mr 8 recording time trick

  • Thread starter Thread starter emoshen
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...just like you find a lot of VF-16's for sale now - there's even a guy on the Fostex site selling one.

Unless I'm missing your point, I don't see how a minidisc recorder compares to anything we're talking about. (I'm actually quite surprised to see they still sell them - they became obsolete the instant the first MP3 player/recorder hit the shelves...)

Regarding price, if purchased new (which is the only way most people will make this kind of investment), there is a $500 difference between the VF-16 and MR-8. Theoretically someone could buy an MR-8, and great audio card, mixer, and software for the same price as a VF-16. Or maybe an MR-8 and a computer...or perhaps the concept of setting eq and panning with a jog wheel puts them off the VF-16, so what about the VS2480..., etc.

Where does it end?

(I'm still using the 128MB card that came with the unit - if I need more room to simulate virtual tracks, I'll get a 256MB and press the 128MB into service with my camera - no one is going to buy a new card for every song.)
 
Ok, I'll take the bait.
Gee, I wish I had bought Muscle Shoals Studio instead of an MR 8, I might need all the session players one day....
 
Yea, and you'll have to buy stools for those session guys, and music stands, and...
 
me too

after i realized what a piece of crap the mr8 was i killed my wife, who bought it for me for christmas. she should have known better. i'm currently in such a state of depression that i don't have some other vaunted piece of equipment that i'm contemplating the best way to take my own life. i'm thinking about taking my mr8 apart and swallowing it piece by piece until i choke.

goodbye, everyone. goodbye forever . . .
 
Re: me too

sox said:
after i realized what a piece of crap the mr8 was i killed my wife, who bought it for me for christmas. she should have known better. i'm currently in such a state of depression that i don't have some other vaunted piece of equipment that i'm contemplating the best way to take my own life. i'm thinking about taking my mr8 apart and swallowing it piece by piece until i choke.

goodbye, everyone. goodbye forever . . .
Click to expand...

<gasp>

I just taught my wife how to use it so she can record herself singing or what not talking about an easy device to teach and learn with.


clif
 
So you're running out of reasonable arguments and you know it and start writing unbelievable crap, is that it? Ok, I get the point and leave you to it. Happy New Year!
 
'sceuuuse me fer a moment

Pete,
Sorry for joining the conversation at such a late date but.....isn't there a thread somewhere else for guys like you? The purchase has already been made....I, and the others seem to be happy with the MR-8. I'm not looking to buy something else, mine serves it's purpose....period. You sound like a salesman in a music store. Just because you like it, does not mean it's better! Not that I'm trying to slam you, but I fear you're preachin' to the devil here! But then....what the hell do I know? I AM an old fart...set in my ways...can't reason with me!

bd
 
The reason I took part in this conversation in the first place was merely that I was afraid that many of the folks who consider buying a MR-8 was doing it for the wrong reason and should be noted about the shortcomings of this machine before they find out about them the hard way. I'm not putting MR8 down but telling people that it might turn out to be an expensive learning experience if you only look at the price of the unit. Especially young people with little cash are tempted by the low price.

As a real life example I met this this teenage kid at the local musicstore just before Christmas and he was holding the MR8 (BTW the price is close to $500 here) in his hands and the salesman was pushing real hard trying to make him by it. I started to talk with the kid when the salesperson went into the back room and the kid told me his old Tascam 244 had broke down just when he was having frends coming over from another city to work an a project right after Chritmas. They we're planning on recording a few original songs that involved the kid playing sax, guitar, bass and drums with 3 singers and a cello player. And the salesman was trying hard to sell the MR8 for THAT!! Being the nice guy that I am I felt pretty sorry for the kid and offerd to help by lending him my VF16. I gave him a quick rundown of how the machine works when hi picked it up and he was recording by him self in less than half an hour. I haven't heard yet how the recordings turned out but I'm pretty confident that if he had bought the MR8 they'd be spending much of the time figuring out how to work around the limitations of MR8 instead of laying down tracks of interesting music. The kid phoned me last night to ask if he could keep the VF over the week end which I gladly agreed to of course and he told me he's also been able to negotiate with his parent to lend him the money to get the VF160 after he'd demonstrated the VF16's capabilities in real life situation.

This is the kind of message I've been trying to get thru to people on this forum. Get to know your needs and pick the right tool that has the features you need and not the cheapest one. And do your homework before you shop.
 
what!!!!

You have got to be kidding me........

lets just......

i mean...............

come on.............................
 
Pete,

Trusting folks over there! When I go my local Guitar Center I usually expect my car to get stolen - I can't imagine lending those people gear...

You make a solid point - one that current owners seem willing to share. I don't see MR-8 owners giving people bad advice - quite the contrary. Folks have been very frank about the effects and space limitations and the need for a PC.

And this may sound as stupid as defending a built-in mic, but real "knobs" are priceless. I've been working on building a complicated acoustic guitar track and the ability to simply tweak pans and effect sends with discrete knobs is a life saver when trying to get things to "feel" right. The last thing I need is to stop after blowing "take 20" to dig through menus in order to nudge my guide track a bit to the left...
 
Well maybe not quite that trusting but it turned out he's a son of somebody I know and his father happens to live across the street from my place and I took the chance because I like to support youngsters in making music whenever I can. Maybe some day he'll be somebody famous and I can feel good about myself giving him a boost in the beginning.

I'm not saying that MR8 owners are spreading false information I just want to bring out the weaknesses of it.
 
Well...lets face the real facts here for a moment..If you don't have a full blown studio at your disposal, regardless of what equipment you have...you are going to face SOME limitations. I do agree that all should make educated decisions when making a rather large investment...that kinda goes without saying.
 
You guys keep going back and forth with the positives and negatives of a MR-8 and I am thinking about buying one. Don't mix me up. It seems to me if I already have sound equipment (mics, mixer, etc.) and a good computer with a 40gig HD and some software. And I am recording with soundtracks (background music) and only recording a couple (at the most 3) vocals. Why do I need to spend $500 more for the next step up from the MR-8?
 
gospel;
You got it! The MR 8 is a great little machine, and if your needs are such as you described, why on earth would you spend more? Thats what is so odd about the times we live in, it's always about more. Not about whats right for the job. It would be like trying to hammer nails with a jack hammer.
How ever, I will point out that some one will come along and tell you that if you just spend X amount of dollars (yen, pounds, lira. whatever) more then you will find true multi track happiness. The truth is, no matter what you buy, there will always be something else that looks better.
I record with an ukulele, a guitar a washboard and my vocals, the MR 8 is perfect for what I do, in fact, it is overkill, but it does make editing very easy. And it is very easy to work with, so much so that i find I'm learning more than I ever imagined.
But then, that's just me.
 
gospel said:
You guys keep going back and forth with the positives and negatives of a MR-8 and I am thinking about buying one. Don't mix me up. It seems to me if I already have sound equipment (mics, mixer, etc.) and a good computer with a 40gig HD and some software. And I am recording with soundtracks (background music) and only recording a couple (at the most 3) vocals. Why do I need to spend $500 more for the next step up from the MR-8?
Click to expand...
We are just talking about some of the limitations of this unit. And to be honest it seems have a few bugs (I am referring to the stereo wave file x-fer) and in that rare case I use freeware Crystal AUdio Engine or CLub Tracks (which I just ordered for 10.00 from MF) to pull mono traks 7 and 8 then mixing them to a stereo wav file. In other words I have found a way to work around any problems that I have experienced with the MR-8. I have never had a problem pulling mono tracks from the mr-8 using the wave manager (available at the fostex website). I love this little unit. I have never done so much recording on my own in my entire life! It has kick started my playing and songwriting and most of all it is SO EASY TO USE! It sounds like for your needs (i.e overdubbing and soundtrack use NOT recording a live band etc) this unit may serve you well. Personally I would also buy a bigger CF card than the 128mb that comes with it. But I work fine with mine recording and bouncing to save memory until I can by a bigger card. I have been going back and forth on the same issue until I bought mine and I have not looked back. All I can offer is my testimony:)


clif
 
Plus, I used Clif's first tune today to block out the sound of some jerk on the phone in the next cube today - no other recorder has provided that kind of relief!
 
mrx said:
Plus, I used Clif's first tune today to block out the sound of some jerk on the phone in the next cube today - no other recorder has provided that kind of relief!
Click to expand...

Allways Glad to help:) I knew my music would serve some sort of purpose.


clif
 
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