Need help buying a digital recorder as a gift

A

aquinod

New member
So, I was at a music store the other day and my girlfriend was looking at a Fostex MR8 8-track digital recorder. Apparently she's wanted it for awhile, but she can't afford it. I wanted to get it (or something like it) for Christmas, but I know absolutely nothing about recording. From the limited research I did, it seems this is the rock-bottom entry level digital recorder. I don't want to buy something that's crap just because it's the cheapest, especially if it's not ideal for what she's going to be recording. Can anyone offer some advice on what models to look at, what features to look for, etc? Or, at the very least, point me in the right direction for doing the research myself.

Thanks!
 
I have an MR8 and they work quite well. They are limited in what they can do, but still meet the needs of many people.

While the MR8 is an 8 track digital recorder, it can only record on two tracks at a time. For someone who wants to record an acoustic guitar and vocals, this works well. For someone who wants to record an entire band, it works poorly.

The recorded quality is quite high and is only limited by the microphones you use to record and the environment (noise in room, etc) you have available. You can also use a PC with the MR8 and record dozens of tracks for a song and then mix them on the PC.

I tend to record music with vocals, bass, drums, keyboards, and two or more guitars. I record each separately and then move the results to the PC where I mix them down. Using this approach, which is iterative in nature, you can easily end up with songs with 12-16 tracks.

The other limitation for the MR8 is the compact flash card is comes with, which is a 128MB card. That has room for about 24 total minutes of audio. As you fill that up, you can move the data to a PC and then start over on the memory card. I purchased a 512 MB card, which provides about 96 minutes of audio. I have yet to have any problems with that combination for what I do.

Ed
 
Thanks for the replies. First, to answer Reel's question, she is a vocalist, but her main project is a jazz trio consisting of herself, a pianist, and a bassist. So, I would imagine that the ability to record at least three tracks simultaneously would be important. Does that help?
 
You can get a Tascam 4 track for 150 bucks at a pawn shop. Tascams are usually what most aspiring recordists started out with in the late 80's. I know I did. They're durable and you can get a quality recording out of them.
 
aquinod said:
Thanks for the replies. First, to answer Reel's question, she is a vocalist, but her main project is a jazz trio consisting of herself, a pianist, and a bassist. So, I would imagine that the ability to record at least three tracks simultaneously would be important. Does that help?
Click to expand...

Yes. A 4-track or higher unit would be better, however she might still find that the MR8 would work.

Many folks prefer to record vocals separately from the music. You get more tries that way and separation is much better. One option is to record the piano and bass at one iteration (with perhaps lite vocals to lead them, but not on either track) and then record the real vocals in the second iteration.

I much prefer this approach as it gives one many more choices and options for the vocals part. However if she wants to record them at the same time, a 4-track or higher unit would be better. She could still record all three on just two tracks, but then many mix down options would disappear.

Ed
 
Also to backup jeff5xo, a Tascam 4-track is a good unit to use. That's what I started with some decades ago (Tascam Portastudio) and I still have two of them. However many of the Tascam 4-track units also have the limitation of recording only 2 tracks at a time.

Ed
 
aquinod. with respect i think a pc offers way more flexibility and way more tracks. some PC's are doing now 80 tracks. on some forums with amd opteron processors people are reporting 200 tracks but you dont need to go this high.
if she has a recent 1ghz or faster pc. i would put a delta sound card in it. you can get good 24 bit sound cards now for as low as 100 bucks.
then add my favorite multitrack software, powertracks from pgmusic.com.
(if you think i'm lying talk to other users on the powerT forum at pg).
its only 29 bucks and gives you 48 tracks. total editing flexibility. a superb midi sequencer, 24 bit recording and a new feature called TC helicon which lets you do interesting vocal harmonies. you decide. just try the demo on a recent PC. i think youll be very surprised. also notice all the built in effects and drum pattern maker and notation entry/editing/ printing etc etc.
and nice touches like lyric maintenance.
 
HAVE A LOOK AT YAMAHA digital recorders. yamaha.com
I saw a really nice one on the web. Its an 8 track, with stupid amount of virtual tracks, 8 XLR inputs and maybe even 8 line inputs. It has compressors and other effects on every channel which is a necesity in my thought of the recording world.
It costs around £700 or maybe $1000. Good price for a good machine and yamaha are reliable and well known for great recording gear.
Check it out.
I have the BR1180 boss digital recorder which i bought 2 years ago for £750. It is pretty good ,but the mic pre amps aint too great, they can crackle sometimes. It is limited to only one effect insert rather than every channel having its own insert effects. You can only record one or two inputs at a time. And lastly the cd player/burner doesnt always burn cds. Its a bit shodie to say the least. Im still happy with it but would love more inputs effects etc.
 
For a portable demo recorder, I have a Korg D16 which works very well, is really easy to use, and can be found now for super cheap on Ebay:
http://search.ebay.com/korg-d16_W0QQsokeywordredirectZ1QQfromZR8
(You can also search for Korg D-16, instead of Korg D16, which brings up some different units).
Average price is about $400 or so, which is a killer deal for 8 inputs, 16 tracks, and lots of effects. You can also upgrade the Hard drive to a 40 GB or 60GB if you need more storage.
 
I like the used and ebay suggestions, and if I were buying for myself, that would be a no-brainer. However, as I'm buying as a gift, I'd rather not...

After further research, it seems like going to something that records more than 2 tracks simultaneously is a HUGE step financially. The cheapest I saw was like 600 bucks, I think. Unless I'm missing something, it seems like this might be a little extreme for a home recording "beginner." So, I should probably limit myself to 8 tracks with only 2 simultaneous.

So, if I wanted something less than 600 dollars, but higher quality than the Fostex MR8, what would be the best choices? I've been reading about the Boss BR864, and it seems to get pretty good reviews.
 
In that case, if your girlfriend has a decent computer, how about the Protools M-Box? Two decent mic pres and Protools LE software.
 
From all your posts, it seems obvious that the compter approach isn't a good one for your girlfriend--and it's not good for lots of folks who choose stand-alone units for a variety of reasons. I'm good with computers, but I choose to use a $1000 Yamaha (16G), but musicians in town have spoken highly of the Boss 8-track for beginners who know little. With the strong Roland/Boss reputation and support in mind, I'd probably head in that direction for a lower-cost system. She'll have plenty to work with, without being overwhelmed, at least for some years.

Good luck,

J.
 
Okay, thank you.

You threw the red flag, when you said she doesn't have a 'puter!!

The MR8 is NOT a wise choice, for someone who does not own a computer. The MR8 depends on the 'puter, to access some of it's higher functions,... eh,... like "data backup",... maybe you've heard of it???

The MR8, right out of the box, will record about 3 minutes of true 8-track audio, on the stock memory card. That's 3 minutes of glorious, 8-track, CD-quality audio. The MR8 was designed to "dump" archive the song data on the 'puter, over USB,... as a design factor. IF you don't have a computer, you're obliged to "mix down" your existing 3 minute song, to a mixed down format, before you can clear the memory card, and move on. Not to say the "mixdown" is a bad process, but you cannot preserve the discrete 8-track audio data, without a computer, as "base station" to the MR-8.

The BR-864 and BR-532 are also units that are best utilized in conjunction with a computer.

You paint yourself into a pretty tight corner, specifying your proposed gift recorder be digital, brand new, and not dependent or linked to the 'puter. You're right, most of the HD based units are many hundreds more than the MR8, and all of these units have a steep learning curve.

The flash memory cards that the MR8, BR-532 & BR-864 use, and like devices, may be upgraded to larger sizes, at an added cost, often up to 30% the cost of the original recorder.

So,... I'd say, your best value would be the brand new Tascam 424mkIII Portastudio, 4-tracks w/8-channel mixer, records 2-tracks (buss) or 4-tracks (direct), simultaneously. It's self contained, not dependent on the computer, and records 4-tracks on common, inexpensive cassette tape. Songs may be archived indefinitely, and don't require the computer or fancy gimmickry of a backup scheme. Sound is decent, 4-tracks is a great starter medium, and it's super flexible and easy to use, with a fairly nice integrated front end mixer. The 424mkIII may still be bought online and in stores, for a mere $329.

Sorry, I couldn't make my recommendation "digital", but I hit on "brand new", "4-or-more tracks", "easy to use", "no computer", "inexpensive/affordable", points. I also personally recommend the Tascam Portastudio as a great invention, and a versatile, good sounding recording platform. Especially for beginners and people on a budget, with no computer.

I also think any of the digital workstation standalone HD recorders would be overkill, (not to mention too complicated), for a beginning musician with a modest set of recording needs. (As you've described).

The Tascam 788 is twice the price of the 424mkIII, ($599+) and would be the only other recorder I'd recommend, but you'd still need the extra burner accessory, a couple hundred more.

FYI, the Fostex VF80, a good deal at ~$600, still only records 2-tracks simultaneously, max. (The 424mkIII will at least do 4-direct, and that ain't too shabby).

If you were more into the used-gear phenomenon, there are a few other dynamite used Tascam Portastudios I'd recommend, like the 488mkII ($300-$350/used), or the Tascam 246 ($175-$200/used). The real sleeper gear is the Tascam 244, where you can often get a low-use, near mint unit, for about $80. Beware of some older gear, because condition varies greatly, and even the best kept mint units require some minor maintenance, after so many years.

The Tascam 424mkIII is the best brand new Portastudio you can get, for the money or by any other reasoning. It's what I recommend, based on your question. Sorry it's not "digital", so I'm probably way off topic.

Good luck.
 
Reel, you raise a good point. Many folks quickly jump to digital systems for all the obvious advantages, but many of us owe the basics of our recording chops to Potastudios. I know I do. Working with a Portastudio 414 or 424 is a wonderfully easy and effective way to enter this field and to learn the basics of recording music. I recently parted with my Tascam Porta 414, which I used and enjoyed for a couple of very good years. In fact, I still listen to those recordings and marvel at how warm the analogue sound is, and at what I could do (some very surprisingly complex recordings) with such a basic system. My eventual move to digital was so much easier after learning all the basic procedures on a much simpler cassette-based machine. Such a machine is a good choice for anyone computer-shy who wants to get ideas recorded simply while learning the fundamentals. Sure, a touch of hiss, limited editing, and slower working, but satisfying results are posssible.

J.
 
Or if you could go a bit more and upgrade later... I have a Roland BR1180CD which I find amazing. As an option, check out the BR1180 (60 hours of clear 16 bit recording, 20 gig HD, and in a year or two maybe you could add the internal CD burner for a couple hunnerd bucks or less. It was designed to be upgraded in the field by any bozo, ie myself. Dead easy to do.

Good Luck, and...



by the way, there, how do I get on your gift list?
 
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