Boss Br-800...could it be the best 8 tracker around ? Your inputs please !

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Cool. I always remember seeing the track sheets from Mike Oldfield's sessions when he was recording Tubular Bells and Ommadawn. Scrawled in biro pen :D
 
Wow, Bubba, I got to thank you cause with your practical example, you made me understand what I had a hard time figuring out. I'm from the home recording time of the analog erea with the Tascam 644.

I can foresee I'm gonna have lotsa fun with the BR-800....if it's simpler, it's better. Gotta admit, digital makes things easier...at least in certain areas.

All this makes me look forward getting my BR-800 even more. I'll get a DI box (active preferably) and an additional phantow power supply for those times when I want to x/y record my acoustic guitar with 2 condenser mics.

Anyway...thanks a whole lot for the good explanations....and thanks also to mjbphotos, all those examples "real world" help a lot.

Stef
 
No problem, Stef. The manual for the BR-800 is far from perfect. :) If you come up against any more things you find difficult to figure out, don't hesitate to PM me. :) One of my Eureka moments came when I realised you could actually record from one track to the SAME TRACK, without erasing anything! I was totally blinded by my previous experience with a tape-based recorder, you see.

Another good tip that I'd like to share, which I found out about after completing the track, is that there are specific insert effects (effects you add during the take) which are tailored for the mic configuration that you're using. For instance, Four-Track mic record has a selectable insert effect which tailors the eq for when you want to record a drumset in the exact way I set up my mics! Track 1 -kick, Track 2 - Snare, etc!

Brilliant! :D

Here's an MP3 of my track - a bit less memory-hungry than the .wav file.

Copy of BRWC_0708_06.mp3
 
Well this is my second report since I got my new BR-800 last Wednesday. I have since laid down a number of tracks into a couple of simple blues patterns. I have actually Mastered the tracks down and produced an MP3 with little to no pain. I have been using the BR's Conversion Program and and a DAW program called "Audacity." Sonar LE seems a bit complex and Audacity is just so intuitive.

I do have a couple of questions for some of you more experienced users:

First, I thought I had a pretty simple work around for adding a click-in measure by programing a metronome into the first measure of the song and then proceeding with a normal drum pattern. I set the tempo to about 160 in one of the blues patterns and did the same for my metro track. When I played it back the metronome was playing twice as fast as the drum pattern. I had to set the metro to 80 and the drum to 160 to make it work. The manual says that both patterns are 4/4 not some kind of cut time. Anyone discovered this issue?

Second, I haven't tried this yet but, can you inport more than one "Song Sketch" WAV file into a given track? Since when you inport a "Song Sketch" into a track it asks you for the specific time location where you want the Song Sketch to start. Like I said I haven't tried this yet but wondered if one of you had?

I'm still loving the machine..
 
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I'm sorry JP, I can't help you with either of those specific questions, I'm afraid.
 
On the metronome/drum pattern thing, 160bpm is a very very fast tempo. I bet the drum pattern you used is a slow every-2-measures repeat?
 
mjbphotos said:
On the metronome/drum pattern thing, 160bpm is a very very fast tempo. I bet the drum pattern you used is a slow every-2-measures repeat?
Click to expand...

Duh - I'll check, I bet you are right the drum pattern is probably a two messure pattern and the metronome is probably one measure. So they were playing at the same tempo but the drum pattern was trying to play twice as much. Do I have that right?
 
Or the metronome was playing twice as much - try setting it for 2/4.
 
Well this is report number three on my new BR-800. Again, the more I use it the more I like it.

I have been through most of the operations that I will use for recording and processing my songs. I find that the combination of tools that are inside the BR-800 and those that are available on the computer give me a full set of tools. Although I can understand the complaints of some others, having worked with the MICRO BR and being used to having all the recording tools inside the machine can be very attractive. However, I now find editing on the computer much easier and having the faders available on the machine for mixing is much easier. And even though I would prefer to cut, paste and copy on the machine when I am laying down a bass line, I actually find doing it on the computer with the tracks visable is much easier.

Using my little acer netbook in combination with my BR-800 and a pair of monitor speakers or headphones I have a very compact full featured system. I can record, add effects and master on the machine. Edit and convert to WAV or MP3 on the computer and since I have a CD burner that plugs into my acer I can also burn CD's or I can transfer to my stand alone CD burner/copier.

I know others may disagree but it works for me....
 
jp68 said:
Well this is report number three on my new BR-800. Again, the more I use it the more I like it.

I have been through most of the operations that I will use for recording and processing my songs. I find that the combination of tools that are inside the BR-800 and those that are available on the computer give me a full set of tools. Although I can understand the complaints of some others, having worked with the MICRO BR and being used to having all the recording tools inside the machine can be very attractive. However, I now find editing on the computer much easier and having the faders available on the machine for mixing is much easier. And even though I would prefer to cut, paste and copy on the machine when I am laying down a bass line, I actually find doing it on the computer with the tracks visable is much easier.

Using my little acer netbook in combination with my BR-800 and a pair of monitor speakers or headphones I have a very compact full featured system. I can record, add effects and master on the machine. Edit and convert to WAV or MP3 on the computer and since I have a CD burner that plugs into my acer I can also burn CD's or I can transfer to my stand alone CD burner/copier.

I know others may disagree but it works for me....
Click to expand...

Wow ! That's cool to hear (read!).

You see that's exactly my vision of things too with that BR-800. You got the best set-up for the least amount of money, so to speak. And it's compact. I look forward buying it ! I wonder about the quality of the COSM effects....some say it's thin or not really great quality sounding.
Anyways, the most important for me is for the recorder to record quick & easy and this multitrack has got it good from what I read everywhere. The LCD display is large enough, you got faders, internal mics.....there's just one more phantom power supply that's missing for a complete little multitracker.
 
The quality of the COSM is up to the beholder, I guess. I've heard people praise them and I've heard others rip'em.

I originally looked at the BR-1600 which was around $1,100. I already had the acer which I think was about $250 and then the BR-800 was about $450 Total $700. Other than the BR-1600 has more inputs (which I don't need) I beilieve I actually have as much recording versatility and power with the combination acer/BR-800.

I believe BR-1600 actually has the DR-880 or a dirivetive built in, but I also already have a DR-880 so I really didn't need that either. If you add in the DR-880 then you would have to add another $200 to $400 to the price which puts you in line with the BR-1600.

Now as soon as I say that someone will correct me
 
This is my forth report on my new BR-800. I have finished reading the manual from cover to cover. The thought (whether you like it or not) that went into this machine is amazing.

I read the manual and then I mapped out all of the menus of which there are (8) – Main Menu, Track Menu, Effects Menu, Rhythm Menu, Song Sketch, EZ Record, Master FX and Tap Tempo. These are all initiated by touch pad buttons on the face of the BR-800. Being a sort of visual person I had to map menus out to understand how the machine functions. Once I did this using the machine became easier for me.

The BR-800 can be as simple as a Volkswagen or as complicated as a Formula One racer. By complicated I mean that you have a lot of control over your sound. After you open a new song you could start out with EZ Record which sets everything up for you in terms of Rhythm, Input mode and Effects. I used it once and I don’t know if I would use it again, this might be more for folks who write a lot of their own stuff and want to get something down quick.

The next step up would be to open a new song, select your input mode and record track by track. You can then master on the machine or transfer to the computer. This is what I have done most (so far). The complication/control starts at this level. One can really get into the plethora of effects combinations that are available for the various input modes. There are several input modes - guitar, line in, four balanced inputs and the onboard mics. The BR-800 has ways of simplifying use of effects staring at the input level pre-set patches up to EZ Tone adjustments , and finally to tweaking individual AMP, EQ, Reverb, Pan, Chorus, Limiter, Vocal Effects and Delay settings.

The track editing functions is the only thing that I found missing, however, tracks can be edited on the computer using the USB connection. For those who use a lot of midi you will be disappointed, there is no midi in/out. Personally I never use midi in my recording so I don’t miss it.

Next I need to get more into the Rhythm Arrangement area…
 
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Agree with you 101% - think the + features you mention are pretty much the same with the whole BR line of recorders.
As far as the track editing feature, I'm of the 'old school' - play the whole track RIGHT, or record it again, or punch in and re-record. I would never loop a section no matter how much better I thought one section was than another. For actively adjusting f/x, eq or panning a track, while its playing, I do this when mixing.
 
Hey all you BR-800 folks,

I recently spoke with David Wills over at ProAudioDVD.com and he tells me that they will be releasing a new video tutorial on the BR-800 very soon, like within the next month or two. I don’t know if any of you have used David’s tutorials before but in my opinion they are top notch. I always learn some little trick that I didn’t pick up from the manual when I watch them. I have their video on the MICRO-BR recorder and the DR-880 drum machine. I recommend them very highly, especially if you are just starting out.
 
This is my Fifth report on my new BR-800 – I have gone through the manual for BR-800 Rhythm Editor and actually programed in a new pattern from scratch and saved it to the BR-800. I have to say that at this point I like the sounds I get out of my DR-880 better. I like the Interface with the Rhythm Editor better than the DR-880, but the 880 seems to have a bit more control over the way I structure my rhythms. The 880 allows 1/8 and 1/16 triplets which is real nice for shuffle patterns, with the BR-800 Editor you have to use 12/8 time in order to get the shuffle feel that you get with the triplet setting on the DR. I will have to play with it a bit more. The BR-800 Rhythm Editor has its own dedicated track, which frees up a track for other uses. When I use the DR I have to bring it through the “Line-In” and put it on one of the 6 tracks available for recording. However, I do get both Bass and Drums on that one track, which, I suppose makes it a wash. But since the Bass and Drums are on one track it makes it difficult to make adjustments for final Mixing and Mastering. Also, it is somewhat difficult to get the DR track sync’d up for editing purposes.

Speaking of syncing, does anyone have a good idea as to how to establish the exact tempo for an existing backing track, assuming that the track was recorded using a metronome? I have been trying to guess at the tempo but end up being off a little by the end of the song. I can get close but not exact. Any idea’s…

I still favor “Audacity” over “Sonar LE 8.5”, at this time.. But have yet to master it….
 
It's easy to synch up tracks/tempos on a computer, but not on a stand-alone recorder - if you don't get the first beat started at the same time, you are always going to be off. One thing you may not have realized about the built-in rhythm machine on the BR800 - its in stereo. If you record tracks from your DR880, do them in stereo (It has stereo output, right?)
 
I see what you mean, the only thing that I could figure out was to dump my backing track to BR-800 and then send it on to "Audacity" and match the click track up to the measures in the track view and then see if I am still in time at the end of the song. It really will depend on how it was orignallly recorded. I tried to do this some time ago and the measures were just all over the place.

Am I wrong, I thought that if you put together an arrangement on the BR-800 Rhythm Editor it would come in to the BR-800 on the rhythm track? Or are you saying that the rhytm track is in stereo?

I have brought my DR-880 songs in on the "line In " in "Stereo" Mode and placed it onto track 7/8, the same as I would if I were using a pre-recorded backing track. When you think about it the DR-880 song is just another type of backing track, except, I know exactly what tempo the DR-880 backing track was set at and therefore I should be able to sync everything up.....
 
Yes, the rhythm track is in stereo (take a look at the pan controls - you can adjust it left or right). If you're bringing the DR880 signal in on 7/8, that's stereo.
When you are talking about synching, it, again, is a matter of getting beat 1 on the DR880 track to match beat 1 on the rhythm track, you then can tweak the BPM speed to get them in line. Remember than when you hit the 'play' button on your BR800, it starts the rhythm/measure count, so if you punch the 'play' button on the DR880 at the right time (after starting to record), you'll be in synch.
 
Hi...just got BR 800.....confused cos some responses here say i can get more than 4 tracks.....my old 4 track tascam would let me record 3 tracks and then bounce them to track 4...allowing tracks 1,2, & 3 to be used again,.. and so on....allowing many track for final result....seems I cant do that with this machine? thanks ian
 
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