I guess I could get similar benefit by running a Rube Goldberg contraption of the Zoom R24 and L12 in parallel, after a splitter, but if I really needed to do that, I’d probably just get one of the 32bfp recorders instead. 
Just give it a few days to consider, i think you are close to getting the difference. It’s real.
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Thank you! That’s the part I was missing. I knew that, too…
Still, since it’s using either/or and not both at the same time, idk about calling it that. Technically, I guess they can. I wasn’t planning to try to stop them, either way. But idk…
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You’re right, I’ve already figured out why it doesn’t have to use both at the same time, as PofM explained.
If F2 was stereo, I would buy one in an instant.
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It is probably a mistake to think about this as a conventional digital audio recorder. It should probably be thought of as a unique instrument in its own right that gives unprecedented access to total dynamic range back at the studio.
Some examples:
An obvious use case for this thing is walking tours. Think about the change in dynamic range as you get off a plane at JFK, take the various trains to Manhattan, walk around, duck into a bar, etc.
Capturing the full dynamic range of a small sailboat might be possible with this thing. Consider:
- 1.5 tons of mass, hanging off a 25’ long fiberglass drumhead that interfaces with the water
- ~32’ and 10’ tubular aluminum resonators with interior stochastic clappers
- Three different lengths of stainless steel wire, each at a different tension, paired port and starboard
- 1 cyl ultra efficient gas engine
When everything is set properly and wind, wave and boat are all perfectly aligned for the desired course, things tend to get calm and quiet. I could see playing a small wind-powered boat like an instrument to create the sort of ambient soundscapes we have been making with synths.
Sailing is fairly niche these days, at least in the US, but I’ve got to imagine there are plenty of other interesting areas to apply a device like this.
Measuring the noise floor. You think that’s quiet? Record ambient sound or whatever signal and then examine what the noise floor you can’t hear sounds like. I do not recommend complaining to Samson customer service if you can’t hear the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation though.
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Another angle to think of this from, imagine putting a compressor in front of your integer based digital recorder. The compressor would allow you to record a greater dynamic range.
One problem with the compressor and there are many is that softer noises end up sounding almost as loud as louder noises. You flatten the dynamics.
You can picture it as if an FPR allows the device
to remember how much the audio was compressed and decompresses it on output. ( That isn’t what is happening, but you can imagine something similar being done and to a greater extent. ) And it doesn’t have the same problems involved with compressing an audio signal.
Great post obscurerobot !
Which reminds me of something else the Sound Devices FPR can hear that we can’t – ultrasonics.
I posted about that over here:
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Well, that’s nothing special to FPR devices. You just need a high enough sample rate to capture it (192kHz to capture up to 96kHz signals).
/nitpicking-off
Absolument !
it describes the input as stereo on the product page… the lavalier it comes with is mono, but maybe it can record stereo if you were using LOMs or something?
I had a similar though, but deeper in the product page it seems to confirm mono only:
The F2 Field Recorder gives you the option to choose the recording format that works best for your projects. Choose from 44.1 kHz/32-bit float or 48 kHz/32-bit float mono WAV files.
If you still feel that way Zoom has a two input version coming – the F3.
I posted about that here :
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Late to the party here, but I’m looking at this hardware for a specific application. I’m wondering if Zoom’s proprietary software is necessary to take advantage of this float point feature? I run Linux exclusively and they don’t seem to offer an application for my OS. I often edit in Audacity in Linux -I know! But it meets my needs most of the time. Hoping someone might be able to give me quick answer on this issue. Thanks!
Hello, I am using the 2-input version (F3). It creates a regular WAV file on its SD card, which I can transfer without any pb to my PC. I do not know about Linux - in Windows, the F3 in file transfer mode appears as an external drive.
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I know that the latest firmware for the Zoom F6 supposedly allows you to use it as a 32-bit float audio interface for recording within a DAW. I don’t know if F2 has the same capability.
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Reading your question again it sounds as if you’re wondering if you need specific software to read or edit 32-bit float files, is that right? If so then no you should be able to use mostly any up to date DAW or audio editor, a quick google suggests that Audacity should be able to use them also. Once loaded onto a track you simply adjust the gain as needed.
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Thanks much for the quick reply! Appreciate the insights from folks using the recorder.
One more question! Can you plug in headphones and monitor the signal the while recording? I’d imagine so, but I’d like to confirm. Thanks again!!
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Yes.
Yes, both headphone and line out are available on the F3 to monitor the signal while recording.