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hoofer70570
New member
Upgrading from Tascam 424, feeling ballsy enough to plunge headlong into the digital world. I've decided between these two units, but don't know much about any Fostex gear at all. Anyone have any opinions?
JR#97
New member
I have the FD8. I also have the 424MKII. Is it a jump? You bet... but there are some things to consider
The FD8 can only record 2 at a time unless you use the digital i/o... then you can do 2 analog+stereo SPDIF giving you 4 at once, or use the ADAT i/o for 8 tracks at once.
There are only 2 XLR inputs instead of the MKII's 4... there are 2 Aux sends, but you can only send to either/or per channel.. not both from the same channel.
Those are the only 2 areas where the MKII actually out does the FD8. I did a review for another website. Here's the link:
http://66.96.219.180/reviews/newreview.php?type=harddisk
The main reason I went with the FD8 over the VF08 was price... I got my FD8 for $300.... I didn't find a VF08 anywhere near that.
The FD8 can only record 2 at a time unless you use the digital i/o... then you can do 2 analog+stereo SPDIF giving you 4 at once, or use the ADAT i/o for 8 tracks at once.
There are only 2 XLR inputs instead of the MKII's 4... there are 2 Aux sends, but you can only send to either/or per channel.. not both from the same channel.
Those are the only 2 areas where the MKII actually out does the FD8. I did a review for another website. Here's the link:
http://66.96.219.180/reviews/newreview.php?type=harddisk
The main reason I went with the FD8 over the VF08 was price... I got my FD8 for $300.... I didn't find a VF08 anywhere near that.
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hoofer70570
New member
It just hit me what one of the major differences is: the FD-8 doesn't have it's own hard disk, I would need a SCSI drive to add to it to make it work. The VF-08 does have an internal hard disk included. I guess that would make a difference. The problem now is, I don't want to have to buy another Zip drive or other hard drive, but I like everything else about the FD-8. Damn...
JR#97
New member
You can find FD8's with internal HD's. I went with the SCSI HD route and love it. You can find SCSI HD's for cheap. I'm about to pickup a used 9 gig for $30.
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hoofer70570
New member
This is true... so it's not so bad. How's the sound quality, compared to any other digital recorders you may have heard/used? I've also started looking at some of the Korg units, but I'm flying blind here. Thanks for all your help, dood. 
JR#97
New member
hoofer70570 said:This is true... so it's not so bad. How's the sound quality, compared to any other digital recorders you may have heard/used? I've also started looking at some of the Korg units, but I'm flying blind here. Thanks for all your help, dood.
no prob, brah..... The FD8 has 2 recording modes.. Normal (compressed) and Master (non-compressed). The on-board converters are 20-bit, but the format is 16 bit 44.1k. I think it sounds great especially compared to a cassette... It's not 24/96, but there is a point of splitting hairs, if ya know what I mean. Hell, I think a higher quality mic pre will make a difference more than having 24/96 anyday! anywhoo... the only digital recorder I've worked with was a roland vs880... it was compressed as well and had a steep learning curve. the money you save on the FD8 vs the VF08 could be spent on a better mic and/or pre... more bang for your buck and more quality quotient for your buck as well! my opinion, anyway.