Yeah the L12 seems to be very powerful. Besides just recording I've seen some that are using it as a mixer too. And if I'm not mistaken you can hook it up to your DAW and integrate it with audio software packages as well.
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Multitrack recorders still a thing?
- Thread starter Knavery
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Yes that too. It works seamlessly realtime with my Presonus Studio One.
Well I'm sold. I've been fighting for two weeks now on which unit to buy. The TASCAM may or may not be better, but I have found more happy users of the Zoom than the TASCAM. And the Zoom seems well equipped for what I want to do. Not saying the TASCAM isn't. But I keep finding myself with more questions than answers about how can I do something with the TASCAM whereas the Zoom, I've been getting answers to my questions.
I’ve used both multitrack and DAWs. Which is “better” depends entirely on what you want to do.
Multitrack recorders are great when you’re recording a song with a full band in a “studio-live” format. If you’ve got a band that’s tight enough to do an old school performance style recording like that - or when you’re in a genre like blues or jazz and your group’s real-time player interaction is a key element for that type of music - multitracks are golden. And if you know what you’re doing (and especially if you cut your teeth back in the days of analog recording) the limitations of a multitrack recorder aren't really a barrier to getting professional quality results. It can be far less forgiving than a DAW. So your ability to fix things after the fact is much more limited. But if you and your musicians take the “get it right the first time since you can’t fix very much in the mix” approach, and you know how to work within the limitations of your multitrack, it can work out very well for you.
If you favor the more modern track by track building block approach, the cut & paste editing flexibility, and you want to take advantage of the huge range of plugins and virtual instruments that are now available, then a DAW is a better fit for that.
One modern take on the old multitrack PortaStudio concept is the iZotope Spire Studio. ($350 street)
Multitrack recorders are great when you’re recording a song with a full band in a “studio-live” format. If you’ve got a band that’s tight enough to do an old school performance style recording like that - or when you’re in a genre like blues or jazz and your group’s real-time player interaction is a key element for that type of music - multitracks are golden. And if you know what you’re doing (and especially if you cut your teeth back in the days of analog recording) the limitations of a multitrack recorder aren't really a barrier to getting professional quality results. It can be far less forgiving than a DAW. So your ability to fix things after the fact is much more limited. But if you and your musicians take the “get it right the first time since you can’t fix very much in the mix” approach, and you know how to work within the limitations of your multitrack, it can work out very well for you.
If you favor the more modern track by track building block approach, the cut & paste editing flexibility, and you want to take advantage of the huge range of plugins and virtual instruments that are now available, then a DAW is a better fit for that.
One modern take on the old multitrack PortaStudio concept is the iZotope Spire Studio. ($350 street)
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Not sure if it's something I would use or not. But that's a powerful little device. Things sure have come a long ways since my days of ping ponging tracks on a Fostex X-28 4 track cassette machine.
What's really funny though about watching that video is how much I paid attention to other stuff in it, like the brand of headphones, KRK Systems. I've really been wanting try out some of their studio gear and have been looking at a set they make recently.
deepestend
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- Feb 21, 2003
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Bumping an old thread. Anything new on the multitrack recording mixer front? Are the zoom products still here it’s at? I’d like to upgrade my home studio from a simple Behringer mixer. Like others have said, I CAN do the DAW thing, but I find that i just don’t and would like to simplify.
Zoom, Tascam, and others are still pumping out multi track products, and they're not going away anytime soon.
DAWs are great and have their place, but for me it starts with multi track recording capabilities live whether it's practice or a gig. Then from there to the DAW for final output.
There is a new unit from Zoom, the R20 for 350,-. 16 tracks / 8 at a time, touchscreen, drum computer, a basic synth...
deepestend
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deepestend
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No worries. Just got me excited. That zoom is pretty perfect. i just wish it were $100 cheaper and half the size (and tracks).
On the "multi-track mixer front" is the Zoom Livetrak series. They come in 8, 12, and 20 track formats and have other small distinctions between the individual mixers in the series. The unique thing about them is they function as a live performance mixer, but can also be used as a multi-track recorder.
I own the Zoom Livetrak L8, and it's the only one that can run on battery power.
I previously owned an R24 and it was a solid performer. The R series is still in the Zoom family, and they have a few advantages over the Livetrak mixer/recorders if you are more interested in multi-track recording. Choosing between the Zoom R8, R16, and R24 is mostly a matter of how many tracks you want to record simultaneously and how many of those tracks you want phantom power on. The preamps of the R series tend to be noisy if you want to use dynamic mics, so I only use DI signals and condenser mics with my R24.
The Livetrak series are good performers, but they have a few quirks that take some getting used to.
deepestend
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deepestend
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The R8 is more in my price range and I like the drum tracks but honestly it looks a little plastic junky compared to the others. Anything to that?
If you can get by with two input tracks at a time the R8 is a great little machine. It is built identically to all the other R series recorders and although it can look cheap at first look that's not really the case. It records great 24 bit 44.1 khz tracks and has a lot to offer. It is best to track on the R8 and export tracks to a DAW for serious editing. You can also mix 8 tracks to a stereo master then keep recording more tracks to later mix in your DAW.
This is a serious piece of "home recordist" gear if that's what you have in mind. The R8, a couple of condenser mics (the R8 supplies 48v phantom power) and a set of good phones like Beyerdynamic DT770s can have you multi-tracking in minutes.
There are quite a few, but I'm not going to air a long laundry list of complaints here. I knew of the oddities with the Livetrak mixer/recorders prior to purchase and still consider them a nice piece of gear. Here's a few, off the top of my head.
1. There's no "track bounce" feature like is present on the R series recorders. "Track Bounce" means you can record a track and use a couple buttons to assign it to a different track. That means you don't have to keep moving your cable to a different input to record a new track.
2. Tracks 7 and 8 are actually "stereo" tracks, but if you use them as inputs from an audio source you only have a single mono Tip/shield input. These are line level inputs, so you have to use them with a preamp, but there's no reason why they couldn't have provided a TRS 1/4" stereo input on those tracks. What were they thinking?
3. Unlike any other recorder, if you're working in a project and you hit the "record ready" button the L8 automatically dumps you to a new project if you don't make ABSOLUTELY sure you have the "overdub" function already selected. There are lots of confused users who don't get this. Neither do I, since it doesn't make any sense. It's a bit maddening.
4. Since us multi-trackers" are using headphones, the Livetrak has no way of muting the outputs to your powered monitors so you can track with a mic without feeding your previous work back into the mic through your room monitors. The main output controls both the powered monitor levels AND the headphone volume. I resolved that with a Behringer Monitor 1 control that lets me mute the monitors and still have headphones. What's up with that? A simple main out mute switch would have saved me the extra $75 for the monitor control and patch cables.
5. The "power cable" is a MINI usb cable that plugs in under the machine. It's not all that secure and is
t's just an oddball way of doing it.. They should have used a standard sized USB cable and a couple of strain reliefs on the REAR of the machine. Powering with the USB is fine, it's just the tiny little connection that's relatively easy to pull out.
Many users DO have a problem with this since you can't supply power and connect it to your computer at the same time. Not a problem for me, but I do understand the users who do have a problem with that.
That's a few...
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deepestend
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Thanks for all of this. Very helpful!
i really just want a multitrack notepad that will make it easy to write music away from the computer. If any work becomes more serious, I can edit it or re-record it in GarageBand.
It also sounds like both zoom units are pretty portable and would be easy to use with my stereo mic to do band rehearsals.
I’m going to reread your reviews and keep thinking on this.
i really just want a multitrack notepad that will make it easy to write music away from the computer. If any work becomes more serious, I can edit it or re-record it in GarageBand.
It also sounds like both zoom units are pretty portable and would be easy to use with my stereo mic to do band rehearsals.
I’m going to reread your reviews and keep thinking on this.
deepestend
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With all this talk I'm starting to think about just getting an Allen & Heath Zed10.
It has 4 in 4 out USB connectivity that should work with Garageband. I don't know, none of the zoom stuff feels like that strong of a mixer for daily use. And not many of the really good mixers have SD recording, or if they do it feels like an afterthought. I may end up not being able to have my cake and eat it at the $300 price point. Big surprise!
It has 4 in 4 out USB connectivity that should work with Garageband. I don't know, none of the zoom stuff feels like that strong of a mixer for daily use. And not many of the really good mixers have SD recording, or if they do it feels like an afterthought. I may end up not being able to have my cake and eat it at the $300 price point. Big surprise!
The Zoom L-20 is great for everyday use, once you learn the quirks specific to that board. I've owned one for two years now. But the price point for 20 tracks and sd recording isn't cheap, before taxes it's a grand.
