Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I have had this recorder now for almost 3 months and I am blown away by the capabilities of this unit.
Expect This:
1) Small
2) Light weight
3) Excellent sound quality
4) Easy to operate basic features
5) Can back up songs to computer (and reload them back into unit)
6) Programmable drums (you can string together patterns into a "song" or tap in your own patterns)
7) Nice amp modeling (lots of "stomp box" settings and Bass guitar simulations so you can play bass with a regular guitar..and it sounds believable)
8) Nice effects (reverb, chorus, delay, comp. limit, etc.) that you can program to some extent
9) Has a line in so you can use an external mixer if you want
10) Onboard stereo Mic is astonishlingly clear and sensitive (you can record live gigs with nothing plugged in)
11) Seperate rhythm track fader so you don't waste a track for drums
12) 64 virtual tracks so you can have different 8 different performances on say Track 1 (but you can only play select and play one at a time...but cool for alternate versions of a song)
13) Cut and paste performance data on the same track or between tracks
14) Punch in/out recording so you can zero in and re-record over "bad sections"
15) Pitch correction that actually will correct your off key singing (not the best quality but ok)
16) Excellent tool for the singer/songwriter to "flesh out" ideas into a digital quality recording
Don't Expect This:
1) No way to sync with external sequencer (no SMPTE or MTC)
2) Can only record two "things" at a time (guitar/mic, 2 mics, or 2 guitars) unless you use external mixer
3) Easy access to features (with a single small LED display you are stuck with "menu trees")
4) The batteries to last long. I put new batteries in and got the "low battery" message only after 1 hour of use. I use AC all the time so not a big deal to me.
5) The 125 Meg card to hold more than about a single fullup 8 track song (get the 1Gig card immediately...only about $30)
6) To have 8 independent tracks. You have 4 mono tracks and 2 stereo tracks so it is really a cross between a 6 track and 8 track recorder...depending on how you look at it.
7) Export your whole song in .WAV or .AIFF format (only individual mono/stereo tracks can be exported so do all your tracks is sort of time consuming...but it can be done)
8) Great microphone performance (the preamp is a little weak...at least for the dynamic cardioid that I use
Given all the above I still give it 5 stars and here is why:
1) Form Factor (small and lightweight)
2) Sound quality
3) Ease of use (to lay down multiple tracks quickly)
4) Onboard rhythm (hundreds of patterns (intros, verses, fills, and ends) that you can string together.
5) Onboard amp modeling (and especially the bass simulation....don't have to buy a bass guitar)
6) Cost....incredible amount of features/quality for $350. I had a studio in LA 15 years ago and this unit is the equivalent of over $5000 worth of gear (8 track cassette deck, effects boxes, bass guitar, guitar amp, and drum machine). I can't believe how all this stuff is now part of something the size/weight of a magazine.
7) Easy backup of data on computer so you can have a downloadable "library" of songs and download them seperately when you want to work on them.
The only feature I wish this thing had was a way to sync up with a DAW sequencer. But you can always export your tracks out as WAV or AIFF files and import them into your DAW.
But for me, I just want something that is always ready to go if I get an idea for a song and I don't want to have to boot up a computer or play with a bunch of cords and gear. I just turn this thing on with nothing attached, grab my acoustic guitar, and sing/play thru the built in Mics to "get the idea down". Then I go back later and "do it right".
My two tips are:
1) Get the 1Gig card as the 125Meg card is just too small for real work
2) And "if" you are unhappy with the Mic sound, run your Mic into a preamp and feed the signal into the unit thru the line in. When I did this my vocals became "alive". The guitar in has plenty of "oomphf".
I love this unit. It does everything a singer/songwriter who wants to quickly sketch out ideas could want. And if you want to do some quality recording it will do that too.
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Boss BR600 Digital Multitrack Recorder
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