portable multi-track recorders

[eviljoker7075]

Hey guys, I have taken a bit of a break from the home recording business... however I know wish to get back into it.

I like to use Kristal Audio Engine to sequence and mix my tracks, but I have been having a few problems actually recording the audio in the first place.

Also, I have several friends who would like me to go to thier houses and record some of thier material, so I thought it might be worth investing in a portable multi-track recorder. I would like it if I could then take the recordings off that onto the computer to mix/sequence etc.

My question is, is this an effective way of working, and if so what recorder should I buy??

[cortexx]

i use the Fostex MR8-HD. great for basic mixing and digital recording , has an in ternal hard drive for storing all your projects and can export wav files to a PC for burning to a CD Even has basic effects built in ( which i dont use much ).

http://www.fostex.com/index.php?file.../digital/mr8hd

[Synkrotron]

Originally Posted by cortexx

i use the Fostex MR8-HD. great for basic mixing and digital recording , has an in ternal hard drive for storing all your projects and can export wav files to a PC for burning to a CD Even has basic effects built in ( which i dont use much ).

http://www.fostex.com/index.php?file.../digital/mr8hd

I should throw away my VF08 and get one of these... I could really do with the 4 simultaneous track recording...

[eviljoker7075]

hmmm, looks really nice... but how about the Fostex MR8S? Is that any good?

[dhbailey]

I just bought the Korg D3200 which would be ideal for what you're looking to do, although it might be a bit pricey, at $1299. But it allows 12 live simultaneous track recording as well as accepting SP/DIF optical input for 2 more tracks and including the built-in drums for 2 more tracks, for a total of 16 simultaneous track recording. I'm still new at it, but there is a great forum at www.korgstudios.com (an independent site, not corporate) where you could learn more.

[eviljoker7075]

1299 is a little out of my price range really.

I like the look of the Fostex ones, but can someone explain the difference between the two for me please?

[treymonfauntre]

i have a fostex vf16 i got off ebay for $300 a year or so ago. i highly recommend that!

[leddy]

Originally Posted by Synkrotron

I should throw away my VF08 and get one of these... I could really do with the 4 simultaneous track recording...

You could get a used Tascam 788 for around $300 - $400 including the CD burner. That can do 6 tracks at once. Sounds good, too.

[eviljoker7075]

So is ebay a good idea for this kind of equipment then? Is it generally good condition etc?

[PeteHalo]

Originally Posted by treymonfauntre

i have a fostex vf16 i got off ebay for $300 a year or so ago. i highly recommend that!

I also got a VF16 off ebay.de last week but it hasn't arrived yet from Germany. The main reason I bought it for, other than that I had one five years ago and was stupid enough to trade it in for a AW4416 three years ago, is the built in ADAT interface which gives you the opportunity to expand the number of simultaneously recordable tracks to full 16. Even though the basic design of the unit is some six years old it's still IMHO one of the best multitrackers for on location recording because it's rock solid and small enough to carry around in a bag.

[timboZ]

I have 2 VF160's I got one new and the other for $300 used.
I use them for 99.9% of my tracking and do my mixing with Audition 1.5...soon to be Audition 2.0.

[Treeline]

If you have a pretty quick laptop, try running the numbers on a firewire interface and an external hard drive. The idea is to capture the files in a form *exactly* as the sequencer or recording software expects, without having to do any translations.

Assuming you have a modern laptop, you can pick up a MOTU Traveler and a Lacey USB 2 hard drive for about eleven hundred bucks. (MOTU firewire interface = $850) + (Lacie hard drives about a buck a gig - 250 Gig = $250). The external hard drive at 7200 RPM is faster than the laptop drive and works well; you run the software from the laptop and stream the audio tracks to the external hard drive. Then plug the hard drive into any other computer running the same software and you have instant compatibility.

You need about a gig of RAM on the laptop to make this work smoothly and a P4 processer is best. I have a Celeron which does OK for capture but I rely on a hotrod desktop for any track work.

[mharr552000]

I bought a Fostex vf160 two years ago. Never had any problems with it. It can record 8 simultaneous tracks. Has effects, EQ, compressor, mix automation, mix down, burn to CD. $700 new. $300-$400 used.
The only thing is the low EQ consists of a 400Hz shelf. No frequency or bandwidth(Q) options, just 400Hz.
My teenage daughter sat on it a few months ago. Now 6 of the 16 faders don't work. Every thing else does though!

[SHEPPARDB.]

Originally Posted by PeteHalo

I also got a VF16 off ebay.de last week but it hasn't arrived yet from Germany. The main reason I bought it for, other than that I had one five years ago and was stupid enough to trade it in for a AW4416 three years ago, is the built in ADAT interface which gives you the opportunity to expand the number of simultaneously recordable tracks to full 16. Even though the basic design of the unit is some six years old it's still IMHO one of the best multitrackers for on location recording because it's rock solid and small enough to carry around in a bag.

Actually the person that traded you the AW4416 for the VF16 was the
stupid one.Why would you think that a bad trade?The 4416 can do 16
tracks at once with the expantion card.

[MISTERQCUE]

Originally Posted by SHEPPARDB.

Actually the person that traded you the AW4416 for the VF16 was the
stupid one.Why would you think that a bad trade?The 4416 can do 16
tracks at once with the expantion card.

I agree. The AW4416 is far superior than the V16.

[misscc803]

Roland VS Series Track recorder. Roland has those top of the line effects. Im telling you, you will def love em. Right now im rockin da Roland VS-2000w/VGA and its lovely. Scored it pratically new off of Ebay.