Upgrading an MBR to a BR-80

[Red62]

What is the latest thinking on upgrading from an original MBR to a BR-80?

The BR-80 is currently selling at £169 GBP in the UK and seems a good deal... are the COSM models much better on the BR-80?

Does the BR-80 offer a lot over the MBR?

Cheers

Loz.

[Flash Harry]

It's a completely different device. Be prepared to be baffled, frustrated, disillusioned and finally impressed.

I still only have my MBR, Others have gone for the BR80, some for the BR800. If I was to change it would be for the 800.

[Tangled Wires]

I still only have my MBR, Others have gone for the BR80, some for the BR800. If I was to change it would be for the 800.

I agree, I still am with the MBR and was initially tempted by the BR80 but read certain reviews on here about it that made me change my mind.

I am sure that the BR80 is a wonderful machine, however I think my next purchase will be along the lines of a BR800 as am looking to progress up to something a little more powerful than the MBR.

Whatever happens by MBR will never be discarded as I am sure it will continue to get use.

[Hook]

Wouldn't bother with Br-80, Boss completely missed the mark on that one. The improvements aren't in the right places for me. I want simultaneous, 2 input/track recording & level control during the mixdown & it has neither!!! In my opinion you actually lose control you have on the MBR. If $$ isn't the issue and you need the effects go with the BR800, much better machine, you'll get the bass thing you want, loop effects, faders, etc. If effects aren't an issue (if you have pedals & shit), I love my Tascam Dp-008ex and don't really miss my MBR.
Good luck!

[Greeny]

I agree, I still am with the MBR and was initially tempted by the BR80 but read certain reviews on here about it that made me change my mind.

Same here. I got quite excited at the news of it's impending release, only to have my enthusiasm dampened as the actual user reviews came out on here.

I'll stick with the MBR as long as I can, as I need something ultra-portable (I have it with me all the time). But might oneday go for a BR-800 equivalent that stays at home.

[na_th_an]

I have both and I use both.

As it's been said, they are completely different devices. They may fill the same notch, but they are designed very differently.

Now that I have both, I mainly use the MBR for quick demoes or lo-fi experiments. It's simply more "direct" for such things, and nothing in this world could replace it (at least, for me). On the contrary, I quite use the BR-80 as a great all-purpose sound interface with my PC when I do PC recording, and also to record live or craft "fake gigs" (see below) 'cause the built-in mics are awesome.

That said, if you use the device just to lay down tracks you modify/mix/mount/etcetera afterwards in a DAW, as it's my case, both serve the same purpose and you'll find BR-80's 8 simmultaneous tracks quite appaling. But if you usually do your mixing/mastering on the device, well, you better learn how the BR-80 works beforehand or you may end with unusable tracks.

I think every person will think differently, but I'm sure we all agree that MBR and BR-80 are quite different machines and if you approach the BR-80 with a MBR-based mindset you'll be disappointed. So if you go for it, start learning from the beginning.

And if you work with a DAW or want to start doing that, the BR-80 is your machine.

(*) About fake gigs - this is when you put your machine in the center of your room and you record yourself using the stereo mics. Every track you place youself here or there, as if you were in a band. You record every instrument that way and the result is a quite "real", but "fake" gig. Listen to this recording, done in the BR-80 and using such technique. Everything is recorded live using the built-in mics. Notice the dynamics, how you can get soft/strong sections quite easily