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clifchamb
New member
mrx said:
Can't wait to hear them X
clif
Can't wait to hear them X
clif
teainthesahara
New member
In the interest of setting the record straight!
Mrx, as a non-zealous VF16 owner, I can tell you with certainty, that the machine is no hassle to use....the differences between arming tracks on the VF and on the MR8 might be....1.5 seconds. You don't dig through multitudes of menu's to access 90% of the recording functions - the VF is designed as with as much 'tape deck' feel as the MR8. Panning is acheived by pressing 2 buttons and using a large knob to 'pan'. In otherwords, much like the whole SCSI ADAT thing....such matters often boil down to non-issues in reality for most people! Anyways...as i think you would agree, this whole MR8 vs VF or anything else is quasi entertaining but dumb - kind of like FOX television! If you evaluate your needs ahead of time with unbiased sources of information...then nobody would be trading their MR8's or VF16's anytime soon!
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mrx said:
Mrx, as a non-zealous VF16 owner, I can tell you with certainty, that the machine is no hassle to use....the differences between arming tracks on the VF and on the MR8 might be....1.5 seconds. You don't dig through multitudes of menu's to access 90% of the recording functions - the VF is designed as with as much 'tape deck' feel as the MR8. Panning is acheived by pressing 2 buttons and using a large knob to 'pan'. In otherwords, much like the whole SCSI ADAT thing....such matters often boil down to non-issues in reality for most people! Anyways...as i think you would agree, this whole MR8 vs VF or anything else is quasi entertaining but dumb - kind of like FOX television! If you evaluate your needs ahead of time with unbiased sources of information...then nobody would be trading their MR8's or VF16's anytime soon!
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teainthesahara
New member
In the interest of setting the record straight II !
Bigsnake,
If by hacked off you mean't laughing then yeah,...its funny! ALL fostex recorders have EQ challenges. The low EQ problems of the VF refer to it's adjustablility...NOT that it cant record low bass and your recording's come out sounding like AM radio (that's what i thought was funny!)....with the MR8...you get just as bad or worse eq in your 'mastering presets'. That is kind of a paradoxical term! I dig the all the fostex machines, but i dont know why Fostex makes such equalization boo boo's....
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Bigsnake00 said:
Bigsnake,
If by hacked off you mean't laughing then yeah,...its funny! ALL fostex recorders have EQ challenges. The low EQ problems of the VF refer to it's adjustablility...NOT that it cant record low bass and your recording's come out sounding like AM radio (that's what i thought was funny!)....with the MR8...you get just as bad or worse eq in your 'mastering presets'. That is kind of a paradoxical term! I dig the all the fostex machines, but i dont know why Fostex makes such equalization boo boo's....
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teainthesahara
New member
And finally...
Dyuob, sorry to hear about the recent diagnosis. I hope the music brings you some uplifting vibes and good times!
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Dyuob, sorry to hear about the recent diagnosis. I hope the music brings you some uplifting vibes and good times!
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clifchamb
New member
Yeah hang in there! I want to keep hearing your unique stuff
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mrx
New member
Re: In the interest of setting the record straight!
Well, this is exactly right, and the message that everyone has been trying to get out. (I've been zealous in my assault on the Tascam PS-05, for example, but it is obviously the right unit for many users.)
I was not aware of the VF-16 before finding this forum, and the lucid discussion about the machine's strengths made me take notice. What is so irritating, though, is comparing the mythical "$450 eBay special" with the reality of new users looking to walk into a store and buy their first recorder.
I'll debate with Pete all night about these boxes, but it just doesn't serve any purpose to delude novice users into thinking there's a $150 price difference between the two units.
teainthesahara said:
Well, this is exactly right, and the message that everyone has been trying to get out. (I've been zealous in my assault on the Tascam PS-05, for example, but it is obviously the right unit for many users.)
I was not aware of the VF-16 before finding this forum, and the lucid discussion about the machine's strengths made me take notice. What is so irritating, though, is comparing the mythical "$450 eBay special" with the reality of new users looking to walk into a store and buy their first recorder.
I'll debate with Pete all night about these boxes, but it just doesn't serve any purpose to delude novice users into thinking there's a $150 price difference between the two units.
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dyuob
New member
Thanks guys, I was diagnosed last summer, thats when I started playing the ukulele which led me back to recording. I'm on all kinds of meds to control my diabetes and my blood pressure, and Wednesday I get to go back to the good doctor to see if the stuff is helping any.
They're hoping on extending the time my kidneys have before they totally shut down.
So, what i have learned this past year is this, "Do what your heart tells you, and enjoy the time you have on this planet".
So, with that in mind, I think I'll edit another song I'm working on (a well respected man, done by the Kinks)
They're hoping on extending the time my kidneys have before they totally shut down.
So, what i have learned this past year is this, "Do what your heart tells you, and enjoy the time you have on this planet".
So, with that in mind, I think I'll edit another song I'm working on (a well respected man, done by the Kinks)
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a12stringer
New member
That's a song I'd like to hear.
I'm working on an acoustic arrangement of "Nowhere Man" for all of us baby boomers who found our musical identities in the mid-60s to the early 70s.
I'm working on an acoustic arrangement of "Nowhere Man" for all of us baby boomers who found our musical identities in the mid-60s to the early 70s.
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Bigsnake00
New member
Re: In the interest of setting the record straight II !
Yeah this is true...that seems to be a main draw back against these machinces...i was just stating that if you want really really good recordings you are going to need an external eq...with a vf16 your best option is an outboard but with the mr-8 you can fix it in the computer.....it all evens out. haha ok its more like an fm radioteainthesahara said:
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Bigsnake00
New member
man that is a great sound you are getting dyuob!
all that from that cheap nady? what techniques did you use with the guitar.
all that from that cheap nady? what techniques did you use with the guitar.
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dyuob
New member
I apologize, I think they advertised it as a Nady, and I never really paid much attention to what I was using, but it turns out its an Audio Technica sound addict bark. It's a dynamic cardioid ball mic, made in the Phillipines. I'm probably at a 50 degree angle to it, no more than 2 feet away. I'm using an Ovation Custom Balladeer medium bowl, from 1979, being finger picked. No pick ups used at all. The ukulele is at the same angle, (maybe closer to 45 degrees), the uke is an Applause UAE 20, but, again, no pick ups used, and being strummed with the fingers.Bigsnake00 said:
I just checked Musicians Friend, and I was correct, they do advertise the Nady StarPower 9 mic as the mic that is included in the MR 8 kit. What can I say, I probably need to look more closely at what i get LOL!.
I hope this helps, like I said, i'm just trying to have fun with this thing, and so far, i am having a ball!
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mrx
New member
We tried working on multiple songs tonight, using a laptop as extended storage. I noticed that transfer time using USB was much slower than using a card reader, although it could have been the computer - anyone else notice this?
I went into tonights session unprepared (different computer, backing tracks that had been tweaked in n-Track, etc.) and found myself wishing for an internal hard drive. Stepping back, it was clear that having things organized ahead of time would have made all the difference - even with unlimited storage things would have been in disarray.
Definitely time to get busy and write a decent wav manager...
I went into tonights session unprepared (different computer, backing tracks that had been tweaked in n-Track, etc.) and found myself wishing for an internal hard drive. Stepping back, it was clear that having things organized ahead of time would have made all the difference - even with unlimited storage things would have been in disarray.
Definitely time to get busy and write a decent wav manager...
Kramer
Well-known member
Thanks for the links to the music guys.The MR-8 seems to get some good clean tracks..it does seem that a lot of the mr 8 users are more acoustic or stripped down type of muscians..would I be way off base in that assupmtion?I have the VF 16 and 16 tracks isnt enough for me even with bouncing and doubling.
Do you guys do a lot of bouncing etc?
Do you guys do a lot of bouncing etc?
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dyuob
New member
I've yet to use over 5 or so tracks, so i haven't bounced at all. In fact, I sometimes use tracks 5 and 6 together as the reference track to record to. I'm getting a bass in the near future, but that still is only 4 instruments, and with vocals, that uses only 5 tracks in mono. However, if I can find a real singer, I might consider stereo vocals , as that would bring them up front real well.
Like I said in an earlier post, this little machine is perfect for what I want to do. Not too big, not too little, and I'm growing with every time i use it. What more could i ask for?
Like I said in an earlier post, this little machine is perfect for what I want to do. Not too big, not too little, and I'm growing with every time i use it. What more could i ask for?
Kramer
Well-known member
dyuob said:
It sounds like a nice recorder and like you said,it's perfect for what you are doing.I see a lot of people slamming the MR 8 and it really doesnt make sense.People know their budget and they know what their intentions are for using the gear...8 tracks is enough for a lot of people and 16 is not enough for others(like myself
)I've recorded some of my most inspired music on cassette 4-tracks....it just takes a little creativity and planning ahead and you can get a lot out of a mimimum amount of tracks.Thanks again for posting the links to the music.Kramer
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mrx
New member
Kramer,
I've been approaching the MR-8 as a sort of "remote A/D converter" for my computer, so it really has unlimited tracks. It requires committing to a strategy, such as starting with a stable song form (length, tempo, meter changes, etc.), and frequent backup to a computer.
From a guitar perspective, it's incredibly productive to grab a box about the size of a multi-effect pedal and know that you are recording tracks that can be effortlessly dropped into a larger mix.
I've been approaching the MR-8 as a sort of "remote A/D converter" for my computer, so it really has unlimited tracks. It requires committing to a strategy, such as starting with a stable song form (length, tempo, meter changes, etc.), and frequent backup to a computer.
From a guitar perspective, it's incredibly productive to grab a box about the size of a multi-effect pedal and know that you are recording tracks that can be effortlessly dropped into a larger mix.
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PeteHalo
New member
Please don't get me wrong this time.
I'm not saying the MR8 is crap or something like that but let's face it, it's a sketchpad for quickly capturing musical ideas and not a real multrirack recorder or never meant to be one. All I'm saying is that if you are looking for a multitracker you might as well save a little longer and get a real multitracker which will make your life easier and let you concentrate in recording music. Most of the posts about MR8 on this bbs deal with overcoming the technical shortcomings of MR8 and if you'd go for a real multitracker you'd been recording from the day one without having to spend your time dealing with those issues.
Now tell me this, why did you folks go for MR8 instead the VF80? It's TOC is not much more than MR8 considering it's got practically unlimited storage space comperd to the CF cards, better effects, phatom power (I believe) and it's about the same size.
I'm not saying the MR8 is crap or something like that but let's face it, it's a sketchpad for quickly capturing musical ideas and not a real multrirack recorder or never meant to be one. All I'm saying is that if you are looking for a multitracker you might as well save a little longer and get a real multitracker which will make your life easier and let you concentrate in recording music. Most of the posts about MR8 on this bbs deal with overcoming the technical shortcomings of MR8 and if you'd go for a real multitracker you'd been recording from the day one without having to spend your time dealing with those issues.
Now tell me this, why did you folks go for MR8 instead the VF80? It's TOC is not much more than MR8 considering it's got practically unlimited storage space comperd to the CF cards, better effects, phatom power (I believe) and it's about the same size.
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a12stringer
New member
I did consider the VF80. But looking at an owner's manual it seemed to me that I'd be spending about 80% of my time scrolling through menus and punching buttons instead of recording. Since I already have a stand-alone CD-recorder, it's not that big a deal to record one song, mix it down to a cd, then when all the songs are done, sequence them in my computer for the finished product.
Granted the FX on the MR8 are not state of the art. But I have a DOD AcousticOne multi-FX board for my guitar if I need it and the everything else I like to record as cleanly as possible.
Again, my main point was just to say that there may be some possibilities to the MR-8 which the design engineers and marketing people did not envision and to throw the idea out for discussion in this forum.
The bottom line is, the music's the thing. And someone who is a true musician is going to explore the possibilities of the technology available to him or her.
As a side note, audio reduction, or "bouncing down" as we term it now days, should not be viewed as a necessary evil. Producers such as Brian Wilson, Snuff Garrett and George Martin used the technique often and I do not believe the music suffered. Except for John Lennon in myth-demolition mode, I don't think any of the Beatles ever thought classics such as "In My Life," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "Rain," or "Strawberry Fields Forever" needed to be redone with state-of-the-art technology.
Granted the FX on the MR8 are not state of the art. But I have a DOD AcousticOne multi-FX board for my guitar if I need it and the everything else I like to record as cleanly as possible.
Again, my main point was just to say that there may be some possibilities to the MR-8 which the design engineers and marketing people did not envision and to throw the idea out for discussion in this forum.
The bottom line is, the music's the thing. And someone who is a true musician is going to explore the possibilities of the technology available to him or her.
As a side note, audio reduction, or "bouncing down" as we term it now days, should not be viewed as a necessary evil. Producers such as Brian Wilson, Snuff Garrett and George Martin used the technique often and I do not believe the music suffered. Except for John Lennon in myth-demolition mode, I don't think any of the Beatles ever thought classics such as "In My Life," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "Rain," or "Strawberry Fields Forever" needed to be redone with state-of-the-art technology.
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mrx
New member
PeteHalo said:
Speaking for myself, I started out looking for a unit with guitar effects and backing tracks to use live. After going through the PS5 and PXR4 I found that I was actually enjoying recording again. Having given up exteranl units for a computer based system long ago, I was infuriated at the lack of concern for integration shown by those units.
I contacted Fostex and got them to verify, up front, that the MR-8 did not have those limitations.
It comes back to getting the right tool for the job. If you are never going to use the effects, EQ, and storage on a VF-80 (since you have all that on your computer), then why on Earth would you choose to limit yourself to transfering tracks through spdif?
On the other hand, if you are looking for a complete, integrated workstation, then the VF-80 would soon feel like a "toy" and you'll be longing for something a couple of links up the food chain.
The MR-8 is the only unit out there to provide WAV recording and CF card data transfer, whereas the VF-80 is really just a castrated VF-16.
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mrx
New member
Case in point -
Last night while tracking vocals I never had to look at a menu. Then I took a minute to drop my MR-8 tracks onto my laptop to do some mixing with n-Track at lunch. The whole process involved copying a folder and a USB cable.
Last night while tracking vocals I never had to look at a menu. Then I took a minute to drop my MR-8 tracks onto my laptop to do some mixing with n-Track at lunch. The whole process involved copying a folder and a USB cable.