MR-8 and CF upgrade cards - User Experiences

[junplugged]

I can't remember those details, but my unit is still sitting on the floor in the studio, last year I got a Tascam this is insanely small & has built-in stereo speakers. MR8 still is appealing tho, I think I'll give it another try before 2019

 

[MJ77]

Hey all, I know I am late to this convo but I have a significant contribution to make.
I have had the red Fostex MR8 since 2002 and I love it and still use it. It sat in the bag in the closet for a number of years and then I decided to build a little retro studio in the spare bedroom. I love it!! -And yes, this device can only use a 2GB CF card max (original red MR8). The trick with this machine is to get your input levels correct. You have to be as hot as possible WITHOUT ANY CLIPPING. You have to take it right to the ceiling where it starts to light up, and then back it off to where it's nice and full, but no clip (with the output channel slider at unity). You also really need to LISTEN to your EQ's and your mic sims on there. Too many highs and lows will also make you clip. Conversely, recording too quiet will also offset things and can cause issues, especially when trying to get a clean and balanced mixed. Also, cross-fading and playing with the balance can also really help to separate things nicely. This only does regular cross-fading though, not direct cross-fading. The difference being that regular cross-fading reduces the volume on the side you shift away from, and direct cross-fading does not change the overall volume; it just diverts it to one side or the other. However, these can be made to sound AWESOME though if you really put some time into dialing it in. I use a small mixer to proxy more inputs and it works fantastic. It has additional EQ on there as well which makes a big difference. I also have decent monitors (Rokit 5's), which is a must. If you really want to hear your mix you cannot just use an old stereo or PC speakers.-Since I built the retro room and started using this again I am getting some of the best and cleanest recordings now. I love the organic feel of hardware. And even though I have logic on my Mac and have a great interface and it is awesome, I still love the retro room. I write differently with the old stuff. It just changes the whole feel of the process for me. The MR8 is a little jewel, and they say dynamite comes in small packages. This little machine still holds its own and I love it.
-In closing I will say that the only repair I have ever needed was the recoding button. At one point it stop engaging. I had Marvin at Expert Electronics fix it and now it is good as new. For a 20+ year-old machine that has standard resolution and sampling (16bit/44.1kHz), it's got a lot of soul and mojo.