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The main headphone output is sourced from the master output while the three other headphone outs can be assigned to the master mix or an independent cue mix. Each of the eight input channels has its own fader, mute (but not solo) and Select buttons, and when a channel is selected you can tweak further parameters in the Channel Strip section. This has five continuous rotary encoders and a (12dB/octave 75Hz) high‑pass filter button. Each encoder is circled by 13 LEDs, but as each LED has five levels of brightness and they light in combinations you’re treated to a finer level of indication than first sight suggests. A very minor gripe is that the height of the knobs means they obscure some LEDs’ default positions (eg. centre pan) when you’re seated, with the L‑8 on your desktop. The encoders control panning, the effects send level and a three‑band EQ, comprising high (10kHz) and low (100Hz) shelves and a peaking mid band (2.5kHz). Each band can boost up to ±15dB, again in fine enough steps that you have plenty of control. A USB cable and the Zoom AD-17 USB-to-AC adapter are included for powering the L-8 from an AC outlet. As a digital mixer, the LiveTrak L‑8 is fairly simple, in that all the input channels are permanently routed to the master stereo bus. There are no subgroup buses or, other than one that goes directly to the internal effects engine, aux sends. That effects send is available to all channels except, obviously, the effects’ stereo return channel and the stereo master mix channel. However, some behind‑the‑scenes digital sophistication means that it is still perfectly possible to create and distribute different cue mixes, or send signals to external processors/effects. It’s important to understand that the Mixes store only the fader settings: the Gain, Pad/Hi‑Z, Select, Channel Strip and Mute status aren’t recalled. But more settings can be stored in what Zoom call Scenes. Several settings are stored in each Scene: the fader positions (for every channel, including EFX RTN and Master); Mute status; all Channel Strip settings; the selected effect patch and parameters; and the input source selection for channels 7+8.
I've bought this mixer to route my external synths into the Maschine+ which is running in standalone mode. Here comes the most annoying thing about this mixer (if you want to use it as a class compliant audio interface). Only USB host controllers with Intel Chipsets are supported. Operation is not guaranteed when used with USB hubs or expansion cards.All rest of the functionality like ABC Mixes, effects and Audio Interface mode only work in 41kHz mode. The L-8’s USB connection is designed to eliminate accidental interruptions, giving you power on which you can rely. Input channels 7 and 8 are shared with output 1/2 and 3/4 correspondingly, when used in audio interface mode. So you can not hear the output from the host, when you are recording from those channels.
Conveniently run the L-8 in remote locations via four AA batteries—up to 2 hours via alkaline batteries, up to 3.5 hours via 1900 mAh NiMH batteries, or up to 6.5 hours via lithium batteries (batteries available separately). Connect the balanced XLR stereo master outputs to a pair of active speakers for convenient monitoring. Continuous battery operation times were determined using in-house testing methods. They will vary greatly according to use conditions. The main stereo mix comes out on two balanced XLRs, and that signal is duplicated on the first headphone output. It’s also available on three more headphone outputs, each of which, like the first, has a dedicated level control. These three can be switched to monitor one of three secondary mixes, Mix A, Mix B and Mix C, of which more below. The headphone amps sound clean and clear and do the job well for most headphones, though with high‑impedance models I found there wasn’t lots of gain in reserve — occasionally frustrating when I was miking quiet sources, but it won’t be an issue for most users.As I hinted at the outset, I love the Zoom LiveTrak L‑8. It offers so much convenience and versatility for so little money, and it sounds decent too. The mic preamps, which have a gain range of +10 to +54 dB, are never going to be world‑beaters on this sort of device, but they are competent: clean and quiet and as good as any in their class. I was happy using them for exposed sources like spoken word (eg. podcasting) and when applying plenty of gain for dynamic mics (a Shure SM57 and Heil Sound PR40) there was pleasingly little hiss. The neutral‑sounding broad‑brush EQ is exactly what’s required here, and I found a handful of the effects (mainly the reverbs) very usable, even if I always wanted to tweak the default settings to something that sounded less obvious.
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