BR users still active here?

[Tnguitar]

Hi all.  I have been a BR recorder user for a long time, Roland VS user too.  I am now getting to know my new BR800, and just wanted to know if there are still many guys out here still on these machines.

I am loving the 800 so far.  I like having the drum machine, but mainly I have started just putting loops together in Sonar using EZ drummer or actual audio loops.  I just make a song in Sonar and name it the same as the song on the BR.  Stretch a simple verse beat from one of the styles out to about 4 minutes, same as just bringing up a beat on the BR, just something to write and record to.  Save that song with the drum track in Sonar and export a wav file with the ave converter to the br, same tempo as the song in Sonar.   That track is just e scratc track, no fills or anything, it will be deleted, but I record to it and do my tracks on the BR, then when I am done I can mix down/bounce to a stereo track then move the track back over to Sonar where my drum track is still saved, then I can drag in my fills from EZ drummer and add sft synths as well if I want.

I have a Line six Toneport and Sonar X3, and I knw how to record on the computer just fine, but I have found that the sound quality has never been as good to me as portable devces.  I am not sure if this is because of the electronicsin computers or what, or if it's the converters being in a clearner environment, I'm not sure but even at 24 bit on the computer it still does not have the recorded quality of the 16 bit BR recorders.  And the same goes for Tascam and Zoom recorders, I have had many of them, and they always just sound better to me than audio recorded on the computer.  The first time I heard the old Br8 I fell in love, it just sounded different and portable recorders just always have and that's why I still love them.

I have had many interfaces on the computer and none of them ever sounded as warm and intimate as portable recorders.  I have had the M-audio 1010, cards from Yamaha and various other interfaces, nothin ever touched portable recorders like my old Yamaha minidisc recorder, my Roland VS 890 and 840ex, Br8, Zoom R24, R16, and R8.  I have went through a ton of them.

My new Br800 has a version 1.12 on it, yet the site is at 1.10, so I wonder what is up with that?  I am so happy they added the track editing the old BR's had.  I can copy a measure to fix another mistake measure on here even faster than in Sonar.  On te computer you do it visually, you would think that would be great but it's even easier to just remember 3 numbers.  Find the start of the mistake measure, find a good measure to copy and just remember the 3 numbers and you are done in 30 seconds, so easy. 

Anyway, sorry for rambling, jusy hoping guys still like to post here and discuss these classic BR recorders.

[Geir]

First of all, welcome to the site tnguitar '

Yes there are quite a few br users here. I have both the 80 and the 800 and tho many of my latest songs are made on the iPad I still consider the brs as my main recorders. There's nothing like the no-hassle workflow of a stand-alone recorder.

If you have any questions or wisdom to share, don't hesitate to post. And it would be great to here some of your music too. We're a friendly and supportive bunch of weirdos here so don't be shy

[64Guitars]

Welcome to Songcrafters, Tnguitar.

Most of our active members still use a BR as their primary recorder. Some are starting to explore software DAWs and iPad apps but they mostly use them to supplement their BR rather than replace it. My BR-864, which I've had since 2003, is still used for all of my recordings, though I always do my mixing and editing in software.

Most of our active members display icons in their signature below each post to indicate what recording gear and/or software they use. By browsing through the posts, you'll see that most of us still use one or more Boss recorders. If you want to add recorder icons to your own signature, see this guide:

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=8

My new Br800 has a version 1.12 on it, yet the site is at 1.10, so I wonder what is up with that?

I asked a contact at Roland about this when version 1.11 started appearing in new BR-800s. He told me that Roland Japan sometimes releases updates internally that are marked "for service usage only". These are only needed for newly-manufactured units which might have component substitutions or other engineering changes that don't affect the specifications or features of the BR. Since the newly-manufactured units are shipped with the latest version, there's no need to make it available to the public since owners of older units would not benefit from the new version (though it would do no harm). So Roland only makes updates available to the public when they fix bugs or offer improvements such as better memory card compatibility. See the following post:

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=14559.msg214640#msg214640

[Tnguitar]

Yeah, well they are at 1.12 now, thought I might have gotten more features but I guess not.  It's a sweet machine anyway.  I'll tell ya, you guys would freak if I listed all the portable recorders I have owned and sold.  Thinkin back on it now, I am just stunned at how many.  I'll list just the ones I can think of this minute, and I am not joking here, I remember each recorder specifcally.  I would use one and then either decide to go back to computer nly or would want to try something different thinking at the time I might get a better sound.  So here we go.
I started with the VS890, then a Br8, and the rest are in no particular order. 

VS890
Br8
VS840GS X2
Fostex VF160
Yamaha Md8 minidisc
Yamaha Md4s Minidisc
Zoom Mrs 1080? First mrs 8 track?
MRS 864? the newer mrs 8 track
MRS8, the little one  X2
MRS 1600 (Great machine, great drum machine and editing wish I would have kept it
BR1180
Br864
Another br8
Zoom R16
Zoom R8 X2
Zoom r24 (sold it to pay a ticket)
br600
Tascam 788

used and sold for various reasona.  Many I sold for some new equipment I thought would be the be all end all, like new mic preamps or something.  I wish I had all the money I have wasted by buying equipment and selling it because I wanted some new toy I thought would sound better.  Like I said in my first post, many times it was because I just think that recording in to the computer doesn't sound as good for some reason and I have ha many a different interface for the computer too and it never really could match the sound of portable recorders to me.  Many of the recorders, just like my new BR800 are because of zzounds and other sellers allowing you to do the 4 payment plan, just too tempting, lol.  Yeah, I'll post some of my songs on these various recorders if I can remember which were done on what.

Maybe I can help here because of my experience with Sonar and all the tons of recorders I have had, I will if I can. 

[Bluesberry]

Hi there Tnguitar.  I use a MicroBR and a BR-1200 pretty much exclusively, BR-80 also a bit.  I am looking forward to hearing your music.  Thats a crap load of gear bought and sold, WOW.  I thought I was bad.  I just buy it and never sell anything, thats my problem, the gear just keeps on piling up.  I can't bring myself to parting with anything.  Welcome aboard.

[Redler]

Welcome aboard! I'm looking forward to hear some music from you!

I use Micro BR and BR-80, sometimes Korg Sound on Sound multitracker. I'm sure you're in the right place!

[Tnguitar]

Here's one I did on the BR-1180
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=86023&songID=579551

Most of my newer stuff has been done on the computer in Sonar.  So here is a few.  I have older stuff from BR recorders here at home backed up so I will have to put some back up on my soundclick.  Here are a few done in the last couple years in Sonar.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11726424
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11592575
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11587258
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11300158
One done on the Zoom little MRS8 http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=9390572

Looking forward to hearing some from you guys.  Glad I found this lace.

[IanR]

Hi Jeff,

I clicked on the link.

Your song "Pretty Little Girl" is great.

Welcome aboard.

I have been using a BR for a few years and I have recently graduated to also using Sonar for a lot of my stuff.

It sounds like you have been playing and recording music for a long time. I'd be interested to know what you do and how you record.

cheers,

Ian

[Tnguitar]

Thank Ian.  Yeah, I was just thinking this morning about one thing on the 800 they left out that is a huge deal for me and I wish very badly was still there, and that's the drum pads.  I used to simply lay my song down to a verse beat on the drum machine, then I would just use my fingers and do fills and ride cymbals recorded to a track and that was so easy to do for drums.  Now the 800 has no pads and I see that I am really going to miss them. 

As far as recording I just simply do it in my bedroom sitting on the side of my bed, lol.  I hadn't listened to the computer songs I have recently done in Sonar for a while and was surprised at how good they sounded, and then remembered that I had recorded those guitars direct through one of the Tech 21 SansAmp units, the newer amp series.  They have one for a Fender, Vox and Marshall.  These were on the Fender model usingthe speaker simulator.  I forget how well that thing recorded.  Like all my older stuff I eended up selling the couple I had to get something else. 

Right now I have got one of the mini Fender Mustang amps and I just love this little thing.  Runs off batteries as well when needed.  I set it on my bed, put a pillow down and set my mic on it in front of the amp, then continue to pile up blankets until I have a thick wall that will soak up the reflections to mimic a studio as best as I can.   As soon as I get some songs done with this new way I'll post them up.  I have only had my 800 for just over a week now, so haven't had a chance to get a song finished as I have had to learn its ins and outs and what's possible with it.

Anyway, have a listen to the links to the songs done in Sonar and see what you think of those Tech 21 units, the bass and guitars were done through those and I would really like to get another one of those some day but they are expensive, like 180 dollars or so for just the one Fender model pedal, but it's sweet no doubt.  But so far, from just a couple practice tracks I am rett sure I am going to love miking this little Mustang mini with a blanket wall in front of it. 

Other than that, I have two of the Behringer pencil mics condensers for acoustic wen I do that, and I have a large condenser Nady SCM 1000 for vocals. 

On the computer I have the Toneport 2 interface with Amp farm and a tone of plugins, like wavs full package and several VSC soft synths, like NI B4 organs plug, dimention pro that comes with Sonar and various others.

Then as for guitar I use a Squier classic vibe, the redone wth maple fretboard and I have a set of Fender Fat 50's custom pickups in it, and I have a Squier custom baby blue color aso about the same price as the Classic vibe. 

I also have some home made bass traps for my corners in my room, they are rigid fiberglass panels 2 foot wwide by 4 foot hih, I have sx panels to handle 3 corners of my room, floor to ceiling.

I am a solo entertainer for a living (a meager living I assure you, lol) and here is a couple links of me doing what I do on stage.  I use midi backing tracks, some I make myself and most downloaded and I use Sonar to make them and then use EZ drums for the drums and a bass patch from Dimention pro and I play guitar and sing to them.   I haven't played in a year because of sickness i have not figured out yet, maybe even because of breathing in these insulation fibers over the years I am suspecting, I'm not sure.  It's been hell and I'll let you know more bout that as I get to know everyone.

This is me a couple years ago, one at a Winery hee in East TN, and another at a 4th of July party the night before (The Neil Young song)  Hope you enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcazroBDHKo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV32lPKWx1c

[Geir]

You are a great entertainer! And a fab guitarist!

Enjoyed watching your videos