Hey fellas.

Im after an 8 track recorder. In my day these were cassettes. These days digital is the way to go no doubt. Ive seen a few units but wondering if anyone can recommend any from personal experience.

I require..

* 8 tracks that can record simultaneously. (So naturally 8 ins)
* 24 bit 44k.
* A way of transferring these to my PC. So either a USB slot or at lest 8 outs so I can just play them into my interface.
* A small footprint. I already have a huge 8 buss mixer that takes over.
* I love hands on. Om not into fiddly mouse and keyboard stuff. That said this device is simply to capture so I dont need a ton of editing features.


Im thinking an old ADAT fits the bill nice but put of by working parts and maintenance. I was wondering these days if anything that resembled the old 4 / 8 track cassettes still exists?

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(Sent via my iPhone and no doubt riddled with typos as a result)

Well, you've described the Zoom R16 perfectly!

Voila! Zoom R16

Review HERE

Currently £279 from all good music technology retailers.

I have one and am pleased with it. I use mine for location recording and then mix ITB back at base.

Don't know if you'd need phantom - it only has it on two inputs - so you might need external phantom-power boxes.

HTH. Mike

Hello Mike,

Thank you.

I just stumbled on this and was looking back here to update.

What you think?

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct06/articles/korgd888.htm

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(Sent via my iPhone and no doubt riddled with typos as a result)

Wow Mike,

Just had a chance to check your links. The R16 sounds great.

Am I right in thinking I can record (well I know this much lol) but once recorded I can USB the individual files back to my PC as 24 bit wavs for editing in any DAW. Or do they come back as some weird R16 format that's neither Wav or anything else (a la ADAT HD24)

Im sure this will be in the links but im still looking through.

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(Sent via my iPhone and no doubt riddled with typos as a result)

Korg 3200?

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Sam

Quote Kolakube:

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Wow Mike,

Just had a chance to check your links. The R16 sounds great.

Am I right in thinking I can record (well I know this much lol) but once recorded I can USB the individual files back to my PC as 24 bit wavs for editing in any DAW. Or do they come back as some weird R16 format that's neither Wav or anything else (a la ADAT HD24)

Im sure this will be in the links but im still looking through.

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Yup! That's it. It uses standard file specs - not proprietary - so you can just transfer them into any standard editor or DAW. Because it uses SD cards for storage, if you're minded-to - and have a card reader - you can just take out the card and stick it in the reader.

You flagged the Korg D888. That's been discontinued for some time now so you'd only get a secondhand one.

Cheers. Yeah re the Korg its also only 16 bit. But then I wonder, I use a 16 bit Akai sampler on ALL of my tracks so who cares. Also with the Korg being older maybe it would be cheaper?

Either way though the R16 looks great and if there a similar price id go for the R16 all day. Thanks mate, I didt even know these existed till you said.

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(Sent via my iPhone and no doubt riddled with typos as a result)

Just read up on the Zoom R16. That sounds like a brilliant little machine for someone needing portable recording facilities, or starting out on the path of recording ....

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Sam

The other down on the D888 is that it is only 16 bit, but it's not so long that everything was 16 bit and I can live with that. I bought one (second hand) for location recording as I've never quite persuaded myself to trust laptops in a one-shot situation. It's a joy to use, it really is. The mixer format is so neat and easy and difficult to get wrong. A great complement to a DAW back home.

CC

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Put the fun back into dysfunctional.
Mr Punch's Studio

Just for interest's sake, how good is the A to D conversion on the Zoom R24? The mic preamps are probably not suitable for quiet sources (like string quartet, or harpsichord), but it might be suitable if paired with some reasonably nice preamps. I'm wondering if an R24 with an Audient Mico or even an M-Audio DMP3 mic preamp, would be suitable for students looking to make remote location/field recordings?

Mate of mine uses one of those Zoom things for his live shows as a mixer and also to to play back pre-recorded vocal tracks.. Also to record his live performances

Here it is in action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1jUj1DZ6FY

Edited by vinyl_junkie (23/05/12 10:55 PM)

The R16 is dead easy to use for audio capture and transfer to PC. Sound quality (for the money and above) is excellent. You have your 8 inputs, two blocks of 8 tracks, 2 phantom power inputs. It's also dead quiet and can handle 32gb memory cards. It's a great device for recording away from the confines of PC. Oh, and it's 24-bit. Thing is, when I clocked the Korg D888, I thought it was brillant match of digital 8-track and traditional portastudio knob fest. I spent an age keeping my eye out for a second hand one. But I have to say, time has moved on - and 16-bit portastudio sound quality won't match a R16 at 24-bit feeding a PC DAW.

I just bought a (secondhand) Yamaha AW1600 - it'll do 24 bit and has USB. Not sure whether kit from '06 can be counted as modern (it does for me!)

I've only had a few evenings free to play with it, but it's quite fun so far...

There's also the AW2400 if you can find one (and is rather more expensive)

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[MacBook/rev1 2.0GHz/2GB, OSX 10.6.x; Logic Express 7.2.3; Reaktor 5.6.x; too many vintage synths]
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