Which one to choose?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dvern
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dvern

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I'm trying to choose between 2 8 track hard drive recorders and can't decide which. Can anyone help on this?

Its the fostex mr8 hd and the Tascam DP01-FX. Both are the same sort of price and spec but the fostex is a lot newer.

I'm not a noob, I'm just after a simple "sketch pad" machine for the living room, and obviously would rather purchase the better of the 2.

Any thoughts or other options would be greatly appreciated.

Vern. :D
 
I looked at both of those, bought the MR8-HD due to 4 inputs and simultaneous recording of them. It has worked perfectly for me, and I have almost a hundred songs on it now. I use it as my recorder, then transfer everything to PC for mixing. I use a mixer on the front end for the better preamps...
 
I've got the original MR-8.

If I was to upgrade to the HD, it would be only for the extra inputs, which I have learned that I really don't need because I do have the mixer. Even if I was to record live drums (which I don't for many reasons), I would probably still route them through the mixer and record a stereo track.

If you need the extra inputs, then I would go for the MR-8HD. It's simple to learn to use, and you can be recording almost as soon as you get it out of the box.

There are reported issues with it. But there are with most electronic things these days. From what I understand, the issues can be fixed by downloading upgrades off the Fostex site.
 
A different approach...

First off, I own a Fostex VF-16, and I think it's great. I use it primarily to record live bands. Its ability to record 16 tracks simultaneously can NOT be matched by any other machine in its price range. Extremely simple to use, and it has been bullet-proof for me. Great machine.

However...when I was recently in the market for a musical "sketch pad" (i.e. a recorder that I could use as a songwriting tool in my living room with a minimal learning curve and lots of functionality), I opted to buy a Boss mult-track recorder. Specfically, a used BR-864. It was pretty apparent to me that the BR-864 offered a LOT more bang for the buck when compared to the Fostex MR-8. The BR-864 offers 8 tracks at mixdown (with 64 virtual tracks), USB connectivity, S/PDIF digital output, and optional battery (AA) power. It also has a great sounding drum machine and a GREAT guitar/bass/amp modeler with a dedicated Hi-Z input for guitar or bass. I have been able to quickly and easily record several demos of new songs that sound great. It was EXACTLY what I was hoping for.

The BR-864 has been discontinued (I think it was replaced by the BR-600), but you can find used ones on eBay for under $300. My only complaint is that it sometimes acts a little flakey when writing to/reading from the Compact Flash memory card that it uses (instead of a hard drive).

HTH,

ray
 
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