Zoom H6 Handy Recorder introduced in video

Even in these days of sophisticated smartphone recording apps and accessories, dedicated handheld recording hardware continues to evolve. Zoom's H6 promises to be the first such device to offer an interchangeable mic system, sporting an XY stereo pair and mid-side option.

There are four XLR/TRS inputs, too, while you can also add a shotgun mic and more XLR/TRS inputs via add-on hardware. Recording quality is up to 24-bit/96kHz and the H6 can also function as a 6-in/2-out USB audio interface.

The H6 was announced at Musikmesse 2013, but Zoom has just released an introductory video that you can watch above. A further selection of features is covered in a second video that we've embedded below.

We still don't know how much the H6 will cost but it's apparently being released in July. Check out the Zoom website for more.

Zoom H6 Handy Recorder

• The world's first handy recorder with interchangeable mic system
• XY mics capture remarkable stereo depth and clarity
• Mid-side mics provide continuously variable stereo width
• Four XLR/TRS inputs for external mic/line connections
• Up to six channels of simultaneous recording
• High-definition audio of up to 24-bit/96kHz
• 6-in/2-out USB audio interface
• Over 20 hours of operation with 4 AA batteries
• Supports SDXC memory cards up to 128GB
• Optional Shotgun mic and external XLR/TRS inputs available