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

Product Information

Just press a button to play intros, outros, jingles, ads and sound effects. With 6 easily-assignable Sound Pads, the right sound is at your fingertips. First-Time Caller, Long-Time Listener It works as a class compliant audio interface (Maschine+ recognizes it) (if you are interested in this please read the terrible part!) Zoom’s new LiveTrak L-8 takes this same ‘go-anywhere’ ethos and applies it to the relatively terrestrial world of studio/podcast peripherals, and the results are liberating to say the least.

LIVETRAK L-8 - ZOOM LIVETRAK L-8 - ZOOM

So basically I’m using XLR-to-TRS audio cables from the Zoom L-20R main outs into the first two channels of another interface to do my routing. The solution that I’m sure most people go with and that I’m probably going to go with is not use the L-20R’s Audio Interface mode. Rather, use another audio interface in between the computer and the L-20R and just use the L-20R as a live mixer with XLR main outs:Despite this being a digital desk (meaning no physical routing limitations in between the converters) you can’t apply EQ to the effects return or master mix; I can’t say I missed that ability but some might. Naturally, you can’t apply reverb to the main mix, since there’s only one effects engine and its signal already flows to the mix bus.

LiveTrak L-8 - ZOOM LiveTrak L-8 - ZOOM

For a mixer that looks to be more geared towards the content creation crowd, the L-8 really has no business being as musical as it is. For the musically inclined, the L-8 has all the makings of an extremely portable and flexible recording set-up, with six hybrid line/XLR inputs (each with 48v phantom power), an intuitive layout and a selectable three-band EQ; more than enough to get things down with a minimal amount of fuss. I would of loved to have seen a simple compressor/limiter included on the unit, but in terms of standard DAW workflow, this is something that can easily be amended in the box. You can use the unit as a class compliant audio interface ONLY IF you power the unit with batteries!!! Alkaline surely lasts longer but who doesn't get bad conscience replacing alkaline batteries every 2 hours? I bought this to record a wide variety of voiceovers and musical instruments on battery power, but it has become my main audio interface for my Linux computer. It does everything that is advertised very well. I can record high-quality voice-overs on battery in a portable vocal booth. I can take it with me to record several instruments or mics out of a studio environment.I think it really has no cons, with the slight exception of having only one USB port for both data and power, which I had to work around to use as my interface for Linux. Overall handling of the device feels retro (but in a bad way). Some of the options like putting the unit into audio interface mode are not saved, so you have to put the unit into that mode every time you power it up.