Recorders

Though the FD4 doesn't have a built-in recording drive, it records to a choise of popular types, costs less than £400, and has been designed to be almost as easy to use as a cassette multitracker. David Mellor goes back to basics...

Paul White tests the 20-bit Alesis ADAT XT20, to see whether it wil really help us make better recordings or just allows us to record our low-level hum and noise more accurately!

Digital multitrackers are now nothing new, but this one records to a built-in Zip drive using low-cost 100Mb cartridges. Duke Ashton carries on recording.

Paul White tests an integrated 8-track digital studio package, no larger than a drum machine, that comes with just about everything you'll need to make high-quality recordings.

Paul White tests a new Sony DAT recorder offering professional features at an affordable price.

If you liked the look of last year's Minidisc-based digital 4-track machines, but need more tracks, look no further. The Yamaha MD8 manages 8-track recording and palyback, but is still priced at just under a thousand pounds. Martin Walker suddenly finds less need to bounce.

Paul White previews a new digital conversion technique designed to provide high-resolution sounds without the need for extravagant sampling frequencies.

Akai build on their years of expertise in stand-alone digital recorders with a truly portable personal multitracker offering a digital mixer and 12 tracks of audio on a removable-media drive. David Mellor takes it away.

Hard disk recording always strtches any computer to the limit, and if you want eight simultaneous tracks or more you'll definitely need help. Martin Walker finds out whether the V8 system can come to the rescue.

Derek Johnson finds Tascam's dual DAT deck, the first ever, is at least twice the fun...

Pro Tools has made a leap to 24-bit, but does the increased theoretical quality really translate to a better sound, and it is worth the extra money? Mike Collins finds out.

When it comes to computer audio editing, the user interface is extremely important. Having physical controls to grab hold of has already give Ensoniq a lot of advance publicity for their Paris hard disk recording system.

Why are CD recorders like buses? Paul White investigates.

If you own a VS880, you can already record, edit and produce a stereo mix of your masterworks, all with out leaving the 880's tape-like hard disk recording environment, but now Roland have added the ability to make a CD master in the same way. Paul Nagle goes for the burn.

Pro Tools moves up a bit (or eight) and Mackie's dedicated hardware controller for the system finally arrives. Mike Collins gets an advanced viewing.

It started in 88, dropped to 38, now rises to 98... no, it's not the chart performance of the new Spice Girls album, but Tascam's rather strange way of numbering the models in their respected DA series of digital multitrack recorders. Hugh Robjohns checks out the new flagship in the range.

Pioneered by Fostex, the concept of the 'personal' digital multitrack — a stand-alone digital recorder with a simple, cassette multitracker-like interface — has been around for two years now. But the new D160 is the first of the bunch to offer 16-track capabilities.

Taking a compact DAT machine out and about can gain you some unique recordings, but can also present you with some unique problems.

Layla, Darla and Gina are the eagerly awaited multi-channel PCI soundcards from Event Electronics, which promise a complete audio solution featuring eight independent outputs. Martin Walker interfaces with Gina — and falls in love.

Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall? Are you making your own re-recordable CD masters on a stand-alone CD writer for under £500? Paul White is...

Yamaha's new CD-ROM burner comes with the option of a cut-price copy of Toast 3.5, allowing you to create backups, burn CDs, and even make your own CD-ROMs. Paul White tries out the combination.