NEW R20 Multitrack Recorder from Zoom - And now the R12 too!

[64Guitars]

Update - 2022-09-26 - Now there's a little brother to the R20 - the new R12. See https://songcrafters.org/forum/index.php?msg=391789

I don't think it's been officially released yet, but news has leaked of a new multitrack recorder from Zoom.

https://zoomcorp.com/en/us/digital-mixer-multi-track-recorders/multi-track-recorders/r20/

https://ir.zoom.co.jp/news/auto_20211108427703/pdfFile.pdf

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=zoom+r20&ia=web

Quick Tour manual: https://zoomcorp.com/media/documents/E_R20_QuickTour.pdf

Owner's Manual: https://zoomcorp.com/media/documents/E_R20.pdf

Guitar Lab software Reference Manual: https://zoomcorp.com/media/documents/E_GuitarLab_v7.0.pdf

Features:

• 16-Tracks Recorder with pro-quality 8-channel Fader Mixer and onboard 4.3-inch, full-colour Touchscreen LCD
• Faders and controls are colour-coded to match screen clips
• Onboard 8-voice FM music synthesizer for creating backing tracks
• USB-C connection and MIDI Host function for instant connection of MIDI Keyboards
• Built-in Multi-Effects Processor - compatible with Zoom GuitarLab software
• Wireless Bluetooth control (via optional BTA-1) with R20 App for iOS supporting Accessibility
• Direct recording to SDHC / SDXC cards up to 1TB
• Equipped with 6 XLR mic inputs and 2 XLR / TRS combo jacks
• 48V phantom power ON / OFF switch (INPUT 5-6 / INPUT 7-8)
• Hi-Z input switch (INPUT1) that can be directly connected to a guitar / bass
• 150 types of rhythm loops that allow you to build rhythm tracks by dragging and dropping
• 3-band EQ and PAN can be set for each track, and compressor / limiter / noise gate can be set for 8 tracks (TRACK 1-8 or TRACK 9-16) at the same time
• USB audio interface function for PC / Mac / iPhone / iPad (PC / Mac: 8 in 4 out, iPhone / iPad *: 2 in 2 out)
• WAV / SMF data can be read and project backups can be saved via an external USB memory
• DAW software for PC / Mac, Steinberg Cubase LE download license included

2021-12-11: Pre-order pricing advertised as $399.99 USD or £349 GBP.










https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY2eFe1z93Q

More R20 videos from Zoom can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwqM3vvQSt5MDdGYYXCtg-2c73lbynv9v

[AndyR]

That looks REALLY cool.
Never been a big fan of ZOOM stuff, but that does look cool.

The only downside for me is in one of the really cool bits: I HATE touchscreens! 
It's not their fault, I just can't get on with them.

I love how they've made it look like a multi-track cassette recorder!

[Greeny]

This looks amazing, and I'm glad Zoom are still even considering standalone recording units / portable studios. It could easily tempt me away from the MBR as I'm still very reluctant to go down a completely DAW route.

[64Guitars]

The only downside for me is in one of the really cool bits: I HATE touchscreens! 
It's not their fault, I just can't get on with them.

I'm the same. I have a hard time getting a touchscreen interface to do what I want and not do something catastrophic instead. Simple icon clicks are okay, but scrolling is a big problem for me. I always end up triggering some other function that I didn't want, then I have to figure out how to get back to the screen I was trying to scroll and try again, often with the same result.

On the other hand, the touchscreen gives you a full keyboard for typing in project names, filenames, etc. That's a lot more convenient than a BR, for example, where you laboriously enter each character by scrolling through the entire alphabet, uppercase and lowercase plus digits and other characters.



I would imagine that, in time, you'd get used to the touchscreen interface and it would become less frustrating.

[64Guitars]

This looks amazing, and I'm glad Zoom are still even considering standalone recording units / portable studios. It could easily tempt me away from the MBR as I'm still very reluctant to go down a completely DAW route.

I'm tempted too. Although, to be honest, I think it's just my excitement at finally seeing the introduction of a new multitrack recorder. It's been years since anyone offered anything new and I thought it might be the end of standalone multitrack recorders. I'm glad that Zoom has proved me wrong. I hope the R20 is a very successful product for them. Maybe it will inspire Boss and other manufacturers to jump on the bandwagon and create some new multitrack recorders.

Nowadays, I tend to use my BR-864 only for capturing a few raw tracks. Then I copy those tracks to the computer and do all my editing and processing in a DAW. So I don't really need a lot of editing features in the recorder, just basic recording and some good guitar effects.

Mind you, the R20 could make that process a bit easier since it writes directly to WAV files (no conversion of tracks is needed). And, as I understand it, you can plug a USB flash drive into the R20's USB-C port and copy your tracks directly to it as WAV files. I could then take that USB flash drive to my computer and quickly and easily import the tracks into a DAW. So, if the price of the R20 proves to be irresistible, I just might decide to get one. If nothing else, it would be a lot of fun to play with and learn about.

[64Guitars]

Here's a review from someone in Japan who bought one a few days ago. So I guess it's officially released in Japan, but there's no sign of it on other Zoom sites. We'll have to wait.

https://jyo--ji-com.translate.goog/entry/20211115?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=nui

Interesting that no SD card is included. And no USB cable either. Also, there's no built-in microphone. You have to use external mics. And power is strictly from the included power adapter. Battery power isn't an option.

The power adapter plug has a metal locking ring that screws onto the jack so the plug can't be accidentally yanked out while you're recording.

[64Guitars]

I checked a few Japanese online retailers and they all show the price at ¥49,800 (tax included).

According to the OANDA currency converter, that works out to the following prices:

British Pounds	322.95
Euros	384.107
U.S. Dollars	434.566
Canadian Dollars	546.623
Australian Dollars	596.995

To see how this compares to real prices, I checked the Japanese prices of the Zoom R8 and R24, converted them to US dollars at OANDA, then compared with the US dollars prices at Sweetwater.

The Zoom R8 is ¥28,930 which is $252.45 U.S. and Sweetwater is currently offering it for $299.99. A difference of $47.54 (18.8% higher than in Japan).

The Zoom R24 is ¥40,150 which is $350.358 U.S. and Sweetwater is currently offering it for $499.99. A difference of $149.63 (42.7% higher than in Japan).

Factoring in those markups, we get the following possible price ranges:

	Price	+18.8%	+42.7%
British Pounds	322.95	383.67	460.85
Euros	384.107	456.32	548.12
U.S. Dollars	434.566	516.26	620.13
Canadian Dollars	546.623	649.39	780.03
Australian Dollars	596.995	709.23	851.91

So I'm guessing the R20 will be about $516 to $620 US, or £380 to £460 UK. But that's just speculation. Zoom can set whatever prices they like in each country. Also, retailers will often sell for less.

For comparison, here are the current prices for some other recorders at Sweetwater in US dollars.

Boss Micro BR 80	$267.99
Zoom R8	$299.99
TASCAM DP-03SD	$329.00
TASCAM DP-24SD	$499.00
Zoom R24	$499.99

So the Zoom R20 certainly isn't cheap. Although the R20 looks really cool and interesting, the TASCAM DP-24SD may be a lot better and it probably costs less than the R20.

I would have liked to compare it to the price of a BR-800 too but I couldn't find any US online retailers that still carry it. But, if I recall correctly, it was originally selling for about $449 US. So the Zoom R20 will likely be more expensive than the BR-800s were when they were still available.

[AndyR]

Yeah, I'm tempted too.

My understand was it's writing to and reading wav as well.
I saw something that implied it can run at the same 24bit 44.1 that I'm running my Studio and anything else on the PC - that would make me feel comfortable that is if I did accidentally get "the" take while noodling with this on the sofa then I wouldn't be getting any mismatch stuff going on.

It also got me wondering about the BR800 - I saw no need for it when I was using the BR1600. But as a feeder to a DAW, mebbe (and I like the Boss DACs).

But, is it discontinued? A quick search looks like it is?

Right at the moment, though, it's kinda less faff setting up and starting a song in my DAW than it was on the BR1600, and I don't need to feel that portable, so something like this would actually be a luxury I don't really need.

If I owned a car and was doing the sort of thing Hook does, yeah, I'd be interested... but it needs mains?
Don't own a car though... in fact, I don't leave the house!!

[Geir]

Yeah this looks interesting.

We are gonna get some gear to Optimission, and first on our list is a MTR.

We did manage on our last session to use two BR800s hooked together so we got 7 tracks (due to the lack of a mic stand we only used 6), and it worked fine, but as they do not sync, i had to manually sync the tracks from one recorder to the other. (result can be heard here).

But we would like to have a recorder with:
* at least 8 inputs (16 if we start using acoustic drums, but that probably won't happen),
* phantom power on all inputs,
* easy transfer of files
* compressor FX on input
* quick setup of new songs (template or ability to easily copy an empty song fully set up)


ah I just realised only two jack inputs .... hmmmmm well

maybe the TASCAM DP-24SD is a better choice...... any thoughts?

[64Guitars]

Yeah, I'm tempted too.

If my speculation about the price proves correct, I'll be a lot less tempted to buy an R20. I'm guessing it will be between $650 and $780 Canadian dollars. The TASCAM DP-24SD is $699.99 Canadian. I'd have to compare the two recorders in detail before making a decision, but my initial feeling is that the TASCAM would be a better choice for me. But everyone's needs are different and I can see how the R20 might be a better choice for some people.

Realistically, I probably won't be buying a new recorder for a long time. The BR-864 works well enough for my current needs. I was initially hoping (perhaps foolishly) that the R20 would be in the neighbourhood of $300 to $400. If it were, then I would be tempted to get one because it would simplify my workflow a bit and it would be fun to play with and explore. But if I'm right that it will be more like $650 to $780, then it isn't worth that much to me for the small benefits I'd gain in workflow and having a bit of fun with a new toy. And, although the TASCAM is probably a better choice for me, I don't really need all that it offers. So I think I'll continue using the BR-864 a while longer. Maybe someone will eventually release an inexpensive multitrack recorder that writes directly to WAV files and accepts a USB flash drive for transferring files. It wouldn't surprise me if Zoom will soon discontinue the R8, R16, and R24 and release some new models with touchscreens like the R20 to complete the product line.

My understand was it's writing to and reading wav as well.
I saw something that implied it can run at the same 24bit 44.1 that I'm running my Studio and anything else on the PC - that would make me feel comfortable that is if I did accidentally get "the" take while noodling with this on the sofa then I wouldn't be getting any mismatch stuff going on.

When you create a new project, you can click the Details button and set the bit depth to either 16 bit or 24 bit. I expect that, once selected, it will remember your choice for that project. However, I don't know what the default bit depth is. If it's 16 bit, it could be frustrating if you forget to change it to 24 bit when you create your project. It's possible that there's a global setting somewhere where you could tell it to always default new projects to 24 bit, but I haven't seen any evidence of such a setting so far and I kind of doubt that there is one.





By the way, the sampling rate is fixed at 44.1kHz. There is no option for higher settings such as 48kHz, 96kHz, or 192kHz. That's not necessarily a problem but it's good to be aware of for anyone comparing the R20 to other available recorders. For example, the TASCAM DP-24SD offers the choices of 44.1kHz or 48 kHz for sampling rate and 16 bit or 24 bit for the bit depth.

It also got me wondering about the BR800 - I saw no need for it when I was using the BR1600. But as a feeder to a DAW, mebbe (and I like the Boss DACs).

But, is it discontinued? A quick search looks like it is?

Yes, the BR-800 is marked "discontinued" on the global Boss site. However, the US site and the UK site still list the BR-800 as a current product. I think this means that Boss is no longer manufacturing the BR-800 but Boss US and Boss UK may still have some old stock, so they're not marking it discontinued until all the stock is sold. Or maybe it is discontinued in the US and UK but they haven't updated their websites yet. I searched some popular US online retailers like Sweetwater for the BR-800 and they all said "This item is no longer available". I didn't check any UK sites but I expect it will be the same. The BR-800 is history.