Zoom SSH-6

I'm a photographer and occasional radio documentary dabbler. I bought this to complement the SGH-6 mic for the same zoom recorder system.

Generally well made. As with the SGH-6 it doesn't isolate the main source from background as much as I would like, I own an audio technica short shotgun mic too, and that one seems more focussed.

Also, using with the Zoom F1 mini recorder, even using the supplied shockmount which came with the F1, this thing is very susceptible to handling. I have to use the shockmount with an additional handle attached and even then it is very prone to handling. I haven't used it with a camera as I have other options for that. My main use is field interviews, it is very good for that, with careful use. The stereo ambience captured from the side mics can be adjusted pre and in post recording.

Overall, for the price it fills a very useful niche in my recording kit. Recommended.

The Zoom SSH-6's big selling point is it's dual functionality.

The combination of shotgun mic and stereo "field" style mic is very handy, but it is difficult to maintain a good mix between the two input sources eh. The option to record in "MS Raw" mode is a life saver for this - it is possible to mix the amount of stereo mic compared to shotgun later in post production. The VST plugin to enable this function is downloadable from the Zoom website - perhaps this could be clearer.

I had to update the 1.1 firmware on my Zoom H6 to current version 2.0 to use this microphone.

The shotgun mic pickup pattern is perhaps a little wide compared to other popular shotgun mics, but for me its practicality vastly outweighs this. It's a great multi purpose mic with an excellent slimline design.