Zoom's MRS-1044

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Just bought a 1044 - delivered yesterday just before I found info on the mark II ! - doh - had a play and quite impressed for the price £499.99 UK pounds, not done much with the bass/drum patterns as yet but laid a few test tracks and the overall sound is good must buy the USB interface next!

Only problem I've had so far is a terrible mains hum - when feeding instruments in via the unbalanced jacks.... used several instruments and leads - has anyone else had this problem - I tried switching everything else off incase they're inducing it but no joy - any ideas? not had chance to try a DI Box as yet....
 
Well, to respond to the last few posts:

I use a .wav recorder that came with my Soundblaster Live! card to master MRS recordings to my hard drive in .wav format. This works quite well and doesn't add any noise that I can detect.

The USB backup for MRS tracks saves them in what I guess is a proprietary format, but they can be reloaded into the MRS and worked on.

For some reason, my browser crashes when I try to access the Japaneese Zoom site. The American site, www.samsontech.com/zoom does not have any operating system upgrade info.

I would be happy to post a sample mp3 track, but the file size limit for this site prohibits it, and I don't have anywhere else to upload one.
 
Thanks, GT, but I don't know whether I am really suited for that site.

I am not a composer, just a hobbyist who loves playing other people's songs. Since I often can't find people to play with, I just play with myself and make multitrack recordings of songs I like.

I'm a one man cover band. Most sites where people upload (mp3.com, etc.) are for original songs.

I recently recorded a cover of Bowie's Space Oddity on my MRS that I think shows off the MRS's capability fairly well, but where would I upload such a thing?
 
Legume,

It don't matter knowhow, everybody's cool here. You do whatever you want to. That's what music is all about.

Sign up at nowhere, people will listen, doesn't have to be original.

GT
 
clansfolk- i did notice a buzz using the guitar input on the MRS with my tak but thought that it was my tak pic up or cable. when everything is plugged in and i squeeze the TRS connector that is going into the guitar (it's an acoustic electric) the noise disappears. let go of the cable at the connector and it returns. it's it's actually loud noise, not some little cable hum. sometime this week i'll plug in my martin A/E and see if it does the same thing and update you. maybe a DI is all that is needed. is that why when I hold the connector, my hand acts as the ground for the unbalanced line? why is there so much NOISE going through to begin with.. hmmm. anyone one else have similar probs? :)

-curious bunny girl
 
MRS-1044 transfer to PC

Hi guys,

been reading the posts with great interest since I'm considering getting one of these for home use.

Regarding the backup/PC issue: the USB card sounds like a good idea; but is it not possible to use the provided S/P DIF output to move files to/from a PC..?

thanks /Tommy
 
Tommy:

I'm not completley sure becuase I haven't had the opportunity to use the "optical out", but I think it's for mastering to a digital recorder, rather than for file backup. Thus, signals routed throught the "optical out" are digital audio, and not in the work file format.
 
Recording hip-hop?

How efficient is the sound quality you get from editing? I have a MPC2000XL and I want to transfer the data into the MRS 1044, then record vocals. After that record it to the CD burner(Marantz CDR-500). Does anyone know if this is a good digital recorder to use for that type of thing?Storing data?Can I do that with the 15gb's this machine has?How's the playback sound?....I have so many questions I know.
 
Question ???

Any of you guy's know if it is possible to use a virtual track as a regular track. without using a copy and paste method? any imput would be greatly appreciated. I have to add how much i love this recorder... I am a Recording arts student and the zoom machine has put me to the front of my class. I saw people asking for mp3's from this machine, although I dont use the drum and bass sequencers, but if you guy's would still want to hear something let me know.
 
D hunter

this zoom recorder will do everything you need it to i have the new 20gig model and it stores like 50hrs of audio, and that should be plenty storage. You'll probably be suprised at the effect capabilities and find yourself using lots of them for mastering. There is 2 stereo track that would be perfect for recording tables or samplers. I use alot of Dj oriented stuff, I thought this machine would suit a DJ well as soon as i got it out the box. the sound is as good as you feed it, all runs on 44.1 so you wont be disapointed there. for the money is worth it i think ...
 
I don't know about the MRS, but when I tried to plug my poratable (running on AC) to my VM3100Pro (connceted to my stand-alone computer via the StudioPak (RPC-1), I got a terrible disk/mouse activity noise, which was ONLY stopped by a ground lift (On a direct box) - the DI box didn't help unless it had a ground lift.

Luckily, there is company that makes this device - Whirlwind maikes the pcDI I used two adapters to go from the balanced output back to rca. The ground had to be lifted - the other functions of the DI box were irrelevant. For full stereo I/O I'd need two of them, but I'm only monitoring the output thru the VM , so one is enough for me...........

I had the same problem with a Mackie, but no other equipmen, so I'm suspecting the VM might not be grounded correctly, but who knows.... In any case, the pcDI solved the problem...


(You can find out if it is a ground loop by cutting off the third prong of a Radio Shack adapter, but this is NOT, repeat NOT recommended as anything but a reality check - pulling the ground of AC (rather than the signal) is very dangerous to both you and the equipment if lightning should strike...........:-)

Just my input - if there is a buzz, it probably isn't the MRS, but a ground loop, as above..... chasing them down can be a real pain in the .........

Best Regards,

Chuck

bunnygirl said:
clansfolk- i did notice a buzz using the guitar input on the MRS with my tak but thought that it was my tak pic up or cable. when everything is plugged in and i squeeze the TRS connector that is going into the guitar (it's an acoustic electric) the noise disappears. let go of the cable at the connector and it returns. it's it's actually loud noise, not some little cable hum. sometime this week i'll plug in my martin A/E and see if it does the same thing and update you. maybe a DI is all that is needed. is that why when I hold the connector, my hand acts as the ground for the unbalanced line? why is there so much NOISE going through to begin with.. hmmm. anyone one else have similar probs? :)

-curious bunny girl
Click to expand...
 
MRS 1044 V 2.0 software

For anyone that's interested:

If you get the USB card for the MRS-1044, you can install version 2 of the operating software that is posted on the Japaneese site (www.zoom.co.jp).

With this upgrade, you can save the stereo master ouput to your computer through the USB port directly as a .wav file, instead of having to record it through your sound card. This keeps all elements of recording and mastering in the digital domain.

The newer models of the MRS-1044 (the ones that ship with a 20 gig HD or the CD-R and 40 gig drive) come factory equipped with v 2.0 software. But I thnk you still have to buy the USB card separately.
 
USB questions

Hi guys,

still considering getting a Zoom MRS-1044, with the USB card... but I have a couple of quick questions that you guys hopefully :) can answer:

  • I understand that you can move tracks from the 1044 to the PC, via USB, in wav format. But what about the other direction? If I for example create a rhythm background in Acid, saving it in wav format, will I then be able to move that file into the MRS-1044 and use it as a track?
  • If this is possible, what about adjusting start point? Is there a way to "nudge" an audio file in the MRS-1044, or designate a starting point or anything like that?
  • Last one: would it be possible to move an MRS-1044-created audio file into my PC as a wav, manipulate that wav file in the PC domain (without changing start point, end point, length or anything: just manipulating it) and then moving it back into the MRS-1044 via USB, putting it in the same "position" it was before?

In all these cases, I mean moving audio through the USB interface - NOT by going out through the PC soundcard...

many thanks for your help /Tommy
 
Tommy,

Yes you CAN move .wav files back to the MRS as a v-track.

However, I don't know if you can "nudge" the start point. I have not found a way to do this, and it is not discussed in the manual.

The very first thing I recorded on the machine was done while listening to a built in "click track" because I wanted to program a drum part later. Unfortunately, I didn't realize I needed to come in on the first beat of a measure in order to get the drum track to synch properly. I just started the clicks and began to play when I felt ready. The result was that when I went to add drums, I found that I had acutally begun to play on a click that was beat 3. I was unable to find a way to move my track to start on beat one.

I've learned to count the clicks since!
 
1044 file swapping

Hi folks. I`m a newbie here and am thinking of getting a 1044. I am also wanting something that I can easily swap tracks with a writing partner. Is this easily possible with this unit perhaps using one of the outputs or or inputs. Like if we had two of these are they portable enuff to carry along and then somehow download files to each others machines?

THANX!

~AIRDEVIL~
 
Airdevil,

The machine is very portable. Sort of like a laptop computer. I usually take it upstairs with a pair of headphones and program drum tracks while I watch TV.

I don't think that you can directly transfer data from one MRS to another. But you should be able to swap projects with your collaborator by first downloading them to PC through the optional USB card. You could then burn the project to CD (as data, not as a .wav file) and give the CD to your friend. He would need to copy the file to his PC, and then upload it to his MRS through the USB card.

Don't forget to change the file attribute to "archive" from "read only" after you copy the file from CD to PC, or you won't be able to modify it!
 
Hi Legume & all,

thanks for the response - I take it that you've found a way to work with files in the PC domain, and then link the files back to the 1044. Sounds good enough to me - if you found a way, hopefully I can figure it out as well!

Regarding the "swapability" issue - if you both have USB cards, would it be possible to transport files between the machines directly via USB?

cheers /Tommy
 
That was my next question

That would be perfect if you can connect two 1044 via usb port. Well, how bout it guys? Can ya do that?

AIRDEVIL
 
The MRS hard drive doesn't have the Windows operating system (in fact, the MRS doesn't even have a keyboard.)

Copying files, etc. have to go via the computer, although there is no reason why you couldn't hook up two MRS's to a computer (via two USB ports) and copy the files over that way.
 
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