Your opinion

[Pedro]

Hi there guys,

Lately I've been thinking of making an important change to microrecorders.org: expanding the website and the forum to all the Boss BR Digital Recorders. In terms of design, the general design and feel would be the same, only changing the Boss Micro BR Community titles to Boss BR Community and adding other references to the BR's. The articles and tutorials page would also be expanded and some tutorials about the other BR's would be created as well as finishing the others I have planned about the Micro BR. Same as the Downloads and FAQ pages.

Regarding the forum, I don't really know how to do it yet. There are about 9 BR's, the Micro BR, BR-532 (discontinued), BR-600, BR-8 (discontinued), BR-864 (discontinued), BR-900, BR-1180 (discontinued), BR-1200CD and BR-1600CD. I would like the forum to have a place for talking about all these recorders. One thing I've thought that should be done is merging the Rhythm & Drums and Effects boards and sub-boards to one boad (Onboard Drums and Effects) for the sake of space. Regarding the other BR's there are several options for organizing them:

1. Create a section equal to the one Micro BR has for every BR.

2. Group them in groups of 3 or more based on similar features and way of use and creating 3 different sections for those groups.

3. Create only one section for all the BR recorders.

I think that this change would be a very positive thing for microrecorders.org but I'm also afraid that it can affect in a negative way what we all have created until now so I would like to know what you think about the idea of expanding the website and the forum to all the BR's and your opinion about the forum organization.

[jkevinwolfe]

Pedro,

Bom dia. My first thought is that there are at least two other large forums that already do what you're talking about. As a Micro user, I really don't find it much fun to weed through all the other stuff on the Yahoo BossBR group to find things that pertain to the Micro or worse: think I'm reading about the Micro only to find someone with a different Boss posted in the thread and that the information doesn't pertain to my Micro. The Intermorphic group has a large number of followers, but the Micro area of the site doesn't get much business. For Micro users, yours is THE site.

Personally I think you have a niche that you own. You need to be applauded for your accomplishment. It's not easy to get 460 Micro users in one place. This kind of success is typically the result of two things: you putting up a great, useful site and active, knowledgeable participants who are helpful to others and willing to stick to matters at hand.

I think it would be better to figure out how to get more Micro users who don't know of this site to find it and participate. I know with what you have made here you could make a big Boss recorder site a success, but it would take a lot of work and probably also take a while to attract users since they would now have to add another board to visit.

I like your current organization. If you do create a group with all the other recorders, I think that option 1 is best. Mixing the different recorders would be chaos.

Keep up the good work,

Kevin

[steveblues50]

hi first off thanks to pedro and the rest this site has been very helpful.i love this microbr,i've only just started fooling with it and it's a better product than the hype and that is kinda rare in guitar player land.i have to say i agree with the last poster.keep the site micro specific.even though the unit seems to be simple to operate(even for an old dude like me) the manual leaves a little to be desired and this site has been great at picking up the slack.i think as any newbies get more into the various functions and capabilities we might benefit from the info on this site.keeping the site micro specific just helps to simplify thing and again for newbies keeps anxiety level down.kudos to boss on a fine product i am definately spreading the word!!

[SteveG]

I think the site is fine as is too, seems  to be picking up steadily in the short time I have been posting here. Questions are being answered and there is a good community building. I would keep it specific. I recomend the MBR to anyone thinking of getting a recorder, though most ppl I know on the other forum I use record to PC, and would certainly be telling anyone who gets one to check this place out!

[64Guitars]

As a Micro user, I really don't find it much fun to weed through all the other stuff on the Yahoo BossBR group to find things that pertain to the Micro or worse: think I'm reading about the Micro only to find someone with a different Boss posted in the thread and that the information doesn't pertain to my Micro.

It's a shame that you look at it that way. You're missing the whole point of the Yahoo BossBr group. All of the BRs are very similar in operation and features, and you can learn a lot about your Micro BR by reading about the other BR models.

I own a BR-864 and it's the only BR I've ever used. I haven't even seen most of the other models, including the Micro BR. And yet, I've been answering questions about the Micro BR and other BR models in this group and several others for years. How do you suppose I can do that when I've never even seen these other BRs? It's because I've downloaded and read the manuals for the other models and could see right away that most of the procedures and features are identical to my BR-864. So, when someone asks about v-tracks and bouncing on the Micro BR, for example, I can explain it to them because it works exactly the same as it does on my BR-864. To ensure that my answer is accurate, I'll usually consult the appropriate BR manual before replying in case there are any minor differences I need to allow for in my answer. But in most cases there are no differences.

When I bought my BR-864 four years ago, I started searching the web for information about it. I found the Yahoo BR-864 group and joined. Hungry for more information, I also joined the BR-532 group and found that much of the advice offered there could be applied to my BR-864. Before long, I found myself answering a lot of beginner's questions in both groups. When the BR-900CD came out in 2005, a new Yahoo group was formed for the BR-900. I joined that group too and found that people were asking the same questions that had been asked in the BR-864 and BR-532 groups. Then the BR-600 came out in 2006 and, again, I started reading more of the same questions. Later that year, the Micro BR was announced and users were still asking the same questions. And the answers really hadn't changed much. So, it occurred to me that having separate groups for each BR model was not the best way to go. It makes more sense to have a single group that covers all of the BRs. That way, everyone can benefit from the discussions, regardless of which particular BR model they use.

Of the memory card based BRs (900/864/600/532/MicroBR), the Micro BR has the most differences (but there are still more similarities than there are differences). So, there may be some merit in keeping a separate discussion area at microrecorders.org for the Micro BR. Actually, the Micro BR has a lot in common with the BR-532. They're both 4 track recorders and offer only preset drum patterns. So maybe a combined Micro BR/BR-532 area would be a good idea. In any case, I see no harm in creating another area for 600/864/900 users. These three BRs are nearly identical in operation and features and their files are nearly 100% compatible, so it makes sense to keep them together.

Whatever Pedro decides to do, I strongly recommend that all Micro BR users read about the other BRs as well. You'll learn a lot more about your Micro BR that way, and recording in general. Most of what you read about the other BRs also applies to your Micro BR. For that matter, there's a lot of good advice that applies to any recorder. For example, if someone recommends a good microphone and mic preamp, wouldn't they work just as well on a Micro BR, BR-600, Fostex, Zoom, TASCAM, Yamaha, or any other recorder? Likewise, if someone offered advice on microphone positioning for recording acoustic guitar, it would apply to any recorder, regardless of brand or model. So don't ignore information about the other BR models. You'll be missing a lot if you do.

I also find it interesting to learn about the few differences between the BRs. Just the other day, I answered a question in the BossBr group about the BR-8. While looking at the BR-8 manual, I learned of a couple of unique features that I wasn't aware of. The BR-8 can display an 8 x 8 grid of all 64 v-tracks so you can see at a glance which v-tracks are used and which are empty. Also, it allows you to enter a short name for each v-track. I wish all of the BRs had that feature. Naming the v-tracks would make it much easier to keep track of what's recorded where.

The Micro BR is the newest model in the BR series and has only been available for just over a year. So, a forum dedicated only to the Micro BR will have fewer members, and those members will have less experience, than a forum covering all BR models. By opening up the forum to all BR users, there will be a lot more people available to answer questions and offer advice. And those people will generally have more experience with BRs than most Micro BR users have, due to its newness. There are a few members in the Yahoo BossBr group who have owned several BR models over the years and can offer some good advice based on their experience. Also, a larger member base means more people available for collaborations. All of the BRs can import and export wave files, so collaborations between users of different BR models shouldn't be a problem.

Finally, this website is microrecorders.org, not microBR.org. When Pedro first started the site, I was under the impression that it would cover all small recorders. In fact, I recall seeing a few things about the Zoom here, and the main page still has an item about a Marantz recorder. I think that continuing that theme to include other small recorders could be a good thing. Afterall, you probably won't have your Micro BR forever. If you upgrade to a newer model in a few years, wouldn't it be nice if you could still find support for it here and continue to be a part of this friendly microrecorder.org community?

[SteveG]

Quite a reply, and you have plainly given the subject a great deal of thought! You make some very valid points here, I guess that the direction of the forum should go whichever way is good for it. I came here looking to learn more about using the thing, this is my second forum if you like, I am far more active on Guitarblast. As it turned out I find myself answering (or trying to) more than I ask (I have actually read the manual, several times lol) I stay as it is a very friendly place, and IMHO that is the important thing that needs to be kept ... friendly, helpful and non judgmental advice and support..... I am sure that most here will have seen similar forums where dumb questions are answered with RTFM!!!! The question ain't dumb to the guy asking it, and he does not know that it has been asked many times before. That does not happen here (even if he really should have read the book) and I like that. Keep that aspect, make sure that the forum is searchable for the individual recorders, and all will be well I think 

[jkevinwolfe]

64,

I guess my biggest concern is that there are already a few sites that cover all the BRs. Is another overkill? I feel we are really lucky to have this site which specifically addresses the Micro. I did a lot of research before buying and got very confused trying to figure out what the BR did and didn't do. When I found this site, things became a lot more clear. Your level of expertise on the various recorders is just amazing and the differences in them probably all seems second nature to you. I have spent a huge hunk of my life in audio control rooms, but I still have a lot to learn about using the Micro.

What Pedro has done here is created more than a question and answer board. It's very much a little community that shares ideas, songs and even collaborates. Maybe part of my suggestion of keeping this site pure is out of a sense of protectiveness. I'd hate to see things get too diversified and lose the camaraderie that's here now. Pedro has set up sections that cover other recorders, recording techniques and things that don't necessarily apply to the Micro, so I think to some extent the other recorders are addressed, and not just Boss machines.

But then...if I graduate to a bigger Boss, I'll probably be the first one begging Pedro to diversify. And I am sure if Pedro decides to broaden the site, what he has done for the Micro, he can do for the other recorders too.

And a specific thank you to you, 64. Your expertise has been very valuable to me in learning how to use the Micro.

Kevin

[64Guitars]

I guess my biggest concern is that there are already a few sites that cover all the BRs. Is another overkill?

I don't think it's overkill. Some people are happy to read several forums on a regular basis to get as much information as they can about their BR. And each forum is unique in the way they're set up and the people who frequent them.

What Pedro has done here is created more than a question and answer board. It's very much a little community that shares ideas, songs and even collaborates. Maybe part of my suggestion of keeping this site pure is out of a sense of protectiveness. I'd hate to see things get too diversified and lose the camaraderie that's here now.

Yes, Pedro has done a wonderful job of creating, maintaining, and improving this site, and I don't want to lose what we have here any more than you do. But I'm sure we have nothing to worry about as long as Pedro is at the helm.

One of the problems with a model-specific site is that the lifetime of the site is about the same as the lifetime of the BR model. I noticed this in the Yahoo model-specific groups. They'd start out with just a few members and a few messages per month. Then the messages would gradually increase over the next year or two as more people bought the BR, until they peaked at maybe one or two hundred messages per month. But eventually the BR gets discontinued and then the number of messages per month fizzles out as people move on to newer recorders and join a different group.

The Micro BR is only a year old now and there's a lot of interest in it to keep this community active. But it will no doubt be discontinued in a few years and what will happen to this site then if it only addresses the Micro BR? Most of you will probably move up to newer recorders. Maybe some future Boss recorder, or maybe a different brand. And there probably won't be enough members left to keep the site going. But, if the site broadens its scope now to include the other BRs and possibly other brands, then adds new recorders as they become available, it can remain active and continue to grow for many years to come. So, maybe the best way to preserve this community is to make sure that it doesn't become obsolete when the Micro BR is eventually discontinued and loses popularity to newer machines. And that can be achieved by adding those new machines as soon as they become available, and covering enough different machines to ensure continuing interest in the site as recorders come and go.

Pedro has set up sections that cover other recorders, recording techniques and things that don't necessarily apply to the Micro, so I think to some extent the other recorders are addressed, and not just Boss machines.

Yes. I think Pedro just wants to improve those sections and clarify the site's identity so that users of other recorders will feel welcome. Right now, the site feels very much like an exclusive Micro BR users only club, so the sections for other recorders are not very active.

Currently, the forum is divided into three main sections: "Boss Micro BR", "Other recorders", and "Music & Other". Each of these sections is then further divided into sub-sections. I would suggest changing the name of the "Boss Micro BR" section to "Boss BR recorders". Within that section, I'd keep the existing sub-sections but broaden their scope to inlcude all the BRs, and I'd add three new sub-sections:

• 4-Track BRs - This would include the Micro BR and BR-532. If a new 4-track BR is announced, it would be added here.
• 8-Track BRs (memory card) - This would include the BR-600, BR-864, BR-900CD, and any future BRs that have 8 tracks (or more) and use a memory card for storage rather than a hard disk. It could also include the BR-8, although it uses a zip disk rather than a memory card.
• Hard Disk BRs - The BR-1200, BR-1600, BR-1180 and any future BRs that use a hard disk for storage.

But that's just my suggestion. It's Pedro's site and I won't be offended at all if he decides to do it differently. However he decides to re-organize the forum, I'm sure it will still be great.

Pedro: If that's too many sub-sections (8), you might consider combining all the existing sub-sections (except "Post your work") into a single sub-section called "General BR Discussion", and add the three new ones. Also, you could consider skipping the hard disk BRs section since they are quite different from the other BRs and don't fit the site's name "microrecorders.org" which suggests the smaller, more portable BRs.

And a specific thank you to you, 64. Your expertise has been very valuable to me in learning how to use the Micro.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

[guitarron]

This forum already is multi platform isn't it?
I do like the idea of us Micro owners having "our own website" sort of a camaraderie thing. (like the Saturn owners who get together at the Saturn plant in Tennesee once a year)lmao
No Pontiacs allowed even tho they're both GM products-oh wait that plant is closed now-I digresss
It's human nature to resist change, but change for change's sake is not always a good thing.(like new Coke)
Pedro has created a very friendly comfortable forum here-that may possibly be because it is primarily a MBR site.
That being said, I would embrace whatever decision he makes and would still participate.
If it were to happen, we might try making separate boards for the different Br products as suggested.
BTW-sorry for the product placements
Ron

[Mr. Scar]

My opinion is that less is more. The <microrecorders.org> url says it all. The forum is so nice and compact as is. Loading in all the other units will greatly decrease its microness. Besides, the other recorder sites are only a click away.