ZOOM has announced the F3 professional field recorder. It is equipped with two XLR balanced inputs and it can record 32-bit float in the WAV format.
The F3 is equipped with two AD converters (dual AD converters) for low gain and high gain, and it is claimed to achieve a high S/N ratio when capturing sound in both quiet and loud environments. The input signal can be recorded in a 32-bit float WAV format. 32-bit float is handy in certain situations where the sound levels can suddenly increase without warning or when you need to set and forget your recorder and have no way of monitoring or adjusting the levels.
The ZOOM F3 has been designed to be palm-sized and compact. It features a robust housing and it can be attached to a boom pole with Velcro.
The F3 weighs in at 242g / 8.53oz and it has physical dimensions of 75mm (W) a 77.3mm (D) x 47.8mm (H).
The pocket-sized recorder has a headphone out and a line out and it can be powered by two AA batteries, an optional AC adapter, or a USB powerbank. ZOOM claims that the battery life when using AA batteries is up to 8 hours.
It records to microSDHC / microSDXC cards with a capacity of up to 1TB.
You can remote control the F3 by using an Android / iOS app and Bluetooth.
There is timecode, however, it is only compatible with Timecode Systems UltraSync Blue and the optional BTA-1 Bluetooth adapter.
Key features
- 32-bit float recording 2-input / 2-track field recorder
- No gain adjustment required
- Two independent XLR balanced inputs (with locking mechanism)
- Up to 192kHz sampling / 32-bit fixed float, recorded in monaural or stereo WAV format
- High-quality mic preamplifier that achieves an ultra-low noise floor of EIN -127dBu or less
- REC hold function to prevent erroneous operation during recording
- Monitor input signal with real-time waveform display
- Compact and robust housing that can be attached to the boom microphone with Velcro
- Headphone output and LINE output terminal with dedicated volume control for 3.5mm plug
- Direct recording to microSDHC / microSDXC (supports up to 1TB)
- High-precision time code that realizes accurate synchronization with video *
- Remote control from the Android / iOS app “F3 Control” via Bluetooth connection **
- 2 in / 2 out, up to 96kHz / 32bit float compatible *** USB audio interface function
- Driven for 8 hours or more with 2 AA alkaline batteries
- Powered by 2 AA batteries, AC adapter (sold separately AD-17) or USB mobile battery
Bluetooth adapter “BTA-1” and Timecode Systems “UltraSync Blue” are required separately.
** Android / iOS application “F3 Control” will be released in March 2022. Bluetooth adapter “BTA-1” is required separately.
*** Supported by firmware update scheduled to be released in March 2022.
Price & Availability
There is currently no indication about pricing as this product has just been announced in Japan. It is scheduled to start shipping at the end of February.
