Help! Need multitrack recorder much easier than Boss BR600!

[Wanker_Joe]

Thanks for all the input and tips! Sounds like Reaper might be the way to go.



Correct... sorry that wasn't clear. The tracks will be layered, not all at once. I'll be playing different instruments, but one at a time!

I don't know why nobody ever mentions it but look into Cakewalk. It's actually free. It's very very powerful and extremely well put together. It's one of the oldest DAWs and until recently was a very expensive commercial product (until Bandlab picked it up and gave it out for free - and it's continually being upgraded). Personally I found it easier to use than Reaper. That being said, Reaper is pretty great too.

 

[tothemax]

I got on the Cakewalk bandwagon after Band Lab took it over. After moving from Audacity to Cubase many moons ago I found Cakewalk to be a good option as well. I only do limited recording/mixing for myself and band and really like the ability to quickly share a mix with the online option. After cutting my teeth with Cubase I find Cakewalk a much easier to DAW use, and as "WJ" mentioned updates are pushed on a regular basis and it is a free product. There are also many good YouTube tutorials available. Like any DAW there is a learning curve.

 

[Freddy T]

Definitely check out the Zoom R8. For what you want to do it's perfect. It's easy to operate, small so it doesn't take up space but not tiny, excellent recording quality direct, good quality built in mics, fairly quiet noise level, good effects, cool mastering effects, easy navigation of menus, built in drum machine with different kit sounds and beats, sequencer, sampler. Mind you this is a budget all in one recording solution so everything I listed works well but is not at the top of it's hardware class - that would cost in the multiple thousands of dollars. R8 is about $250 used I think. I use mine for personal projects: pick a tempo, a beat, build a bassline and guitar riff, quick mix, save to the SD card, then email to vocalist, drummer, guitarist, keyboardist, etc. It's great as as a practice tool as well. The R8 and the R24 also allow you to re-amp tracks, R16 doesn't. Some people can get really excellent quality recordings with this device, although my limited capabilities yields "demo" quality results. The value for me is that I can get a good quality musical concept down quickly with beats and all to efficiently start a musical dialogue with other players. As you look at your options, I would suggest you make sure the units you like allow you to bounce and mixdown to stereo. The R8 is simple and amazing for its price and size.

 

[MVE]

Cakewalk is free!!!

Cakewalk includes great plugins. (ProChan, Drum Replacer, etc…)

I recorded this, and my other videos, in cakewalk:

 

[tbz]

clearly reflects the developers' intentions which is not to provide a free DAW but to have an accessible product that's available commercially

Reaper is made by the guys who made Winamp, which was free, then sold Winamp to aol for like 6+ mil in 2001(ish) money.

They’ve always been guys that care more about making something accessible, than they care about making money. They made enough money on Winamp that they are doing Reaper as more of a passion project than a money making venture.


Hence the fact that you can just keep reinstalling and doing a free trial. That’s by design. Sure, it can’t hurt if you pay them, and at that price you probably should.

But it’s silly to pretend that they care. If they did they’d put ProTools style DRM in place.

 

[mike-matthews]

I really, really want to make simple multitrack (maybe 6 tracks or more) recordings to capture arrangement ideas to share with my band. I have a Boss BR600... have had it for a few years... I never use it because I find it wildly counterintuitive. Is there something much more intuitive and easy? It doesn't need to be fancy... I don't care about effects. I just want to be able to layer tracks!

...also, a lot of the computer interfaces come with a "lite" version of their respective DAW's. Both of mine did - PreSonus (Session 1) and Focusrite (Ableton Lite).

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

I have a tascam dp008. It Is relatively inexpensive and sounds great but for me, the PC running cakewalk is much better. The small units have the little screens and my eyesight is poor - the PC is much easier for me to work with. Even Garage Band (on my iPad) is easier on the eyes (and free).

 

[silky smoove]

But it’s silly to pretend that they care. If they did they’d put ProTools style DRM in place.

It’s silly to suggest that they don’t care or that the ProTools model is the only other option. If they didn’t care they would have made it unilaterally free with no option to purchase a license or make a distinction between user levels and the resultant pricing. What they made on the sale of Winamp is irrelevant.

Regardless, none of us are in a position to know the developers’ feelings but them. All we can do is review the available facts. Those facts are clear. There is a cost once the trial period expires which it will do in perpetuity. Therefor Reaper is not intended to be free to use even if some people choose to exploit the trial period refresh policy.

 

[castlev]

If i were you, i'd go on ebay, type in "digital multitrack recorder" then sort from least expensive. The least expensive ones will have the fewest features so easier to use. You can probably download a pdf manual to see how easy it is to use before you buy it.

Honestly though I'd suggest using a computer with a nice big screen and going with a simple pc solution so you can mix down and email your ideas.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I really, really want to make simple multitrack (maybe 6 tracks or more) recordings to capture arrangement ideas to share with my band. I have a Boss BR600... have had it for a few years... I never use it because I find it wildly counterintuitive. Is there something much more intuitive and easy? It doesn't need to be fancy... I don't care about effects. I just want to be able to layer tracks!

I just got this...

Zoom R20.
I'm coming from desk top computers running DAWs of some sort locked in a room. I wanted something simple and semi-portable, this is not battery powered as the older R16. So I still need wall power but it's small and simple. It has some effects but they are simple and don't have to be used but are updateable. The operation is simple, you have up to 8 tracks recordable at a time, 16 internally. You plug in, arm a track or tracks, set the gains and press record and go, simple. You can loop, cut, trim, stretch, move, tracks in the unit through the on board touch screen or pull the user supplied SD card and use it in a computer DAW.

This grandpa is having fun with it, check it our!

R20 Multi Track Recorder | Buy Now



PS it is simple like the old Teac port-a-studio's

 

[DJ Bebop]

With the caveat that I haven't actually used it yet, the zoom R20 has a pretty sweet looking interface that shows the individual tracks like a DAW and color codes them to faders. Having used the br600 it looks amazing by comparison (if a little extra for your needs).

Yep, I have one and it's all that imho

 

[funkinbottom]

Another vote for Reaper. Easy to use with a short learning curve.

Reaper ! free and easy , does not need a great computer either , get a cheap USB mic pre be done with it . $100 , there are TONS of free VST FX and instruments out there also

Reaper is not free. It can be used that way, but it's not the intention of the developer for it to be used for free in perpetuity. They've developed a great product and deserve to be paid fairly for its use.

A great product indeed. $60 is a very small price for such a quality bit of software. And free updates. Their business model is based on the honor system, but I guess there will always be those that take advantage.They have developed an excellent product, willing to let you try a full version free and free updates. It's kinda like a money back guarantee in reverse. So, use full version and like...pay the 60 bucks and keep. Use and don't like...delete and move on to something else. But, don't use, like, keep and not pay.

 

[Wanker_Joe]

I just got this...
View attachment 4531548

Zoom R20.
I'm coming from desk top computers running DAWs of some sort locked in a room. I wanted something simple and semi-portable, this is not battery powered as the older R16. So I still need wall power but it's small and simple. It has some effects but they are simple and don't have to be used but are updateable. The operation is simple, you have up to 8 tracks recordable at a time, 16 internally. You plug in, arm a track or tracks, set the gains and press record and go, simple. You can loop, cut, trim, stretch, move, tracks in the unit through the on board touch screen or pull the user supplied SD card and use it in a computer DAW.

This grandpa is having fun with it, check it our!

R20 Multi Track Recorder | Buy Now



PS it is simple like the old Teac port-a-studio's

Oh cool! I didn't realize the R20 was already released, I remember hearing about it a while back when I shopping for a new multitrackers (I ended up going with the L-12). How do you like it?

 

[DJ Bebop]

Oh cool! I didn't realize the R20 was already released, I remember hearing about it a while back when I shopping for a new multitrackers (I ended up going with the L-12). How do you like it?

I wanted the L12 or L20 for live PA and recording but most places I'd play have digital mixers and they were a little big for the portable thing I wanted to do. I realized that what I was after was something to just grab tracks and then take them back and fiddle with them in a computer later so I didn't need a lot of onboard stuff in the mixer itself.

But there is enough stuff in the R20, like most like this, to do a little mix, and some amp modeling you can print to tracks if you are ok with that kinda thing. You can use up to 3 effects but they can be only use either as an effect on one channel as an insert, you have to print it if you want it on one track or as a send which all tracks can be run through it, like reverb. But again, not a problem if you are taking it to you DAW and do more there.

I like it, I can move around the house with it. It's about the size of a closed laptop.

I detected some whining on the interwebs that the bit and sample rate should have been higher. It's only 24-bit /44.1kHz audio, I guess I'm not releasing my lifetime Opus from it :Ol Or maybe I am, Bruce Springsteen on a Tascam PortaStudio anyone?

 

[Wanker_Joe]

I wanted the L12 or L20 for live PA and recording but most places I'd play have digital mixers and they were a little big for the portable thing I wanted to do. I realized that what I was after was something to just grab tracks and then take them back and fiddle with them in a computer later so I didn't need a lot of onboard stuff in the mixer itself.

But there is enough stuff in the R20, like most like this, to do a little mix, and some amp modeling you can print to tracks if you are ok with that kinda thing. You can use up to 3 effects but they can be only use either as an effect on one channel as an insert, you have to print it if you want it on one track or as a send which all tracks can be run through it, like reverb. But again, not a problem if you are taking it to you DAW and do more there.

I like it, I can move around the house with it. It's about the size of a closed laptop.

I detected some whining on the interwebs that the bit and sample rate should have been higher. It's only 24-bit /44.1kHz audio, I guess I'm not releasing my lifetime Opus from it :Ol Or maybe I am, Bruce Springsteen on a Tascam PortaStudio anyone?

Cool stuff. I use my L-12 similarly. It follows me around the house or wherever and I can lay down ideas on it as the urge takes me (though it's much more bare bones than the R20). Seems like a cool little device.

 

[BigBluez]

I'm trying Reaper on a trial run. If I get the hang of it and keep it, I'll definitely buy it!

 

[mike buzzetti]

I'm trying Reaper on a trial run. If I get the hang of it and keep it, I'll definitely buy it!

good for you , I didn't realize this was gonna turn into a Zoom thread/forum LMFAO

 

[tbz]

It’s silly to suggest that they don’t care or that the ProTools model is the only other option. If they didn’t care they would have made it unilaterally free with no option to purchase a license or make a distinction between user levels and the resultant pricing. What they made on the sale of Winamp is irrelevant.

Regardless, none of us are in a position to know the developers’ feelings but them. All we can do is review the available facts. Those facts are clear. There is a cost once the trial period expires which it will do in perpetuity. Therefor Reaper is not intended to be free to use even if some people choose to exploit the trial period refresh policy.

Based on how things went with Winamp it’s safe to infer that they’re happy to have you pay them, if you can afford it.

Based on how their software works, it’s safe to infer that they’re ok with you not paying them, if you can’t, and are clever enough to find a workaround.

Its $60. So I just pay it. But they’re the type of people that would probably be fine if a 15 year old kid kept uninstalling/reinstalling it, to get around the trial.

 

[silky smoove]

Based on how things went with Winamp it’s safe to infer that they’re happy to have you pay them, if you can afford it.

Based on how their software works, it’s safe to infer that they’re ok with you not paying them, if you can’t, and are clever enough to find a workaround.

Its $60. So I just pay it. But they’re the type of people that would probably be fine if a 15 year old kid kept uninstalling/reinstalling it, to get around the trial.

Correct, and as you stated, all of that is based on inference. What’s known is that Reaper is not free despite there being a workaround to use it that way.

 

[tbz]

Correct, and as you stated, all of that is based on inference. What’s known is that Reaper is not free despite there being a workaround to use it that way.

Yes. Based on inference like “the sun will probably rise tomorrow as it has for the last 4 billion years.”

Since, again, they could easily implement a lock that prevented use on a system once the trial passed.

But sure boss.