which multitrack should i buy???new to multitrack

  • Thread starter Thread starter lildevil5387
  • Start date Start date

Which multitrack would you suggest for my needs?

  • Korg D3200

    Votes: 13 61.9%

  • Zoom HD16 CD

    Votes: 3 14.3%

  • Boss BR1600

    Votes: 5 23.8%
  • Total voters
    21
L

lildevil5387

New member
hey guys, just wanted to see your opinion on which multitrack i should buy? (out of the 3)
but if you have any suggestions then please post them!
I need a multitrack recorder for a couple of reasons:
1. I want to record my band, but the drums can possibly be done with the drum pads on the recorders
2. I want to record some live stuff, the drums once again can be minimally mic'ed up
3. I want to be able to create the cd with the recorder
4. I also, if possible, want pre-set master tracks( i don't know much about mastering)
5. Also, i have a pretty tight budget, but am willing to expand a little, but no over 1,500
6. Also, i only want a multitrack, cause i don't have a laptop to take my audio interface, so it needs to be portable
 
:D Yo Diablo:

I agree about the AW1600. [I use the Yam 2816 which is an old version of about the same box.]

I am about to order an AW1600 as my unit is showing signs of "old." Technology advances fast. And, there is a very good help site which was set up by users of the 1600; thus, you have a good place to go for assistance.

Forget the ZOOM--it's not high on quality.

Korg is decent but may be tougher to learn. You could take a ride to Sweetwater and look at and try all the SIABs but you may live too far away.

Thus, a good choice would be the Yamaha. BTW: I like the features of the Boss 1600 and almost bought that unit; however, it isn't made as sturdy as the Yam unit. But, you might want to check that one out too. GH

Green Hornet:cool:
 
If u can come up with another 500bucks (to total 2000) U could spring for a Roland VS-2400.

Otherwise, I'd say the afformentioned Yamaha is the best deal.

I'd recommend the Boss, since it's bascially Roland, but I've never actually used one...
 
thanks guys, and i know i had advice already, but i want lots of it, before i make my final decision
 
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U seem to be a big fan of that machine. I don't really blame u. I used to have an AW4416 (the REAL beast). It had it's shortcomings but came through on many occassions.

Still, if the best standalone boxes out there belong to the Roland VS series...no matter which price range.

Once you graduate from that, I'd advise Cubase and/or Logic. Protools LE is only good for compatability issues (every gotdamn studio on the planet uses it) but it's not really that good. Protools HD is a different story...as well as a different set of expenses. You'd have to be pretty wealthy to afford even the most basic HD setup...
 
Well, I'll recomend something that is quite a bit under your budget. I bought the Fostex MR 16 HD a few months back and I love it. The multitrack that it replaced was a Roland vs880r and though the Fostex only records four tracks at a time as opposed to the eight on the Roland I feel the ease of use easily makes up for it (as well as having 16 tracks as opposed to 8 ). You can get a Fostex MR16HDCD for five hundred dollars which will leave you money for other things that you will need to get a decent recording out of any multitrack, like monitors, decent microphones, preamps etc. With any multitrack you are going to need to spend a minimum of another $500 for the additional equipment to do a decent job. Actually $500 is cutting it close.
 
As a D1600 user (for many years) I'd recommend the D3200. The Korgs are straightforward to learn and IMO easier to learn than the Rolands. The downer with the D3200 is the small display if you have poor eyesight.

Having said that, to a certain extent it doesn't matter which you buy. These boxes are all good enough to do the job and create professional sounding recordings. Nowadays it's down to the skills of the operator and the acoustics of the room.
 
I'll be the only one to say the Zoom, but so be it. The AW1600 is a great machine; I know more than a few people around here that own one. My problem, and it echoes with a few of those friends up here, is that the manual is !@#$ing useless, and the machine requires an IQ of at least 72 to operate. If you are a computer geek, or you get a boner scrolling through countless menus to find the High EQ on a tiny display, get the AW1600. Me being as dumb as a bag of hammers have absolutely no problem using the Zoom, and the manual has saved my bacon more than once. Plus you have a rhythm guide with bass line generator and drums. Oh, and you'll save about $200 to have towards a 'better' mic than you might have already or a decent pre. You'll save even more over the BR1600; up to $400. A better drum machine is not worth $400 to me. I'll put people who piss on the Zoom for quality (or lack of) in the same room as people who piss on everything Behringer; they likely have never owned it, but the Internet is full of experts who tell them it's crap, so it must be true ;).
If your music store has an 'approval' policy (mine does), take any of the machines home for a weekend and do the real test. How easy is it to make good sounds? Try them all, and trust your ears rather than the Internet.
 
Just to throw in my $0.02.....

I have the Yamaha AW-1600, and its great! Sit down for a day or two BEFORE you try to record anything and FIGURE IT OUT a bit--which of course is nearly impossible given the whole "I-just-bought-a-new-toy" syndrome.

If you can get past the initial learning curve, its a great little workstation. :)
 
Gotta throw a shout-out for the Korg. I've had one for a couple of years, and it has performed like a champ for me. Lots of functions, good effects, solid sound.
 
Subanez said:
Just to throw in my $0.02.....

I have the Yamaha AW-1600, and its great! Sit down for a day or two BEFORE you try to record anything and FIGURE IT OUT a bit--which of course is nearly impossible given the whole "I-just-bought-a-new-toy" syndrome.

If you can get past the initial learning curve, its a great little workstation. :)
Click to expand...

Hi from Izmir, Turkey,

I bought the AW1600 two days ago and I am experiencing exactly what you describe above. It's a complicated beast overall, but I keep reading the manual. So far, the sound is impressively accurate and clean, the structure is very sturdy, the computer inside is very fast. I believe I need a few weeks before I can effectively use it to record my music. I planned to buy the Roland BR1600, which is more expensive than the AW1600 here in Turkey, but after reading the reviews and comparisons by realworld users and their dissapointment with the sound quality of the BR1600CD, I ended up with the AW1600.
 
I have the Akai DPS24...but I am curious of the Tascam 24 model...Ive seen that priced at $800...sounds like a deal.
 
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