economical recorder - just for my sounds

For a portable, standalone recorder, I like the Tascam DR-40.

If you're an iPhone or iPad user, Apple's GarageBand software is pretty neat. However, you'd need to purchase a suitable interface such as IK Multimedia's iRig 2. And because the iPhone 7 did away with the headphone jack, you'd need to purchase another device such as a Lightning Dock to regain that functionality.

 

If the Roland fits your needs, go for it. Just know up-front that the VSR-880's technology – a 6GB internal hard drive connected via SCSI – is now 15+ years old and comparatively ancient by modern standards. If the unit craps out on you, unless you're handy with a multimeter and a soldering iron, your odds of getting it repaired are slim at best.

 

Hand held Zoom or Tascam with instrument inputs

 

Marantz builds quality stuff. But yeah, the PMD660 isn't a multitrack recorder – it's the sort of ENG device you occasionally see on TV being thrust into someone's face by pesky reporters ("Senator, for the record: Are you officially denying that you brought an underage girl back to your hotel room last August?")

 

No you need a multi track recorder?

I got a Soundcraft ui12 mixer used for $300 CAD. Mind you that was a great deal and the only I’ve seen.

It can record stereo to a USB stick. It also has great EQ, effects and compression. You can run in whatever mic or line signal you want. You can play back the USB recording and track over it creating a new track. Multi track would be a lot better but for simple needs it’s fantastic. By the time you spend $150 on a used H4N recorder may as well spend $300 - $400 for something with a hell of a lot more functionality.

 

Do you already own an iPod, iPad, or laptop computer? Because you can put Garage Band on any of these and get either a simple input adapter or a nicer audio interface and record right to your device and store either there or in the cloud.