Recorders

A friend of mine has a couple of old stereo tape reels which he'd like to transfer to CD. I've seen stereo reel-to-reel tape machines for sale and I'm considering investing in one, probably a Studer or a Revox, not only to help out my friend, but also because I'm interested in experimenting with tape loops and tape saturation effects. Are old machines by these manufacturers reliable?

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.

Recently, I bought a digital recorder and have been re-recording some of my old compositions from scratch in digital but, to my great disappointment, I am finding that my mixes are sounding harsh and cluttered. I thought digital recording would give me more clarity in the mix because of its higher fidelity. Where am I going wrong and what can I do about it?

A frequently recurring question from new sequencer/DAW users is what else they need to set up a complete studio. We show you how to create the most simple usable system, and how to expand and adapt it to more demanding applications.

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.

We show how you can use well-known Soundscape features in unusual manners, plus more in-depth explanation of some specific Soundscape functions, including details of how to use VST and Direct X plug-ins to process Soundscape audio.

With the recent announcement of Yamaha's keenly priced 01X Music Production Studio, it looks as though mLAN, the Firewire-based protocol for multi-channel digital audio and MIDI, might be about to come of age. We take an early look at the new system.

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

The SOS staff and contributors answer another selection of your technical questions.

Some users of the Roland VS2480 discovered that their unit's inputs suffered from significant harmonic distortion for signals above -6dBFS...

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.

Is it possible to link multiple Tascam 788 recorders? How can I move files between my computers? How do I use a degausser to demagnetise tape heads? What's the difference between the Sennheiser MD421 and MD421 MkII microphone? Can you suggest a good weighted keyboard? Can I copy vinyl to CD via an S/PDIF connection? Can I use my Logic plug-ins with another sequencer? How do digital errors affect the stereo image?

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.