Zoom R8 8-Track Recorder.

[samurai]

Over recent months I've been getting back into music after a 30 year break ( when I was a full time pro vocal guitarist) and have put together some of the gear I'd need to do some home recording work for posterity - I even treated myself to an EJ 200, a Gibson SG and a Line 6 Jam to get me playing/practicing again.
Vocally, I've got a Shure SM58, a Rode NT1-A and a PT Helicon Harmony Singer and a Shure SM57 for acoustic recording....now I need an audio interface.

I'm been considering purchasing either a new Zoom R8 recorder or possibly a used R16 and wanted your views on their usefulness.

Primarily I want it for portability - for instance I often visit for long weekends my leisure caravan out in the country and while I'm there I could pass some of the evenings laying down the foundations of or trying out a few backing tracks for some songs I want to record, without the need for humping computers, monitors etc with me. I'm thinking....just taking one of my guitars, a pair of headphones plus the recorder with me.

If anyone has used the R8 or R16...are they any good as an audio interface ? 'Reaper' would be my first choice DAW once hooked to a computer.

Any advice would be welcomed!

 

[Armistice]

Laptop/audio interface.... saves moving things between devices. Record direct to Reaper, then you can mix whilst you're in your caravan too...

 

[samurai]

Laptop/audio interface.... saves moving things between devices. Record direct to Reaper, then you can mix whilst you're in your caravan too...

OK fine I'll accept that advice... but are the R8/R16 any good when used as an audio interface?

Another reason I'm attracted to the R* is that they have reasonable built in mics which allow for 'rough outs' of vocals without the need to take extra gear with me ...also the ability to do some basic drum sampling.