Type of recorder to have????

[Bloomington]

I currently have a Roland VS880EX but am thinking of expanding or upgrading. I am now sure what is the smart way to go -

Do I go to something like a Roland 1880 or 2480 or a Korg D1600 - the "portastudio" concept or would I be better off with a stand alone recorder with separate effects etc.

I currently have a Mackie 1604 mixer, DOD 2 channel 31 band Graphic EQ, a dbx 166A two channel compressor and a MPX 500 effects rack unit and some decent mic's.

I am recording mostly for fun but do a little bit for our church groups (choirs etc) and our 5 piece band (mostly 50's 60's stuff).

As I said I have an 880 but the Roland is horrendous to use.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[BBB]

The 880 does take some effort. Once you learn the tricks, it is definitely worth the effort. The Roland VS recorders include many benefits, especially the high quality effects processors. Be that as it may, it seems that you have your mind made up about the effort. In comparison, the 2480 makes the VS easier to use by incorporating a larger display and also by allowing the use of an external mouse, monitor, and keyboard. You may find the 2480 easier to use. If you are willing to spend the cash, I'll be jealous.

 

[Macca]

Things to think about ...

Hey Bloomington,

Before deciding to buy any piece of gear ... think about what you want and need.

Exactly how portable do you NEED?
How many inputs at once do you need to record?
etc, etc.

You sound like you already have some impressive gear, have you thought about a PC/Windows machine set up specifically for audio. Just think of the editing and CD burning capabilities then!
And for about the same price as a new standalone unit too!!!

Don't go for more of the same just because it's what you've always done ... but don't go for something if it's not what you need.

Hope this helps

(BTW: I have a Korg D8, and I love it. It's just what I need.)

Macca