getting tired of the MR8? Wanna go direct to PC?

  • Thread starter Thread starter cellardweller
  • Start date Start date

Are you ready tired of the MR8 or another "all-in-one"?

  • I hate DAW's, I'm using a typewriter now...

    Votes: 6 11.5%

  • I'm happy where I am, and don't want to deal with latency/etc

    Votes: 21 40.4%

  • I see myself edging towards going DAW, but still using my standalone

    Votes: 15 28.8%

  • I'm buying a soundcard and mutilating this RED piece of shit.

    Votes: 10 19.2%
  • Total voters
    52
You can have my MR8 when you pry it from my cold dead hands... :cool:

I recently needed to create some FX for a local theater... They were looking for playground noises, coffee shop noises, street sounds and supermarket sounds.
I slapped some batteries into my little red partner, grabbed an SM58 and a 6 foot cord, slapped it all in a shoulder case and outside we went!
Brought the footage home and created the requested 5 minute background loops in Cakewalk and made a quick $100 :D
When our preggo singer gets a sudden spark of inspiration and can't waddle into her car to drive up here, I just grab the little red beast and head over to her place...
I take those tracks and midi out to my VF16 to synch up tracks and viola! It was just like she was here all along!

As the end-all piece of equipment for home recording, heck no... That's not what it's made for...
But as a great little introduction to digital multitracking AND a solid utility for your recording toolbox...

She hasn't done me wrong yet :)
 
damn, ur a funny mofo. I just used it to mix to thru some outboard gear instead of my internal DAW. It was pretty cool. I won't be giving it up either, And I do think it's great for portability. I just wish they did a little bit different in designing it.

So in my studio, Red and Blue get along.
 
pjh6467 said:
Edwonbass,nice to see a Baltimore neighbor in here. I'm in Middle River Md. about 30min. north of you on 95. I, like most people went through the initial disappointments when first using the mr8. In my opinion the mr8 on it's own is nothing but a glorified 4 track. And it's not marketed that it should be used in conjunction with a pc,mixing software, to get better recordings. Wav manager is not mentioned in the manual anywhere either. I've had mine for a year and a half and have made some decent quality cd's and never had problems(knock on wood). And it's portability is a plus and easy to use. You'll pay just as much for pc interfaces,upgraded sound cards and still need to use preamps/mixer for direct pc recording as you would buying a bigger cf,mixer and software for the mr8. I find that pretty much all musical equipment/instruments are way overpriced especially when most of the people buying the stuff are working stiffs doing music as a hobby.And the assholes who sell the stuff I find hard to believe that they are musicians too.But maybe that's just my personal experience. But like another post said.it'not so much the gear,it's the knowledge of the user. The mr8 is a nice unit and perfect for someone starting out in multitracking instead of 4 track cassette. My two cents Pj
Click to expand...


Nice to meet you. I know what you mean about the equipment thing. It seems like I'm always trying to upgrade something. I'm never satisfied with my set up. I was fine a year ago with my Zoom 10 track until I found this place. Now it seems like the more I learn, the more money I spend.
If you really want to learn about recording, stay away from Guitar Center and hang out here.
Hey if you get bored my band is playing at Looney's tonight in Belair. If interested I think you can get directions from our website. www.stillcounting.com

Peace,
Ed
 
junplugged said:
yea, but even cheap 4-track cassettes have tone controls, at least. But as a 4 track it's a good start. The problem is that if you are starting out it is unlikely that you will be able to get all of your eq from the source, like a lot of experienced people can, and even then, you need to do some adusting, that's the main problem with it, they could have done without the amp modeling, mic modeling, cheap effects, lost the mastering gimmick and just had a 3 band eq, even w/out sweep, that would have made a lot more sense and it would probably have been even more popular.
Click to expand...
Yeah, if it was a highend unit. Mine is the Tascam MF-P01. No eq, no track boucing, one input....
 
Well, I didn't buy the MR8, I got a Korg PXR4 Pandora, which does have EQ, and the effects don't suck. The gate and 'verbs are stunning, considering. I also use a VS1824CD and a Digi002 Pro Tools rig. Every piece of equipment serves it's purpose, and the upgrades never replaced anything, just expanded my capabilities. The Pandora is my PDA. It and a cheap solid body follow me everywhere I go.
The VS1824CD is now the main remote unit, and can function as an additional hard drive, mixer, CD burner, and isn't really a bad mixdown deck when sent a digital signal. The Digi002 is the heart of a small digital studio for commercial work, going forward. Yeah, I went to Pro Tools, but not because I'm unhappy with my standalones.-Richie
 
Richard Monroe said:
Well, I didn't buy the MR8, I got a Korg PXR4 Pandora, which does have EQ, and the effects don't suck. The gate and 'verbs are stunning, considering. I also use a VS1824CD and a Digi002 Pro Tools rig. Every piece of equipment serves it's purpose, and the upgrades never replaced anything, just expanded my capabilities. The Pandora is my PDA. It and a cheap solid body follow me everywhere I go.
The VS1824CD is now the main remote unit, and can function as an additional hard drive, mixer, CD burner, and isn't really a bad mixdown deck when sent a digital signal. The Digi002 is the heart of a small digital studio for commercial work, going forward. Yeah, I went to Pro Tools, but not because I'm unhappy with my standalones.-Richie
Click to expand...
Well put, and brings up another point for me: I did say I was going to use my MR-8 until it dies on me. I think that's the only way I could justify the major expenditures to the wife.

Hell, just the other day, she shocked me by asking me what I was so addicted to recording. She used to be pretty understanding and supportive. I guess everyone with a significant other goes through this. I just need to give her something to ease her apprehensions I guess. ;)
 
To quote my good friend Dante "Abandon Hope, all yee who enter"...

She'll never "understand" really.
 
The above being based on my own limited experiences...


Back to the subject at hand:
This poll is based on an extremely bad night.
I guess for now, I may have to content myself to be "warm and comforable in my pile of shit" rather than try to cram for the big "direct PC recording exam"...
I have too many "open" songs on flashcards, and I'm sure this new format would absorb me absolutely.

BUT!!! I'm still undecided... Sennheiser e609s or audiophile 2496...


I am SOOO indecisive
 
cellardweller said:
The above being based on my own limited experiences...


Back to the subject at hand:
This poll is based on an extremely bad night.
I guess for now, I may have to content myself to be "warm and comforable in my pile of shit" rather than try to cram for the big "direct PC recording exam"...
I have too many "open" songs on flashcards, and I'm sure this new format would absorb me absolutely.

BUT!!! I'm still undecided... Sennheiser e609s or audiophile 2496...


I am SOOO indecisive
Click to expand...
Ok, back to the subject...

Get the mics...

Just my two cents...
 
Well, I didn't buy the MR8, I got a Korg PXR4 Pandora, which does have EQ, and the effects don't suck. The gate and 'verbs are stunning, considering. I also use a VS1824CD and a Digi002 Pro Tools rig. Every piece of equipment serves it's purpose, and the upgrades never replaced anything, just expanded my capabilities. The Pandora is my PDA. It and a cheap solid body follow me everywhere I go.
Click to expand...

So, is the Korg PXR4 better than the MR-8? Because I can always change my mind on which one I'd like to buy. Does the Korg allow you to use bigger flash cards/media cards?

uh huh him
 
The Korg has advantages and disadvantages when compared to the MR8. It uses Smart Media, which is a dying technology. The biggest available card is 128mb, which in high resolution is 90 track minutes, 45 min stereo, 22.5 minutes all 4 tracks. Upside- much smaller, much better FX, including EQ, compression, reverb, gate, distortions, metronome, click track, rudimentary drum machine. Pretty good built in mic.
Downside- No XLR inputs. You can plug a dynamic into the 1/4" input, but it doesn't work that well. It works much better with a powered one point stereo mic, such as are commonly used with DAT recorders. Although it has a USB port, it doesn't export WAV. files. It exports in MP2, which has to be converted to MP3 and then ripped to CD. It's easier just to export audio to a sound card by line out in real time and then edit in the computer. It is not a great main recorder for a home studio, but it is a great notebook for a recording artist.-Richie
 
i voted for not mutilating the big red thing but eventually start using something else.

ive had this thing for a while now, not too long, but enough to learn pretty much what it can do...with this said i know ill be switching into a motu 1224/314 as soon as i can afford it. im usin it with dynamics, recording everything but drums and then dumping stuff into the pc and track editing with cool edit pro 2.1, wich makes up for the unit's lack of decent effects..still, its not good.

my plan, that is if i choose to keep it and use it regularly, is to add a DMP 3 and a reverb unit somehow, endin up with the red thing...if i can do that, i figure i can get by the lousy effects in it, and also the pres, wich to this day im not sure it has (everything's so thin it hurts). but thats probly the only way im usin it for more (even this kind of chain wont mean any serious recording) than acoustic guitar song practice/composition/ideas.

its a good notebook..i think that sums it up. but i really cant afford any huge flashcard and its a bummer cause i dont have room for more than one song, so i have to constantly dump the thing into the computer..wich wouldnt be so bad i guess, unless your smaller song goes up to 7 minutes like mine does...wich means guitar track, vocals -------> dump; another guitar track, more vocals ----------> dump; bass parts and some more vocals -------> dump...i cant get anything done and it really breaks the spirit of the thing, not being able to lay down everything when u feel like it, and knowing u have to get up and connect the thing to the computer, etc...this is a stupid issue, lots of ppl cant even own an MR8, but what the hell....

ill figure ill hang on to it if i cant sell it for the price it cost me..but as a notebook, really nothing more. still, with all of this said, i think i must point out that this big dumb RED thing, has a special place in my heart lol
 
Last edited:
diogo said:
...still, with all of this said, i think i must point out that this big dumb RED thing, has a special place in my heart lol
Click to expand...
Ahhh, nothing so touching as a boy and his MR8... :D

No, I'd never actually mutilate mine either. It was just an expression of unresolvable frustration.
You kinda put it in perspective, I guess I shouldn't be so whiney about "having to get up and dump on my computer"
Nutin' like a good ol' dump to free up some space....:D

I'm still kicking around the idea of the 2496, because I can get by with only my 57 (without the senn-e609s), but if my MR8 were to crap out on me, I'd be dead in the water...I dunno.... :confused:
 
hey man im all whiney myself, believe me..
i hate having to get up and dump the stuff, especially cause its a common computer (not just mine) and its two rooms away..u loose all the vibe in the process, especially with my songs, clocking at about 9/10 minutes everytime :/

but its whining, what the hell...it could be worse. i could be Sam Beam dumping my stuff into a 4 track k7 recorder (and probly havin it sound a lot better than the MR8) ;) but i have it...might as well cut the whining...i have to get up at 6 am for work everyday..now thats whinable...not this.

do u have the DMP 3 yet? i would love to know how that experience went...im aiming for the DMP3 before i get enough for a Sytek and maybe an Audix someday (in 2 or 10 years, make it 20). right now i use the pres in the big RED thing, and boy do they suck..

im also into gettin a Yamaha REV 500 after the DMP3..see if the whole thing blows up in my face..


it wont crap out on you...thing is built like a rock...and u cant get much more basic than this kind of circuit. i bet it would work on the north pole.

mics..im usin a 57 with it as well...and an akg 880 dynamic for vocals...im plannin on a Senn 421, 2 oktavas 012 and a AT 4040...but guess this whole crap wont do me/the MR8 any good without a decent pre...
and a friggin pop shield.
 
Last edited:
Nope, no DMP3 yet...

Tax refund cleared the bank late friday, but now I'm kicking around the options. Looking at the 2496 (Gratitude to Sile2001 for his help and advice), I don't know how you could monitor on headphones. It seems you couldn't.

I'd love to have some nicer mics, but that's not gonna happen for a while. It's okay though because I still have so much to learn, and I'm pretty sure I can still get better/more consistent results with what I have (mics), and some time. Not to mention, the more toys I acquire, the less time I spend actually playing guitar and practicing singing... I can wait a bit...

Anyone know of a "good-entry-level" PCI soundcard, that won't break the bank, can be monitored through headphones, AND run powered monitors? (headphones and monitors, not necessarily simultaneously)
 
hummm...

u mean we cant monitor with headphones while using a DMP3? how can that be...i mean, the signal is exactly the same and im sure its comin ouf of the phone outs too...humm...maybe im mixing something here..signal's too hot for the MR8?

as for the interface..i dont really know much about them..i guess u have to get deeply into the specs..im gonna get that motu 1224/314 pci card, wich is supposed to be one hell of a unit, from this friend of mine who's helpin me out..thing is working perfectly, street value a few years ago 1400 bucks..im gettin it for 200...cool! i dont really know if everything will work, but at that kind of money, im willin to roll the dice..
so much that im not gonna be able to use it for about a year(cant afford the costumized computer im aiming for just yet), but im gonna get it still.

anyway...weird thing not being able to monitor with headphones...
if thats so, thats really bad news..
 
cellardweller said:
Anyone know of a "good-entry-level" PCI soundcard, that won't break the bank, can be monitored through headphones, AND run powered monitors? (headphones and monitors, not necessarily simultaneously)
Click to expand...

My TASCAM US122 does that for $200, and the volume/level knobs are all on the box. It's been rock solid for me, but others have had problems.

If I were buying something new, it'd be that Presonus FirePod, $600.

I've got a little Yamaha mixer that's got phones out plus line out so you could use just about any soundcard and get control over phones and monitors.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top