Zoom PodTrak P8

How does the PodTrak P8 differ from the smaller PodTrak P4? The P8 is made to handle even more complex podcasts with even more people. The P8 packs in more mic preamps, more headphone outputs (plus speaker outputs), more sound pads, more ways to sweeten your signal, a set of fluid editing functions, and a large 4.3″ full-color touchscreen for intuitive access to all tweakable settings. Plus, with the P8, you can edit and export full podcasts without ever touching a computer.

Whether you rely on announcer-style dynamic microphones such as the Zoom ZDM-1 (available separately) or prefer the sheen of crisp condenser mics, the PodTrak P8’s six mic preamps are up to the task. Each features a balanced XLR input jack, selectable +48V phantom power, and up to 70 dB of gain, plenty of boost to ensure optimal recording levels with all kinds of mics, such as the venerable Shure SM7B.

Outfitted with six 3.5mm stereo headphone outputs, the PodTrak P8 can provide you and your guests with independent headphone mixes, each with its own color-coded level control below the color-matched headphone jack. No matter the scenario—an exclusive interview or a raucous panel podcast, everyone will be able to clearly hear what’s going on.

For optimal configuration in your home studio, the PodTrak P8 also has two balanced 1/4″ speaker outputs with a dedicated volume control; just plug them into a pair of active monitors, turn up the volume, and listen away.

Knowing how frequently podcasters collaborate with remote guests, Zoom integrated two ways to accommodate call-ins through physical connections—plug your smartphone directly into the 3.5mm TRRS phone port (on channel 7), connect a computer via USB to bring in the audio from your conferencing software of choice to channel 6, or do both at the same time to feature two remote guests.

Whether you use TRRS, USB, or both, the PodTrak P8 automatically prevents echo and feedback with its built-in mix-minus feature; your remote guests will never be distracted by hearing their own voice echo back to them.

If you prefer to go wire-free for call-ins, connect the Zoom BTA-2 Bluetooth receiver (available separately) to the PodTrak P8 and use your smartphone to wirelessly pipe in your call audio via Bluetooth.

The PodTrack P8 is equipped with nine sound pads next to the LCD touchscreen, perfect for elevating your podcast production quality with music, jingles, ads, sound effects, or pre-recorded interviews triggered at the push of a button. Use the 13 preset sounds or load up to 36 of your own samples (organized in four banks) for even more versatility. Plus, a dedicated fader allows easy adjustment of the sound pad output volume.

Each channel on the PodTrak P8 has its own volume slider, mute, and on-air button. So not only can you quickly adjust volume and mute/unmute guests without having to navigate through menus, but a simple deselection of a channel’s on-air button routes it only to the headphones, but not to the speakers, USB output, or recording—an ideal setup for conversing on the side or prepping your guests before the next segment.

With the PodTrak P8, you can simultaneously record up to 13 tracks to an SD card—six or seven tracks from the mic input channels (channel 6 can record stereo in USB mode), two tracks from the smartphone input, two tracks from the sound pads, and two tracks from the overall stereo mix.

Built-in edit functions let you trim, split, combine, and fade audio clips to produce a finished episode without ever leaving the P8, meaning you can edit and export full podcasts without ever touching a computer. All this is done intuitively through the P8’s color touchscreen.

Designed for truly convenient portability, the PodTrack P8 can record directly to an SDHC card (up to 32GB capacity) or an SDXC card (up to 512GB capacity). A 4GB card will yield over three hours of 16-bit / 44.1 kHz 4-channel recording time using the BWF-compliant WAV format for uncompressed audio quality and industry-standard file compatibility. Note that media cards are available separately, and larger capacity cards may increase startup times.

Alternatively, use the PodTrak P8 as a 2-in/2-out USB 2.0 audio interface (at 16-bit / 44.1 kHz) with your Mac/Windows computer or iOS/Android mobile device (separately available Apple Camera Connection Kit is required for use with iOS devices).

Power the PodTrak P8 via four AA batteries (available separately), plug it into a wall outlet with the included AD-14 AC adapter, or use an external USB battery. Alkaline batteries can keep the P8 running for up to two hours of continuous recording. When using the P8 in the stereo USB audio interface mode, USB bus powering is also possible.

The PodTrak P8’s onboard effects allow you to add professional polish to your recordings without resorting to postproduction processing on a computer. Via the touchscreen, you can access each channel’s easy-to-use settings.

• Mic Preamp Gain: A simple slider adjusts the mic preamp gain while the meter is divided into Low, Good, and Over sections to help you set the level properly
• Limiter: Prevents distortion from sudden spikes in level
• Low-Cut Filter: Reduces wind noise, blowing, and other kinds of low-frequency rumble
• Tone: Drag the slider to make the sound brighter or warmer
• Compresser/DeEsser: Provides more presence and impact

Plus, a selectable Noise Reduction setting automatically lowers the volume of silent mic tracks to reduce overall background noise.

• Ideal for international use, the PodTrak P8’s touchscreen can be set to one of six languages—English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, or Japanese
• Color-coded inputs, outputs, and controls make on-the-fly adjustments a breeze and keep you focused on the discussion