Zoom H6: Overdubbing

Hi everyone this is John from Zoom, and I'm here to show you how to overdub on the H6 Handy Recorder.

Overdubbing is the process of recording over existing recordings to layer new parts. Begin by powering on the H6. Create an audio file you wish to overdub with. Once finished, press stop. Go to menu then scroll down to project menu. Press the scroll button to select. Scroll down to overdub then select it. Now your H6 is in overdub mode.

Please note, you will need to change inputs to record your next track.

Your recorded tracks will playback when their light is green. They will record when lit red. Enable the tracks you would like to record by pressing the respective button until it turns red. Adjust the input level then press record. Press stop when finished.If you would like to re-record your part, you can repeat the process and a new file will be created on a new take. Press fast forward or rewind to scroll between different takes. Each take will retain its specific volume, pan and stereo link settings.

Once you have recorded your final tracks you can set the balance. Press menu. Select project menu, then select project mixer. Scroll to highlight and select different parameters, including volume, panning and pitch. And then adjust to your preference. You can press the record button to reference the playback, bypassing the project mixer.When you are finished with your adjustments you are ready to mixdown your project.

Mixdown will create a stereo mix file containing audio from all of your individual parts. Your level and panning adjustments will be recorded to this new file.

Go to menu, select project menu, select mixdown, then select execute. When finished, your final mixdown can be imported onto your computer for further editing or sharing.

For more information on the H6 please go to Zoom-NA.com.

[simonwilliams]

Had the H6 two days now and never thought overdubbing with the built in mics would be an issue as I assumed it did everything a H4 could do but apparently not...could be a dealbreaker. Somehow though I have managed to multitrack with the MSH mic AND the separate inputs but not sure how and struggle to reproduce this.

[WirebenderAudio]

I found this video pretty early in my struggle to use the H6 for field overdubbing. It doesn’t indicate that it is possible to arm more than one track at a time for overdubbing. However, I also found a website where someone described the “fact” that for some reason the H6 turns off phantom power when you select overdubbing and you have to manually turn phantom back on for each channel rather than “all” to overcome that fault. I have yet to try that experiment. If that’s true, a document that carefully outlines the process and necessary sequence would be helpful. It would be a "feature" high on my list to correct in a firmware revision, too.

What I’m trying to do is a pretty common procedure; even back in the reel-to-reel tape days. Copy a sync/scratch take to a track and take that session to a hall, church, or large room to record a chorus, drums, or percussion section to bring back and add to the mix in a DAW. I’ve been doing that with tape machines and DAWs for about 40 years and it was the main purpose for which I bought an H6.

[MattSyversonthePaperbackRocker]

This is the only bad thing about the Zoom H6. It is tedious to overdub. You have to also set up the compressors and phantom power every time you go into overdub mode. About 75% of the time I try to record an overdub with the lights red and green as they are supposed to be, the monitoring track doesn't play. I have yet to figure out what I'm doing different on the times it works. Other than this tedious issue, it's a fabulous recorder.

[michael]

it looks very cool is it professional how is the sound

[TravelinLite]

Is there a way to start an overdub take in the middle of a lengthy recording? For example, if I recorded a band playing a handful of songs in a single, 20+ minute "file" (i.e., recording started and ran continuously for 20+ minutes) and I would like to overdub a couple of minutes of a vocal track starting about 8 minutes into the full recording, can I start the overdub 8 minutes in or do I have to start the overdub at the beginning and wait 8 minutes for the vocalist to start singing the overdub take? Thank you!

[dimensionstomorrow]

Zoom can you add reverb and delay to the H6?

[CorbenEdward]

I really hope somebody homebrews up a firmware for this where overdubbing can also be done like it is on the H1n that I have. This is the reason I hardly use my H6. The xy mics are SOOO good and I would love to be able to overdub on this like I do with my H1n. Guitar jams in the park would sound way ZOOM get it together!

[stefanhamilton]

So can't I overdub or multi-track using the supplied XY or MS mics?

[HiwattW]

Just recently bought a Zoom H6- I like it very much. I can overdub just fine when using a condenser mic into one of 1-4 inputs. For those who don't know, when you use a condenser mic in recording an overdub, you need to use phantom power by sc- the manual does not explain that. Go to Project Menu, find Overdub and select it, THEN scroll until you find the Phantom Power selection for the desired track, and pick the desired voltage- generally +48V is what is used.

What I can't figure out how to do is punch in and out on an overdubbed track. Say you make a flub on a small part of a guitar solo, haven't figured out how to isolate that for a fix...anybody know how to do it? Thanks so much!

[zuselisu]

Can you please do a video about how to do overdubs with the Zoom H8?

[asmr]

Aside from overdubbing; itt can be use as a 4 mono channels mixer???? Can you record on channel 2 while hearing (playing back) at the same time what you recorded on channel 1????, for example.

[nstewart]

Can you also record vocals / guitar separately via the condenser mic rather than having to plug in an external mic? I have the Q8, so I have mics already but I just want a scratch pad for putting down acoustic guitar and vocals for song ideas. Thanks. Gotta love Zoom.:-)

[djJustJay]

Question: where can i find out how to export multi-tracks to the computer for mixing and mastering externally?Looking to have each channel in stems…..

[deniscassiere]

can I bounce the tracks onfe I used all 6 inputs?

[RobinJohnson]

HELP: I want to import a music backing track to lay vocals along side to be mixed later IN THE H6. There is not ONE video that explains how to do this that works. I tried even converting the backing track to the specs the H6 is recording at on my laptop on the SD as I saw in a video but when I go back to the H6 and put the SD back in the H6 I can't find the backing track to play I want to use to lay vocals. I'm not talking about overdubbing I just need the track to be able to be referenced while recording.

Can anyone help me or lead me to a very specific and good english video that shows how?

[stefanogortaldi]

no bounce function...it would be easy to use just the default set of mics and bounce L and R tracks onto 1/2 or 3/4....overdubbing isn't the same. Even the H4 has bounce but not the H6 why?

[sarahmeier]

Can you record tracks with an acoustic guitar or singing without a microfone aswell?

[TheNuncFluens]

So if you can only use each channel once, you can only record 5 takes?

[williamsesack]

Are you able to punch in and punch out like on the H4?

[nicksantangelo]

Overdub is grayed out when I select it.