the V6 on seeing your comment - looks pretty cool! Have you tested it out by any chance?
That L8 looks looks amazing and really like the cool way you present it too. A breath of fresh air and feel totally inspired. Love the idea of taking it anywhere, recording on SD cards which I think you can go up to 512GB which is pretty cool. Just been thinking of a couple of ideas to try and get around this EQ problem. Not sure if its possible though. I'm wandering If there was a way of linking another small mixer with USB so you could assign to each track. Keep the dry mix on the L8 and have the EQ sent by another mixer and record straight onto SD card for post editing or use a DAW. What do you think? One thought too is if I’m doing a live gig I could link my soundcrsft 12mtx to the zoom live track so I can capture each track individually with EQ and send it to zoom livetrack l8 or if I’m using it for capturing videos or podcasts I can use it as you suggested and do the EQ bit afterwards. Would that work? 🌞
Hey Dave, sounds like you are wanting to record each individual track with the EQ locked in. Is there a reason you would do this? The main reason the EQ doesn't go to the individual recording/tracks is so that you have the most flexibility when you go to post processing. I would only want the EQ if I was doing zero post processing of the audio - but that would mean I would take the stereo main output (which does have all the EQ and fx). Possible I missed what you've meant in this but perhaps that helps you?
David Shanhun. You’re absolutely right. I’m totally with you and it sounds brilliant the way you ve set it up. It s got me thinking about exploring ways of recording live shows using the L8. Could I link in another small mixer and send that signal to the L8 and record down to SD card if that makes sense. So you would have a FOH mix from another mixer going out to the audience and that mixer would also send out the dry mix into the L8 so as you say I can put the EQ on later. Would that work? 🌞The other thought was maybe it doesn’t need that second mixer if you think the L8 would be cool in a live gig situation. You could record it dry and add the EQ using a EQ rack or something before it goes out into the PA speakers which I think you mentioned. What do you think? But love been able to use it to record ideas and develop videos and albums on the fly remotely. That excites me. There’s nothing to get in the way of your creativity and it looks so simple to set up too. You don’t need a lot of equipment or setting up time plus it supports live streaming as well which is fantastic. What I’m trying to say is if you think it could handle live gigs the performance and recording side then I m totally there with this little mixer 🌞
Hi. Thanks for this video. Sorry if this is a silly question but could you connect the “live streaming” cable out of the mixer into a DSLR camera thus getting the mixed/multi-mic sound directly to your video recording?
hey Jim, yes you can do that.
I stream Live on Stage 10 I have tried so many times to use this mixer but I get everyone on headphones, speakers on there end turned down so no way the signal is getting fed back through the mic, but I cannot eliminate the echo on the recording. We do not hear it when we are broadcasting. I am going to go to a simple interface like Focusrite or Presonus if I cannot find a solution Any Ideas? Thank you so much
Send me a link to one of the recordings if you can - especially if the livetrak is in shot. Things like this are usually a simple solution, but there's a few things to check to find out exactly what it is in each case. Can also be an issue with how you setup audio in OBS (if you're using it to stream) rather than this desk in which case a Focusrite won't help you! Feel free to reach out - this stuff can be frustrating until you find what the issue is. 😊
David Shanhun,
I recently learned the Roadcaster Pro has an issue with mix-minus: If a person calls in via iPhone (a mix-minus setup), they will not hear an audio input or UA-cam audio.
For example: a host and the guest (via mix-minus) analyzing a UA-cam or other audio clip.
Questions: If you know,…
1. Does the ZOOM LiveTrak L-8 suffer this mix-minus issue?
2. Will the guest (connected via mix-minus) hear the sound pads?
Thanks in advance,
yYM
no mix minus issues that I'm aware of anybody having with the l-8. They hear the master output of the desk including sound pads etc, and minus their signal.
sir David 🙋 do you experience evident white noise using this mixer?
Hi David. Great, great video in every sense and by far the best review of the L-8. Got mine last week -largely due to your informative review- and I am equally stoked! Have you tried the "Dolby On" phone app? I am feeding the master mix (guitars & vocals) to it via USB and taking a video simultaneously - the result is great (as long as you got the mix "right") as the app essentially "masters" the mix. Using an iphone 9 and the camera connection kit. The problem with this is that you can only run the L-8 on batteries as the USB is being issued to feed the audio mix to the iphone. Do you know of any power bank that will power the L-8 AND allow pass-through of the USB data to the iphone simultaneously? Hope this makes sense. Thanks again and let us know if you have any more ninja tips! ^^
heya! thanks. I just downloaded the Dolby On app - overall it seems pretty cool, although I don't like the fact that I can't adjust the settings as much as I would like to. It's a great tool though and will be a definite upgrade on audio for a lot of videos i'm sure! In answer to your question - YES - we found a split usb cable for exactly this. Not sure the exact product link, but this was the forum that I started with that got it sussed for another guy/gal that asked. superuser.com/questions/649803/is-there-a-usb-wire-that-splits-into-two-a-plugs-for-separating-data-and-power Let me know how you go!
@@davidshanhun Thanks so much David!
Any thoughts on using this to mic up a drum kit and run to a DAW (Reaper in my case)? Great job on the review by the way!
This or the L-12 should work well for doing that. Would just depend how many mic inputs you are after (depending on how you are mic'ing your kit). This wouldn't be ideal for live drum mic'ing with no compression or main/graphic EQ option (would still work but not ideal for live), but for home and recording into a DAW where you'll EQ and edit afterwards you'll be sweet!
why not. 6 inputs, more than enough. L12 has better preamps.
Do you know what other mixer with this specs and price point?
There isn't anything I've found at the same price point. More expensive then yes there are a few options.
Best review out. Have you tried a jack to headphone jack yet?
technically trs to trs should work - the monitor mixes are stereo, and work fine with headphones which are a trs jack you're plugging in. ...actually testing now haha! YES - sent a trs (both ends) cable from the monitor mix into my headphone amp and stereo signal received just fine. 👌
Which one would you recommend and it's better than the other, behringer flow 8 vs zoom livetrak L-8
like most things - they're usually not better or worse - they're designed with different features and goals in mind. Work out what it is that is most important to you from the features offered and you'll know which to go for!
I just want to ask if this is easy to travel with if you're doing commute with your other stuff such as guitar, fx and L8, would it be easy to put in your backpack?
yep it's a great size for that.