Zoom SSH-6 Microphone Stereo mid-side for Zoom H5/H6

I bought this on the strength of YouTube reviews that included sound quality comparisons with the cheaper SGH-6, and other Zoom mic capsules for the H5, and some stand-alone shotgun mics.I confess I'm not a particular fan of the "capsule mic" concept for a shotgun mic, because it limits its usefulness to the Zoom recorder(s) only. Nevertheless, this mic adds a very handy directional option to the Zoom as a self-contained unit. Zoom make an extension cable, to take the capsules off the body of the recorder, if needed, but (a) it costs basically the same again as this microphone and (b) the mic level control is still on the mic itself. If you want a shotgun, or even a mid/side shotgun, to use on the end of a cable, you're probably better off spending £200 on a mic and basically nothing on the cable, rather than well over £100 each for capsule mic and capsule extension cable.The mic comes with a little slip bag that is very temporary-seeming, packaging really. It could use a hard case of some sort to carry it around. The included furry windshield is a nice addition - vital for outdoor use - and seems to work fine. It is retained with elastic hooks over the capsule release buttons, and it leaves the capsule level control knob fully accessible.Like other H5 capsules, the capsule body appears to be made from a powder coated cast alloy, which has a bit of weight to it and a very sold feel. The mic barrel may be polycarbonate with a metallic paint finish, or it may be alloy - it's really hard to tell, and I don't want to take a blade to it just to find out. All the slots are backed with a fine mesh, concealing the mic capsules within. I have a feeling that these are not where you might think they might be, but I've found no tear-downs online, and, again, don't want to dismantle mine.Like other Zoom mic capsules, handling noise is an issue - the mechanical isolation is basically nonexistant, even worse than with the XY capsule and that's bad enough. You *will* need a 1/4" fitting shockmount for the recorder for any kind of moving handheld use and probably also for use on a stand, especially on wooden floors, tables, etc. You could improvise with soft foam pads under the feet of a small tripod, say.A few reviewers elsewhere have complained about "very high" self-noise and I think they probably either received defective units, or misunderstood the "raw" recording mode. Mine is noisier than a £4k professional shotgun mic, but it's not what you'd call noisy against the other Zoom capsules. It has noticeably higher gain than the XY capsule, though, especially with the side mic(s) cranked right up (i.e. "raw" mode) which some might mistake for a fundamentally higher noise level. You can reduce the "side" level in "raw" recordings by extracting the component parts using Zoom's downloadable utilities and re-mixing. Or you can reduce it while recording by using the rocker on the side of the Zoom. It pays to read the instructions! The "raw" mode and post-processing is obviously most flexible but likely doesn't give what you want straight out of the recorder.The in-device mid/side balance options are accessible with the H5 and H6, but not with all of the F- series field recorders, though Zoom did say that they might add it as a feature on the F1 etc, if there was enough demand. (No biggie if not, the post-processing option is still available). If you have a really old H5, you'll need to upgrade to v2.x firmware to use this mic as intended.As far as the most important aspect is concerned - the sound - this mic capsule seems like really good value. I think you'd have to spend somewhat more to come close, quality-wise, with a traditional separate shotgun mic plus (say) some small diaphragm condensers for side/stereo ambient. I haven't compared it directly with a low-end Sennheiser shotgun, say, but it sounds pretty good to me. The tradeoff is being limited to using it on a Zoom, and it's probably a bit more delicate than a traditional alloy-bodied shotgun mic.Keep an eye on the price, I paid a hundred and twenty - at time of writing this is basically the same price as a certain well-known German purveyor of all things audio, but some UK suppliers are asking 20+% more. I'm not saying it's not worth that (especially if there's some delivery time advantage and you're in a spot) but be mindful of the going rate... at which this represents (like the Zoom H5 itself) a bit of a bargain, I think.Final conclusion: If you have a Zoom H5, and you plan to use it for field recording involving a shotgun mic, just buy one of these.

I bought this for the zoom h5. I am impressed by the build quality and the audio it can produce. This is an ideal piece of equipment for the videographer who wants to record separate sound as a back up to the camera or have better audio than most internal camera mics.The nice thing about this shotgun mic is the ability to record side sound. Using this control will allow a bit of noise from the surroundings while recording. This will make listening more pleasurable as you will not have only the narrators voice but could have some pleasant sounds such has birds chirping etc. if the surrounding noise is traffic and not pleasant just use the mic as a pure 100 percent shot gun mic.

For years now I have been taking videos with a Gopro but the Audio has never matched up to the quality of the picture. After trying many alternatives I decided to invest in a Zoom F1 recorder and a couple of their Mic Capsules which are interchangeable on the F1. Now I am able to get some quality audio to sync with the video footage from the Gopro. These zoom products are well made and very easy to use. Highly recommend.

I love this mic. I watched a lot of YouTube sound tests before purchasing and I preferred the sound to the standard zoom shotgun.I bought it for my Zoom H5, for improving the audio for live events in a theatre setting.It has a much richer sound than the XY capsule that comes as standard, and a higher sensitivity, so I can use a lower gain.I love the ease of control and versatility of the left and right mics, it does make it a two in one stereo shotgun.

The stereo shotgun is an excellent piece of kit and fits my requirements perfectly. Being able to adjust the stereo width allows me to have just the right amount of stereo background width and level whilst focusing on the subject - bird song.

Beautifully engineered module that performs well, providing clear, directional pickup. I've not yet made use of the encoded side sound, but this does not appear to compromise the unidirectional input.

Potentially this microphone is a very useful addition to the standard H6 package, allowing successful isolation of a point source subject (like a singing bird at the top of a tree or someone delivering a speech in a crowd), enhanced by a controllable amount of stereo ambience, if required.The included fluffy windshield is somewhat less effective against wind blasting than suggested in marketing spiel, so a custom made windsock may do the job a lot better. Also, as with other Zoom interchangeable microphone capsules in the same series, adjusting input levels whilst making a recording is almost guaranteed to transmit intrusive handling noises to the end product.In its original state, if used only indoors or in calm conditions outdoors, and so long as you don’t need to ride recording levels, this is a super piece of equipment, but if you’re a bit more adventurous in your recording habits you could end up frustrated with it. As an all-weather, all-subject outdoor recordist, I stand to be frustrated on occasions, but in the right circumstances the SSH-6 does deliver very nice audio quality.

My zoom SSH-6 just arrived last week and I have already used it for audio recording and the sound is great. Its lightweight also, so my DSLR can easily carry my zoom H5 and this microphone, without feeling too heavy. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a microphone to invest in.

Das Zoom Shotgun Mic ist eines meiner liebsten Mikrofone. Ich kaufte es ursprünglich, um Audio für Produktvideos aufzunehmen. Der Stereosound ist aber so gut, dass ich das Mikrofon inzwischen sogar für Voice-Over Aufnahmen benutze.Die Bedienung ist sehr einfach. Die Lautstärke lässt sich mit dem Drehrad an der Oberseite regulieren. Die Aufnahme erfolgt dann in Stereo. Das Mikrofon ist sehr sensibel, weshalb ein wenig Abstand oder ein Popschutz sehr wertvoll ist.Der einzige Nachteil ist, dass das Mikrofon exklusiv am Zoom Rekorder benutzt werden kann, aber dafür ziehe ich keinen Stern ab, da das Mikrofon einfach perfekt auf das Gerät abgestimmt ist.

Con il primo ordine mi è arrivato un prodotto già aperto, senza il cartone di protezione, senza manuale e senza il windshield. Amazon mi ha proposto uno sconto del 10% per non fare il reso, ma ho testato il microfono e nella registrazione c'era un rumore strano, come di scarica elettrica e le alte frequenze erano saturate. In più non sembrava ben costruito, come se il metallo esterno avesse un difetto di fabbrica, cioè le fessure della sezione superiore con quelle della sezione inferiore non erano perfettamente allineate.Cosìcchè ho chiesto il reso.Mi è arrivato quindi un prodotto ben confezionato e perfettamente costruito.Ho fatto una registrazione e l'audio era perfetto.Quindi, a parte il primo disagio avuto, il microfono è ottimo, soprattutto per la capacità di gestione del suono identica al MidSide.Ne sono soddisfatto e lo consiglio.

Tres bon micro canon original, s'adapte parfaitement sur mon zoom'h5,Avec le par-ventRien a redire

Super

Probado en un teatro al final de la platea, y me ha grabado el sonido directo omitiendo bastante el sonido no deseado.