Which recorder(s) do you currently use?

[Ted]

If all BR data are alike, it would be great to record 'on-the-go' on the micro, and then take the CARD to edit on the tabletop gear 

I'm sure that someone will confirm or dis-confirm this, but my understanding is that the Micro BR data files can be used on the other BR models but not necessarily in the other direction. (Only some data from say a BR 600 can be read and used in a Micro BR.)

You might not need to worry about the difference in media cards as long as you have at least two free USB ports on your computer.  If I'm right--which happens occasionally--you could connect your Micro BR and bigger BR to your computer at the same time, and drag a BRO folder from the MBR to the bigger BR. (Of course, you'd have to adjust for any folder name conflicts.)  Once you'd done that, your songs could be opened in the bigger BR, and you could continue from there.  I don't know what would become of any drum sequence data.

I'd like to know if I'm right about this, because I'm feeling BR 600 envy--and I have to keep reminding myself that I have a MacBook Pro with GarageBand already on it.

[64Guitars]

Some of the Micro BR's files are compatible with the BR-600/900/864 (see page 109 of the Micro BR manual). However, any files with the extension ".BR1" are unique to the Micro BR and will not be recognised by any other BR. These include "ARRANGE3.BR1" (drum arrangements) and "EFFECTS3.BR1" (song effects). So that just leaves your recorded track data.

Since you can only exchange track data with other BRs, you might as well just export your tracks to WAV files with the BR Wave Converter. Then you can import them into any recorder or software DAW.

[SenhorLampada]

Yep! That's what I thought!
Too bad you can't exchange data without using a computer as an intermediator!

But that's the beautiful thing about these new 'netbooks'
Light enough to sequence midi and assist on some audio related tasks (backup and intermediator)

It seems like i'd go for the BR 900... But the BR 600 is SO cute!

[tony]

I'd like to know if I'm right about this, because I'm feeling BR 600 envy--and I have to keep reminding myself that I have a MacBook Pro with GarageBand already on it.

I too have BR600 envy.  But envy is a serious part of my personality.  The serious point that Ted's comment brings up is the difference between the MBR and the other members of the BR family.  The MBR is the best recorder I have without a doubt (I use the MBR and Garageband).  But it doesn't really stand up as an audio editor.  That's where the strength of the BR600s and above come in.  Desktop machines have more space for everything.

There is no problem editing on the MBR but it is fiddly and annoying to keep going backwards and forwards through the menus.  A machine with faders and mutes makes all the difference for listening to different combinations of tracks.  And that affects how you think of the arrangements in the same way the the MBR's portability, clarity and ease of recording affects how you think about recording things.  Whether you go with one of the bigger models or a DAW is another set of questions but I know that having Garageband already means that I can't justify buying a BR600.  Especially when I need a new microphone, monitors, a HammondSuzuki melodion would be nice, my mandolin fixed, a bottle of whiskey, my teeth fixed ..............

[SenhorLampada]

Hey Tony... It's a long list of desires!

Just on the audio side... I'd like to have the Korg Electribes ESX and EMX, Roland's SP-404, Korg's MicroSampler, MicroKorg XL, Kaossilator and M-Audio's Axiom 49 or 61

This just to get started!
I also need multi-band compressor, eq, pre-amp for the dynamics processing

Oh... and room space for all that stuff!
Oh boy 

[tony]

Hey Tony... It's a long list of desires!

A long list of desire - I thought that's what they invented the internet for.

I keep the real long list on an external hard drive.

[SenhorLampada]

Does it work?

[tony]

Does it work?

Sure, as long as I don't plug it in.

[simonbath]

i use micro br...but im going through a quiet phase at the moment so it sint seeing much action. no doubt it will sometime soon. if anyone can let me know the latest device similarly sized but with even more features then i am all ears. thanks for the email and im glad to be back in this great helpful friendly necessary forum. kind regards to all.

[Ted]

I'd like to know if I'm right about this, because I'm feeling BR 600 envy--and I have to keep reminding myself that I have a MacBook Pro with GarageBand already on it.

I too have BR600 envy.  But envy is a serious part of my personality.  The serious point that Ted's comment brings up is the difference between the MBR and the other members of the BR family.  The MBR is the best recorder I have without a doubt (I use the MBR and Garageband).  But it doesn't really stand up as an audio editor.  That's where the strength of the BR600s and above come in.  Desktop machines have more space for everything.

I had a chance to crack GarageBand in the last week.  I took a guitar part that was sent to me as an MP3, and hacked it all up and rearranged it.  It would have been extremely laborious to do the same on the Micro BR -- perhaps on any BR, unless there's one where you can see the waveform and cut visually.

But I put the guitar part right back on the MBR where I will add drums and bass.

I see a happy marriage in the works between the complimentary features of each tool:

|Feature	|Micro BR	|GarageBand
|Gets me off the cursed computer	|Yes	|No
|Vary tempo between different parts of a song	|Yes	|No
|Create custom drum patterns and non-4/4 rhythms	|Not easily	|Yes
|MIDI input, output, and sync	|No	|Yes
|Ability to edit bad notes input by drum or keyboard.	|No	|Yes
|Library of instrument sounds.	|No	|Yes

I imagine I'll be using GarageBand for:

• Rearranging sound files
• Occasional drum arrangements--in combination with my little digital drum kit, and only when I run into the limitations of the Micro BR
• Keyboard parts that push my meager abilities (i.e. any keyboard part)