New BR model - the BR-800

[BuleriaChk]

FWIW, my new Netbook (Toahiba NB305-310) just arrived in time for my gig (actually yesterday, but I had to configure it software, add 2 Gb memory, etc.).  I put all my backing tracks in Ableton Live on it, and it worked prerfectly, even though I was using the sound card.  (Of course, I wasn't stressing it much - my backing tracks are VERY simple....) Didn't have to use Battery even....

And I learned some new things about Live.  In any case, with a nanoKontrol (and nanoLive), the combination far exceeds anything I've tried to date.  So my BR's are now relegated to backup, and my DR-880 is (another) white elephant......

[vierge99]

I emailed Boss on their Back-stage Pass website with my suggestions for a firmware update. I doubt it will get very far but we can always hope.

I just wanted to point out that even this block doesn't diminish my love for the device.

Maybe it's just fanboy-ism but the BR-800 just functions so well that I just ENJOY using the device. And in turn it's actually increasing how much I use it. Which is the goal.

[Geir]

What's the word on the 800 being a good entry-level unit? Is it a no-brainer?

Having had this unit for only a week I'm still not sure what to answer to that question...... but ...

I had, as you may know, the Korg D16 and the MicroBR before buying the BR800. The korg, being the most complex one, is still fairly easy to use with it's touch-screen and a good layout, and quite logical in it's menues and buttons. The MicroBR, tho it has limited amounts of buttons and a small display, is also (with a few exeptions) quite logical and structured. I like the fact that they've separated bouncing and mastering and tho no faders may be a drawback in some cases (fading in/out, gainriding ....) the positive thing is that it remembers the levels even if you switch between songs.

The BR800 is easy to record good quality vocals and acoustic instruments (tho I think I still get better recordings of vox with the micro, but that I expect will change soon when I'm more get more to grips with the placement of the mics, maybe using one instead of two mics for vox .. etc). The effects are better than any of the others I've used. The reverb is miles ahead of the MicroBR!!! And having 8 tracks makes life much easier on bigger productions (and I've had a few lately on the Micro )

The things that bugs me about the 800 is the lack of trackediting, the fact that when you make a drum arrangement you can't listen to the tracks you've recorded while building the arrangement !!!!!!!! WTF is that about That is a thing I hope will be fixed in a firmware upgrade. And why did they abandon the bounce mode? Ok it may not be such a big deal, but the manual sucks at this point. I'll admit I haven't read it all through, but I'm quite sure there's no explanation of mixing down tracks other than the chapter about mastering, and that focuses on : mastering.

For me the Micro was quite easy to get a grip on, the 800 only because I've had a Micro and know the concept of bouncing and mastering.

All that said, I still think it's a good buy. And depending on your knowledge of the concept of stand-alone recorders it may not be thatdifficult to get started, and if you've just learned the basics, and are willing to spend some time figuring the more complicated stuff out you'll have a fantastic tool in your hands at a fantastic prize.

I've still not used it as a control for Sonar, but tried the drum-editor and I'll rant some more about that later

 
cheers

[Oldrottenhead]

you better learn to work the bloody thing by september 24.

[64Guitars]

maybe using one instead of two mics for vox

Yes. There's not much to be gained by recording a single voice in stereo. I would only record vocals in stereo if recording a group of singers (maybe in September?).

The things that bugs me about the 800 is the lack of trackediting,

Hopefully, they'll fix that in a firmware update. But I think it's part of the design philosophy for this new kind of hybrid multitrack recorder that combines features of a standalone multitrack recorder with a software DAW. Since it's aimed at people who want to use a software DAW, I think they reasoned that you'd want to do all of your editing on the computer anyway, so they only included basic editing in the recorder (whole-track copy and erase). I believe the Zoom R16 is the same in that regard. You can copy or erase whole tracks on the R16 but more detailed editing must be done on the computer. I'm not sure about the newer R24 but I suspect it's the same.

But I think we've seen that people who want this type of hybrid recording system still want a full-featured standalone recorder, so they're unwilling to give up any features of the recorder. Hopefully, Roland will soon realise this and offer a firmware update to add better editing features in the BR-800.

the fact that when you make a drum arrangement you can't listen to the tracks you've recorded while building the arrangement !!!!!!!! WTF is that about

It's the same with all of the BRs; not just the BR-800. It would be nice if they would add a "preview" feature which would allow you to listen to a mix of your audio tracks and drum arrangement without having to leave arrangement mode.

And why did they abandon the bounce mode?

Actually, I think the way they've done it in the BR-800 makes perfect sense. I just wish they'd called it "Mixdown Mode" instead of "Mastering Mode".

In all of the BRs, bounce mode and mastering mode are used to mix multiple tracks down to a stereo pair. The only difference between the two modes is whether mastering effects are applied or not. In the BR-800, they've combined these two very similar modes and given you a switch to turn the mastering effects on and off.



When the Mastering FX are switched off, the output of the mixer section goes straight through to the destination tracks, just as it does in bounce mode on previous BRs. On rare occasions, you might want to use the mastering effects when bouncing (to add some EQ, for example). But, normally, you'd bounce with the mastering effects turned off.

In previous BRs, the mastering effects were not available in bounce mode. At least the BR-800 gives you the option to use them during bouncing if you want to, even though you seldom will. The only downside of this is that you might forget to turn them off when bouncing, and they'll compound with each bounce (just like forgetting to turn off the loop effects before bouncing).

Ok it may not be such a big deal, but the manual sucks at this point. I'll admit I haven't read it all through, but I'm quite sure there's no explanation of mixing down tracks other than the chapter about mastering, and that focuses on : mastering.

Yes. The manual could certainly stand some improvement in explaining mixing and mastering.

[Geir]

It's the same with all of the BRs; not just the BR-800. It would be nice if they would add a "preview" feature which would allow you to listen to a mix of your audio tracks and drum arrangement without having to leave arrangement mode.

Not all of them. The MicroBR has the feature !!! I might not have missed it if I had come from another model. But now I do !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I just wish they'd called it "Mixdown Mode" instead of "Mastering Mode".I agree !!! That alone would make it more understandable for a beginner. And I also think the master effect should default off in that mode. Mastering is the LAST thing you do and any masering effect before that should be a concious choice.

[pjd1]

Simple question that i may be barking up the wrong tree !! its say 8 track how can i split the 5/6 and 7/8 into 4 seperate respective tracks using the same volume controler ?? there are 8 tracks in the preview screen ??

Dunny

[vierge99]

Tracks 5/6, 7/8 cannot be split up into separate faders unfortunately. They are dedicated stereo tracks. There are some high res pics on Google images, if you look beneath the LCD screen you'll see the digital level area even lists the two tracks glued together.

Boss definitely got one thing brilliantly correct with the BR-800. It is by far the easiest to learn recorder I've ever used.

[Geir]

If you need to have separate faders on those tracks, you'd have to move them tracks to track 1,2,3 or 4.

This is another editing option "missing" on the BR800 but you can do it by copying them and then erasing the old. Exchanging tracks is also not there, but can be done too by copying and erasing.

[64Guitars]

It's the same with all of the BRs; not just the BR-800. It would be nice if they would add a "preview" feature which would allow you to listen to a mix of your audio tracks and drum arrangement without having to leave arrangement mode.

Not all of them. The MicroBR has the feature !!! I might not have missed it if I had come from another model. But now I do !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cool! I wasn't aware that the Micro BR could do that. In my BR-864's arrangement mode, pressing Play only allows you to hear the pattern of the currently selected step playing repeatedly. You can't hear your audio tracks unless you exit out of arrangement mode. I believe the BR-900 and 600 are the same. Not sure about the BR-1200 and 1600.

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I just wish they'd called it "Mixdown Mode" instead of "Mastering Mode".I agree !!! That alone would make it more understandable for a beginner. And I also think the master effect should default off in that mode. Mastering is the LAST thing you do and any masering effect before that should be a concious choice.

Great idea! Master FX should default to off in Mixdown Mode. That would practically eliminate the chance of bouncing with mastering effects applied by mistake.