Zoom F6 32-bit Floating Point Recording: Modes, Input Limits, and Dual Recording Post-Processing
Explain the Zoom F6's Float (32-bit) and Dual recording modes, input level prerequisites, and post-processing boundaries of dual recording files; remove general statements without sources such as IEEE dynamic range, dual ADC across devices, never clipping, and recoverable signals beyond maximum input.
First, select the F6 recording mode according to the workflow
The F6 manual lists Linear 16/24-bit, Float 32-bit, Dual (16+32-bit), Dual (24+32-bit), and MP3. If you need to keep both linear and float files simultaneously, you can use the corresponding Dual mode; these mode names and behaviors are exclusive to the F6 model. [G-F6-01]
Float 32-bit does not require adjusting the input level, but it is not without input limits
The F6 manual states that Float (32-bit) mode does not require adjusting the input level; the same section clearly specifies that the input signal must not exceed the maximum level of that input source. The manual gives the F6 limits as Mic +4 dBu and Line +24 dBu. If an input overload warning appears, lower the output level of the connected device according to the manual. Do not interpret "float files allow later level adjustment" as meaning that analog input overload can also be recovered. [G-F6-02, G-F6-04]
Use Dual mode when a linear-compatible copy is needed
The F6 Dual (16/24+32-bit) mode writes a linear WAV and a 32-bit float WAV simultaneously. The manual explains: if digital clipping occurs in the linear file during recording, appropriate unclipped levels can be obtained later from the 32-bit float file. This conclusion applies to F6 dual-record files and does not cover analog distortion caused by exceeding the maximum input level. [G-F6-03]
Dual ADC is implementation information for the F6, not a universal law
Zoom's F6 product materials describe dual A/D converters and 32-bit float recording as features of this model. This text only uses it to introduce the F6 and does not infer that other portable recorders, wireless microphones, or cameras use the same circuitry. [G-F6-05]
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