BEST 8 TRACK DIGITAL RECORDER?

[JAMESUK]

Hi everyone,

I want to buy a digital 8 track recorder mainly to record lead and background vocals myself and i just wanted to know if anyone can recommend the best 8 track digital recorder for this purpose? And what effects for vocals should i look for when buying an 8 track? And please note that it does not have to be a korg product.

I have read about the Boss br600 and boss br900 and boss br1200 and i just wanted to know if anyone else has had any experience of using these products? And how they found them. I have read that all of these recorders have a pitch correction feature and that the boss br1200 also has a vocal tool box and harmony feature.

Any help you can give me would be most welcome!

Many thanks,
James.

[KorgSinceTheM1]

Hi everyone,

I want to buy a digital 8 track recorder mainly to record lead and background vocals myself and i just wanted to know if anyone can recommend the best 8 track digital recorder for this purpose? And what effects for vocals should i look for when buying an 8 track? And please note that it does not have to be a korg product.

I have read about the Boss br600 and boss br900 and boss br1200 and i just wanted to know if anyone else has had any experience of using these products? And how they found them. I have read that all of these recorders have a pitch correction feature and that the boss br1200 also has a vocal tool box and harmony feature.

Any help you can give me would be most welcome!

Many thanks,
James.

I used to work at Guitar Center and the BR-series were always a good seller, mainly for it's ease of use and it's feature packed set of effects and drums. If you're a guitarist, then the abundance of efx, amp models, and even a acoustic and bass gtr simulator is worth the price of the unit alone.

Lots of vocal efx in it as well, and they all sound great.
Bottomline for the BR series is ease of use in an all in one unit.
Sounds like I just closed a sale!

IMO the best non-Boss unit for the price is the Korg D888. This unit has 8 mic pre's and can record 8 simultaniously. Also, a real tactile mixer with lots of knobs. Effects section not as elaborate as Boss's but there are a few in there. Great for recording live bands also.

Hope this helps!

[JAMESUK]

Hi KorgSinceTheM1,

Thanks for your reply.

Do you know much about the Boss br600? As im not sure whether to get that one or the more expensive Boss br900 as im not sure how they differ and which one would be better for recording vocals on.

Many thanks,
James.

[KorgSinceTheM1]

Hi KorgSinceTheM1,

Thanks for your reply.

Do you know much about the Boss br600? As im not sure whether to get that one or the more expensive Boss br900 as im not sure how they differ and which one would be better for recording vocals on.

Many thanks,
James.

The 900 has two mic pre's, and a cd burner. They both record with the same compact flash format. The 900 can also record directly to cd, rather to the card. The advantage of the mic pre's on the 900 is that you can use a nice condenser mic. USB on both units to export to a computer.

The 600 is nice and compact, very slim! No mic pre's but it comes with an xlr to phone jack cable. Also has a nice soft case. The one thing I personally like about the 600 are the 2 built in mics to record in stereo. I was told these are equivalent to the ones on the Edirol R-09, which actually sounds great. So you can record rehearsals, concerts, etc...

There really is no wrong choice, both are excellent units, but there is a $300.00 difference between the two. You should also consider the computer realm of recording.

Based on what I used to sell at GC, the BR600's were a hit.

[JAMESUK]

Hi KorgSinceTheM1,

Thanks for all the information as its been very helpful and gives me a good insight into both boss recorders.

One thing i wanted to know was how each boss recorder the boss br600 and the boss br900 differs in effects used for enchancing vocals? Do they have the same effects for vocals? And which effects should i look for in a digital recorder?

Many thanks
James.

[KorgSinceTheM1]

Hi KorgSinceTheM1,

Thanks for all the information as its been very helpful and gives me a good insight into both boss recorders.

One thing i wanted to know was how each boss recorder the boss br600 and the boss br900 differs in effects used for enchancing vocals? Do they have the same effects for vocals? And which effects should i look for in a digital recorder?

Many thanks
James.

Hi James,
From what I learned, both models have identical effects for vocals, minus the harmony function which is only on the 1200 and the 1600.
Both units have tons of effects for guitar, bass, keyboards. The vocal effects on-board are more than adequate for your needs, such as reverb, delay, eq, compressors, chorusing, pitch shifters, etc, all most commonly used for enhancing vocal tracks.

Again, there's no wrong choice here between the two. I would suggest going to your local music store and giving them a test drive. Good luck!

[JAMESUK]

Hi KorgSinceTheM1,

Thanks for all your help! It has been invaluable to a beginner like me.

Just one more quick question. If i was going to go down the route of a software solution to record my vocals and i wanted something with similar effects as the boss br recorders then which softare would be best? Could i use the most basic cakewalk product or something like garage band on mac? Or would you suggest?

Many thanks,
James.

[KorgSinceTheM1]

Hi KorgSinceTheM1,

Thanks for all your help! It has been invaluable to a beginner like me.

Just one more quick question. If i was going to go down the route of a software solution to record my vocals and i wanted something with similar effects as the boss br recorders then which softare would be best? Could i use the most basic cakewalk product or something like garage band on mac? Or would you suggest?

Many thanks,
James.

Software recording has become more and more the norm these days, and many hobbyists and professionals alike are making great sounding music right in their own home. Technology has given us the tools so you don't have to be in a billion dollar recording studio to make a decent recording.

All you need is an audio interface and the software, and like I said earlier these start at a mere $99.00 As far as which one for starters? Sonar Home Studio, CubaseLE4 and ProTools Mbox Mini are very popular choices. All of these have effects for vocal processing. Pitch correction and Harmony software are an add-on though.

If you have computer, and plan to just record at home, then opt for the software package. If you're on the go, or want to record ideas right on the fly, then go with the all-in-one portable BR recorder solution.

I was personally using the old Roland VS880's when they first came out. And I made real good use of it during it's time. Then I dove into software recording, which to me is lot more gratifying.

[JAMESUK]

Once again KorgSinceTheM1,

Thanks for your excellent advice. I will definitely look into getting some computer recording software and particularly the ones you recommended as it looks like a cost effective way to record great quality vocals at home. And the good thing is that i can always purchase the add ons as you suggested too.

Thanks again for all your help it was very much appreciated.

James.

[KorgSinceTheM1]

Once again KorgSinceTheM1,

Thanks for your excellent advice. I will definitely look into getting some computer recording software and particularly the ones you recommended as it looks like a cost effective way to record great quality vocals at home. And the good thing is that i can always purchase the add ons as you suggested too.

Thanks again for all your help it was very much appreciated.

James.

Not a problem! And good luck with your venture into computer recording! You'll be glad you took the plunge!

[JAMESUK]

Thanks mate for all your help. Its now 3am in London and so im off to bed!

Bye for now,
James.

[jerky]

Try Reaper. You can try the full version for free and it only costs $50 for non-commercial use (It stays fully functional after the try out period too).

http://www.reaper.fm/

If you prefer an 8-track recorder, Tascam DP-01 is very good (if two inputs is enough).

[JAMESUK]

Hi Jerky,

Thanks for your response. Has the Reaper software got an auto pitch correction function? As thats one of the features im looking for. So any software or hardware with this feature would be great. Plus the other main effects to enchance vocals.

All suggestions welcome.

Many thanks,
James.

[jerky]

Has the Reaper software got an auto pitch correction function?

Reaper supports VST-plugins and I'm sure there is an autotune plugin somewhere for download (I don't know where, because I don't need it )