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

Powerful, versatile and battery power
My first criteria was portability and battery power. For my purposes, the L-8 is like a field recorder on steroids. Very versatile. And of the negative reviews I’ve seen two things seemed be an issue for some users:Some called them cheesy and cheaply made – I don’t see it – I have two of these things and they are pretty solid. The other is that the Rode unit is better for Podcasting – maybe true, but this one doubles way better for small PA work.

Good for standalone, not the best for Computer interface
I bought this because I have experience using sound boards and was hoping to cut out some post production on my podcast sine I could adjust it before recording during sound test. For that it is a solid little board, great combination for running a podcast. If you are not used to sound boards it could be a little daunting and you would have to think hard between this and the Rodecaster Pro.Pro’s:Portable, battery capable.6 Dedicated Microphones2 Flexible channels for sound pads, phone inputs and suchMore control over recording set up because you can adjust individual channelsOn Board Recording via SD CardCon’s:Not the easiest to incorporate as a Interface for the computer.Micro USB instead of USB -CI am pretty much satisficed with this board, however they could use with 1 or 2 small upgrades.I have a Zoom Podtrak P4 that I bought before this. Great little device. It’s big brother could use the USB-C upgrade that it has. Micro USB is outdated. You also have to go to ZOOM’s website and down load drivers to use it with your computer (Which I did not find in the instructions, had to go to YouTube to find that out). I didn’t have to with the Podtrak 4, just a USB-C connection and I was in business.Upgrade the micro USB to USB-C so the computer can talk at a higher quality and send better sound back and I would upgrade this to a 5 Start review.Overall it is a good little board with a couple small imperfections. When I am doing in person interviews or a stand alone show I love it, just wish it interfaced with my computer a little more like it’s baby brother.

Another 5 star product from Zoom
Another 5 star product from Zoom. Very flexible, simple to use. Preamps offer plenty of gain, headphone outputs are loud. Works well as an audio interface. Connect this to a USB power bank and get high quality recordings anywhere. This is my first digital mixer, I’ve always used audio interfaces. This can do so much more than a typical usb audio interface for the same price and quality.

Buyers Remorse – Livetrak L-8
Its a brilliant little machine with so many pointless flaws that Zoom could easily change. I bought it, I liked it; then I saw a comparison video on youtube. You don’t even realize the many issues with this L-8 until you see what the other mixers offer in this category. In all honesty this unit has some great features but if you are going to drop hundreds of dollars check out what other mixers have (by comparison). There is a Pyle unit that has almost everything the L-8 has and its $250 less. Yes, I know, “but its Pyle”. I didn’t go with that brand, I’m just sharing others I found. I went with the Rodecaster Pro. Its a couple hundred more but watch a comparison on youtube between the Rodecaster and the L-8. The cord management (plugging in the back vs the top) is worth choosing another option (for this reason alone). The best reason to go with the Rode is all the digital processing that comes along with the Rode (limiter, compressor, etc…) The best thing about the L-8 is the EQ that is customizable on every channel. -There is no EQ on the Rode. If you are using different mics (shotgun along with a dynamic mic or ribbon) you can add bass to your shotgun or turn up the highs on a ribbon mic (on L-8). The final straw for me was that on the L-8 you can only turn phantom power on (for all channels) or off (on all channels). The Rode has phantom power PER CHANNEL. Also, the L-8 LED screen is overly complicated.You can’t have it all. There are pro’s and con’s with everything but take the time to watch some videos on both options. The EQ is the best feature on the L-8 but unless you watch some videos on other mixers you won’t actually know all that you are missing.

This is a dream device for podcasters and small bands. This is a mixer and recorder rolled into one portable device that runs on batteries or even power banks. All that backed by Zoom quality. Record/live stream/mix and find out more possibilities on the road.

I needed a small mixer for my solo act. One priority was that the effects are actually usable. I have 8 other mixers kicking around from over the years and only my Yamaha01V has effects I can use. But it’s way overkill for a solo act. I watched a YouTube and the reviewer demonstrated the effects and so based on that I ordered it. This is similar to the 01v in many ways but alas no motorized faders. That is the one con for me as it is a pain to have to reset the faders all the time. Even if you just shut it off and turn it back on. But for the price point it is totally forgiven. As a live mixer it is about the smallest footprint you will find that has 8 channels. Yes, it is actually a 8 channel mixer, Audio interface and recorder. The 12 is only because 7 and 8 are stereo and they count the master as another stereo pair. This is common practice. After all they call it the L8 so they are not really misleading you.Getting used to it at home I kept finding more things I liked about it and soon figured out all the many settings and functions. I had a gig that weekend so I set everything up and then saved that as a scene. It worked.I also found the effects were excellent for what I needed. And you can edit them, something very few mixers allow. It’s because its a digital mixer that you get these cool options.There’s 3 Monitor mixes which is also 2 more than normal in this size a mixer. Be warned that these are actually headphone jacks they are not Balanced outputs. To connect to powered PA speakers only insert the TS 1/4″ patch cable to the first stop.The big bonus is this is a very good audio interface as well. I can record at 48/32. Most interfaces only offer a fixed 24 bit. The L8 lets you choose. It is so cool to have all those inputs as well as you can have 4 custom headphone cue mixes with effects. You can also print the built in effects to your DAW as you record using the Master as the track source.Then the built in digital recorder is dead simple to use. I recorded my gig in multitrack. Pop the SD card in your computer and drag and drop the audio files into your DAW.I would have gladly paid the price just to get the mixer. I wasn’t planning on using the other 2 features but this is a huge plus for the money. I put my Moto M4 on the shelf and I can leave my Tascam DR 40 at home now too.