From the Studio to the Stage- ZOOM R24!!!

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Fri May 11, 2012 4:14 pm

Here's some links with details about counterfeit Shure mics.

http://homerecording.about.com/od/micro ... e_Mics.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIaphYCox20

virtuocity · Post by **virtuocity** » Wed May 16, 2012 10:01 am

Zoom R24 ordered.

Best deal I could find online was £379 which included some crappy headphones.

Got a refurbished model (1 years manufacturer guarantee) for £249 which I think is a good deal.

I shall continue to post here and will attempt to change the thread title to include "ZOOM R24" so others can be updated of my progress with this bit of kit.

Hopefully get some samples of work done on it put here as well.

Dave

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Wed May 16, 2012 4:18 pm

Sounds like you got a great price on a refurb model. Once you explore the features I haven't even mentioned yet, like the drum machine and the amazing effects, I think you'll find that you got yourself an amazing value.

neotechtonics · Post by **neotechtonics** » Thu May 17, 2012 8:30 am

I own the Zoom R16 and I must say its an essential part of my setup now (for jam sessions and recording) and its also the piece of gear that I get asked the most about by friends... and once I tell them more they want to buy it from me. Truly amazing functionality for the price. I wanted the R24 but the store I got my R16 from had it sitting in the display window gathering dust occasionally used for recording guitars and drum in the shop. got it for 300euros which isnt exactly cheap for a semi-used demo model. but there's nothing wrong with it.. and it had a 8GB SD card in it (with a few guitar and drum recordings on it haha)

very pleased with it.

virtuocity · Post by **virtuocity** » Tue May 22, 2012 9:09 pm

Finally had a chance to have a sit down and a look at my new toy, the Zoom R24.

Initial thoughts:

1. Thank god for the instruction manual. Despite the R24 being reasonably easy to use, it can be quite daunting at first

2. Drum sounds are poor. Didn't buy it for that though. To have it (along with a tonne of rhythms to inspire my next track) is a real bonus though.

3. The quality of the mics are pretty darn good (see my track comments below).

4. Finally have an authentic recording of my Korg SV-1!!! Up until now, my Edirol interface distorted every sound it made. Happy.

5. Doing a master mix is really easy by the looks of it, as are other things like swapping tracks working between projects. Adding FX to tracks is a twiddly job.

Here is a very quick (and poorly mixed) demo.

I decided to record the percussion (you'll hear it at the start and throughout) using the on-board mics to give everyone an idea of their quality. Bear in mind it's an untreated room.

All the other noises you will hear come from the Korg SV-1 (giving the recording some relevance on this forum).

http://soundcloud.com/auroraandtheborealis/inside-out

PUNPKOMG (and others)- I've taken the master track from the card in the R24. You'll notice that the end of the track ends abruptly but it does not when playing via the R24. Is there a way to tell the R24 when the project finishes?[/code]

neotechtonics · Post by **neotechtonics** » Wed May 23, 2012 7:28 am

not sure about a setting.. havent really dug deep with the R16 in terms of creating a project start to finish on it and mastering on it. I usually record a long "tail" then cut and fade using WAV editing software. You could always do a manual channel fade when recording down to the master track, then cut the remainder of the project after your intended end point.

also if you leave play on on the R16/R24 it will keep playing even if you haven't recorded anything beyond that point so it will extend the project beyond that point with "dead-air". I think this is a useful thing if you want to record multiple tracks in succession without starting a new project each time. I use this alot. so you can record a track... then hit rec when you are finished that recording, R16/R24 continues to play forward creating blank space, hit record again and continue with next recording. this way you can create a silent gap between recordings which I find useful for finding start and end points when chopping up recordings in an editor on my PC.

note on the internal mics: as far as I know they are the same stereo mics that are used in the Zoom H1 field recorder; quality but I've never used them mostly because they record EVERYTHING in the room! haha

virtuocity · Post by **virtuocity** » Wed May 23, 2012 8:10 am

Thanks @Punpkomg.

Yes- good point re: putting all tracks on one project. Will consider it as it's a bit slow getting from one project to the next.

I'm really enjoying working WITHOUT a PC at the moment. I know I'll need to integrate it sooner rather than later, but it's really stretching my creative ability trying to create pop songs just using the R24, plus it's really getting me acquainted with it.

I can't believe it only cost me £249. Major win.

PS. 23 degrees Celsius in Scotland today

neotechtonics · Post by **neotechtonics** » Wed May 23, 2012 8:23 am

another thing i've noticed with the R16 is that when you create a new project it uses the settings you had in the previous one, very helpful when you've set all the stereo linking, insert effect and send/return effects to how you want them.. especially if you tend to use the same configuration of gear to certain channels.

its 18 degrees Celsius here in Durban... winter is coming haha.

virtuocity · Post by **virtuocity** » Wed May 23, 2012 11:06 am

punpkomg wrote:another thing i've noticed with the R16 is that when you create a new project it uses the settings you had in the previous one, very helpful when you've set all the stereo linking, insert effect and send/return effects to how you want them..

Ah yes, I found this one out by accident. Whilst I guess it can be helpful, it was a bit of a pain to remove all of the effects from the channels again. I basically start each project as a blank canvas and the R24 is against that idea!

virtuocity · Post by **virtuocity** » Wed May 30, 2012 9:30 am

Quick update.

Had my first band practice with the R24. In fact, I left the piano at home!

Everything went really well. I was really delighted that what I heard via the headphones (i.e. the mix) sounded well through the PA. This gives me confidence for live performances.

One thing I felt though was a sense of being 'left out'. I was basically there pressing play/stop/rewind whilst teaching the rest of the guys the song.

I reckon I will just delete one of the tracks from each project and play it live on my Korg SV-1- perhaps one of the more basic parts to enable me to play some hand percussion at the same time.

Zoom R24- "So efficient that it renders you superfluous".

virtuocity · Post by **virtuocity** » Thu May 31, 2012 9:05 am

Question for those who have been kind enough to help me so far.

Is it possible to bounce a song from my PC DAW to a new project on the R24?

If so, how?

neotechtonics · Post by **neotechtonics** » Thu May 31, 2012 9:23 am

Wouldn't know how, but first step would be making sure the audio format and file naming is correct.. Eg STEREO001 and making sure that channel/pair is setup to what's being dropped into it. Test with a new project then render the WAV file into correct format and name then copy into that projects audio folder to see if it works. If it works it should autpmatically have that file on the track/s you set it up for. I'm doubtful it will work because there is probably other data associated with a project and audio file that you won't have. Worth a try tho. Is there not a load function on the R24? For example loading an audio file from a previous project into a new one? But using a wav not recorded on the zoom might not work.

namnibor · Post by **namnibor** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 11:58 am

Just wanted to chime-in that the R24 is a great device, even with no midi, although that would have been nice and bet Zoom will add this in a futuer incarnation. The R24 rendors and uses .wav format audio when recording onto up to a 32 GB SDHC card AND when used as an interface for any given DAW. You can integrate your files and tracks from the R24 to DAW and if not wanting to deal with the menus doing a mixdown/mastering of tracks on R24, it can then be done in your DAW. Now as far as taking tracks FROM your DAW and placing THEM ON the R24--I believe those tracks would of course have to be audio, not midi tracks AND need to be in a format the R24 accepts.
There's some improved features on the R24 from the R16, greatest and best (IMO), the fact R24 ALSO can act as a platform to punch -in/out of tracks WHILE recording, similar to Yamaha RM1X style. Also, you can connect two-R24's with an USB cable without even having a PC connected, using the A/C adapter, to THEN have 16 track simultaneous recording, then of course, having 4 outs rather than the 2 with one machine.
I found the manual to be a bit confusing (no shock there) and discovered the BEST companion DVD tutorial on the R24 that actually is VERY excellent and even opens up the possibilities of the R24 that the manual never even touched on and I feel Zoom should include this as standard within the box at purchase. It's called "Zoom R24 DVD Tutorial". ONLY fro ProAudioDVDs.com and can be found on ebay for less than $25. and it is WORTH it! Nothing beats following what he does and being able to pause it until you have caught-up, familiarizing yourself with the many functions.
You will learn that the R24 makes an EXCELLENT way to turn prerecorded LOOPS to build-up a song and being able to even bounce one track to another and record on the fly WHILE doing this as well!! I have not used it in an DAW as an interface/controller with PC because alreay have great audio interface with midi, the M-Audio Fast Track C600, which I have two sets of monitors and a sub going out of it and if I were to incorp. R24 in this set-up, it would actually be my two stereo outs from my rack mixer, where I have 8 synths or more jacked into, then the outputs of R24 would go to inputs of a L/R in front of C600, then out to monitors, with ability to have my DAW do it's own tricks but being a recently retired and disabled Veteran, amstill learning about MIDI and althoug love technology, am kind of more of a hardware person, not really using my DAW to record audio since I find the R24 does exactly wat I need for ambient-type compositions. Hope this helps because feel the R24 has been best investment this year, aside from the 75 voice-expanded Waldorf MicroQ and Blofeld Keyboard Black Edition!

neotechtonics · Post by **neotechtonics** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 12:15 pm

As far as I know you can also punch-in/out with the R16 has the button, never used it... And you can connect 2 R16s together for 16 track simultaneous recording... You can also connect an R16 to an R24 the same way. Either way both the R16 and R24 are incredibly functional for the price. My R16 is truly indispensible in my studio. Thinking of getting an R24 then I can sell the R16 to a friend who really needs one, and when we have a big jam session we can link them and go mad with all our gear. B-)

namnibor · Post by **namnibor** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 4:37 am

Yes, I think the R16 is pretty awsome, however, shortly after becoming medically retired from military service I had read about the R24 in that it somehow was distinctively different in that it offered Sampler Charateristics. Advertised as : Recorder:Controller:Sampler--Total Music Production, using up tp 32GB SDHC, with both USB A and B input/output, B--used to connect to PC and Regular USB 2.0 A connection for utilizing memory USB Flash Drives, external HD, and connecting more than one Zoom together.
Wish I could pin-point the exact distinction but it's in the use of dual use drum pads or sampling pads in that it really seemed to have an edge over the R16 in using to activate recorded loops of sounds you have recorded and the number of avail. preamped channels. Now, I am willing to admit that the difference very well may have been the ability to record/have armed 8 tracks at a time PLUS 24 simultaneous playback WHILE adding more recording, and that the R16 and R24 differences may lay there. For the ambient soundscapish/industrial stuff i wanted to do without having face in a PC screen more than playing, either one would have fit my needs.
For my needs, MIDI is not missed at all. It does have a "click track/metronome" avail. but for some I can see where midi time code/click for absolute milisecond timing sync would be useful but I find the editing/time-stretch/quantisizing ability quite extensive--esp. when you own that video that Zoom apparently commissioned them to do yet is not sold by Zoom--It truely opens up a level of understanding that the although concise, sometimes confusing manual lacks--then it becomes quite intuitive.
On a Korg note, will just say I finally got myself a Wavestation SR module with a now discontinued Korg Kontrol 49, which has a Vector Joystick--this afternoon, before I knew it several hours had gone by as had headphones on for going through all banks and making sure all data intact after a recent battery change...will just say WOW! Understand, rather than living in a cave or under rock--well, the military can be that way so ALOT of things are rather NEW to me and am happy to be a "bottom-feeder" of technology, recycling gear that people letting go to go all out vst these days! Radias rocks as well! It's all the ins and outs of midi that I am learning and then and only THEN will I load and learn the Pro Tools lurking in its box! THIS is other reason am kind of glad the Zoom does not have midi as would have been less intuitive to learn for me at least. Even when I do decide to use DAW, pretty surei will be recording AUDIO mostly rather than midi tracks--od school perhaps but works for my method of madness!

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