School me on standalone multi-track recorders

[bongoben]

K, easier than typing...

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[rustywire]

I borrowed an R16 for some simple tracking back in 2011.
Was pleased with the results and ease of use, surprising sound quality and you get a bunch of pcm wav files saved to your card. No guesswork. Just make sure you aren't running too hot.
Its built-in mics are good enough for scratchpad ideas and even some lofi recording. It's even better with some external/outboard gear.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

the zoom r's are good. can't go wrong w/ tascam either.

i am also interested in a digital 4 track of sorts, but like an older one that allows you degrade the audio quality to increase recording time. LOFIIIII

anybody got any knowledge on older 4 tracks?

[bongoben]

I've used Zoom products numerous times before (just the small handheld recorders for live recording) and have never questioned their quality. Tascam I have very little experience with but have seen a lot of things about parts of their recorders shitting out. Maybe those are just the few exceptions but it was common enough that it threw my brain into a "I have no idea what to look into" spiral.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

what type of recorder are u looking for? a small handheld? or a bigger one w/ more faders/controls and stufF? how many tracks 4, 8? more?

[bongoben]

Well, here's the thing. I've been very interested in the recorders like the Zoom R16 because of the multi-channel inputs (that one has up to 8 simultaneous for recording) and the multi-channel playback to overdub. The Zoom H4n is a great little recorder but as a soundguy I get lost without faders.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

yea i feel u, the small ones seem like they would be a bit frustrating to work on.

maybe look at the boss one too. that one looks pretty nice.

[blakestree]

I have a Tascam DP-03SD. It only has two inputs, but I'm happy with it.

i am also interested in a digital 4 track of sorts, but like an older one that allows you degrade the audio quality to increase recording time. LOFIIIII

anybody got any knowledge on older 4 tracks?

Yo, don't you have an OP-1?

[friendship]

I've been using an R16 as a standalone recorder and an interface for DAW since I think 2011 or 2012. It's pretty great. I've done a lot of home recording and band recording with it and it's worked great. Later this month I'm going to use it to record a three piece live. Once I daisy chained mine with a friend's to get 16 channels to track a jazz ensemble. The only things that bother me about it are 1) only having two channels of phantom power and 2) occasionally in interface mode it starts emitting this intermittent digital pop, I don't know if other users have experienced that or it's just a quirk of my unit or setup.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

I have a Tascam DP-03SD. It only has two inputs, but I'm happy with it.

i am also interested in a digital 4 track of sorts, but like an older one that allows you degrade the audio quality to increase recording time. LOFIIIII

anybody got any knowledge on older 4 tracks?

Yo, don't you have an OP-1?

yes i do, how could i have overlooked that! thanks duder. still generally curious whats out there. i know there are plenty of digital multi tracks out there from the 90s, curious if any of them have lofi recording options. they must! but the information is pretty scattered so far in my efforts.

[echoraven]

The Boss BR600 is a pretty decent unit, though (to me) it's complicated. I've relegated mine to an external recorder when I can't do it in the man cave.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

i just scooped a fostex mr8 for a song ($30)

its got a lofi recording mode, and looks pretty stupid simple, altho it has no EQ, which might be kind of important, but i'm still stoked about it.

i love making tunes on 4 tracks. its so much more fun then computer based shit. I am like 99.9% computer free right now.