What do you use your Micro BR for?

[guitarron]

I use myBr for conveniece/portabilty.Just hit rec/play
I get some of my best inspiration jamming in girlfriend's living room.
No pun inteaded. If i ever need to, I can dump the tracks into Sonar
I like the mastering alogrythms in the BR-much better sounding than I had expected
I needed a new guitar tuner and a MP3 player both so the BR was a good fit-
I had considered the Zoom h4 because of the preamps, but i liked the guitar affects better inthe BR
 

[64Guitars]

hey 64
That's a good idea-the card reader-The BR doesn't need to mounted -just pop it in the reader? sweet

That's right. When the BR is connected to your PC via USB, the BR is acting like a card reader. It appears on your computer as a new drive and you can access any of the files on the card. So putting the card in an actual card reader works exactly the same. You can access the files from Windows, or use the BR Wave Converter program to import/export your tracks as wave files.

I've thought of buying a 600 since they're so inexpensive
HOw do you like your BR-864?

I love my BR-864, although it does have one bad design flaw. There are only four faders and a bank switch to select which four tracks the faders will control (1-4 or 5-8). This can cause problems when you switch banks because the physical position of the fader doesn't correspond to the current setting in the other bank.

The BR-600 is a great recorder. I think it offers the most bang for buck of the entire BR line. For not too much more than a Micro BR you get nearly all of the features of a BR-864 or BR-900, plus a couple of features not available in any other BR -- velocity-sensitive drum pads, and dual built-in microphones.

[steamfurnace]

I agree with everything 64 said about the BR-864.  I love it, but wish there were 8 faders instead of 4, or at least 6 faders with 7/8 stereo like the BR-900CD.  I have been watching eBay for just that reason; a cheap BR-600 or 900CD would still let me use Compact Flash instead of a hard drive like the BR-1200CD, and I would gain more front panel faders plus vocal pitch correction that the 864 doesn't have. 

[NeilOnKeys]

I've had my Micro BR for about two months; I'm a keyboard player playing in a classic rock cover band and hosting open mics on piano as well.

My problem was getting material from different sources, NONE of which was good for actually learning tunes.
For example, I get a CD of 10 tunes, then I download another three as MP3's, somebody gives me a YouTube URL to go get the song, etc.

Forget working with CD's, downloads mean using a computer-based playback progam, and obviously, YouTube is streaming audio.

I had tried a number of cheap audio-to-MP3 ripper-recorders but they all skipped/dropped, and the transport controls were from hell, as were most of the PC players like WinAmp, etc.

So what I needed was one device which could:

Drop/drag - load  MP3's like a thumb drive:
Record high-quality audio from a stereo line-in.
Be VERY portable/battery powered.
And MOST IMPORTANTLY:
Have USABLE transport controls, very precise, with A-B looping as a bonus.

I looked at Zoom, Edirol, Tascam, etc., but the Boss Micro BR just blows them out of the water EXCEPT for stereo-mic recording, which CAN be added to the BR and nicely gives you a choice of whoever's mic you prefer.

First, the all-important transport controls: when learning material the ability to cue-review or loop sections is indispensable.
The transport controls on the BR are razor-sharp precise and the looping is flawless.
In addition, in 4-track mode you can mono a single L-R channel to isolate a part, or "export" the song to the built-in MP3 player where you can Tempo-slow the song and eliminate the vocal to really zone in on a part.
Bonus: Both versions ( 4-track and MP3) are preserved, so you can flip back and forth between modes to use whichever features you need.

Next great benefit:
I used to plug my piano or synth into a stereo mixer, then plug in my audio source ( CD, cassette, etc.,) so I could play along in stereo mix, etc..
But now I can just plug into the Micro BR and get both the keyboard and the track in full stereo; in either MP3 or 4-Track mode.
WAY less hassle.

You may have noticed that I have not really mentioned the 4-track recording ability yet.
Well, that is because I have a Yamaha Motif which has 16-track sequencing along with 2-channel stereo audio, so my multi-tracking and sequencing needs have been adequately covered that way.
-----------------------------------------------------------
However, I have a major bomb to drop about some criticisms of the MBR when used as a multi-track recorder.
These criticisms have been that you cannot record, for example, Bass on one track, while guitar on another, at the same time.

These criticisms are based on a lack of understanding how the MBR is configured, and maybe thinking in previous-era terms...

Page 41 of the MBR manual CLEARLY states how to do this, but the implication is missed, because they refer to it as "STEREO".
Actually there are two ways to do it depending on what instruments you are using.
---------------------------------------

When you select LINE or EXT, you are selecting a TWO-CHANNEL input: Line is for 2-channel high-level, EXT is for 2-channel lower-levels that need more gain.

As the manual states, the LEFT channel goes to TRACK 1:
The RIGHT channel goes to TRACK 2.

All you need is a wiring connector that takes two instruments in 1/4" plugs, down to the stereo 1/8" input. No biggie.

Just go to Radio Shack or The Source or Circuit City and get a 1/8" stereo male - to- two RCA-male wire.
(You'd use this to feed your iPod into a stereo system for example.)

Then get two 1/4"-male to RCA-female adaptors. Mount these onto the RCA ends.
Now, you can plug one of these right into your electric guitar, and your Bass player can plug the other into his bass.

One of you will be on track ONE, and your buddy will be on track TWO.
Just select "LINE" or "EXT" as the record-source, whichever you plugged into ( they're both stereo.) and jam away.

Use the input meter to make sure you're not ""OVER"" on the display...
--------------------------------------

After you're done recording, go back and use the PAN and LEVEL  functions to centre your mix, and you can add effects, etc.

If you want STEREO GUITAR, copy your guit-track to another track and play both, hard-panned L-R.

Hope you like this!

~N~

[bmaco]

I'm using my Micro BR to record band practice. Old band broke up, new band and new set list. It really helps out learning new material. I have used it some to capture ideals for writing but till I get the new band thing settled I don't have much time for writing. It works great for both. Keep sending in those songs. I just love to listen to all of them. Peace, Bryant

[SteveG]

My choice of the MBR was mainly down to the size and portability. I use it for everything as this laptop aint up to recording on a DAW. Living with 4kids, herself and an overgrown teenager who refuses to leave the maternal nest at 22 I cannot set up a studio, so record wherever I can find a quiet(ish) corner. Working shifts I often record at night, and have been known to drive the car to a quiet layby to record a vocal at 3.00am. The MP3 functions have become indispensable for working out stuff. I am planning to upgrade the PC after the summer holiday, but the MBR will always have a space in my guitar case!

[jkevinwolfe]

Steve,

The recording at 3 a.m. at a lay by cracked up me. But I think it shows the versatility. I remember when Paul Horn made a big deal about recording an LP inside the great pyramid and Jackson Browne made a big deal about recording on the bus at 2am. No reason why we can't grab a guitar, the Micro and go record in bizarre locations without a second thought. I have been using lithium batteries and am very impressed with the time I am getting out of them.

I bought my Micro as a songwriting and arranging tool, not that I am doing either of those yet for anybody but me. But I am having a blast creating guitar patches for each song. I started playing with Garage Band, which has some decent effects, but got really frustrated with the time lag which made recording frustrating and hearing your effects impossible.

Was staying at an old friend's house while he was out of town and saw his Zoom sitting there. I figured that he must be using it for composing. I looked into it online and stumbled on the Micro, which looked a lot more useful to me. I ordered one online and it was waiting when I got home. I had a Rolland Micro Cube amp and really loved the effects so it was cool to get the Micro that had those same effects and have more control over them. For me it was not only the recorder I needed, but the effects box that I had failed to find in two years of trying them out at music stores.

I have been using a Belkin TuneTalk on an iPod Nano for field recordings and probably will continue since I am getting great results in stereo. I may still use Garage Band for complex mixes and edits by burning all the V tracks to WAV.

[BossMicroBRew]

I use my MBR for a shaving mirror.

[Oldrottenhead]

i often look at my beautiful reflection in mine too. yum yum

[berkly]

I am mainly using it to record barbershop harmony with only one voice.  The 4-track recording makes it absolutely perfect for barbershop.  The effects also help my voice get a hallway quality, which is awesome. 

If I had more time, I would learn how to play guitar on my mom's 1965 Gibson acoustic, but...