Digital Recorder Question re: Specification for recording two tracks simultaneously ?

[LowDown Hal]

Here is an example of a unit I was looking at:
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The specs say
"Tracks
Track: 8, V-Track: 64 (8 V-Tracks per each Track), Up to 2 tracks can be recorded simultaneously, and up to 8 tracks can be played back simultaneously."

Does this mean that all tracks are mixed down and recorded in two track (stereo) mode. Or does this mean only two tracks at a time can be recorded?

THANKS

 

[anomalybass]

USUALLY...this means you can only record 2 tracks at once. my 4 track tape has 4 channels that i can mix seperately, but it only has 2 inputs i can record live with. then i have to switch over for the other 2. i think thats what they are saying. check the specs and see how many inputs the unit has. if it has 8 then maybe im wrong. then again why would it only playback what you have recorded in 8 tracks when it has so many vt? shouldnt it play back everything thats been layered just like any other unit? i think i asked more ?? than i answered. -joe p

 

[bassbrad]

For that specific machine you can only record 2 tracks at a time, very common for 8 trak machines, afik only Korg has an 8trak that can record 8 silmul tracks. One of the high costs of digital recording are the input channel analog to digital converters.
Stand alone DAWS are very confusing because they are several things in 1 box, I find it helpful to think of the machine in sections or components. You have 2 inputs which can be assigned to any of the 8 mixer channels, those 8 mixer channels have 8 available tracks to record or play. There are 8 playback/mixing but those channels can be assigned to one of 8 virtual tracks. Virtual tracks on that machine allow you to do multiple takes up to 8 and select the best one.
Virtual tracks have been eating at my brain and I still do not have a total handle on them or how I will use them, my machine has 8 inputs 24 channels & 250 virtual tracks