Seen another device you like?

[lemonstar]

I'm considerng the BR (I can pick one up for about £137 but I haven't really scanned for the best price yet) however I could afford to spend at least £200 (maybe £300) so I'm considering other devices including the Zoom H4. 

There are a good set of reviews on digital recorders here:
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/audio/port...der-comparison/

but I wondered what other devices the hands-on experienced BR users might be attracted to (and why) or indeed what devices BR users move on to.

I'll be recording vocals, acoustic/electric guitar and keys. If I can get to grips with it I'll probably use Cubase/Reson for adding drums and effects although this is where I have struggled - using those programs are so tedious and time consuming and they just haven't clicked with me so far.

cheers
Neil

[lemonstar]

OK - I've been mulching around the boards for a bit and see the BR-600 as a better candidate (features/cost) for what I want (although the Zoom h4 has many features but the display is so small and the user interface in general is something a lot of people have commented negatively on) but I'd still be interested in other opinions of Boss BR/BR-600 users.

[I.am]

 Greetings lemonstar,
                             Sounds like ur in a similar boat to me. Whilst *mulching* about u prob came across this thread, but, in case u haven't, here it is.

http://microrecorders.org/community/general-discussion/a-q-about-recording-with-mic-geet-drum-machine-and-vocals/0/

On the basis that there may be a new release in the next month or so, as advised by 64geets, plus the fact that I don't have the cash at the moment, I've decided to wait a bit, though at this stage the BR 600 is looking the goods. Of course, I have don't have any hands experience with these multi-tracks, soooo, regard or disregard this post at ur leisure. Good luck!

[lemonstar]

We're in the same market (I've been through that thread and a lot of the links in it too) - I'm just not sure whether to go for a simpe step up from my digital camera (which I've happily used for years for collecting 1 take demos) or to go for basic good quality recorder, i.e the front end and external mic then process that on the PC (where I've not really got to grips with the PC software) or to go for a device with built-in effects/bass & drums or more of a mixer type device, e.g. Zoom MRS-8 @ £250 - maybe that will be the stepping stone to succeeding with using the software on the PC.

If I had the money to spend I might have gone for the Korg Mr-1 @ £379 for upfront sound quality although level setting for recording is not as good as it could have been. Maybe I'll wait for NAMM but how long would it be before the new devices actually become available? It's a hard decision - maybe I should just go for the BR-600 and do it now, see how I get on them move on to something else after NAMM - I have www.fawm.org coming up (February Album Writing Month - write 14 new tracks in the month of Feb) so I'm keen to get ready for that.

[64Guitars]

It's good to have lots of options, so I'd go with something like the BR-600. It has everything you'd need to make a complete multitrack recording, mix it down to a stereo master, and export it to a wave file - all from one box (no PC or other gear required). On the other hand, you can also use the BR-600 to record your tracks, then export them to individual wave files so that you can import them into a software DAW such as Cubase or SONAR and mix/master your songs on the PC. The point is, you can use the PC if you want to, but you also have the option of doing everything within the recorder. Other recorders, such as TASCAM or Fostex, might be great for recording your tracks, then mixing/mastering on the PC, but they're not nearly as good as the BR-600 if you want to work without a PC (no drum machine, limited number of tracks, limited effects, etc.).

I'm not very familiar with the Zoom H4 but I believe it only has 4 tracks. The Micro BR has 32 tracks and the BR-600 has 64 tracks, so the Zoom H4 really isn't in the same class. The Zoom HD8CD looks like a great recorder. It has much better features than the BR-600, including the ability to operate as a Control Surface for your software DAW (it even comes with Cubase LE 4). But, at £399.00, it may be a bit outside your price range. And it's not as portable as the BR-600.

Sometimes, the products announced at NAMM might not be available for several months. However, some products might be ready now but the manufacturers choose not to announce them until NAMM as they get lots of free advertising from it. It's only two weeks away, so I think it's worth waiting to see what's announced. They sometimes give an indication of expected availability when the product's announced, so you can decide then whether it's worth the wait or not.

[hewhoiscalledj]

Hello,

Consider the task at hand for making your decision. The MicroBR is an all in one package that is very portable and self contained; meaning you can bypass the whole PC/DAW thing since the unit has all the stuff you need to get the job done and the tracks mastered. This is also the unit's downfall since it's rather small and doesnt have all the bells and whistles you may get from Cubase/Audacity/whatever. The buttons take some getting used to but you DO get used to them. I'm rather fond of my own MicroBR.

The thing is, if you plan on using and learning the PC/DAW angle, then perhaps you may be better suited with just a digital firewire or usb mixer or any other type of digital interface which is more suited to multi-tracking on the PC. Consider the ability to record 8 seperate tracks for micing drums. You cant do this with the MicroBR (well, not realistically anyway but thats another story.) This option certainly steps up the price factor and possibly steepen the learning curve.

I know how tedious and difficult is to learn software like Cubase but at the end of the day, what you do on the PC isnt all that different from the MicroBR. The concepts of multi-tracking and mastering are the same regardless of which option you go with.

Here's a very helpful link with some awesome gear reviews along with a Multi-track matrix to help guide your decision making. Click on the Guide, and then look on the left column for all the different articles/lessons. I owe this site a lot of credit for what I've learned so far: www.tweakheadz.com

good luck and take your time making this decision.

[Bounty001]

My Wife bought me the Br for Xmas and i'm still in the process of getting to know the thing, but it seems very good so far. I also use a Zoom G2.1 pedal setup (which is OK for the money) which came with a copy of Cubase LE. I can say without any doubt that the Br is FAR easier to use than Cubase, which I have been trying to master for 18 months. The manual for Cubase runs to over 1000 pages, which indicates it's complexity.

My advice would be to keep it as simple as possible unless you really need the extra complexity, and the Br fits the bill.

With my current setup I connect the Br to my PC and use the soundcard and 5.1 speakers rather than my guitar amp as it gives better quality sound at lower volumes than the amp. If you have some spare cash, it might be worth considering

[hardlock]

It's good to have lots of options, so I'd go with something like the BR-600. It has everything you'd need to make a complete multitrack recording, mix it down to a stereo master, and export it to a wave file - all from one box (no PC or other gear required).

Hey 64Guitars, I took your advice from another thread and ordered a BR-600 off Ebay for $200.  As much as I use my MBR I'm afraid I'll wear out the buttons fast with all the use they get. 

Besides, the BR-600 has faders, more tracks, more effects (can't wait to try the wah-wah, bass and pitch correction effects! 

My only gripe is the lack of MP3.  Not a big deal since I still have the MBR and can convert in the computer as well but I wonder if that's just a software addition that may be added at a later date.

Also, from what I've read from your posts on the 600, I'm guessing it uses the same file formats as the MBR for transfering between the two?  Hopefully the user interface is similar enough that I won't have to endure a long learning curve as well. 

[64Guitars]

Hey 64Guitars, I took your advice from another thread and ordered a BR-600 off Ebay for $200.

Great! I'm sure you'll enjoy it. And you might still find the Micro BR useful for recording rehearsals, gigs, etc. Guitarron also has both. Not sure if he still uses his Micro BR.

By the way, I never meant to suggest that any Micro BR owners should buy a BR-600. The Micro BR is a great recorder too and, if you already have one, you might as well stick with it and get the most out of it. I only meant to suggest that people who don't currently own a recorder should consider the BR-600 instead of the Micro BR since it offers a lot more for not much more money.

Besides, the BR-600 has faders, more tracks, more effects (can't wait to try the wah-wah, bass and pitch correction effects! 

And you can plug a Roland EV-5 (or similar) expression pedal into the back of the BR-600 and use it to control the wah, pitch shifter, or volume.

Also, from what I've read from your posts on the 600, I'm guessing it uses the same file formats as the MBR for transfering between the two?  Hopefully the user interface is similar enough that I won't have to endure a long learning curve as well. 

Actually, the track data files are compatible but the effect and drum files are not. See page 109 of the Micro BR manual (3rd edition).

The basic operation of the BR-600 is very similar to the Micro BR so you shouldn't have any trouble learning to use it. In fact, you'll probably find the BR-600's user interface much more intuitive than the Micro BR's, thanks to the faders and dedicated controls (less menu hunting).

[Ferryman_1957]

Hi,

I think the best thing about the BR is the ease with which you can create MP3s and the quality you get. I've used older Zoom multitracks and when I exported tracks to the PC and converted to MP3 I lost quality and they sounded lame (and it took ages). The BR is amazing in this department.

Like others here, I can't get to grips with Cubase, Reason and PC-based recording. I guess most keyboard players find this easier than old guitarists/bassists like me. I can just about program a drum machine, but that's as far as it goes. All the PC stuff leavse me cold.

So it depends what you want to do. The BR is amazing but a bit fiddly, but it is so portable that you don't have to have dedicated space to keep it set up. If you go for a larger multitracker you may get more options but you will need more space. My plan is to use the BR to develop my own material and create MP3s. If I feel material reaches the stage where it needs a proper multitracker, then I think it's time to go to a studio!

Cheers,

Nigel