Toy smarter than I am

  • Thread starter Thread starter Happydude22
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Happydude22

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Hi. I just received a Fostex MR8 & tried using it for
the first time. I thought that I was recording something
(record button blinking, play button green) but when I
tried to play it back I didn't get anything. Would it matter
if the object of amplification were a Marshall amp instead
of a set of headphones? I saw an ad that said it was as
easy to use as an old cassette recorder, but it looked
much more complicated to my old brain. Are there any
easy-to-use tips that anyone could share? Thanks in
advance for any help.
 
If the record button is blinking, you ain't recording! Both buttons have to be on solid. If you push the two buttons at the same time, you should be all set.
 
mr8

when the buttons are blinking, your in practice mode, time to play along ,set your levels and practice what you will play, then push both at same time till solid, and you are recording
 
Thanks a bunch! Do you think that, had it recorded anything, the marshall amp
would have worked for playhback instead of headphones?
 
amp

get some monotors or use headphones, you will never get a realistic impression of the mix that way
 
Well I bought some headphones & was able to get it to record. Does the internal microphone just sound terrible on this thing or did I get a dud? I had to turn the trim & the track bars almost all the way up & it still sounded muffled. I just did an acoustic guitar thing but this sounded no better than the cheap cassette recorder I was using. I put it on the computer & listened to it to see if it was just the headphones but it didn't improve the quality much at all. Is there anything I could be doing wrong? I read & re-read the book & the troubleshooting suggestions for this problem were to turn everything up higher. Any suggestions?
 
mr8

The internal mics work relatively well. There is a thread in here with an acoustic recording done with one and sounds decent. And mine picks up stuff 15 feet away. How far away from the recorder are you when recording? The internal mic is part of the portability of the mr8. Small, 8 track unit ,takes batteries and was designed in mind to be able to get ideas down quickly with overdubbing capabilities without having to have a mic and a cable. But also being able to do lengthy projects with pc mixing or internally if you have enough card space. One suggestion I have is to get a SM57 mic and cable and record your guitar through that and see how it sounds. There's cheap gear and software that works well with the mr8 and lots of threads in here with user experiences. Good luck. Pj
 
mr8

the internal mic works, thats about, ti, if you want a good recording, you will need a mic, and a mic preamp or a mixer...the mixer is better you get some eq control that way... effects are not worth using, best bet is to mic, use mixer, transfer tracks to pc and mix there,

while the mr8 will work getting ideas down with the internal mic, the unit was designed to be used in conjunction with the computer
 
Make sure you're in "Hi-Res" mode,...

not "Economy" mode memory recording. :eek: :cool: ;) :)
 
Mr8

If the MR8 was designed to be used only in conjunction with the pc, as Dave suggests, there would be copy of wav manager in the box when I opened it or page 1 of the manual would tell me where to download it. I've looked through mine and the words wav manager never appear. I gathered from happy's post that maybe he didn't have a mixer, or a pc ,or a microphone and he's experiencing some of the same disappointments we run into when we first purchased our MR8's. And we all don't have budgets to run out and buy bigger cf's, mics, cables ,mixers, and software after we've put $300.00 into the recorder. And I agree, the on board fx and sims aren't that good. I suggested that he start off with some cheap gear that will get him started to get better quality than what he's getting now and by reading and posting in here he will grow like the rest of us have and have a full set up by the fall.
 
Muchas gracias for all the advice, ideas, & support. I'm learning guitar by jamming with a friend who's really good & originally wanted something like a music quality voice recorder just to set on the coffee table between us, but the IRiver with the optical mic is $400, & the mr8 looked like the best way for a novice to go. I think I'll try a cheap mic to see if it helps, but I was able to get a halfway decent sound by using the "bright" mixing option. Could someone suggest a good pc mixer that's easy to use? You're right, I have 3 daughters, a wife, & direct deposit, so there's not a lot of funds available for equipment.
 
mixer

you can get a behringer mixer for 50.00, and just get a good mic, if not, you will still be trying to figure out why the recordings dont sound so great....
a good mic will hold its value and is easily resold, get a sm57 good for instruments and vocals

the mr8 is marketed as a stand alone recorder...and it is ....kind of...
the unit IS designed to be used with the computer, designed, not marketed, they sell alot more of them this way.....

but since you already have a computer..... try one of the many mixing programs out there, some are free and many demos to try, (i like n track) and you wont beleive the difference in your sound....

you dont have to spend a fortune, you get a little bit at a time as you go and gain experience you will need to get more equipment anyway...

im married with kids and dogs two mortgages, a boat two cars a truck
a full pa set up with two 31 band eq's digital delay, compressors, 4 monitors, mains and subs, three power amps two mixers, drums, guitar and bass amps, 2 basses 5 guitars 15 or so mics, two keyboards and boxes of cords and accessories, i bought it all with money made from live gigs....i play in two working bands and got a peice here and there

this stuff took 6 years to accumulate, doesnt happen overnight
 
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happydude

where are you at anyway, if you are even remotley close, i would be glad to lend you a sm 57 until you get some mics......
just give it back when your finished
 
mic

shure makes the sm 57, its the standard for instrument mics

89.99 at musicians friend
 
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