BR800 I got one

[fenderbender]

Thanks for the link 7th
regards
Tommy

[fenderbender]

Latest update on the BR800
I don't like it-
I tried hard to get into it
but no.
so it will be in the post to it's new owner on Monday morning
Ok -I will lose out on it -by about 10Euro/7 pounds/12 $ (postage to Galway)
but its not for me
==========================
I did try but I am old fashioned in my outlook
so my opinion -is only mine
I don't want to be tied to Sonar or any other PC recording -
I just couldn't get to grips with it
the 800 has some great features like harmony etc -
but the BR600 (worn out as it is -like myself smile3) is my comfort recording zone -
and I think I will buy another 600 2nd hand -from one of the local sites -just to have on standby.
they are going pretty cheap.
========================
maybe I never gave the 800 a chance -but .........................

Tommy

[Oldrottenhead]

send it tae me.............................................

[64Guitars]

Latest update on the BR800
I don't like it-
I tried hard to get into it
but no.

Sorry to hear that, Tommy. And a bit surprised. The BR-800 is a great recorder and not all that different from the BR-600 and other BRs.

I don't want to be tied to Sonar or any other PC recording -
I just couldn't get to grips with it

That's understandable. Software DAWs are a lot more complicated than standalone recorders. But then they're a lot more powerful in some ways too. That's the trade-off. But if ease-of-use is important to you, a standalone multitrack recorder beats a software DAW any day.

However, the BR-800 is a fully-functional standalone recorder (provided you have version 1.10 or higher of the operating system) and it can do just about everything the BR-600 can do (and more) without the need of a computer. The one exception that comes to mind is the drum machine. With the BR-800, you need a computer running the BR Rhythm Editor if you want to create or edit custom patterns. But that's only for custom patterns. If you want to create drum arrangements using the built-in preset patterns, you can do that right on the BR-800 without using a computer. I believe you also need the BR Wave Converter to transfer WAV files to or from the computer. The BR-600 could do that directly without the BR Wave Converter. But, either way, you still need a computer as the source or the destination of the WAV files, so having to use the BR Wave Converter isn't a big deal, and it offers some advantages (batch-processing and faster transfers). Anyway, you certainly don't need to use SONAR or any other DAW to use the BR-800. You can record, edit, mix, and master your songs entirely in the BR-800 just as you can with the BR-600.

The BR-600 is a good recorder. The only thing I'd be concerned about is its use of CompactFlash memory cards that are limited to 1GB. Those are scarce as hen's teeth these days. So, if you don't already have some, you might want to see if you can find a few before you buy a BR-600. It would be very limiting if all you had was the 128MB card that comes with it. And even having one 1GB card might be a bit risky since it could fail on you one day and you might not be able to find another. So I'd recommend having a few on hand, just in case.

If the memory card issue is important to you, then you might consider a newer recorder. There's always the BR-80 which uses SD cards up to 32GB. Or the Zoom R8, R16, and R24 which seem pretty good (though I've never had the opportunity to try one). The TASCAM DP-24 looks awesome too, though it may be overkill for your needs.

On the other hand, if you've already got a bunch of 1GB CompactFlash cards, then the BR-600 might be your best bet since you're already comfortable with it. One thing that the BR-600 has going for it is the velocity-sensitive drum pads. No other BR, past or present, has that feature.

Out of curiosity, why did you upgrade from the BR-600 to the BR-800? Was there something about the BR-600 that you didn't like, or were you just hoping for more effects, drum patterns, etc.?

By the way, since the BR-600 is no longer made and you'll have to buy it used, you might also consider the BR-900. It's very similar to the BR-600 in operation. However, with the version 2 system update, it offers more effects and amp models. Plus it has a bigger display, a built-in CD recorder, MIDI Out, and a few other pluses. On the minus side, it lacks the velocity-sensitive drum pads and only has one built-in mic instead of two. I'm not necessarily recommending the BR-900 over the BR-600. Which one is best for you depends on your own needs. I only mention it in case your reason for upgrading to the BR-800 was largely to get more effects. If so, the BR-900 also offers more effects than the BR-600, but is very similar to the BR-600 in operation and features. However, like the BR-600, the BR-900 has the problem of using 1GB CompactFlash cards.


Correction:

By the way, since the BR-600 is no longer made and you'll have to buy it used, you might also consider the BR-900. It's very similar to the BR-600 in operation. However, with the version 2 system update, it offers more effects and amp models.

I believe the effects in the BR-900 (even with the ver 2 update) are exactly the same as the BR-600. The version 2 update only adds new amp models (from the GT-PRO multi-effects unit) and 29 additional patches that use those new amp models. The BR-900 with version 2 has a total of 46 amp types, whereas the BR-600 has 13 amp types. But the effects are the same.

Also, on re-reading your post, I got the impression that you still have your BR-600 and were only thinking of buying another as a backup. I didn't realize that when I wrote the reply above. I thought you got rid of the BR-600 when you bought the BR-800 and you're now contemplating buying a BR-600 to replace the BR-800. So some of my points above may not apply if you still have your BR-600.

[chip]

Latest update on the BR800
I don't like it-
I tried hard to get into it
but no.
so it will be in the post to it's new owner on Monday morning
Ok -I will lose out on it -by about 10Euro/7 pounds/12 $ (postage to Galway)
but its not for me
==========================
I did try but I am old fashioned in my outlook
so my opinion -is only mine
I don't want to be tied to Sonar or any other PC recording -
I just couldn't get to grips with it
the 800 has some great features like harmony etc -
but the BR600 (worn out as it is -like myself smile3) is my comfort recording zone -
and I think I will buy another 600 2nd hand -from one of the local sites -just to have on standby.
they are going pretty cheap.
========================
maybe I never gave the 800 a chance -but .........................

Tommy

I can fully understand this. I looked at the other BR's, the 800 was one of them. Like yourself I found that it looked way to complicated for me, I don't  like messing about with computers, putting drum tracks together in the machine is taxing enough without the hassle of doing stuff on computers. Most people just wanna get on with playing and putting down tracks rather than going back and forth from standalone to computer back to standalone then back to the computer. It's time consuming and can be frustrating.

I have the BR80 which I kinda like, before I had the MBR so the jump to the BR80 was not a giant leap but I have my moments of hassle. Out of the two 800 and 80, the 80 has a lot going for it, for a start you have 8 tracks before a bounce is needed, the drums are a separate track, I can dive into the drum editor and change what I want at anytime. Having eight tracks before a bounce is fantastic, meaning for me, I don't as yet have to bounce anything.
I think I made the correct choice with the BR80.

My mate has the BR600 and has done some wonderful  stuff with it, bit like yourself this is all he has ever needed and he won't be changing any time soon. But, like 64 has pointed out the compact flash cards are hard to get and seem very expensive, I can't find a 1 gb one anywhere. Personally I reckon the BR80 may have been a better choice for yourself, however this still would of been a steep learning curve but maybe not as much as the 800.

And it sounds like you, like me, do things that we feel very comfortable and content with and that's not a bad place to be.

[Hilary]

Latest update on the BR800
I don't like it-
I tried hard to get into it
but no.
so it will be in the post to it's new owner on Monday morning
Ok -I will lose out on it -by about 10Euro/7 pounds/12 $ (postage to Galway)
but its not for me
==========================
I did try but I am old fashioned in my outlook
so my opinion -is only mine
I don't want to be tied to Sonar or any other PC recording -
I just couldn't get to grips with it
the 800 has some great features like harmony etc -
but the BR600 (worn out as it is -like myself smile3) is my comfort recording zone -
and I think I will buy another 600 2nd hand -from one of the local sites -just to have on standby.
they are going pretty cheap.
========================
maybe I never gave the 800 a chance -but .........................

Tommy

Oh sweetie, as long as you're making music it doesn't matter what you record it with

[fenderbender]

Thanks for your comments Haylie -chip and 64
==================
 64
On your query re the 800
I more or less thought it would be the next natural step up for me from the 600 (which like myself is old and decrepid
now once again it is a classy piece of recording equipment
all your points as usual make good sense 64
so it is me as I have said before.
I have a couple of cards for the 600 so I am ok that way.
I know they are now obsolete-but maybe I should look sideways as you have suggested at the 900
thanks for taking the time to discuss this with me
as usual 64 you are a rock of sense and a mine of great info-


Tommy
ps now wheres me old jumper(sweater) that I have had for the last 20 years

[fenderbender]

Thanks Haylie you are an angel

chip -A friend of mine has a br80 -maybe I will try and borrow it for a while

regards

Tommy

[chip]

Thanks Haylie you are an angel

chip -A friend of mine has a br80 -maybe I will try and borrow it for a while

regards

Tommy

Hi Tommy. Yes mate I think you should. One thing about the 80 is there is loads of info on here and the tube. However it is small and has no sliders but is quite a bit easier to navigate than the MBR and you have 8 tracks to play with before the hassle of a bounce. Give it a whirl and let us know what you think. Cheers Chip.

[64Guitars]

Apart from the 1GB limit, there's nothing wrong with the old BRs. I wouldn't call them obsolete. I'm still using my BR-864 which I bought 10 years ago. The new BRs have some advantages that interest me (control surface, audio interface, new effects, etc.) but they also lack some features I've grown used to. For example, I use my BR-864's MIDI Out quite often to sync it with my keyboard and the new BRs don't have MIDI. So I'm in no hurry to upgrade. My BR-864 suits me just fine for now. If Roland comes out with a more advanced recorder that includes MIDI, I might be interested. But until then, I'll stick with my BR-864.

So, if you're comfortable with your BR-600 or you want to try a BR-900, there's nothing wrong with that, as long as you have enough 1GB CompactFlash cards to last you.

On the other hand, you might like the BR-80, and if you can borrow one from your friend to try it out, that would be a great idea. There are a few things you might find hard to get used to. The main one is the lack of faders. Since you're used to having faders, this might seem strange. You have to select the track first, then use the wheel to adjust the level. On the plus side, memory cards for the BR-80 are easy to find and inexpensive, and it has lots of new effects for you to experiment with. Plus, the drum machine's a bit easier to program since you don't have to specify starting measures. If you can borrow a BR-80 and weigh up the pros and cons, you'll be able to decide if it's the right recorder for you.