Digital Multitrack Recorders - Audio Recording

Making good music is a succession of great moments, made even better when your musician friends are with you. Hours seem like minutes. Today's audio recorders let you capture your precious moments to share with friends and family, and maybe even the world. It's never been easier to record your music. Let's take a look at some of the latest digital micro recorders from Edirol, Zoom, and BOSS.

The Edirol R09 is ultra small and looks like a gadget, but make no mistake, it performs. You can even record and play back MP3 files. The R09 is perfect for capturing live music events, recitals, and rehearsals. It’s also handy as a songwriter’s sketchpad, ensuring that no moment of inspiration is lost. But the R09 has many valuable uses outside of the music world as well. Students can use it to record lectures. Broadcasters and journalists can throw away their antiquated cassette recorders and use the R09 for in-the-field interviews. Wherever, whenever there’s a need to capture audio, the R09 can do it hassle-free thanks to its built-in microphone and long battery operation.

The Zoom H4 Handy Digital Recorder is another "digital wonder" you can hold in your hand. The Zoom H4 features two studio-quality electret condenser microphones configured in an X/Y pattern for true stereo recording. It also includes 2 combination XLR-1/4-inch input jacks with phantom power for use with any external microphones of your choice. And the H4 is loaded with onboard studio effects like compression, limiting and mic modeling. An 1/8-inch headphone jack is also provided for monitoring.

The H4 records data to Secure Digital (SD) media, and a 128MB SD card is included with the unit. With a 2GB SD memory card, the H4 provides up to 380 minutes of recording in 16-bit mode (CD Quality), and 34 hours in MP3 stereo mode. To move your recordings to a PC or Mac, the H4 includes a USB mass-storage interface.

Third on our list (for no particular reason), is the new BOSS Micro BR Recording Studio. The Micro BR is so small you can put it in your pocket! It measures just 136.0 mm x 81.0 mm x 21.4 mm (5-3/8" x 3-3/16" x 7/8"). But even though it’s tiny, the Micro BR packs an entire studio’s worth of features into its tiny case. There are a dozen buttons on its front panel, nine knobs, and even a built-in microphone for quick capture.



At its core, the Micro BR is a four-track studio with four simultaneous playback tracks and two simultaneous record / input tracks. However, there’s more to this recorder than meets the eye. Each of the four main playback tracks also has eight companion V-Tracks (for a total of 32), so you can record take after take after take, then pick your best material for final mixdown.

And last but not least, is the new BOSS BR600 Recording Studio. The BR600 provides eight simultaneous playback tracks, but there’s more than meets the eye. Each of the eight tracks also contains eight V-Tracks (virtual tracks), which gives musicians quick access to 64 tracks of recorded material. They can record dozens of takes, and choose their favorites for mixdown.

Tracks can be manipulated with the powerful effects built into the BR 600. Derived from BOSS high-end recorders, these quality algorithms can give even the dullest tracks maximum impact — mistakes can be fixed, mixes can be mastered. Included in the effects suite: COSM guitar and bass amp models plus chorus, delay, reverb, and EQ for every channel. Pitch correction is provided as well.

Wherever musicians go, the ultra-portable BR-600 is ready to record. It can operate on six AA batteries (or AC). Quality stereo microphones are built in for point-and-capture recording on the spot. Whether for recording band rehearsals, gigs, or capturing ambient sounds, the BR-600 is all musicians need to get the job done with no hassle. It records its CD-quality digital audio direct to the included Compact Flash card, the international standard for reliable, portable storage, and even comes with a custom carrying bag and XLR-to-1/4” mic adapter.