What is so bad about the MR-8?

[uhhuhhim]

Despite the trouble with flash cards...

Are the effects really that bad, and if they are, would Cakewalk make up for it?

I'm trying really hard to convince myself to buy it, but is it really worth it?

uh huh him

 

[Lurk_R]

I was thinking about the MR-8 too. What have you heard about it?

 

[Nils K]

I use my MR-8 mainly as a portable addition to my DAW setup (n-Track Studio). That is, I don't use the effects section that much. It's OK for the occasional rough remix to hear what things sound like, but not anything I would use in a finished production. I bought the MR-8 because it had balanced inputs, recorded in 16 bit, 44.1 kHz, and no moving parts, i.e. no mechanical noise, and it serves me very well for that purpose. Recently I recorded a church organ(!) with it - didn't bother to bring my DAW to the church...

regards, Nils

 

[Rokket]

I record on mine and transfer the files to pc to mix. Yeah, the pre amps are weak, it only has 2 inputs (technically there are 4, because it has the balanced XLR inputs, but you can't use them at the same time as the unbalanced 1/4" inputs, so it is still 2), and the card compatibility thing (solved if you upgrade to the version 1.20). All in all it's a pretty decent machine for the price. The card that comes with it is only 128MB compact flash card, but I bought a 512MB card and it's working beautifully. And I've heard it can take up to a 2GB card.
It's portable and easy to use. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to learn it.

 

[diogo]

its not that bad no..i dont think so...i badmouth it a lot just cause i wish i had something better, but to tell u the truth, if u add something into the chain, as most ppl do or are in the process of doing, say a decent budget pre, a reverb unit, etc, its gonna end up being the same as recording in one of those portable carry it all studios (roland, korg, etc) cause this kind of "crap" is all built around the same components. plus the MR8 will record 24 bit uncompressed. u cant obviously burn a cd like in those portable units, but i wouldnt burn a cd there safe for rough demos or whatever.

the flashcards aint that big a problem, their website has these upgrades u can download that will make it support a lot of the cards it didnt before...anyway u just gotta shop around.

i would sell mine, but since its new it would have to be a pretty good offer.

if anyone's interested u can reach me at diogo23@yahoo.com.

hope this helps

 

[Rokket]

its not that bad no..i dont think so...i badmouth it a lot just cause i wish i had something better, but to tell u the truth, if u add something into the chain, as most ppl do or are in the process of doing, say a decent budget pre, a reverb unit, etc, its gonna end up being the same as recording in one of those portable carry it all studios (roland, korg, etc) cause this kind of "crap" is all built around the same components. plus the MR8 will record 24 bit uncompressed. u cant obviously burn a cd like in those portable units, but i wouldnt burn a cd there safe for rough demos or whatever.

the flashcards aint that big a problem, their website has these upgrades u can download that will make it support a lot of the cards it didnt before...anyway u just gotta shop around.

i would sell mine, but since its new it would have to be a pretty good offer.

if anyone's interested u can reach me at diogo23@yahoo.com.

hope this helps

The MR-8 will do 24 bit? I thought it was only 16... Here I've had it for over a year and never knew that. I better get in the manual.......

 

[Rokket]

The MR-8 will do 24 bit? I thought it was only 16... Here I've had it for over a year and never knew that. I better get in the manual.......

I was right. It only records in 16 bit. From the data sheet on the Fostex website:

High quality sound recording and playback with uncompressed linear 16-bit/44.1 kHz digital audio (normal mode). 2-track simultaneous recording and 8 tracks playback.
Recording time is about 25 track-minutes with 128MB Compact Flash Card. Extend Mode (16-bit/22.05 kHz) doubles the recording time.

 

[A Reel Person]

I have a "Portastudio" background, and that's my basic reference:...

Things I don't like about the MR8
--------------------------------
1) It's a simple 2-input architecture, with no front-end input mixing capability.

2) The 2-track-simul-max recording limit is very limiting.

3) The short & somewhat limited record times that flash memory provides, that obligates you to run to the 'puter to dump tracks, in order to free up more space.

4) I don't like recording or mixing on the 'puter, (a side-issue to the MR8's operation).

>> Those are 4 reasons I give the MR8, and anything similar in it's class, the thumbs down.

** Disclaimer: I don't have or use the MR8, or anything else in this class of devices.

Things I like about the MR8:
---------------------------
1) It's portable.

2) It's RED. Now in BLACK!!

3) It's operationally stable, & not prone to O/S hangups.

 

[Ed Dixon]

The MR-8 is a very good digital recorder. It is best used with a PC where mix down and effects are done on the PC.

I can produce very high quality audio tracks. It is best suited to situations where tracks can be recorded one at a time. It can record a max of two tracks at a time.

Trying to record bands is not well suited as multiple inputs and tracks are needed at the same time.

Ed

 

[Rokket]

The MR-8 is targeting those who would be thinking about 4-track analog recorders by offering 8 tracks digital for less money than a high end machine like the Tascam 424 mkIII. It's just a basic entry level digital recorder, which serves it purpose. Learning digital recording at the entry level. I have about outgrown it, but for financial and other reasons, I won't stop using it until it stops being used...

 

[A Reel Person]

Yes, very true, Rokket,...

but some people, such as myself, still think the likes of the Tascam 424mkIII is technically superior to the MR8. That's my basic point.

The fact that people get **stars** in their eyes over the word "digital",... is one of the things that drives the success of the MR8. Comparing features and specs, the MR8 doesn't fare that well against the 424mkIII.

/DA

 

[Rokket]

but some people, such as myself, still think the likes of the Tascam 424mkIII is technically superior to the MR8. That's my basic point.

The fact that people get **stars** in their eyes over the word "digital",... is one of the things that drives the success of the MR8. Comparing features and specs, the MR8 doesn't fare that well against the 424mkIII.

/DA

IMHO, the only advantage digital machines have over the 424mkIII is the fact that signal loss when bouncing tracks is almost nil.

I got to use a 424mkII for a couple weeks. It belonged to a friend of mine. My ghetto setup wasn't much different than I have now, but I enjoyed the process the whole time. The only drawback for me at the time was waiting for the tape to rewind....

I miss onboard eq....

 

[A Reel Person]

-ghetto setup-

.............heh.

 

[Rokket]

.............heh.

Yup....

Drums came from this boom box that my wife bought me that had a 4 pad drum machine built in. It had about 20 different looped rhythms. I ran a 1/8" adaptor out of it to the 1/4" inputs (not to two tracks for stereo, either. I didn't know how...) I played my acoustic guitar into a $14 mic I bought. I didn't have a mic stand, so I layed in on one of my kitchen chairs propped up on pillows. I DI'd my bass. I didn't know I could bouce tracks. I had no outboard effects. The tracks sounded pretty good to my untrained ears. I mixed it down to the same boom box the drums came from. I sent it to mom...

 

[A Reel Person]

Yeah, cool!!

That's what jake-O.W.A. always says: "If you want a good review, ask your mom!"

 

[Rokket]

That's what jake-O.W.A. always says: "If you want a good review, ask your mom!"

It was a song that I had written about my grandmother when she died. It was also one of the first things I ever posted in the clinic when I first joined. Of course, by then it had been recorded onto my MR-8 and mixed via pc...

 

[Rokket]

That's what jake-O.W.A. always says: "If you want a good review, ask your mom!"

See my signature line....

 

[diogo]

sorry bout the 24 bit mistake..

somehow i thought compressed - 16 bit; uncompressed - 24 bit..
ive never really been through the manual that much so, i just thought i had read it somewhere there on one of the short readings.

 

[Rokket]

sorry bout the 24 bit mistake..

somehow i thought compressed - 16 bit; uncompressed - 24 bit..
ive never really been through the manual that much so, i just thought i had read it somewhere there on one of the short readings.

Yeah, actually it's uncompressed -16 bit, 44.1khz; compressed is 16bit, 22.05khz...

 

[bsr2002]

Despite the trouble with flash cards...

Are the effects really that bad, and if they are, would Cakewalk make up for it?

I'm trying really hard to convince myself to buy it, but is it really worth it?

uh huh him

Not a bad buy, I use my PC as well. I use my MR8 direct with instruments and vocals then I send the tracks one by one into Cakewalk and EQ each track individually. Works great!!!!