Digital Recorders

The latest multitracker from Zoom is their most sophisticated yet, but can it see off its rivals in what is an extremely competitive marketplace?

Korg, one of the main manufacturers of digital workstations, have just released another multitracker, but this time it's cassette-based!

This recording workstation is the most affordable and portable of the VS series, but it still lets you record, mix, and master all in the one box.

Boss\'s range of digital multitrackers is designed to allow musicians to make recordings with a minimum of technical knowledge. The BR1600 is the most sophisticated yet, providing 16-track recording along with amp modelling, vocal harmony generation, and built-in drum machine and loop sequencer.

In a market populated by 16-track and 24-track machines, Korg up the ante once again with the first project-studio multitracker to offer 32-track playback.

Hot on the heels of Zoom's eight-track MRS802 comes the diminutive and affordable MRS4 four-track, recording to Smart Media cards. Is this the death knell for cassette multitrackers?

A complete studio in a box, for around the cost of a decent software sequencing package.

Roland offer a downsized version of their flagship VS2480, providing all of the most important facilities at a much lower price point.

Fostex enter the card-based multitracker market with a bang, offering eight tracks of uncompressed CD-quality audio from a single Compact Flash card.

The successor to the MRS1044 has more of everything - tracks, inputs, sounds - at a very similar price. But with new fierce competition, is there still room for a Zoom?

Having upgraded their D16 to the D1600, Korg have now revamped the 12-track D12 to the D1200. So where does Korg's latest offering stand in the competitive digital multitracker marketplace?

Mackie's new entry-level hard disk multitrack gives you all the convenience of hardware, but also allows you to transfer tracks to your computer via USB for more detailed editing and mixing.

Tascam's Pocketstudio might not be quite what you'd call pocket-sized, but it does cram an MP3 digital recorder, a General MIDI sound module and comprehensive multi-effects into an impressively small space.

First there was the 4416, then the 2816. Now Yamaha have announced a baby brother for their AW audio workstations, in the form of the AW16G.

Roland have enhanced the VGA monitor graphical interface of their flagship 24-track recording workstation to make it easier to use, and have also thrown in a few extra features for good measure.

Akai's new 24-track recording and mixing workstation continues the expansion of their DPS multitracker concept with technology derived from the company's renowned post-production machines.

If you're on a very tight budget then you might be willing to live with a CD recorder with unbalanced analogue phono connectors, consumer S/PDIF digital interfacing and no-frills operation. However, if you want more professional features, then the CDRW2000 is well worth checking out.

The new tapeless ADAT provides 24 tracks of hard disk recording at less than the price of the original eight-track.

Yamaha's AW2816 audio workstation appears to offer much of the functionality of the acclaimed AW4416, but at an even lower price point.

The MRS1044 is Zoom's first serious 'studio in a box', offering 10-track hard disk recording and editing with integrated drum machine and bass sounds. Does it have what it takes to succeed in this increasingly competitive area of the market?

The new CDR770 from Marantz is one of the cheapest CD recorders on the UK market, and features a new writing technology known...