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New Toy! Zoom R16!

fdask

fdask

May 20, 2009
95
0
Toronto
blog.ffff.ca
#1
Hey guys.

Picked up a Zoom R16 today after work. I'm upgrading from the Boss Micro-BR. The main reason I went with the Zoom was the capability to record up to 8 tracks at once, and the fact that it has faders.

I looked at the other Boss units and none of them seem to offer the ability to record more than one or two tracks at a time. Even on the units costing > $1k. For $479, this thing fits the bill perfectly.

I've only played with it for about 30 mins so far, but already I'm loving the faders. No more navigating tiny little menus to tweak volumes when I'm playing back what I've just recorded. Definitely makes that easy.

One complaint so far is only input 1 can accept a straight bass signal. The rest of the inputs would need some kind of DI to convert the signal to low impedance. I expected as much, and planned on getting a DI soon anyway.

It's a great little unit! Now I can move the MicroBR permanently to my gig bag, and set this one up permanently in my room. :)

Anyone else got one? Thoughts?
 
#2
We've been using one for about 6 months now. I'm pretty familiar with it as a controller for Cubase. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll try to help. We've had no problems from it and have been using all 8 inputs every weekend to record rehearsals.
 
#3
Nice! I've never really gotten into using a PC for recording. I work all day at a computer and don't like to use one at night when I'm fiddling on the bass.

What do you guys have plugged into the unit? And do you run the lines through something else first to get a suitable signal? (DI? Preamp?)
 
#4
Sweet. Thanks for posting. I plan on getting one for myself for recording and doing demoes, and I eventually plan on recording live gigs with it.


Not to derail....
Do you think that 4 mics on the drums would work out??? Only reason I ask is because I've only played gigs so far where the drums didn't need mic'd.
 
#5
We have mostly mics, two condensers on the phantom power ins (5 and 6). For cases where we need to bump the signal or need another phantom power we got some cheap tube MPs and some presonus pres laying around.

I feel ya on the computers, I too work with computers all day, specifically IT support, and I do tire of always being on one... but I've really gotten used to recording with the computer. Something about being able to see it all visually really appeals to me.

@Nose We record the drums with exactly 4 mics. Kick, snare and 2 overheads. It's probably not the most ideal but it works alright.
 
#7
Day said:
We have mostly mics, two condensers on the phantom power ins (5 and 6). For cases where we need to bump the signal or need another phantom power we got some cheap tube MPs and some presonus pres laying around.

I feel ya on the computers, I too work with computers all day, specifically IT support, and I do tire of always being on one... but I've really gotten used to recording with the computer. Something about being able to see it all visually really appeals to me.

@Nose We record the drums with exactly 4 mics. Kick, snare and 2 overheads. It's probably not the most ideal but it works alright.
Click to expand...


That's how was figuring it as well, because there's only me, the drummer, one guitarist, and we both sing. Now, to record the audience, I'm not sure what to do.


:hmm:
 
#8
We've been seriously contemplating getting another as you can link them together and record 16 tracks at once. It's going to either be that or a small mixer for drums and/or vocals, as we have 2 guitars, and some people that sing backup sometimes, so we get maxed out and have to make sacrifices like all vocals on one track. I really like this little unit, it does a lot for the price point.

This is all from a controller point of view though I should say. We've never used it to record straight to it, so I don't know a lot about that aspect.
 
#9
I was thinking having a mixer in front of the Zoom would be a good idea. One that had effect/send returns so you could put some effects other than the builtins onto your lines.

I haven't even messed with the builtins yet. How are they on this thing?

The MicroBR had some pretty tweakable guitar effects, some of which sounded great on bass.
 

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