How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want the deepest software toolkit for making music entirely inside a computer, choose Image Line FL Studio 20; if you need a battery-powered hardware mixer and recorder for capturing synths and mics on the go, choose Zoom LiveTrak L6. That's the real fork in the road here. One bundle is a digital audio workstation plus a pair of closed-back monitoring headphones and a USB hub. The other is a portable multitrack mixer/recorder that happens to ship with its own closed-back studio monitor headphones, an XLR cable and a four-pack of AA batteries. Both bundles include closed-back headphones, but they solve completely different problems.
• Image Line FL Studio 20 — biggest strength: A full production environment with over 80 included instrument and effect plugins, a two-channel USB audio input path, and the Piano Roll editor that the data sheet calls out as a sequencing and score-editing workhorse. Its biggest trade-off: it's a software-centric bundle, so it assumes you already own or are willing to use a laptop or desktop running Windows or macOS.
• Zoom LiveTrak L6 — biggest strength: Portable, battery-powered multitrack recording with up to 6 channels (10 inputs) at once, two XLR-1/4" mic/line inputs with +48V phantom power, microSD and USB recording, and four assignable sound pads. Its biggest trade-off: it's a hardware-first device, so serious editing and arrangement still happen later in a computer or DAW.
• Who Image Line FL Studio 20 is for: The producer who writes, arranges and mixes inside a DAW and wants a huge plugin collection plus a closed-back monitoring headphone pair in one box.
• Who Zoom LiveTrak L6 is for: The synth/keyboard player, live performer or field recordist who needs to capture multiple sources physically, on battery, without a computer.
• The closed-back thread: Both bundles ship closed-back headphones, which is the trait that ties them together for anyone tracking in a room where bleed matters.
FL Studio 20, in the Producer Edition boxed bundle here, is fundamentally a music production software package. The data sheet describes it as a toolset for multi-track audio recording, MIDI piano roll editing, and over 80 plugins covering automation, sample playback and manipulation, synthesis, compression, delay, equalization and filtering, flanging, phasing, chorus, reverb, distortion and bit-crushing. That's a broad palette — enough, in the manufacturer's framing, to build just about any style of track without buying more instruments first.
The bundle layers hardware on top of the software. You get a closed-back monitoring headphone and a 4-port USB 3.0 hub, and the audio input is USB with two channels. The hub matters more than it looks: a producer juggling a laptop, an audio interface and a controller will appreciate having spare USB 3.0 ports instead of daisy-chaining dongles. Compatibility is Windows and macOS, and the supported software is FL Studio itself.
Zoom LiveTrak L6: Who It's For
The Zoom LiveTrak L6 is the opposite philosophy: a small, portable, battery-powered digital mixer and recorder with tactile controls. The data sheet positions it for keyboard and synth rigs specifically, and the feature list backs that up — two combo XLR-1/4" mic/line inputs with +48V phantom power for condenser mics or DI'd sources, plus four stereo pairs of 1/4" line inputs. That adds up to 10 inputs feeding up to 6 channels of simultaneous multitrack recording.
Recording options are flexible. You can capture to a microSD card, stream over USB to a computer or an iOS mobile device, or do both at once. Each channel has its own strip: Level, Pan, Aux 1, Aux 2, and a 3-band EQ with adjustable mid. There are two aux sends and five internal send effects, plus four assignable sound pads that work as a sample player. Output is via TRS with a dedicated headphone/monitor output, and it's Eurorack compatible — a genuine plus if your setup is modular.
The bundle adds a Polsen HPC-A30 closed-back studio monitor headphone, an XLR-to-XLR cable, and a four-pack of Varta 1.5V AA alkaline batteries. Those batteries are the tell: this is a device meant to leave the desk. A limited one-year manufacturer warranty covers it. Buy it if you play live, jam with hardware synths, or need to record a band sketch without booting a computer. Skip it if your whole process is in-the-box editing and sound design — the L6 captures and shapes audio, but it doesn't replace a DAW for arrangement.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for in-the-box music production → Image Line FL Studio 20. Over 80 plugins and the Piano Roll editor cover composition, sound design and mixing in one environment.
• Best for mic and instrument inputs → Zoom LiveTrak L6. Two XLR-1/4" combo inputs with +48V, plus four stereo line pairs, totaling 10 inputs.
• Best for plugin count and virtual instruments → Image Line FL Studio 20. The plugin library is the headline feature of the software.
• Best for live performance and synth rigs → Zoom LiveTrak L6. Tactile channel strips, sound pads, aux sends and Eurorack compatibility fit hands-on setups.
• Best for Windows/macOS laptop producers → Image Line FL Studio 20. USB audio input and Windows/macOS support keep it tied to a computer.
• Best for track count at once → Zoom LiveTrak L6. Up to 6 channels (10 inputs) of simultaneous multitrack recording.
• Best for a simple starter hardware bundle → Image Line FL Studio 20. Software, closed-back headphones and a USB 3.0 hub in one box.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to where you make music. If your studio is a laptop and your craft is writing, arranging and mixing, I'd buy Image Line FL Studio 20 — the plugin depth and Piano Roll workflow do the heavy lifting, and the closed-back headphones and USB hub round out a sensible desktop setup. If you play hardware, record live, or want to capture synths and mics on battery without a computer, I'd buy Zoom LiveTrak L6. It's the one that actually leaves the desk. Neither is a downgrade — they're just built for two different rooms.
what are closed back studio headphones
Closed-back studio headphones have sealed earcups that block outside sound from getting in and keep your audio from leaking out. Both bundles here include a closed-back pair — useful for tracking, late-night mixing, and any situation where isolation matters.
what is open back studio headphones
Open-back studio headphones have vents or grilles in the earcups, so air and sound pass through both ways. That often gives a more spacious feel, but it also means more bleed and less isolation — the opposite trade-off from the closed-back headphones bundled with these two products.
what are the best closed back studio headphones
I can't crown a universal winner, and I won't pretend to. What I can say is that both bundles ship closed-back pairs: the Image Line bundle includes a closed-back monitoring headphone, and the Zoom bundle includes a Polsen HPC-A30 closed-back studio monitor headphone. Which suits you depends on your room and your mix needs.
which is better for recording multiple instruments at once
The Zoom LiveTrak L6, based on the specs. It offers two XLR-1/4" mic/line inputs with +48V plus four stereo line pairs, giving up to 10 inputs and 6 channels of simultaneous multitrack recording to microSD or USB. FL Studio 20's audio input is USB with two channels, so it's a computer-based workflow rather than a multi-input hardware capture rig.
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