Have any of you used either of these machines? I can purchase both for almost the same price (within $10 of each other.)
I like the fact that the Zoom has two headphone outs but I have read that the CD burner is sketchy.
The Korg has USB connectivity but fewer XLR inputs and only one headphone out.
Mostly I'll be using this to record source material before transferring it to my PC. HOWEVER, if I can get a good/great mix on the unit itself I will. My point is that onboard FX are less important than workflow and sound.
What are your thoughts?
thanks,
Nate
I don't have any experience with the Korg, but I do own the MRS-1266 & MRS-1608...and both are great "all in one" digital recorders.
There is a usb option card (uib-1 or uib-2) you can purchase for the MRS-1608 though it is quite rare and expensive, but can still be had because they still pop up here and there every now and again.
The great thing about the MRS machines is the ease of use...along with the mastering effects. You can pull off a "polished high end recording" with them. Another cool feature is the bass & drum section,..the sampled instruments sound very real and are usable. Probably one of the best sounding drum machines I've ever heard in a multi-tracker.
You can also plug your guitar or bass into the "HI-Z" inputs, and use various tube amp models, and effects without the need for a guitar amp or bass amp & cab. Though,...I've heard some of Zoom's stand alone guitar & bass effects and in my opinion they aren't very good,..but the effects they've installed in these machines are very usable.
I would definitely give a thumbs up to the MRS-1608,...because I've never had a problem with mine. I like the fact that you can record 8 channels (w/ phantom power) simultaneously,...though the 1266 only has 6 (4 of which are phantom powered for condensers).
I've pumped out some really great recordings in the past on both machines,..but now they sit packed away in my closet.
I've always been a fan of analog recording,..that's where I started,..and that's where I'll end. I did have a year or two where I went and experienced recording digitally, and these are the 2 machines that I used, they served me well...but I always get pulled back to tape. Now, If I want to record anything digital, I hook up my Presonus StudioLive to my Alesis Masterlink because I get beyond stellar results with that setup. I've never been a fan of recording on a computer, and that is why I bought the MRS-1266 & 1608. I actually had the 1266 first and loved it so much I grabbed the 1608 which is the same thing with more channels to record simultaneously.
There is one thing I should mention though. I learned the hard way....
One time I accidentally stepped on the little red switch on one of my power conditioners, and it shut off my 1266 without me powering it down first,...and it wiped the whole hard drive clean. Thankfully when I bought the 1266 & 1608 they came with a reboot disc to initialize the machine again.
If you do decide to get the 1608, MAKE SURE IT HAS THIS DISC!!!
I've never had a problem with the disc drives on either machine,..they've always worked well for me. The only problem I ever had, was the aforementioned hard drive crashing problem, but that was due to my own fault.
