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Digital 4 Track Recorders?

Posted by Cliff on from the for-you-music-makers-out-there dept.

leftist writes "I'm looking for an entry level digital 4 or 8 track digital recorder to experiment with in the $500 range. Any product recommendations or warnings out there in the geek crowd? Something that uses mp2/mp3 natively a plus!" Krow: What, you wanted content with your story?

6 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. Re:It figures... by Eneff · · Score: 3, Informative

    Linux, of course!

    (sorry, had to be said)

    http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM02/Content/ Zo om/PR/MRS-4.html -- 450 bucks.

    http://www.crmav.com/recording/81/pxr4_4_track_d ig ital_recorder.shtml -- 300 bucks

  2. Re:It figures... by Scaba · · Score: 2, Informative
    So I'll post my own question, guessing what the post was supposed to be: I'm in the market for a digital multitrack, but since I'll be recording my wife's voice, a guitar and keyboard, I shouldn't need more than four tracks. I've seen lots of expensive digital 8-track and 16-track recorders, but a simple, high-quality digital equivalent of the old casette four-tracks (we own one of the casette types) would be really nice and would save some money. So what do people recommend?

    Something off this page. From what you're asking, the Delta 66 may be the right one. Don't waste your time with cassettes, digital or not, when for about the same price, you get 6 in/6 out, and virtually unlimited tracks in software (CoolEdit, Cubase, etc.).

  3. Re:Echo Audio's Layla by Stinson · · Score: 2, Informative

    Correction, its the layla 24bit, and its a 8track (leave it to me to screw something that simple up)...here is the product page

  4. software or hardware? by phaxkolumbo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Please, people, if you don't know what s/he's asking, keep your trap shut, m'kay? We're talking audio here, so signal-to-noise ratio counts, you see...

    But, do you want to go the hardware or software recording route?

    If you have a decent enough computer (G3 macs or PII upwards x86s will do the trick for about 16 tracks), you might consider getting a good soundcard.

    I personally use a M-Audio Delta44, 4 inputs, 4 outputs, nothing more. Perfect for recording. They have nice break-out boxes, so you don't have to crouch behind your computer when plugging in your guitars, basses or mics, they work under Macs, PC's and have linux support via ALSA (yes, linux can do multitracking as well). When you need more tracks, you can just add more cards and get 8/8 or up to 16/16 in/out-system.

    As for recording software, well... my delta came with a cut-down version of Logic Audio, which should be good enough for start. Most 'pro-sumer' soundcards come up with basic software, so you shouldn't need to cough up any more money for it in the beginning.

    Other software: Cubase is nice, and there's nice 'lite'-versions for beginners (some soundcards come with this instead of logic). Cakewalk is quite popular as well.

    If you just want audio recording (the aforementioned do MIDI as well), then there's Cool Edit Pro. For free, there's Audacity (audacity does Windows, Linux and Mac) which is proficient enough multitrack audio editor. SLab is a good linux multitrack recorder.

    And mp3, well, you don't want to use mp3 for multitrack recording, but most modern software can import mp3-sounds, and output the result to mp3 (some of them [cool edit/audacity] can do ogg as well)

    If you want a proper hardware recorder (which are nice, since you can take them to your rehersal space, summer cottage, ..., what have you), then there's plenty to choose from. Most of these are a couple of years old, so you can find them for reasonable prices used (or even new!)

    Roland VS-8xx series, they're nice, compact, can do 4-track recording, and 8-track playback. Loads of features, and useful later on even if you grow out of this one. Earlier models had inbuilt harddrives, the later ones have ZIP-drives (if I remember correctly). If you can get one for cheap (and i think you should), then go for this one.

    Korg D-8. A bit easier to operate, but quite useful nevertheless.

    And i think Fostex had some as well, just keep your eyes open in the pawnshops.

  5. Zoom MRS-4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    I am pleased with my Zoom MRS-4. In particular, I like the on board effects: compressors/limiters during recording, reverb at mixdown. These effects are useful to anybody using the device, and there aren't any guitar effects that I wouldn't use (I'm recording accoustic intruments and voice).

    It is also possible to mix down onto two "virtual tracks" without the need for an external recorder.

    You're welcome
    Tom

  6. Steer clear of software digital recording tools by LizardKing · · Score: 2, Informative

    My personal recommendation would be the Boss BR-8 digital multitrack (http://www.musicstop.com/update/200008/product.ht m). It has eight tracks, and you can mixdown as much as you want - with no degradation of course. There are two multi effects devices built in, and a decent set of other features. It records onto Zip disks, which are more convenient than a hard disk based system IMHO.

    It looks like it retails for around $600 in the States (I picked up mine for £450 in the UK). In comparison, all the computer based digital recording systems I've used are unstable, unfriendly and overpriced. Why people still buy things like Steinbergs software is beyond me, they've not produced a stable release since Pro 16 on my humble Commodore 64.

    Chris